Modern Aquarium August 2010

August 2010volume XVIInumber 6

ON THE COVERMultiple caves give the Betta raja on our cover and other Betta mouthbrooders a sense of security. To learn more about using caves with mouthroooding bettas, read Al Priest’s “The Cave Secret” on page 13. Photo by Alexander A. Priest

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Mark SobermanTreasurer Jules BirnbaumCorresponding Secretary Warren Feuer Recording Secretary Edward Vukich

MeMBers at Large

Claudia Dickinson Pete D’OrioArtie Friedman Al GrusellBen Haus Emma HausLeonard Ramroop

CoMMittee Chairs

A.C.A. Delegate Claudia DickinsonBowl Show Leonard RamroopBreeder Award Warren Feuer Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate Alexander A. PriestMembers/Programs Claudia DickinsonN.E.C. Delegate Claudia DickinsonTechnology Coordinator Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM

Editor in Chief Dan RadebaughCopy Editors Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. PriestExchange Editors Stephen Sica Donna Sosna SicaAdvertising Mgr. Mark Soberman

In This IssueFrom the Editor

2G.C.A.S. 2010 Program Schedule

3 President’s Message

4Our Generous Members

4Rules for August’s Silent Auction

5G.C.A.S. Sponsors and Advertisers

6My Backyard Aquarium

7by Stephen Sica

Live Foods: My Perpetual Daphnia Tank 11by Joseph Ferdenzi

The Cave Secret 13or Spawning Mouthbrooding Bettas

by Alexander A. Priest

Our 2009 FAAS Publication Award Winners 16Photos from Our Last Meeting


Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners 18Photos from Our Last Meeting


Fish Bytes 19by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

Member Classifieds 21

G.C.A.S. Happenings 22

The Undergravel Reporter 23Small is the New Big

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 24No Bones About It!

Series III Vol. XVII, No. 6 August, 2010

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 August 2010

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

It’s summertime! Not that anyone who was here at our meeting last month would doubt it. During this time of year, many

aquarists’ thoughts turn to subjects like moving their fish outdoors, and cultivating live foods. Coincidentally enough, this issue contains articles on both of those topics! Steve Sica tells us about his experience setting up an outdoor fish tank, and Joe Ferdenzi gives us an overview of how to raise a never-ending supply of daphnia, one of the best live foods available for small fish. Steve also checks in with his “Fish Bytes” column, a review of other fish society journals from around the country, and even outside the country!

Al Priest contributes a photo spread from last month’s meeting, dedicated to recipients of FAAS awards for 2009. Al reminded me to mention that Greater City had three married couples who won awards this time! Wow! For all you authors out there, remember that winning an award from the FAAS or the NEC gives you bonus points in Greater City’s own Author Awards Program. Al’s photos also include last month’s Bowl Show winners, and he also gives us a short, beautifully photographed article on the use of caves for spawning mouthbrooding bettas. Ever prolific, Al also chips in with the Fin Fun puzzle that ends the issue.

As I write this introduction to our issue, I notice (all by myself) that every author in this current issue, including the Undergravel Reporter, is a current FAAS award winner. This highlights the quality of contributions we have become accustomed to here at Greater City. Once again, I congratulate all of our talented writers!

We need more articles! We can’t be

complacent! Remember, Modern Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry – that’s why there are editors.

If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to [email protected], or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to [email protected]. Copyright 2010 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) August 2010 3

GCASPrograms

2010-11

It is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent

guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here! Enjoy!

Claudia

August Silent Auction

September Ed VukichCichlid Breeding Tails

October Rusty WesselMexico - The Panuco Valley:

Livebearers and Cichlids of the Region

November Joseph Ferdenzi

December Holiday Party!

January Winter Break

February Winter Break

March La Monte BrownNative Fishes


President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

It’s always a pleasure to announce when the one of our members is honored by organizations out in the wider world. We know they’re wonderful―everyone else should too! In the wake of last month’s annual convention of the American Cichlid Association, I received

word that our own Claudia Dickinson had been singled out for a major honor. The following is taken directly from the ACA website. I’ve highlighted some of the text:The following individuals have been awarded the title “Fellow of the ACA”, the highest award that the society confers, and is based on past, outstanding service to the ACA:

Guy D. Jordan, Jr. (1972) Ross B. Socolof (1973) Rosemary Lewis (1976) Paul V. Loiselle (1976) James K. Langhammer (1977) J. Randy Crout (1983) Jim Mortensen (1983) David D. Herlong (1990) Steve Somermeyer (1990) Gene Aldridge, Jr. (1992) Wayne S. Leibel (1993) Dick Stratton (1995) Glen Eaves (1995) Rusty Wessel (1997) Chuck Rambo (2001) Phil Benes (2010) Claudia Dickinson (2010)

Congratulations, Claudia!

Dan

our generous MembersEach month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was:

Bill AmelyJules BirnbaumJeff BollbachPete d’OrioRod Du Casse

Harry FaustmannJoe GraffagninoAl & Sue Priest Dan PuleoEd Vukich

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) August 2010 58 March 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Rules for August’s “Silent Auction” / FleamarketNext month, Greater City has its annual “Silent Auction”/fleamarket. Here is a brief summary of the rules:

i The seller sets an opening price for each item.

i Bidders write down their bids in increments of at least $1.00 That is, your bid must be at leastone dollar more than the previous bid, and you may only bid in even dollar amounts (such as$1.00, $2.00, $5.00, etc.) Bids of dollars and cents such as $1.50, $2.75 will be invalidated.

i A bidder may not cross out his/her own bid to enter a lower bid.

i The highest bidder at the end of the auction wins the item.

i Proceeds are split 50/50 between the seller and Greater City. (Of course, the seller may also donate100% of the proceeds to Greater City!)

i Items not claimed by winning bids (or if there were no bids, by their owners) at the end of theauction become the property of Greater City.

i Bids entered after the auction has been declared closed will be invalidated. The decision of theAuction Chairperson or President on whether this has happened is final.


GCASThanks You!

our generous sponsors and advertisersThe Greater City Aquarium Society extends our heartfelt thanks to the following manufacturers for their generous donations. Thanks also to our advertisers, whose contributions to our success as a Society are deeply appreciated. Please patronize our supporters.

Aquarium PharmaceuticalsAquarium Technology Inc Ecological Laboratories HBH Pet ProductsKoller-CraftKordon, LLCMarinelandMicrobe LiftOcean Nutrition AmericaOmega SeaRed Sea

Rena Rolf C. Hagen San Francisco Bay BrandSeachemZoo Med Laboratories Inc.Cameo Pet Shop Coral AquariumNassau DiscusWorld Class AquariumZoo Rama Aquarium


MY BACKYARD AQUARIUM

Story and Photos by Stephen Sica

Having attended many monthly meetings of the Greater City Aquarium Society, and as its exchange editor, having read

countless club publications and magazines on the fine merits of outdoor fish ponds, barrels and tubs, I decided that, as a result of having some free time, 2010 would offer me an opportunity to give it a try. When we purchased our house many years ago, it had a small backyard pond that I never used. After a rain I would often find frogs and other creatures in it, but the next day they would all disappear. After a couple of years, I deemed that it was not practical, and filled it in.

I did not wish to invest much money in this new venture, so in order to support my project I went down to my basement to rummage through any unused or broken equipment that might be there collecting dust. I found the six gallon acrylic tank from my broken Marineland Eclipse Aquarium.

The next day I dragged a heavy concrete pedestal from my garage and placed it up against the garage’s south wall. The pedestal was one of two that were formerly used to display carved dragons that had adorned the backyard. We had purchased our home from a Chinese family, who had decorated their property in a traditional Chinese motif. Coincidentally, about fifteen years ago we donated the other decorations to the Queens Botanical Garden. Some of them were on display in the wedding garden area for a number of years.

I placed the six gallon tank on the pedestal, and half-filled it with aged water from an operating tank. I topped it off with regular water, threw in a small clump of Java moss, and covered the top with a piece of black fiberglass screening. Last year, I had repaired the screen on my front storm door, and had fortunately kept the leftover screening. The very small holes were perfect for keeping leaves and acorns from my neighbor’s tree from falling into the tank. A few days later, I purchased six White Cloud Mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes) from a local pet store, and added them to the setup. I figured these hardy fish would be too small to attract the attention of the local raccoons. Besides, since it was mid-May, with its cold nights, these fish should be quite comfortable. I lost one fish about ten days later, but the remaining five appeared robust.

A week later I attended the June GCAS meeting, and successfully bid on a bag full of White Clouds ranging in size from adults to fry. I also won a bag of duckweed (Lemna minor) that I really did not want, but that no one else was bidding for. When we arrived home, Donna asked where I would put the fish. I didn’t have an answer, so I put them in a small holding tank for the night.

The next morning I went down to the basement to scrounge around some more. I discovered my old SeaClear twenty gallon acrylic “show” aquarium. Of course its face was scratched, but the non-viewing sides were perfect! It is described as a “show style” because its width is only ten inches with a thirty inch length. I decided to replace the six gallon with this twenty.


I hauled out the second pedestal and placed it end to end with the first one, then laid a short plank of pine across both pedestals, and centered the twenty gallon on the wood. I trimmed the screening for a better fit, and in my garage located a two-foot section of one-by-four inch pine, that I laid across the top to keep the screen in place. Then I transferred the water, fish and moss from the six gallon, and added the new fish, along with another clump of moss, and additional water from my garden hose. I have read that the experts believe that this filling method is contra-indicated due to alleged toxic chemicals in the hose composition that are harmful to the fish. My opinion is that if I could take an occasional drink through a garden hose in my younger days, it’s good enough for the fish today. It’s never bothered me―so far! I left two inches of clearance in case a heavy rain should flood and overflow the system. Finally, I spread almost all of the duckweed on the surface of the water.

About one week later I changed a few gallons of water, and the Java moss floated to the surface, where it remains in spite of all my efforts to poke it back down to the bottom. I think that the duckweed may be keeping it afloat.

When a June heat wave arrived, the water and aquarium walls developed a coating of algae, so I changed about one-third of the water, but with no effect. Then I put a siphon in the tank while concurrently refilling using the garden hose. It dawned upon me, albeit rather late, that the green water look was predominantly the result of algae on the aquarium walls, so I scraped the front clean. Behold, I saw my fish―and I think that they saw me!

I completed this article in early July. On the thirteenth of the month, Donna and I will depart town for almost two weeks, so the fish are going to be on their own. Right now, I wonder what we’ll find when we return home. Ironically, by the time this is published, I’ll know!


Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies

Serving the Northeastern Portion of the United States

SUMMER AUCTION - 2010!

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Location: THE CROWNE PLAZA 100 Berlin Road

Cromwell, CT

(860) 635-2000

��: Register at www.northeastcouncil.org, 1 red dot/10 *lots, 60/40 split, and

preprinted lot labels (please label your bags)

Lots registered day of auction receive 50/50 split

*Acceptable lots will be determined by the auction committee

Vendors: Finley Aquatic Books, Harris in Wonderland, Ken’s Fish (preorders only)

Food & Refreshments will be available

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REGISTRATION.................................8:00 AM TO 12:00 PM

VIEWING OF GOODS........................9:30 AM TO 11:45 AM

AUCTION..................................................12:00 PM TO 5 PM

RAFFLE..........................................................................50 / 50

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NEC SUMMER AUCTION RULES

1. A maximum of 30 lots per vendor in the auction. There is a limit of 5 dry good lots and a limit of 3 lots per species. Nothing deemed illegal by the state of Connecticut will be accepted for auction. Dry goods must be clean and in working order, no broken items or cracked tanks.

2. All lots must have the assigned Lot Number written on the bag. Pre-registered lots receive descriptive labels.

Lots registered at the auction will receive lot numbers only, so label your bags with Vendor & Species Name, Quantity, and Sex of Fish with a waterproof marker.

3. All fish lots must be properly double-bagged; a fee of $2.00 will be charged if we have to rebag your fish.

*****NO ZIPLOCK BAGS*****

4. Auction proceeds will be 60/40 for lots registered online at www.northeastcouncil.org and 50/50 for lots registered at the auction.

5. To register auction lots, complete the Online Auction Lot Registration at www.northeastcouncil.org. We are

planning to offer online registration from July 19th to midnight August 13th; after this date lots must be registered at the auction.

6. Printable Vendor Forms will be downloadable at www.northeastcouncil.org. Complete by writing your name,

address, phone number, email address and list of lots. Paper Vendor Forms should be turned in at the registration table between 8am –noon on Sunday.

7. Vendor proceeds will be mailed to the vendor within 3 weeks after the auction.

8. Lot labels for pre-registered and lots registered at the auction will be available at the registration table Sunday

morning from 8:00am to 12:00pm. ALL unused labels must be returned to the auction registration table.

9. Each Seller will receive one “RED” dot per 10 lots to mark which lot will be the first auctioned, all other Seller lots will follow the 10-table system.

10. The Auction Committee and auctioneer have the right to refuse any lot due to size, defects, sickness, inadequate

bagging or any other disqualifying reason. If a buyer brings a lot to the attention of the NEC within 24 hrs that is obviously sick or deformed your phone number will be given to the seller and vice versa so that both parties can work out an agreement.

11. The seller at the end of the auction must pick up any lots that fail to sell. Any items left will become the property

of the NEC.

12. Auction items should be brought to auction room between 8:00am – 12:00pm Sunday, August 15, 2010. Viewing of auction items is from 9:30am – 11:45am. Please drop off your lots as early as possible.

13. All bidders must register at the auction table for a bidder number. Bidder numbers are available for $2.00 each.

14. Bidders wishing to run a tab must leave their driver’s license or a blank signed check at the registration desk for

security purposes (this requirement can be waived by Auction committee personnel). Lots will be handed directly to the buyer at the time of sale. Before leaving for the day buyers must pay for their lots at the registration desk with cash or by check at which time drivers license or blank check will be returned and bidder card must be turned in. Buyers who choose not to run a tab must pay the runner each time they make a purchase. If you plan to pay cash please try to bring small bills (singles, 5’s & 10’s) with you. The NEC will have a limited amount of small bills.

15. The NEC will do its best to assure that all items at the auction are what they claim to be, but nothing works better

than actually viewing the item that you intend to bid on. With this in mind, the NEC cannot be held responsible for any items after they have left the auction site except for defective livestock as stated in #10.

16. The auctioneer has the FINAL WORD on all bids.

17. The auction will start promptly at 12:00 pm, Sunday August 15, 2010. 18. Lot pushes will be $2.00 per lot.


Live Foods:My Perpetual Daphnia Tank

by Joseph Ferdenzi

Some of the best discoveries are made by accident. So it was with what I call my perpetual daphnia tank. What makes it a wonderful discovery?

That will become clearer after I give you a little background on daphnia and daphnia raising.

Daphnia are minute freshwater invertebrates, and they make an excellent live food for aquarium fish. Here is the problem: pet shops don’t sell them anymore. Once upon a time daphnia were the staple live food used in the aquarium hobby. Just peruse any book or magazine devoted to aquarium fish from the 1930s, ’40s, or 50s, and you will see copious references about daphnia as fish food, where to collect them, and how to culture them. When I was just starting out in the hobby (mid 1960s), you could walk into virtually any pet shop, especially those featuring tropical fish, and find daphnia for sale. I don’t know exactly when shops stopped carrying them, but they gradually were phased out (at least in New York City) sometime in the ’80s.

Real old-timers tell of collecting daphnia in the wild from stagnant ponds that were free of predators (like fish). Alas, land development and mosquito eradication programs have done away with once cherished collecting sites.

With no commercial or wild sources available, what was a hobbyist to do? The answer seems simple―grow your own! Ah, but there is a rub to that as well. You see, no live food is all that easy to culture. There are ways to do it, but all the methods I had observed first hand were somewhat cumbersome. Allow me to illustrate.

One of the great veterans of the hobby, Bill Jacobs (New Jersey), used to culture his daphnia indoors with a system of 5-gallon plastic pails. Bill would set out a row of about three to four pails on the floor of his basement fishroom, in the path of sunlight streaming in through one of the windows. Each pail would then be filled about three-quarters with water that was allowed to age for a few days. Into this aged water would then be added the following: a few scraps of iceberg lettuce, a handful of red ramshorn snails, and then some daphnia. The idea was that the snails would eat the lettuce, thereby producing the “green water” that the daphnia would then feed upon. By staggering the inoculation of the buckets, Bill could produce a steady supply of daphnia. When a bucket went bad (foul water), he would start afresh.

Another well-known hobbyist and live food expert, Harry Faustmann (Long Island), uses a different method. He sets up a small tank that produces green water, primarily by using intense lighting after he has inoculated the tank with some green water starter. When the tank is full of green water, he then feeds it to his daphnia culture. In essence, he has a rotating system of tanks: one produces green water, and the other houses the daphnia. While the daphnia are eating the green water in one tank, another tank is producing the next batch of green water.

The only problem with both of these methods is that you have to be vigilant; if you are not producing enough green water, the daphnia will eventually die out. Suffice it to say that indoor daphnia propagation is enough of a hassle that most aquarists who want daphnia propagate them outdoors. There, a container of water inoculated with grass clippings or rabbit food pellets, set out where it gets some sunlight, will produce daphnia throughout most of the year. When the weather turns cold the adult daphnia die, but their egg cysts survive until the return of spring. It is much easier to culture daphnia outdoors; the only drawbacks being that you have no daphnia in winter, and you have to figure out a way to keep mosquitoes from reproducing in your “daphnia pond.” I do this by using window screening over the container.

A few years back, I acquired an old-fashioned stainless steel tank at the annual Greater City A.S. Silent Auction that was probably the most diminutive that I have ever seen. It measures 10”L X 6.5”W X 8”H, and probably holds about one-and-a-half gallons. I decided it would be suitable for growing some pygmy chain sword plants and a small colony of


non-fancy guppies. I outfitted the bottom with about an inch-and-a-half layer of number three size natural quartz gravel (which has a light gray cast) and an incandescent stainless steel reflector that fit the top. However, I did not want to use an incandescent bulb, because it a) is not energy efficient, b) produces too much heat, and c) would not give off as much light as a compact fluorescent bulb. I reasoned that the sword plants would need abundant light to grow well, so I chose a bulb that produced the equivalent light of a 40-watt incandescent bulb. I also reasoned that the algae would be kept in check by the pond snails I would add, as well as the ever-nibbling guppies, not to mention the hoped-for lush growth of sword plants. Well, reason can only take you so far.

The setup worked fine for awhile. The plants sent out runners, the snails did their thing, and the guppies were fine. But after some weeks, the water began to turn pea-soup green. Granted the tank had no filtration, but obviously the intense lighting was largely to blame for the green water. OK, I thought to myself, the green water is not killing the guppies, and if I keep up with my water changes and don’t overfeed the fish, eventually the sword plants will win the battle with the algae, and all will be well. Nice theory, but no such results; the water stayed so green that I could hardly see the fish. This struggle went on for months without any success on my part.

Next move: remove the fish, and for now (I said) I’ll just get some of my outdoor daphnia, put them in the green water, and after the water is clear I’ll figure out what kind of lighting will give me the correct balance to enable the sword plants to thrive, but not produce green water. As for the daphnia, I’ll have enough for one feeding of the fish, and that will be that.

Sure enough, the scoopful of daphnia did their work. Within a week the water was crystal clear. OK, next I’ll figure out what lighting to use, and then my fish will get a daphnia treat. Next never came. You know how it is―you get busy, you’ll do it next week. As we say in Italy, tomorrow never comes.

But as time dragged on, I began to think that something remarkable was happening. I observed that the daphnia were not dying off, but rather were increasing in number. They were multiplying despite the fact that the water was not green, and that I was not feeding them anything! Hmmm, I thought to myself, how long can this go on?

Over a year later, it is still going on. The tank has the same gravel, the same sword plants, the snails, the compact fluorescent bulb (warm white), and no filtration. The water temperature fluctuates between 73° and 75°F, and the pH is about 7.5 (slightly alkaline). Despite the snails, algae does grow on the sides of the tank and over the plants, so I recently added a small (two inches) Ancistrus catfish (that’s a suckermouth variety) to help with the algae chores (I also feed it tablet food several times a week). The

daphnia continue to thrive, and I do nothing except an occasional 10% water change (maybe once a month), and I top it off if there’s significant evaporation. My perpetual daphnia tank produces enough daphnia to feed my smaller fish this treat about once every two weeks (I consider 35 of my 45 aquariums as having smaller fish, albeit there are small populations in each tank). This may not be a lot, but the benefit is that there is no real effort involved. Given my busy life, I’ll take that trade-off any time!

My explanation for this phenomenon is simple (remember that I’m not a professional scientist―I have a doctorate, but it’s in law): the light that produced the green water is still doing so, but because it is in equilibrium with the daphnia population, the water does not get a chance to turn green. The algae cells that produce the green color are eaten as fast as they reproduce. Does anyone have a better explanation? If so, I’d like to hear it. But regardless of the explanation, anyone who wants to have a no-fuss method of culturing daphnia indoors can try to replicate these conditions. Maybe it would work in an even bigger tank―say a ten-gallon, with even more satisfactory results (more daphnia for more feedings).

Anyway, good luck to anyone who cares to try this method; I’d enjoy hearing about your results. Or better yet, reading about them in the pages of Modern Aquarium!

Colony of albino Ancistrus catfish (in a larger tank).

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) August 2010 13Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) August 2010 5

Suitable “caves” come in all sizes, shapes and colors

or, Spawning Mouthbrooding Bettasby ALEXANDER A PRIEST - photos by the author

The genus Betta consists of species thatreproduce in one of two ways: by buildingbubblenests, or by mouthbrooding.

Bubblenesting bettas belong to one of three“complexes” (there are currently eleven): theSplendens Complex, the Coccina Complex, or theBellica Complex. All other Betta species aremouthbrooders (although some members of theCoccina Complex have also been reported to spawnby mouthbrooding).

All mouthbrooding Betta species are paternalmouthbrooders, meaning the male holds fertilized

eggs in his mouth until they hatch. Mostmouthbrooding bettas require soft acid water, andlow-light tanks. The only exception I know of isBetta simplex which, being native to limestonepools, prefers hard alkaline water. So, except forB. simplex, here is how I create favorable spawningenvironments for mouthbrooding bettas. Keep inmind that for many species of Betta mouthbrooders,unless the pair are totally compatible, there isnothing the aquarist can do to induce spawning.

First, I use no substrate. Mouthbroodingbettas spawn by the male encircling the female,thereby expelling her eggs. The female puts theeggs in her mouth and nibbles at the male’s vent toobtain his milt, thereby fertilizing the eggs in hermouth. Then she “tosses” the eggs, one by one, tothe male, who catches and keeps them in his mouth.This process is made more difficult if an egg fallsamong gravel. Plants are hardy low-light species(Java moss, Anubias sp., etc.), anchored todriftwood or rocks.

Next, I use dual filtration: a power filter ofsome kind, and a sponge filter. I cover the intake ofthe power filter with filter material to avoid“sucking up” fry. The sponge filter provides eventhe smallest fry with microorganisms to graze upon.

Most Betta species adapt to a wide range ofwater parameters, but I find duplicating their nativewater assists spawning. Since most Betta species(except for Betta simplex) come from soft, acidwater, I add blackwater extract or Atison’s Betta

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)14 August 20106 August 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

A Betta macrostoma near “his” caves (actually sold for reptiles)

A driftwood cave gives this female Betta raja a sense of security

Spa (containing extracts of almond leaf and yucca,calcium, and salt) to lower the pH. I also usedriftwood and dried almond leaves.

All Betta species are carnivores. They can beconditioned to survive on algae flakes, but tocondition them for breeding, use live or frozen food(especially worms).

Now for the big “secret”: CAVES!Caves provide a sense of security (stressed fishdon’t spawn), give brooding males a quiet place tostay, and provide shelter to harassed fish. For Bettamouthbrooders, always have more caves than fish.


Not only adults seek the security of caves, as shown by these Betta midas fry

This Betta enisae is never far from the cave in the background

16 August 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)12 August 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Winning multiple awards as both editor and author, DanRadebaugh (right) won: 2nd place for Best editor andPublication More than six issues, 2nd place for Best ChangingCover - original art, 1st place for Best article on health orNutrition, 2nd and 3rd place for Best traveling aquarist article,and 5th place for author of the Year for 2009.

and, dan’s wife, MarshaRadebaugh, won 1st placefor her Best humorousarticle.

Stephen Sica and Donna Sosna Sica accepting 3rd place forBest exchange Column.

and, Stephen Sica also won1st and 2nd place awards forBest Marine article - Fish.

Presenting our 2009 FAASby Alexander A Priest -

At our July meeting, the Federation of American Aquarium Societies (FAAS) award certificates forthe 2009 Publication Awards were presented by GCAS Recording Secretary Ed Vukich. On behalfof the Society, and as a former Editor of Modern Aquarium (so I know the value of these

contributions to our society’s multiple-award winning magazine), I’d like to extend my congratulations andthanks to all those honored below. For a complete list of our award winners (some members were notpresent to receive their awards), see last month’s Modern Aquarium.


Former Modern Aquarium editor Al Priest won1st places in: Best spawning article Under 500words, Best spawning article, 500 - 1000words, and Best spawning article, more than1,000 words; as well as 1st place for author ofthe Year for 2009.

and, al’s wife, Susan Priest, won: 1st, 2nd, and3rd place for Best review Column; 5th Place forauthor of the Year for 2009; and honorablementions for Best article on a genus of Fishand Best Continuing Column.

Former gCas President Joe Ferdenzi won a2nd place for Best spawning article, 500 - 1,000words, and 3rd places for Best article on aspecies of Fish and Best show article.

Bill Amely received a 2nd place for Bestarticle on a species of Fish.

Elliot Oshins won 3rd place awards in both theBest original artwork and Best Cartooncategories.

Rich Levy received an honorable Mention inBest show article.

Publication Award Winners- photos by the author

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)18 August 201012 August 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

3rd place winner: Harry Faustmann2nd place winner: Mario Bengcion

1st place winner: Al Priest

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners


An occasional column for society exchanges, guest appearances, articles, and items of general interest. We try not to bite off more than we can swallow. If you wish to offer comments, suggestions, or any information that you would like to see in this column, the authors encourage you to contact us through the Editor ([email protected]), or at a monthly meeting.

by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

government wants to treat ornamental fish similar to the manner in which it treats exotic birds, reptiles, and mammals. Shipments will be subject to a good deal of paperwork and inspection. Zenin Skormorowski’s April “Exchange Editor’s Report” mentions Sue Priest’s book review of Catfishes by Lee Finley, and Dan Radebaugh’s chocolate cichlid article, both of which appeared in Modern Aquarium’s March issue.

After attentively listening to Mark Soberman’s “Keeping and Breeding Corydoras,” I came across Eric Bodrock’s spawning article, “Corydoras sp. CW 21,” in the July 2009 Finformation. From Mark’s talk I now know that “CW” indicates a yet to be described species; this one happens to resemble C. axelrodi. The author reported success in breeding this catfish.

The January issue of the Reflector contains a very brief article, “The Miracle of Subwassertang and Taiwan Moss,” by Ray Spahn. He recounts that at a club meeting he picked up the above two plants that were new to him. He added them to his thirty gallon aquarium that always had some algae growing on the glass and on the leaves of the older plants. After six weeks the glass was clear, and after eight weeks all plants were algae-free and growing better than ever before.

The Youngstown Aquarist’s January/February 2010 issue reprinted from our August 2009 issue of Modern Aquarium Al Priest’s “The Fish from Bung Borapet Swamp, Rasbora borapetensis - the Brilliant Rasbora.”

The Missouri Aquarium Society’s March/April 2010 The Darter reprinted an article co-authored by Joe Ferdenzi. “The Natural History and Aquarium Husbandry of Pachypanchax sakaramyi

I was trying to make a quick exit from Greater City’s March meeting when Claudia called out my name. Foolishly, I stopped and turned around,

and she pushed at me a handful of publications from various aquarium societies. Thank goodness they are mailed to her rather than to me. Back home, it occurred to me that now I have an excuse for some of my dated ramblings―it’s Claudia’s fault! Well, it sure feels good to be off the hook (for now).

Some online publications that are beginning to be e-mailed to me are the Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society’s The Underwater News, the Delaware County Aquarium Society’s Fin Fax, and the Cleveland Aquarium Society’s The Wet Thumb. Pioneer Valley is located in Springfield, Massachusetts; Delaware County is in Springfield, Pennsylvania; and Cleveland is in Cleveland, (Ohio, of course). The Cleveland society was established in 1923. Its March/April issue reprinted an article that was originally published in its April 1968 issue. They also publish a member’s tank profile that reminded me of Sue Priest’s GCAS “Fishkeepers Anonymous.” I found the tank profile both interesting and enjoyable reading.

I realize that some of our members may also be members of the Long Island Aquarium Society, but “Angelfish Surprises” in February’s Paradise Press caught my eye. A female and two male angelfish lived happily in a twenty-nine gallon tank. The males took turns caring for fry; the “stepfather” initially tended newborn fry and the biological father tended young free-swimming fry. Both returned wandering fry to the nest. They may only be fish, but I found the story heartwarming!

Here is some interesting information from Kitchener-Waterloo’s Fins & Tales. The Canadian


(Holly, 1928), The Lost Killifish of Madagascar” was originally published in the June 2005 Modern Aquarium.

It was kind of Aquatica’s Exchange Editor, Stu Hershkowitz, to mention articles by both Sue Priest (“My First Favorites”) and Dan Radebaugh (“A Visit to Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery”) in his January/February column. Also, Izzy Zwerin profiles two plants in his “The Practical Plant” column: propagating Anubias congensis and Cryptocoryne balansea. He recommends Caribe Sea’s “eco-Complete” as a substrate for both plants.

Alesia Visconti authored “Tips to Prevent Fish Loss” in January’s North Jersey Aquarium Society’s Reporter. She believes that the primary reason people give up our hobby is fish loss, and offers these suggestions: before putting your hands into the aquarium, remove all potential pollutants, such as lotion, cologne, and nail polish remover, from your hands and arms; don’t let your (long) hair touch the water if it has gel, mousse, or spray. I wish that I had this problem. I guess it mostly applies to females and former hippies. Keep aquatic gloves available for emergencies. Make sure that your frozen fish food did not thaw prior to purchase. This may be difficult to determine if a dealer is unscrupulous. Use the drip method, or something similar, to acclimate new fish; and lastly, (I never considered that some shops keep fish with plants); fish diseases can be carried in on plants―including the cyst and/or larval stage of ick. Bathe new plants for fifteen minutes in a water and a clarified lime mixture; rinse thoroughly afterward. But be careful, or you may also kill your plants.

Joe Graffagnino authored “Thorichthys malculipinnis” for North Jersey’s May Reporter. This small Central American cichlid is “beautiful, friendly, and would be a welcome addition to any aquarium.”

Here’s a credit that I probably missed. The October 2009 Reporter reprinted Joseph Ferdenzi’s “DOUBLE ROYALTY: LaCorte’s Emperor Tetra.” Did you know that there are various species of emperor tetras, differentiated by color variations? Me too, because I read both the original and the reprinted article!

In its October Exchange Report, the Reporter mentioned several articles from the July, August, and September 2009 issues of Modern Aquarium: my own experience with lionfish in the Cayman Islands, William Amely’s “Breeding the Zebra

Danio,” Joe Ferdenzi’s “Voyage to the Bermuda Fry-Angle,” Michael Vulis’ “Breeding Rhinogobius duospilus,” a William Amely article on Betta splendens, Donna’s “Bermuda Blues” experience, Jules Birnbaum’s “A Small Fish for a Small Room,” Dan Radebaugh’s “On the Road, A Visit to Mote Marine Aquarium;” and finally the lovely Marsha Radebaugh’s “The Fishkeeper’s Wife’s Top Ten.”

Still another article that caught my eye was published in the September/October 2009 issue of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s Aquatica. “Rummynose Tetras, A Fish That Can Drive You To Drink,” by John Todaro, describes his experiences with a new fish. His article begins “This is a very sensitive fish.” Personally, I feel that every fish is sensitive! For several years I have kept a school of about twenty-five in a thirty-six gallon aquarium along with cardinal, and currently neon tetras, after the cardinals expended their life span. The tank has no catfish. I believe that John is quite accurate when he states that the fish need to be carefully acclimated to a cycled tank. Although John eventually lost all but three of the twenty-four fish that he put in his tank, I have not lost a fish in years other than to old age. I think that the secret might be to have many plants in a well-established tank.

I read an endorsement for an ingredient or food referred to as “natural astaxanthin.” It may be a frozen fish food or perhaps an additive that is supposed to help condition breeder fish without having to feed them live food. I know nothing of this substance, including the accuracy of this claim. But I thought I’d mention it as a potential research project for someone.

This Rock hind, a member of the Grouper family, does its best to blend into the background, but Donna knows she’ll have an easy time making a fish with the measles talk!


Member Classifieds

EQUIPMENT:

1 Eheim 2217 Canister filter $1251 Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel HOB Power Filter $301 Coralife Turb Twist 18 watt with 3 extra (never used) UV bulbs $501 Coralife Superskimmer 125w/ pump $1002 Solarmax 36” HO double-T5Lighting System w/Moonlight $159 ea (new)All nearly new, in original boxes. Call (631) 563-1404-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------46 bow tank, light, stand, all oak finish $250Call Ron: 718-464-8408 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Moving to Florida125 gallon tank fully equipped w/wood stand-30030 gallon tank fully equipped w/iron stand-50Contact Steve Dash: (516) 889-4876 noon till 8pm------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Filters:Eheim 2076 (for tanks up to 90 gallons) $200Marineland C-160 (tanks up to 30 gallons) $50Call Temes: 718-468-1569


GCAS Happenings August

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:

GREATER CITY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: september 1, 2010Speaker: ed VukichEvent: Cichlid Breeding TailsMeets the first Wednesday of the month (except January &

February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical garden 43-50 Main street - Flushing, NYContact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

BIG APPLE GUPPY CLUBMeets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July,

and August) at 7:30-10:00pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

BROOkLYN AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: september 10, 2010Speaker: Jeff Bollbach Event: A Year In The Fish RoomMeets the 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August)

at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NYCall: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

LONG ISLAND AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: September 17, 2010Speaker: Joseph Graffagnino Topic: The History of Catfish in Africa and South AmericaMeets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm. Greenhouse Meeting Room, Holtsville Ecology Center,

Buckley Road, Holtsville, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]: http://liasonline.org/

EAST COAST GUPPY ASSOCIATIONMeets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

NASSAU COUNTY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: september 14, 2010Speaker: tBaTopic: TBD Meets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August)

at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000 Hempstead Ave -

rockville Centre, NYContact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

NORTH JERSEY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: September 16, 2010Speaker: Dr. Jordan Topic: MbunaMeets: 7:30 PM Lyndhurst Elks Club, 251 Park Avenue,

Lyndhurst, NJ 07071Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392e-mail: [email protected]: http://www.njas.net/

NORWALk AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: august 19, 2010Speaker: Tony Orso Topic: Australian FishMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at:

Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CTContact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NASE-mail: [email protected]: http://norwalkas.org/

Last Month’s Bowl show Winners:1 Al Priest redbAck PArAdisefish

2 MArio bengcion Yellow Labidochromis cichlid

3 hArrY fAustMAnn killifish — NothobraNchius cardiNaLis

unofficiAl 2010 bowl show totAls to dAte:MArio bengcion 17 Al Priest 16 robert hAMje 10 hArrY fAustMAnn 1

richArd wAizMAn 1

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS DonitA mAynArD AnD bArbArA romeo!


In spite of popular demand to thecontrary, this humor and informationcolumn continues. As usual, it doesNOT necessarily represent theopinions of the Editor, or of theGreater City Aquarium Society.

This "aquarium" is a plastic bird-feeder for birdcages. it has around 100 ml of nominalvolume, probably half of that effectively. It hassand substrate, a few "boulders" and the florais composed of Hemianthus callitrichoides andJava Moss.

Photo from aquahobby.com

Paedocypris progenetica(Image: Maurice kottelat)

photo: abc.net.au

Small is the new Big

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Once upon a time,b i g g e r w a sbetter. Bigger

gave you braggingrights. Automobileswith oversized enginesand loads of horsepowerwere called “musclecars,” and cars withgenerous head room androom to stretch and evenfully recline the seat intoa horizontal positionwere considered to be“luxury” limousines.”Of course, that was whena record album was afoot in diameter, whenyou recorded a televisionshow on seven inch tapereels, and when acordless phone was slightly larger than a buildingbrick.

Nowadays, automobiles more closely resemblepregnant roller skates, you can record hours of videoon a tiny card, and your portabletelephone can hide in your shirt orblouse pocket with nary a bulge (andit also serves as a still camera andvideo recorder, a music and videoplayer, a GPS navigation device, ahand-hld game machine, an e-booktext reader, an internet browser, aremote control, etc., etc.).

In the aquarium hobby, someaquarists still boast of their 100+gallon tanks and/or the hundreds ofgallons in their fish rooms containing“tankbusters” (i.e., very large fish).But the newest trend appears to be themini-, micro-, nano-, pico- tanks.One, two, and three gallons tanks werealways popular for desktops and, if

maintained with care (including very frequentwater changes!), a Siamese Fighting Fish (Bettasplendens), or two or three White Cloud MountainMinnows (Tanichthys albonubes) might actuallysurvive in such limited space for quite some time.But now, there are so-called “aquariums” thateffectively have as little as 100 to 300 milliliters ofwater1 (one (US) gallon is equal to 3,785.41milliliters!). Can any fish survive in that?

Well, there is Paedocypris progenetica, askinny and transparent distant cousin of the carpfound in the highly acid peat swamps on theIndonesian island of Sumatra and in the Malaysianpart of Borneo. It required a special stereoscopicmicroscope for scientists to measure it. They

found that a maturespecimen collected inSumatra measured only7.9 millimeters (0.28 ofan inch) from nose totail. L a r v a l f i s hexpert, Dr. Jeff Leis oft h e A u s t r a l i a nM u s e u m , s a y sP a e d o c y p r i sprogenetica is half amillimeter smaller thanthe stout infantfish( S c h i n d l e r i abrevipinguis), which in2004 was announced asthe world’s smallestfish. A relatedPaedocypris species,P. micromegethes, hasbeen discovered in

Sarawak (one of two Malaysian states on the islandof Borneo). At 8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches),scientists say P. micromegethes is the secondsmallest freshwater vertebrate ever found.

Just great; as I need to rely more and more onmy eyeglasses, the fish hobby isbecoming more and moremicroscopic.

1http://www.aquahobby.com/tanks/e_tank0603.php

2http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1555027.htm


24 August 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Fin Fun

Bones. Humans have them, dogs have them, and so do fish. Well, at least most fish. Some of these “fish”(and other critters often housed in aquariums) are invertebrates. That is, they have no bones. Can youseparate these into the correct columns? Hint - there are equal numbers of each.

“Fish” Bones No bones

Cuttlefish

Spiny Eel

Hermit Crab

Puffer Fish

Red Tailed Black Shark

Ramshorn Snail

Anemone

Anemone Fish

Starfish

Mosquito Fish

Leaf Fish

Crayfish

Answer to our last puzzle:

Fish South America Africa Asia

Temminick’s Bristlenose X

Reticulated Barb X

Striped Glass Catfish X

Banded Petrochromis X

Badis badis X

Peter’s Elephantnose X

Japanese Ricefish X

Croaking Tetra X

Pearl Cichlid X

Gold Spot Halfbeak X

Modern Aquarium August 2010

Documents

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