2012-Summer-Fish-Finatic

1 Summer 2012

Summer 2012 2

3 Summer 2012

Silent Cycling for Planted Tanks page 4

Amazon Swords page 5

Labidochromis caeruleus page 7

5 Of the Creepiest Fish page 9

Upcoming Events page 15

TWAS Executive page 15

About the TWAS page 15

WW ow, summer is already here! For

most of us that offers an chance to

relax from otherwise busy sched-

ules.

Summer also brings about the best weather for

BBQs and other outdoor activities. Although

TWAS will not be meeting at Earl Haig until Sep-

tember, we are hoping to plan at least one event

over the summer for finatics to get together.

Please check our website, facebook, and your

email inbox for more details when plans are con-

firmed.

Accompanying the changing seasons we’ve also

made some adjustments which include our club

logo, membership card, and soon our website.

Enjoy your summer, and take pictures of aquari-

um projects you undertake to share with the club.

Best Regards,

Jaret Voce

[email protected]

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Along with the new club logo our updated membership card also displays

the valid membership year. Pick yours up at the next club event.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Summer 2012 4

EE very new aquarium setup must go through

a cycling period. What does that mean?

It is a process that builds up a beneficial

bacterial colony in the filter media and the

gravel. This bacteria converts harmful ammonia and

nitrite into nitrates, and until a large enough number

of nitrifying bacteria is reached in a new tank, the

ammonia and nitrite levels will spike to toxic, even

deadly levels for most fish. The process takes up to

30-60 days to complete (depending on the water

temperature and other factors). In part due to lack of

information, in part due to the anxiety of looking at

an empty tank for 1-2 months, even today many peo-

ple simply go ahead and add a whole bunch of fish to

newly setup tanks anyway, many of which end up dy-

ing during, or not long after, the cycling period.

However, to the responsible fishkeeper, subjecting

fish to this situation is not an acceptable practice.

There are traditional methods calledfishless cy-

cling where fish food, a small piece of prawn, and/or

pure ammonia is added manually to begin feeding

the bacterial colony. This is a necessary method in

non-planted setups.

But I read a lot of forum stories around the net were

aquarists seem to be very confused with the fishless

cycling method. I don't blame them. I was once con-

fused with the same thing also. Some frequent ques-

tions are: "Where can I find ammonia?", "How many

spoons of flake food should I put in?", "There is al-

ready a big flake mess all over my tank!", "My nitrite (Continued on page 8)

SILENT CYCLING IN A PLANTED AQUARIUM

Author: Dusko Bojic | AquariumPoetry.blogspot.ca

DAY ONE

5 Summer 2012

OO ne of the most commonly available aquat-

ic plants are Amazon swords; Echino-

doras species. My aim in this post is to

help you have success with the Genus.

The blanket needs of the majority of sword plants are

a highly enriched substrate, bright lighting, regular

fertilization, 72-82 degrees, moderately soft to mod-

erately hard water, and a pH between 6.8 and 7.5.

What all swords need, in the substrate and in the wa-

ter (via fertilization) is chelated iron. If you sword's

leaves start to yellow, iron is what it lacks. People

who fail with the plant usually do so by forgetting

that fact.

You really don't need to buy a substrate made espe-

cially for planted tanks. Laterite, a iron-rich clay col-

lected on the banks of rivers in the tropics, is availa-

ble boxed in granular form. An inch wide layer under

two inches of fine (between course sand and regular

gravel) will be all your swords need. If you wish to

use a planted tank substrate (Eco-complete, Florite)

if you put a layer of laterite you'll add the needed

long-term 'kick' to it.

Why is this important? Other than the dwarf species,

sword plants are nutrient hogs. They MUST have

available chelated iron and trace elements available

in the substrate and the water.

You don't need four or more watts per gallon of light

to successfully keep Amazon swords. As long as its

bright and full spectrum, two watts will make your

swords happy.

Brighter lighting and Co2 injection will cause your

swords to explode with growth. Those species that

reproduce via runners will quickly carpet your tank,

no matter the size, and the larger species will shoot

out literally hundreds of leaves and commonly flower

in the tank with daughter plants between blooms.

The most commonly available sword plant is also

among the largest of the genus- E. bleheri. Happily

situated, this giant can and does reach over two feet

tall with a more than two feet leaf spread, and can

rapidly produce well over 100 leaves. Any plant in E.

bleheri's sphere will suffer, as the species has a wide

and vigorous root system.

Despite those caveats, E. bleheri in health is a gor-

geous plant, with deep green leaves, the shade de-

pending on the light going on or through. It is also

quite long-lived, as I've had them in my tanks for

more than 10 years.

If the size of E. bleheri is too much for your tank,

seek out E. parviflorus, which is sometimes called

the Black Amazon Sword. E. parviflorus is less than

half the size of E. bleheri and just as beautiful. A trio

or quartet of these is in perfect scale for a 55 gallon,

and it can be a eye-catching centerpiece in a smaller

container. It is also an adaptable and hardy plant

that adds a bit of exotica to your tank. The common

name is a misnomer, as E. parviflorus isn't black; it's

a slightly lighter green than E. bleheri.

(Continued on page 12)

PROFILE: SWORD PLANTS AquaticCommunity.com

Summer 2012 6

7 Summer 2012

UU nderstandably, L. caeruleus is one of

the more popular Cichlids in the hob-

by, always being in demand. This is

due to its bright yellow coloring and its

more docile temperment. This latter attribute

makes this African Cichlid a compatable tank mate

for virtually hundreds of other Cichlids. Dear to the

hearts of many cichlidophiles, this mbuna gets

housed with peacocks, featherfins, lamprologus,

and of course other mbuna. Its omnivorous diet also

makes it a versatile addition to just about any setup.

The "Electric Yellow" morph is just one of almost a

dozen different morphologies seen in this species

through out the lake. These other morphs go either

unnoticed, ignored, or forgotten by most hobbyists

because of the omnipresent availability of the

"Electric Yellow". This color variant, while more rare

in the lake, enjoys a distribution in the hobby that

would easily out number the wild population by

probably several hundred-fold. In fact, the "Electric

Yellow" that is so popular today was only recently

discovered (about 15 years ago). The discovery and

subsequent public offering of this mbuna constitutes

a very colorful tale.

L. caeruleus was first identified in 1956 by G. Fryer.

He described this fish as normally being white, with

a black stripe through the dorsal fin, which would

become a pale blue cast in breeding males (probably

the morph from Nkhata Bay, Malawi). Believe it or

not, this species was named caeruleus (meaning

"blue" in Latin) for this very reason. It wasn't until

around 1980 that this xanthic color variant was dis-

covered by Stuart Grant and his divers. Grant et. al

supposedly discovered a small colony of "Electric

Yellows" at Lion's Cove, Malawi.

Stuart Grant only collected a few specimens, but re-

fused to mass-collect and export them because of the

population's small numbers, fearing that they would

be pushed into extinction. Then two Swedish collec-

tors paying a visit to Stuart Grant noticed these

beautiful, bright yellow mbuna in his tanks and re-

quested that he collect and export some for them.

The story is that when he declined, these two Swedes

bribed some of his divers, who knew right where

they were located. They then returned to Sweden

with two yellow labs, unbeknownst to Grant.

From what I have read, these two yellow labs were

then given as a gift to Pierre Brichard, who was very

impressed by them. This is where the story gets real-

ly interesting: Brichard then took them back to his

fishing operation in Burundi, along Lake Tanganyika


LABIDOCHROMIS CAERULEUS

Author: Mary Elieson | Cichlid-Forum.com

Summer 2012 8

is taking too long to spike, what's wrong? Should I

add more ammonia?" "My ammonia spike is over,

should I continue adding ammonia?", "When will I

be able to put the fish in?", and so on.

With planted aquariums, if a few measures are tak-

en, there is no need for fishless cycling. With the

method described here you can forget about adding

ammonia, flake food, raw prawns, etc. There is a bet-

ter and quicker way to start your planted aquarium,

such that ammonia and nitrite remain completely

"silent", because they don't spike at all!

Silent Cycling

Since the plants consume ammonia and nitrate as

nitrogen source, there is no preliminary need to

build up nitrifying bacteria as long as there are

enough plants growing well from the start. Cycling is

all about building up “something” that can prevent

deadly levels of ammonia and nitrites in the wa-

ter...so why not plants? They don't just perform that

function well, they look much better than an empty

tank! They allow the addition of fish much sooner at

little to no risk, and with time, there will always be a

natural build-up of bacteria in the filter with or with-

out our help. Preparing a new tank for silent cycling

is very similar to following standard procedures for

any tank intended to have live plants in it, with just a

few extra precautions. Let's see what is necessary in

order to guarantee a proper silent cycling of a new

tank, and I will exemplify with my 180 L planted

community tank during the description:

Step 1 - Substrate and filter power-up

Place the tank in a secure position where it won’t be

hit by direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will trigger an

algae bloom and, believe me, this is the last thing you

want. Add a first layer of fertile substrate if you

choose to do so, then rinse some gravel well and

place it over the fertile layer. Try to build up 7-12 cm

of gravel like a bank, thicker in the back, of course.


Continued from page 4

SILENT CYCLING

9 Summer 2012

AA s if sharks weren't enough to embed fear

in the hearts of swimmers all over the

world, there is an entire host of creepy

creatures that somehow managed to

make it into the 'fish' category. Each and every one

featured has definitely earned its spot on this list of

the top ten creepiest fish in the world! To view the

complete article Top 10 Creepiest Fish in The World

visit kellydowney.hubpages.com

5 OF THE CREEPIEST FISH Author: Kelly Downey | HubPages.com

The Viperfish: Not only do the fangs not fit

in its mouth, but they curve all the way

back to the fish's eyes!

The Snakehead Fish:

After inhabiting a pond or

lake, they eat every living

creature in it, without

discrimination.

The Blobfish: Aside

from having a face

only a mother could

love, the blobfish

has no muscles.

The Angler Fish: Named

for their characteristic

mode of hunting prey,

wherein a fleshy growth

from the fish's head is

used as a lure.

The Stonefish: Believed to be the deadliest fish

in the world, it is definitely the most venomous.

Summer 2012 10

Fill up with water and treat with the dechlorinator

(chlorine, chloramine and heavy metal remover).

It is going to be dirty for a day or two, but the filter

circulation will eventually clean it. Plug in the

power filter and heater. Let it run for 24 hours,

taking this time to make sure everything is work-

ing correctly and to set the temperature at the

right level, for example, most tropical fishes and

plants do well at about 24-26°C.

Step 2 - Adding Plants & Ensure Growth

On the second day, or whenever you're confident,

everything is OK, plants should be added. Over 50%

of the gravel surface has to be planted with fast-

growing stem plants.

Among the best ones I can recommend from person-

al experience are:

Ceratopteris thalictroides

Hygrophila polysperma

Bacopa australis

Egeria densa.

But there are certainly others. For more information

about these and other plants, browse the Garden sec-

tion of Aqua-hobby site. When planting, make sure

to remove all the old leaves and some of the old look-

ing roots. Don't worry, you won't harm them and it

will encourage growth.

Plant the stems about 2-3 cm apart from each other,

so all of them have enough light, which is essential

for good plant growth, without which the silent cycle

won't work.

After the plants are added, if you chose not to use

fertile substrates, you need to at least stick one iron

rich gravel fertilizer tablet or granule (ask your pet-

shop) into the gravel beside each plant. The gravel

fertilizer gives the plant a head start while the algae

can’t use it since they do not have roots. Liquid ferti-

lizer is not a good option in the beginning.

CO2 injection is a must have and there are many

ways to introduce it. The DIY CO2 yeast reactor,

pressurised CO2 system (could be expensive) and

CO2 tablets with a plastic reactor-diffuser (ask your

local pet-shop).

Lighting should initially be low to medium, between

0.3-0.5 Watts per liter for fluorescent tubes. Strong

lighting (over 0.8 W/L) requires the use of pressur-

ized CO2, otherwise an algae break-out is very likely.

To achieve full efficiency of your fluorescent tubes,

reflectors should be placed over the lights (tip: I used

kitchen tin-foil as a reflector). Without good reflec-

tors, the amount of light that actually enters the wa-

ter can be as low as half of the total light generated

by the tubes.

So that’s it, we have fast growing plants; iron rich

gravel fertilizer, CO2 injection and proper lighting.

After all this is done, it's time to sit back and observe

the plant growth for a few days. We need to be sure,

before adding any fish, that the plants are thriving

and growing well, which means they are being capa-

ble of uptaking any ammonia from the water. During

this period, it is highly recommendable that you test

the water occasionally and make sure the ammonia

and nitrite levels are really kept at zero. Otherwise

you will put our fish at risk and make the algae hap-

py.

Step 3 - Introducing the first algae eaters.

About two weeks after the tank has been planted and

if they are showing good progress, you can start add-

ing fish - and algae eaters should go first. For my 180

liter tank I added 2 Siamese algae eaters and 3 Otos.

Before adding the fish, I suggest doing about 20%


DAY 21


SILENT CYCLING

11 Summer 2012

(of all places!) and bred some 20,000 fish, all related

to that pair.

Quite amazing. And he did this in less than six years

time. Then, in 1986 he made them available to the

public, selling them for a hefty price from what I

hear. Brichard ended up making a good dollar off

that pair, while Stuart Grant on Lake Malawi, who

found the fish in the first place, was left holding the

bag.

The story of the yellow lab doesn't end here, my

friends. When Brichard put his yellow labs on the

market in 1986, he called them "Labidochromis tan-

ganicae", which caused immense confusion among

hobbyists. Was this a Tanganyi-

kan Labidocrhomis species, or had Brichard collect-

ed this "new" Labidochromis from Malawi and

raised it in his ponds on Lake Tanganyika? Eventual-

ly the issue was settled, but it did cause quite a com-

motion. And to think, that most yellow labs in the

hobby all descended from that single, illicit pair.

Stuart did capture 22 fish later on but had a bit of a

spill and only a few were left. These were given to

Gary Kratchovil in San Antonio, TX. You'll see him

offer F1 stock from time to time. A couple of years

ago, a friend of a friend bought some F1 yellow labs

that had been pond-raised in Africa. Surprisingly,

they were no better in quality than other good yellow

labs that we have seen! There are plenty of bad

strains out there - some with lots of black on the

body and face. There is a morph with a whitish belly

that is not as attractive. Don't be mislead into think-

ing that is a man-made strain. This is a naturally oc-

curring morph that comes from Lion's Cove, along

side the yellow lab we all know.

I mention this because I have heard a lot of people

bag on yellow labs and breeders, suggesting that they

have been over-bred. True, there are many breeders

out there that are not patient or careful and put up

for sale anything that hatches. BUT, a fish can be

bred for hundreds of generations and still retain is

beauty and fitness, as demonstrated by Pierre

Brichard. In fact, some of the most spectacular fish

you will ever see - you know, the ones that win all the

shows - have been line bred. The best looking proge-

ny from each generation are pulled out and then

bred to each other. Sometimes, the best genes aren't

those that come from the lake (F0), but from a care-

fully maintained line. This isn't unethical, in my

opinion. These people are simply selecting the more

desirable traits and retaining them. If you find this

reprehensible, next time you see a black-barred yel-

low lab next to a clean one, ask yourself which you'd

rather own, or purchase for that matter.

Before concluding, let me say a few words about this

fish's behavior in both the wild as well as captivity. L.



L. CAERULEUS

Summer 2012 12

The grass-like bottom plant in many show aquari-

ums is commonly E. tenellus; the dwarf chain sword

that reaches a tad over three inches in height. Com-

monly grown emersed in greenhouses, E. tenellus

sheds the arial oval-shaped leaves and grows grass-

like submerged ones when planted in your tank.

When happy, E. tenellus sends out runners from its

base bearing daughter plants on the nodes. After

they start to grow roots and leaves, press the runners

in the gravel (no more than an eighth of an inch).

You can remove and replant the daughter plants

once they have four or five leaves if the runner goes

in an unsuitable direction.

E. tenellus can and will totally carpet your tank,

making it look very much like a lawn that needs a

trim. In small tanks, like a 10 gallon, if the runners

are pinched off as they form E. tenellus will form it-

self into a miniature sword plant. In bright light the

tips of the leaves turn an attractive rusty color. Alto-

gether, a thoroughly satisfying plant.

A touch larger than E. tenellus is E. quadricostatus,

which grows to six inches in great conditions, but

usually stays around four. The leaves of E. quad-

ricostatus are wider and more sword-like than E.

tenellus, and a pretty light green. It sends out run-

ners like the latter, and will carpet your tank if given

good con-

ditions.

Ideal as a

centerpiece

in small

tanks.

E. uruguayensis is one of the very few swords that

can be kept in cooler water, down to 64 degrees,

though it grows better in the mid-70's to 80. Long,

commonly slightly ruffled, tape-like leaves are an at-

tractive translucent dark green. Properly

kept, uruguayensis will produce many leaves, making

it almost fountain-like in form.

Uruguayensis reaches around a foot tall, but when

really happy, can grow a few inches taller. It repro-

duces by side shoots from it's rhizome. Curious-

ly, uruguayensis doesn't come from Uruguay; it

comes from Brazil.

For hard water, the large E. osirus may be for you.

Commonly called the Red Amazon Sword, only the

new leaves are an attractive reddish color; the adult,

heavily-veined leaves are dark green and slightly ruf-

fled. A relatively easy species to keep, a good source

of iron, especially in bright light, will keep it healthy.

Keep in mind though it's not as massive as E. blehri,

E. osirus gets over 20 inches tall. It does better in

hard water than soft.

Other species include the large E. macrophyllus, with

leaves a foot long and eight inches wide; E. major,

the ruffled sword, a foot tall with slender leaves, and

the wide, large-leaved Radicans Sword, E. cordifoli-

us, which is a true giant.

I hope this post encourages you to give swords a try.

They are generally hardy, long-lived true aquatic

plants that properly kept can be a showpiece in your

tank.


SWORD PLANTS

13 Summer 2012

caeruleus is an omnivore, feeding primarily upon

insects, snails, and mollusks; however, in the

aquarium, this fish can be fed a wide assortment of

foods. I personally recommend a good Spirulina

based flake food with occassional frozen food sup-

plements, or alternatively, The European Shrimp

Mix.

These insectivores wander through their rocky bio-

tope, never lingering at any particular spot, and it

seems they are tolerated in the territories of most

other species.

L. caeruleus prefer dark caves, but they are always

careful to inspect the ceiling for prey. Likewise, in

the aquarium, rock work, and particularly honey-

comb limestone (aka holey rock), is appreciated.

Notice in the picture above how this female is hid-

ing from the male, anxious to induce her to spawn

with him. The hole is too small for him, but not for

her! This provides her an opportunity to escape his

aggressive entreaties when she is not interested or

ready to spawn. And as already mentioned, L. caer-

uleus has a very wide distribution in the lake, with

the yellow morph occuring between Charo and Li-

on’s Cove on the Malawi side of the lake, at a depth

of 20 meters. Broods usually number between 15

and 20 fry, with incubation periods lasting typically

28 days. Males tend to have much more black on

their pelvic and anal fins, and are usually 1/3 larger

than females at adulthood.


L. CAERULEUS

Summer 2012 14

partial water change (always use the dechlorinator).

Don’t feed the algae eaters! Let them take care of the

minor algae. You will probably experience some

brown, hair, red and thread algae, which these fish

will consume. Any mature algae should be removed

manually, as these fish prefer to feed on young algae.

Step 4 - Increasing the population.

About one week after the algae eaters have been add-

ed, you can start adding your other preferred species.

This has to be done gradually like with any other type

of cycling, and it's always recommendable to do a

partial water change just before adding a new group

of fish. In a typical medium sized tank (80-200 li-

ters) you should add about 5 small fish at a time. I

added more algae eaters, 5 Amano shrimp. Again, I

did not feed them as they will feed on algae. Just be-

cause you don’t see the algae it doesn’t mean that

there isn't any.

After another week, you can add 5 more fishes, and

so on until you're happy with the population. I added

2 golden angelfish, and on the following week 11 car-

dinal tetras. Once you start adding non-algae eaters,

start feeding accordingly.

As always, don't overstock your tank there is no need

for it! Instead of falling into the temptation of

"having" a whole bunch of random fish that just exist

in your tank, learn to appreciate the natural behav-

iors of properly kept ones and the joy of "keeping"

them throughout their natural lives of many years.

overstocking and mixing incompatible species will

only trigger diseases and disasters. Imagine yourself

living in a small, dirty apartment with 20 more peo-

ple who don't even like you. With shoaling species, it

is much nicer to have a bigger group of the same spe-

cies than many small groups of different species. Let

them have a good, long fish life in your tank!

Step 5 - Fertilization & Maintenance Regime

After about 4 weeks since the day you added the

plants, it's time to start adding liquid fertilizer. It's

better to use only half of the recommended dosage

for the first few weeks. If your plants show no yellow-

ness, there is no need for more fertilizer, and if

they're showing deficiency symptoms, add the rec-

ommended measure. I use Tropica Master Grow and

I dose 25 ml every week, since all my plants are fast

growers. Slower growing plants need less nutrients.

Typical Nitrate (NO3) levels for planted tanks should

be around 10-20 ppm. Your fish population might

already supply enough through excrements to reach

this level, but with planted tanks you will often need

to supplement. Nitrate can be added through KNO3

(Potassium nitrate) and NaNO3 (Sodium nitrate).

The first one is better to use since it contains Potassi-

um, which plants also consume in large quantities.

Many aquarium gardeners also use a home-made so-

lution known as PMDD (Poor Mans Dosing Drops)

which you can learn about and even order from the

internet.

The best fertilizing and maintenance regimes depend

on many things, like how strong the lights are, if

pressurized CO2 is added, how big the fish bioload is,

how big plant biomass is and how many of them are

fast growing ones. To be sure how to manage your

own regime, the best way is to ask questions and ex-

change experiences with other hobbyists, for exam-

ple on aquarium forums.

For my 180 liter low light aquarium, I dose 10 ml of

each PMDD mix on weekly a basis + 25 ml of Tropica

Master Grow for iron dosing. I also connected two

bottles of DIY yeast CO2 (one bottle per 90 liter) to

the filter outlet. I do 25% weekly water change.

In summary, I find silent cycling a very natural way

to start an aquarium, with a beautiful tank decora-

tion resulting as an added bonus. In fact, if you have

doubts on how to aquascape your tank, take a look at

other people's tanks in the Tank of the Month sec-

tion for ideas and inspiration. Remember, our hobby

can and should be joyful, rather than frustrating.

Happy fish/plant-keeping!


SILENT CYCLING

15 Summer 2012

T he Toronto

Willowdale

Aquarium So-

ciety is a non-

profit organization

which aims to advance

and improve aquarium

hobbyists, and to have a

good time doing it.

Each member is encour-

aged to come out and

participate in all meet-

ings and activities; in-

cluding auctions, draws,

contests, door prizes,

etc.

All members receive a

monthly newsletter, the

Fish Finatic, put out by

our membership and to

which all are welcome to

contribute. The Fish

Finatic has articles writ-

ten by our members and

others. It offers a listing

of major auctions and

events happening in On-

tario with all other

C.A.O.A.C. clubs.

At every monthly meet-

ing there is a mini-

auction where good

deals can be had and you

can find homes for your

babies should your

breeding get out of hand.

These auctions serve as a

supplement to your pur-

chasing options as we

encourage finding and

supporting good pet &

fish stores. Members

qualify for discounts at

participating local pet &

fish stores.

Don't miss a wonderful

opportunity to meet

friendly, like-minded

finatics who are more

than willing to answer

questions and actively

participate in the en-

hancement of our fa-

vourite hobby, aquarium

keeping.

Visitors are welcome to

join us for three meet-

ings without obligation

to paying the member-

ship fees.

Mailing Address:

TWAS

c/o 2 Mallow Road

Toronto, ON

M3B 1G1

Make sure you’re in the know on everything com-

ing up by joining our email list. Visit our website,

TorontoAquarium.org for more information or fol-

low us at Facebook.com/TorontoAquarium

President: Jaret Voce

Vice-President: Kai Hing

Treasurer: Bob Saunders

Secretary: Liz Voce

Auctioneer: Gary Ko

Correspondence: Liz Voce

Membership: Mart Vompa

Newsletter Editor: Jaret Voce

Refreshments: Mart Vompa

Speaker Programme: Robert Wright

ABOUT TWAS

UPCOMING EVENTS

TWAS EXECUTIVE

Summer 2012 16

TorontoAquarium.org

Facebook.com/TorontoAquarium

2012-Summer-Fish-Finatic

Documents

twas page

issue summer

creepiest fish page

amazon swords page

planted tanks page

twas executive page

fish food

silent cycling