Modern Aquarium March 2012

March 2012volume XIXnumber 1

The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies

37th ANNUAL Tropical Fish CONVENTION

March 23 - 25, 2012 The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cromwell, Connecticut

Speakers – Vendor Room – Sunday Auction 11am – Banquet – Workshops – Club meetings

Pat Donston – FW & SW Nutrition Hans-Georg Evers – Catfish – Sulawesi Scott Fellman – Saltwater Spencer Jack – Cichlids Bob Lewis – IFGA Guppies Ken Normandin – Killifish – Panama Klaus Steinhaus – CARES – Tropheus Rhonda Wilson – Planted Aquaria Scott Fellman – saltwater workshop Tony Terciera – Photo Workshop

Leslie Dick 203-748-7800 [email protected]

www.convention.northeastcouncil.org

ON THE COVEROur cover photo this month, while not a fish, is Exotic Aquarium Fishes, a whole collection of them! For further elucidation, see Steven Hinshaw's article on page 23.

Photo by Steven HinshawGREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Edward VukichTreasurer Jules BirnbaumCorresponding Secretary Mario Bengcion Recording Secretary Tommy Chang

MeMBers at Large

Claudia Dickinson Pete D’OrioAl Grusell Ben HausEmma Haus Jason KernerLeonard 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. PriestMembership Marsha RadebaughPrograms 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. 2012 Program Schedule

3President’s Message

4 Our Generous Sponsors & Advertisers

5December's Caption Contest Winner

6Cartoon Caption Contest

7Aquarium Lighting for the "Real Thing"

8by Jules Birnbaum

Undergrave Reporter Imposter 10by stephen sica

The Whiptail Catfish: Rineloricara fallax 14by Joseph graffagnino

Pictures from our Holiday Party/Banquet 16by susan Priest

Bowl Show Rules 22

Exotic Aquarium Fishes 23the Book, the Collection

by steven hinshaw

Wet Leaves 29by susan Priest

2011 Modern Aquarium Article Index 31

G.C.A.S. Happenings 36

The Undergravel Reporter 37Two Cars in Every Garage

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 38Fooling Around

Series III Vol. XIX, No. 1 March, 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 March 2012

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

Probably the single most important and well-loved print resource for many generations of aquarists has

been Exotic Aquarium Fishes by William T. Innes. I was therefore delighted when I received an article about this book from Steven Hinshaw of Sitka, Alaska, by way of Joe Ferdenzi, of Greater City. As many of you know, Exotic Aquarium Fishes has been through many editions over the years, and Steven, a connoisseur, has very nearly all of them. In his article, which begins on page 23, he presents an exhaustive historical review of the different editions of this landmark book. I’m sure all Innes fans will find this a real treat.

Sue Priest is dedicating this, the 19th season of her Wet Leaves column, to the subject of conservation, in the hope of increasing our awareness of the ever more parlous state of our natural world. This month she reviews Freshwater Regions of Africa and Madagascar, a conservation assessment of a troubled area that, as cichlid enthusiasts in particular will know, is home to many of our most dazzling and popular aquarium fishes.

Jules Birnbaum, also celebrating the natural world, encourages us to house living plants in our tanks as well as living fish, and presents us with an overview of lighting choices for supporting live greenery in our fishes’ watery habitats.

Joe Graffagnino contributes an article about the whiptail catfish, a fish that I’ve always coveted, but somehow never owned. Steve Sica, in his “Undergravel Reporter Imposter” (I’ll let you read his explanation of the title) shows us that the natural world and our fabricated world can in fact peacefully coexist in a number of interesting ways, while the real Undergravel Reporter illustrates one

of the hazards of being perhaps too sanguine about the effects of our current industrial approach to the habitat that we all in the end share.

The December meeting was of course our annual Awards Banquet, and you’ll find photos galore of the party and the award winners. Before our closing Fin Fun puzzle, which anticipates April Fools’ Day (which of course takes place before we meet again), you’ll find our 2011 Modern Aquarium Article Index.

* * *Remember, as always, we need articles!

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!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) March 2012 3

GCASPrograms

2012It 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

March 7 Meet the Experts of the GCAS

April 4 TBA

May 2 Jeff MichelsDwarf Cichlids

June 6 TBA

July 11 TBA

August 1 Silent Auction

September 5 TBA

October 3 Rachel O'LearyFreshwater Invertebrates

November 7 TBA

December 5 Holiday Party!

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 2012 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


President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

Welcome! Tonight we begin Greater City’s 90th year of continuous operation. This is a landmark worth noting, as it means in part that our club has been able to successfully adapt to change, within the club, the hobby, and the society at large, in order to continue to meet

our members’ needs and expectations. I’m certain that there have been times of challenge during those 90 years. Different personalities come and go, people’s lives change, as do their priorities. Each generation of members looks at life and our hobby through a different lens. My hat is off to our past leaders and membership for being able to adapt and thrive over nearly a century. Now it’s our turn to carry the torch. I hope and trust that we’ll be able to do it as well.

One of our challenges this year will be to find a new venue for our Holiday Banquet and informal dinner meetings now that the Palace Diner has closed. The Board and I will be looking into this, so if anyone has an idea about a suitable place, please let one of us know. Check the contents page of Modern Aquarium if you don’t know who your Board members are.

Speaking of Modern Aquarium, if you’ve visited our Web site lately (www.greatercity.org), you’ll have noticed that―for the first time ever―back issues of Modern Aquarium are available online. So far only the issues from 2011 have been posted; issues from other years will become available in the near future.

I recently received word that Former GCAS member Ellen Halligan is giving up her fishroom. Ellen specialized in keeping discus, and she has numerous large tanks and equipment, all available for free on a first come, first serve basis. You just pick it up and take it home. Ellen lives in Queens. Her phone number is available from Steve Gruebel, owner of Cameo Pet Shop, at 718-849-6678. Call him and he will give you her number. You must be a member of GCAS.

In closing, I recently got a note from Tommy Chang. As some of you know, Tommy has been awaiting a kidney transplant. He tells me that a kidney was found, and the transplant took place on February 8. Tommy will be “out of commission” for a few weeks as he recovers. Please join me in wishing him the best of luck and of care during this process.

Dan



December's Caption WinnerAl Priest

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Fish: "If he thinks I'm as dumb as those guys on the wall, he has another think coming!"

Kingfish Services.net(http://www.kingfi shservices.net/)

Good for theHobby – Organizations – Industry

Ray “Kingfi sh” LucasCelebrating 23 years in the business

(1989-2012) of participating at your events.


The Modern AquariumCartoon Caption Contest

March, 2012

Modern Aquarium has featured cartoons before. This time though, you, the members of Greater City get to choose the caption! Just think of a good caption, then mail, email, or phone the Editor with your caption (phone: 347-866-1107, fax: 877-299-0522, email: [email protected]. Your caption needs to reach the Editor by the third Wednesday of this month. We'll also hand out copies of this page at the meeting, which you can turn in to Marsha before leaving. Winning captions will earn ten points in our Author Awards program, qualifying you for participation in our special "Authors Only" raffle at our Holiday Party and Banquet. Put on your thinking caps!

Cartoon by elliott oshins

Your Caption:

Your Name:


This article is addressed to you aquarists who are willing to give up plastic for the real thing. I’m one of those who started in the

hobby with plastic plants. Most of this article is from my personal experience, and I don’t claim to be a lighting expert. If you are using plastic plants you can put your lights on only while observing the fish. You will have lower electric bills and very little algae, which are two advantages of plastic plants (or no plants at all). If you are into this go and get some plastic fish. In my opinion, real aquarists appreciate living, growing things.

Each of us has some successes, and some failures with our fish. The same is true for live plants. When you leave on vacation you won’t have to worry about feeding your live plants. If a tank is heavily planted and there is a power failure the plants should survive and your fish will survive much longer than they would otherwise, as live plants provide oxygen and some nutrients for your fish.

I’m a proponent of low-light plants that don’t need any CO2 equipment, which can be costly and an extra maintenance headache. You can pick these plants up at our auctions or at a few local pet shops, such as Cameo and Zoo-Rama, both of which advertise in Modern Aquarium. I’ve found their prices for healthy, disease-free plants to be very reasonable, and their expert advice and the healthy plants they stock make the price even more worthwhile. You can see what you are getting, there are no shipping charges, and the shop stands behind the plants they sell. Healthy plants have solid leaves without blemishes or algae, no smell, and have a nice, thick, white root system.

In the tropics, where most of our plants come from, twelve hours of sunlight is common. Accordingly, I try to give my plants twelve hours of light per day. One day a week I keep the lights off, and do not feed the adult fish. Thus I save electricity 52 days per year in my fish room.

A few definitions might help to understand aquarium lighting:

The “T” marked on the bulb stands for tubular. The number is the bulb’s diameter in eighth-inch increments. The basic light bulb used for ceilings is T12, one

and one-half inches thick. There is T8, or one inch thick, and then there is the very slim T5 bulb, five-eighths of an inch thick, which is the most efficient of the three. It’s also the most costly of the three sizes, and some question whether the extra cost is worth it. In this writer’s opinion LED technology will eventually make all three obsolete.

The “K” stands for Kelvin, and has to do with “temperature” or color of the light source. 5500K is equivalent to noon sunlight and is considered full-spectrum.

Most of us think in terms of watts when we refer to a bulb’s brightness, but that isn’t really accurate. Watt is a measure of electricity’s ability

to do work, and is named after the Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt. Lumen is the measure of the total amount of visible light emitted by a source. Once you start getting too technical, you can drive yourself crazy. A good rule of thumb for keeping the “average” aquarium plant happy is to use two watts per gallon of tank size, though there are several factors that must be considered, such as the depth of the water. A 20-gallon high tank needs

Aquarium Lightingfor the "Real Thing"

by Jules Birnbaum

Thirty gallon tank with low-light plants.Photo by Marsha Radebaugh

Somthing different: An LED bubble-wand.


more light than a breeder’s 20-gallon tank simply because of the different depth of water that the light must penetrate to get to the plants. When I built my fishroom I installed florescent strip lights a foot above my tanks. That’s too high for light to penetrate efficiently to the bottom of my tanks, so I use small metal shop lights, each with a full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb, to supplement the florescent lighting.

The choices of light fixtures are many, from the simple shop light with a compact florescent bulb, to elaborate contraptions with built-in timers. The latest trend seems to be LED lighting, but I find that much too expensive at the present time.

Metal Halide are generally high-intensity lights, going up to as high as 20,000K and 1,000 Watts. I find these lights better suited for salt-water aquariums. I’ve seen prices for some of these in excess of $1,000. The cost for the light and the electricity are very high. However, for show tanks the effect can be spectacular.

The HQI (halogen quartz iodide) lighting systems are relatively new, and also offer high intensity light well suited for salt-water aquariums to help coral thrive.

LED [light-emitting diodes] lights go on immediately, have no glass bulb tubes to break, give off a low amount of heat, have a long bulb life, and lower electricity cost. I’m not convinced, nor are some of the manufacturers, that they work well with anything other than low-light plants. Keep in mind that florescent bulbs eventually lose their effectiveness and need to be replaced long before they quit working at 8,000 to10,000 hours. Replacing fluorescent bulbs can be very costly, and LED bulbs are said to last 30,000 hours, which is something to consider. I am watching sales for

Fluorescent tubes.

T-5 Array.LED array.

Metal Halide bulb. Screw-socket Metal Halide.Metal Halide, LED combo.

Compact-Fluorescent bulb.

LED closely and will consider trying these lights in the future.

Florescent fixtures with the new T5 bulbs offer the bright light needed for growing plants. For example a 24” T5 HO bulb offers 24 watts. Thus, a fixture with two such bulbs offers 48 watts, which is adequate light for growing plants in a 20-gallon aquarium. A 48” light fixture would offer 3 X 54 watt bulbs, or a total of 162 watts, which should be plenty for a 55-gallon aquarium. It should be noted that low light plants such as Anubias, Java ferns and most crypts can be grown with much less light, but will grow very slowly. I know of one aquarist who made his own fluorescent fixtures at a great savings.

Incandescent lights are the oldest means of lighting aquariums. The incandescent bulb is more than likely the major source of lighting used in your home. The cost of the fixture and bulbs are very low, but the bulbs run hot. The life of a bulb is about 1,000 hours, but can last much longer if not turned off and on too often. Incandescent bulbs have to be changed often, when compared to florescent bulbs, which can last 10,000 hours. Studies show that fluorescent bulbs can save a large amount of electricity and require fewer bulb changes compared to incandescent bulbs.

I’ve used most of the light fixtures mentioned in this article, and have had the most success with plants by using T5 fluorescent fixtures and several full-spectrum compact florescent bulbs, installed in shop lights, for an extra ‘grow’ light. Whatever light you use, there is no substitute for not overfeeding your fish and doing large, regular, water changes.

Give a real live plant a try, and the joy of watching it grow will be yours!


Undergravel ReporterImposter

Story and Photos by Stephen Sica

At last November’s GCAS meeting I mentioned to my wife Donna and Sue Priest that I was contemplating writing an “Undergravel

Reporter” article. In response to Donna’s objection that I am not the Undergravel Reporter, I said that no one knows who the Reporter really is except for the Reporter himself (or herself). Why can’t I be the Undergravel Reporter―at least for one time? Maybe I’ll lure out the real Reporter to reveal his (or her) true identity!

W h i l e pondering such imponde rab l e s in our kitchen, I accidentally poured fruit punch over my leftover pizza in lieu of oregano. Donna sadly queried, “Still think you could be the U n d e r g r a v e l R e p o r t e r ? “ Checkmate to Donna. But I was committed, or perhaps should be, so here goes.

I had mentioned in my last Fish Bytes column that we had just dove the Vandenberg, or more formally, the USAFS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, in late October of 2011. Earlier in the month, the Undergravel Reporter in his (or her) October Modern Aquarium column titled “Naturally Artificial,” cited this very same ship as the largest artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Aside to the Reporter: there are no subway cars next to this sunken ship.) But it is colonized by a vast variety of marine life, including schools of hundreds, if not thousands, of small, elongated, silvery fish about four to six inches in length that I believe are mackerel scad, Decapterus macarellus, a member of the jack family. My fish identification reference books state that these fish are uncommon to Florida. Well, now I know why―they are all living in Key West on and around the Vandenberg. These schools swept across the deck and superstructure. Even larger schools swam a few yards off the sides of the ship.

Coincidentally, the week before Halloween is known as Fantasy Fest in Key West, with both locals and visitors dressing or undressing in all manner of unique costumes. I cannot go into details in this family oriented publication, but I will inform you that body painting in lieu of clothing is quite popular, especially among women. I have a few private photos to prove this. The Vandenberg lies in one hundred and forty feet of open water, about eleven miles off Key West.

It’s a thirty to forty minute trip depending upon the weather and the boat. The week prior to our arrival, southern Florida was hit by record rainfall. Key West received five inches of rain in less than one day, and it had been raining throughout the Keys for several days. As a result, underwater visibility was nil. Inshore reefs had

fifteen feet or less. Luckily, because the Vandenberg lies out to sea, this ship sported a murky forty feet. Particles filled the water column making it impossible to take sharp photos, a fact that I fear that the photos in this article will bear out. In my search to find clear water and photo opportunities, I followed the hull down to 106 feet, but soon abandoned this reckless course of action because I was fearful of the necessity of making a long safety stop at the fifteen to twenty foot depth with a dwindling air supply. Donna, a lot smarter than I, limited her maximum depth to 94 feet. Ironically, if the water had been its usual clarity, we would have been able to see the bottom. On this day, looking down through the last 34 feet towards the bottom revealed nothing but murk. I must admit that diving five days before Halloween was a trick, not a treat, in this case. No exaggeration―it was spooky! Except for some limited penetration of the superstructure and upper hull, we stayed in the 80 to 90 foot range to preserve our precious air supply. We


were with three other divers and the divemaster, so it was important to stay together, since it was so difficult to see under these conditions. If you become separated you usually become lost, so memorizing the layout of a ship with limited visibility is important. Always remember where the descent/ascent line is because it will lead the way to the surface and the dive boat. The Vandenberg has six surface buoys moored to the ship. Be sure to find the correct one, because the ship is over 500 feet long. In rough seas with six foot waves, you might not find the boat and it might not find you.

After the dive, we tossed about the boat for a sixty minute surface interval to de-gas the nitrogen that had accumulated in our bodies. The boat captain made a determination to make our second dive also on the Vandenberg because the reefs were washed out. Unfortunately, while fighting the current and waves to haul myself to the dive boat by a tag line trailing the stern, I got seasick. Climbing aboard in rough seas didn’t help. It’s the first time that I ever became seasick while in the water. In the past, I would get sick by the rocking motion of the boat. The nausea

Filefish considering entering a hold.

A trumpetfish artfully contorting itself around the ship’s rail.

Looking out on a school of Mackerel scad, Decapterus macarellus, thru a doorway in the wreck.

Looking up at Donna from 106 feet as she hovers above the ship’s main deck rail.

French angelfish strolling the deck.

Descending a mast to the Vandenberg’s superstructure.


made me feel like my wetsuit was binding my body, and choking my neck. I had to peel it off.

After a very long hour, we suited up again and tumbled back in the water with a fresh air cylinder. But before we left the boat, Jeremy, our divemaster, told us that he would show us another section of the ship where the “art museum” was situated on a low superstructure deck. “What is he talking about?” I thought as I hauled myself along a granny line that ran from the back to the mooring buoy at the front of the dive boat. This was the way back down to the shipwreck.

Once we settled back on the ship in the gloom, Jeremy motioned for us to follow him. After swimming awhile, he again motioned, this time to a small plaque attached to the lowest deck’s outer wall (See photo on

the previous page). It was followed by a row of what I thought were paintings. They depicted land scenes on the sunken ship. I photographed several of them, but the visibility was too poor to depict them in a proper way. Later, I researched both Franke and his artwork. He is an Austrian photographer and avid amateur diver who dove the wreck in 2009, the year it was sunk. He described the ship as a “dead thing…But I thought that if I put people on it, then there would again be life on that ship.”

He photographed the sunken ship, and in his studio in Austria he hired models to pose. He digitally superimposed the photos of his models with those of the ship. His photos have been enlarged, and resemble paintings. Each one is about three feet by two feet. He enclosed and sealed each photo in plexiglass, and


fastened each frame to the ship with magnets. He intends to remove the photos in several months. Some have developed leaks or growths on the plexiglass. If you are interested, you can research Andreas Franke on the internet and see all twelve of his photos, with a description, in an unobstructed undersea environment.

Donna ascending to the surface.

My photos are not of good quality due to the poor visibility. My photos, per my own interpretation, include a 1950s scene of five young adults hanging out at a movie theater ticket booth, three ballerinas with their teacher using the ship’s rail as a training bar, a woman in exercise tights at a juice bar with background exercisers, a young girl with a net chasing butterflies (or maybe fish), a man in a straightjacket being wheeled along the deck by a macabre-looking attendant, two men kickboxing near a radar dish on the ship, and a boy tightrope walking on the ship’s rail. As the real Undergravel Reporter pointed out in his (or her) column, at times nature can be artificial or made to become artificial by man-made structures. But with the passage of time, a sunken ship, or even a work of art, will merge into nature to take its place in the natural world. Years from now, will an underwater voyeur ask, “Does this belong here?” How would the fish respond about their underwater home?


The Whiptail CatfishRineloricara fallax

by Joseph Graffagnino

There are several species of whiptail catfish which are very difficult to tell apart. This particular species,

Rineloricara fallax*, comes from cool, fast moving streams in South America. This type of catfish gets its common name from its slim, armored, flat, and stiff body with color variations from gray to brown. It is a slow moving, peaceful fish with a tailfin that extends to a delicate “whip-like” extension. Whiptail cats get to about 6 inches in length. The only way I can sex them is that the female’s belly is larger than the male’s, as is the case with most types of catfish. When the female is ripe with eggs, her stomach is huge; she will sit outside the PVC tube and wait for the male to allow her entrance. As she lays her eggs, he is directly behind her fertilizing them. When completed, the male then chases the female from the tube, and he then cares for the eggs.

I received my group of a dozen small fish from one of Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s expert fish breeders, Lisa Quilty. Lisa, one of our club's leading spawners of difficult fish, bred the parents in a small PVC tube and brought the fry in for Breeder Award Points. I brought them home and set the group up in a 10 gallon tank with riverbed gravel, and corner box filter that contained charcoal and ammonia chips. I placed a couple of wood pieces in the tank to make them comfortable. After a few months I added some small and narrow clay and PVC tubes. The small fish grew quickly with weekly water changes and high protein flake food. To improve their

diet, I gave them frozen food such as blood worms, cyclopeeze, and daphnia a couple of times a week. I would on occasion provide them with a piece of frozen zucchini that they would ignore until it started getting a fungus on it, and then the next day the zucchini would be gone. I guess they will only eat it if it’s soft.

Early one evening, my friend and fellow fish breeder Vinny Babino came over, and as I was showing him my various fish, he looked into the whiptail

tank which I kept at the end of a long row of tanks that I rarely paid any attention to, and remarked that there appeared to be a lump inside the PVC tube. I looked, and then with a flashlight discovered that the male was sitting on a batch of green eggs. With this species the female lays the eggs and the male cares for them, gently scraping the eggs to help the fry escape after about 7 days.

An interesting note: Vinny had obtained the parents of the fry and had them in his home aquarium. When he went home that evening his fish had also laid eggs in a PVC

Pair spawning. Photo by Henk Hugo


tube. Several times afterward both of our groups laid eggs the same day. I must have had my fish for approximately two years before they spawned.

Once the fry became free swimming I fed them crushed egg flakes, which help fry grow faster, and some frozen zucchini that they, like their parents, allow to soften before eating. The fry grow quickly with frequent water changes and heavy aeration. The spawning tubes were six to eight inches long and one inch wide, open on both ends. The GH was 2, pH was 6.3 and the temperature was 76 degrees Fahrenheit. After the first pair spawned a second time, three weeks after the first spawn, other pairs started breeding. I guess the pheromones in the water activated the others’ spawning cycle. I found 36 fry from the first spawn; in some spawns the eggs were eaten, and in others, when the babies were released, the adult whiptails ate them. The spawns became larger, and after several months I counted 84 fry in a single spawn.

The fry are small, so if I didn’t see them on the glass so I could siphon them up, the adults would go for them. I found that these fish need natural wood in the tank, which I believe helps them digest food. Never use glass gravel for this species.

I highly recommend this delicate in beauty, yet hardy in nature fish for your aquarium. They are a joy to behold and will not bother other fish or plants in your tank. After you have bred them don’t forget to bring the fry to your local fish club and share the fun with other hobbyists.

*Planet Catfish lists Rineloricara fallax as

a synomym of Hemiloricaria fallax.

Photos from PlanetCatfish.com. this article previously appeared in

Aquatica, the official magazine of the Brooklyn aquarium society.

16 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)18 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Michelle & Herb Walgren

Louise & Bob Hamje

Walter Gallo & Tommy Chang

Richard Waizman & Natalie Linden

Desiree Martin

Bill Amely

Steve Miller

Ron Kasman

Leonard Ramroop

Ed Vukich

Pictures from our Holiday

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) March 2012 17Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) March 2012 19

Harry Faustmann Jason Kerner

Roderick Mosely

Horst Gerber

Al Grussel Gerry Domingo

Wayne Morris Bob Strazzulla Denver Lettman

Ron Wiesenfeld Michael Macht Dan Puleo

Party/Awards BanquetPhotos by Susan Priest


Claudia & Brad Dickinson

Harsha Perrera

Michael Gallo & Nephew Marty

Ben & Emma Haus

Pete d’Orio Sharon Barnett Jason Irizarry

Al & Sue Priest

Our Holiday Cake

A Good Time


It was lucky for Jalil and Jahir Morris that their dad, Wayne, came to the party, because Santa dropped off some “HO, HO, HO” hats for them at the Palace Diner

Dan & Marsha RadebaughThe “Heart & Soul” of the GCAS

Donna & Steve SicaCelebrating their 20th wedding anniversary

among fishy friends

Was Had By All!

\


Bowl Show ChampionRichard Waizman

Breeder of the YearJoe Graffagnino

Susan PriestGrand Master Laureate

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Jules BirnbaumWriter & Essayist

Rich LevyAuthor

Steve SicaMaster Laureate

Aquarist of the YearJeff Bollbach

Our Annual Awards BanquetPhotos by Susan Priest


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BOWL SHOWRULES

There is a Bowl Show at every GCAS meeting, except our Silent Auction/fl eamarket meeting and our Holiday Party and Awards Banquet meeting (December). These shows are open to all members of GCAS. Rules are as follows:

Only current GCAS members may enter fi sh in the Bowl Show.• There is a limit of 2 entries per member per meeting.• Unlike some other clubs, every month is an “open” Bowl Show at the GCAS (i.e., there is no “theme,” • such that one month cichlids are judged, the next livebearers, the next anabantoids, etc.).Any fi sh that wins any prize (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) may not be entered again in the same meeting year.• The current Bowl Show Coordinator is Leonard Ramroop, who usually also serves as judge (although • guest speakers are often asked to do the judging honors).2.5 gallon containers are available for use (brought to the meetings by the Bowl Show Coordinator), • but entrants are responsible for providing enough (and suitable) water for their fi sh. For a fi sh too large (or too small) for those containers, entrants must supply a suitable container, • which must be clear on at least three sides.Only one fi sh per container (i.e., no “pairs”).• No plants, ornaments, or equipment (fi lters, airstone, etc.) are allowed in the judging tank (an external • mirror, or opaque cards between containers is acceptable, as is a cover that does not obstruct side viewing).Points are awarded: 5 points for 1st Place, 3 for 2nd Place, and 1 for 3rd Place.• Ribbons are awarded: blue for 1st Place, red for 2nd Place, and green for 3rd Place.• The person with the most points at the end of the meeting season receives the Walter Hubel “Bowl • Show Champion” trophy at the Awards Banquet.The decision of the judge(s) is fi nal.• A running UNOFFICIAL total of the points awarded is printed in • Modern Aquarium. Only the tally of points maintained by the Bowl Show Coordinator is offi cial.In case of ties• :1• st Tiebreaker – most 1st Places2• nd Tiebreaker – most 2nd Places3• rd Tiebreaker – most entries


Exotic Aquarium Fishes The Book, The Collection

by Steven Hinshaw, Sitka, Alaska

I still return to books to verify a fact or understand a concept. That’s not to say I am a Luddite and avoid the internet! On the contrary, and to the

chagrin of my family, the Internet is used frequently to find information or connect with fellow hobbyists. Philosophically however, the experience of using a book is more soulful and concrete. Representing both form and function, there is just something nice about the aesthetic and texture of books on the shelf, especially my collection of vintage aquarium books.

When I was in the eighth grade, my mother gave me a copy of The Innes Book, 20th Edition Exotic Aquarium Fishes, published by Metaframe and edited by Klaus Woltmann. With much excitement, I showed it to a friend, who in turn showed it to his dad. In turn, that dad graciously gave me two books he had had as a young aquarium hobbyist in the 1960’s; the 19th Edition Exotic Aquarium Fishes by William T. Innes and the yellow and white covered The Innes Book 19th Edition Revised. These books have been with me ever since, and I continue to use them as a reference!

Since receiving these gifts in the early 1980s, I have amassed a collection of Exotic Aquarium Fishes from the First Edition to the Twenty-first with

numerous variations in between (fig. 1). As with most collections, the goal is to create a comprehensive set, then exchange individual specimens for prize trophies. For example, a rare “trophy” first edition with a complete spine label replaces another first edition without a spine label.

Many of you understand that the smallest of details can become an obsession, causing the collector to make further inquiries and search for unique specimens. Hence, one of the inspirations for this collection was the discovery of subtle differences between editions, or finding treasures inside the books like informative pamphlets or Innes and Sons bookmarks (fig. 2a,b). Adding to the challenge, some of the books were hard to find, such as different editions published within the same year: the 1st and 2nd (May and December, 1935), the 12th and 13th (January and July, 1951), and finally the 15th and 16th (January and July, 1953). I understand that the first edition was such a success that the second edition had to be published to meet demand. It would be interesting to find out why the other editions were published within a year―was it demand for a current edition or new information needing to get out?

At first glance, one notices the differences between spine label ink colors (fig. 3). It has been suggested that fading and ink quality might be the issue, but in this collection the colors are vivid even in those labels that are darkened by age. The 1st

Figure 1: Collection of Exotic Aquarium Fishes Books.

Figure 2a: Pamphlets & Bookmark "Treasures"!

Figure 2b


is yellow, the 2nd and 7th are orange, the 3rd to the 5th are yellow, the 6th and 19th are green, and the 8th to18th are blue. Were these choices intentional or by default?

Another minute detail is seen with the paper color of the frontispiece with its color plate of the two Rasbora heteromorpha. The first five editions have the color plate on a dark green paper with a green (1st) or black (2nd to 5th) ink border frame and lettering. Starting

with the 6th Edition, the paper becomes black with a green ink border and lettering. At the 13th Edition the black paper remains the same, but the border and lettering becomes light blue, while the 18th and 19th change to a silver border and lettering. The 19th Revised has white paper with a silver border and black lettering! From that edition forward to the 20th, the frontispiece is a black and white muted photocopy-quality image of the entire page from the earlier editions (fig. 4 a,b,c).

More enjoyable than having the collection itself is the conversation it generates with people from all over the world. Inspired by Aquarium Fish International’s January 2011 issue featuring a synopsis of William T.

Innes, I struck up a correspondence with the writer of the feature, William I. Homer―the famed author’s grandson. Through him, I gained some insight into the books, and obtained a copy of the February 1954 “Innes Anniversary Issue” of The Aquarium (fig. 5).

While tracking down an edition with a spine label, I corresponded with a book collector and aquarium hobbyist in Bermuda who generously sold me a 4th Edition of the book. I say “generous” because this was an unusual copy, published in 1942. It’s boards are made of that classic dark green ‘leatherette’ with (supposedly) 14 karat gold gilt fish on the front cover, and has an intact paper spine label. The 4th Edition already in the collection has lime-green boards with a plastic coating reflecting a wavy iridescent pattern.

Other than that, everything else is the same―from the gilt fish to the spine label to the text inside (fig. 6). One of my antique book collector friends speculates that because of the rationing and shortages of resources during WWII, the publishers may not have been able to get the same binding as was used for previous editions. Alan Fletcher, who did most of the work on the 19th Edition Exotic Aquarium Fishes (1956), informed me that my friend “got it exactly right. During WWII there was a shortage of everything. Everyone, including printers, had to use whatever they could get their hands on.” I have seen two other lime green

Figure 3: Spine Labels: Orange (2nd ed.), Green (6th ed.), Yellow (7th ed.), Blue (9th ed.).

Figure 4a: 1st Edition

Figure 4b: Frontispiece Paper and Ink , Green with Back (1st-5th ed.), Black with Green (6th-12th ed.), Black with Silver (18th ed.) Figure 4b: Frontispiece Paper and Ink , Green with Back (1st-5th ed.), Black with Green (6th-12th ed.), Black with Silver (18th ed.)

Figure 4c: Frontispiece Paper and Ink , White with Grey Border, Black Lettering (19th ed. 1956 & 19th Revised ed. 1964), Black and White Copy (19th Revised-Metaframe/Dutton, 1966), Dark Photocopy, no border frame (TFH Reprint).

Figure 5: Hobby Magazines and Correspondence from William I. Homer.

Figure 6: Two Different Bindings of the 4th Edition (1942). Front Cover (left) and Spines (right).


4th Editions for sale, but never this dark green bound example. The question still remains, is this dark green variation an early or late printing? In other words, was it from the beginning of the printing using up surplus boards from the 1938 printing of the 3rd edition, or at the end, when stocks were being replenished (as can be seen near the end of the War with the 5th Edition being published with green boards in 1944)? Since the 4th Edition was printed early in the war, and the 5th Edition came out with green boards near the end of the War, I speculate that it was printed earlier in the batch using up stock already at the press.

The collection contains two copies of the 6th Edition (1945), one of which is a personally signed copy (fig. 7). Maybe not all that unusual except that the 6th Edition was the first edition to have the author’s portrait on the publication date page. This signed copy may honor this “new” feature, as Dr. Innes wanted to have a personal connection to the reader, as stated on that page. It wasn’t until the 7th Edition (1946) that a facsimile of his signature was printed below the portrait (fig. 8). Prior editions (i.e. the 5th and earlier) had the publication dates at the top of the page, with the rest of the page being blank (fig. 8). Also marking the occasion, this is the only edition (other than the 19th) to have a green inked spine label (fig. 3). A third distinguishing characteristic is that the frontispiece paper and ink color become black with a green border and lettering (fig 4 b), the inverse of previous editions.

Dust jackets are a curious feature of a book, with an Internet search yielding many reasons why they exist or don’t exist. Jackets were presumably issued with all editions from the 1st to 19th (fig. 9). Joe Ferdenzi (http://www.carespreservation.com/bio_joe_ferdenzi.html ), an avid collector of aquarium literature, believes that dust jackets were issued with these editions, knowing of a first edition with one. The jackets have three basic designs: (1) a white/tan cover with green lettering (presumably 1st to the 17th) or

black lettering (the 18th) (fig. 10) with a line drawing of Cichlasoma festivum on the cover, (2) the 19th Edition and 19th Revised have that classic base color of pink with yellow titled spine with a blue, black and yellow highlighted title on the cover with two Discus (fig. 11), and (3) a 19th Edition with a base color of white with yellow and black lines with two Discus on the front (fig. 11). Of the tan and white dust jackets, the 8th, 9th, and 10th Editions do not have their editions printed on the cover, while the 13th to the 18th have their editions printed (fig. 12). One mystery to solve is to determine

Figure 7: 6th Edition, The first to have the author's portrait.Note personally signed page on the right.

Figure 8: Publication Date Page, 5th Edition, Stylized Logo (left), 7th Edition, Facsimile of Signature, (right).

Figure 9: The Innes and Sons Publications, Without Jackets (top), With Jackets (bottom).

Figure 10: Dust Jackets, 17th Edition, Note Green Ink (left), 18th Edition, Note Black Ink (right).

Figure 11: Dust Jackets, 19th Edition (1956), 19th Edition Revised (1964), 19th Revised Variant.


which dust jacket the edition number started with (and why?!). In other words, was the 13th Edition the first, or was it the 11th or 12th Edition?

The 10th Edition jacket is a bit unusual in that the title runs from the bottom to the top (a common feature of British and European books), while the American titles read from the top to the bottom (fig. 13a). The other difference is that there is no Cichlasoma festivum on the back, but instead it is replaced by “PRINTED IN U.S.A.” at the bottom (fig. 13b). My 10th Edition was purchased from a shop in the U.K., so it is not surprise that the dust wrapper (so called in the U.K.!) was printed as such for the overseas market. It is interesting to note that the 19th Revised seen in figure

9 also has the title reading from the bottom up. Could this be a copy from an overseas market?

There are few significant changes in the book for its run of nineteen editions being published more or less annually until 1956. The most notable differences are seen with the supplements, some minor additions or editing, and a detail change on the map legend starting at the 18th Edition (fig. 13). Overall, a consistent publication. I am curious to wonder how many copies Innes and Sons Printing printed before the copyright expired.

Finally comes the mess of publication dates and the many variations of the 19th Edition after Mr. Innes decided not to renew the copyright of the book in 1956. For example, in the 19th Edition edited by Dr. George Myers, the title page shows the publication date of 1956, while in the 19th Edition Revised edited by Helen Simkatis, the publication shows 1964 and is preceded by a publication dates of 1955 and 1957 (excluding

Figure 12: Dust Jackets, 9th edition (left), 13th edition; The first to have edition printed on the jacket? (right).

Figure 13a: Spines of 9th ed. (left), European 10th ed. (right) and the 10th Front. Note the direction of the title between the two.

Figure 13b: Dust Jackets backs, 9th (left), European 10th (right), and detail of 10th (below). Note the back and spine differences.

Figure 13: Maps: 17th edition (Top) and 18th edition with legend (Bottom).

Figure 14: Publication dates, 19th Edition, 1956 (Top) and 19th Revised Edition, 1964 (Bottom). Note the year 1956 missing in the 1964 publication


1956). “Press of Innes and Sons, Philadelphia” is also absent. Is there a 1957 printing out there or is this a misprint (fig. 14)?

At this point the book’s 19th Edition was printed by a host of publishers: Innes, Aquarium-Dutton, Metaframe-Dutton, and Tropical Fish Hobbyist (TFH), creating a number of variations. For instance, this collection contains eleven different variations of the 19th, with most being advertisement-filled remixes of the TFH publications (fig. 15 a,b).

According to Alan Fletcher, the last authentic "Exotic" was the 19th edition published by Innes and Sons, with E.P. Dutton having at least one printing of the 19th. He noted that Dutton’s statement of “Press of Innes & Sons” is untrue, and that they didn’t even indicate the date of their printing. It is unclear whether Dutton published the Innes 19th edition with a Dutton dust jacket. Both 19th Editions and their dust jackets are identical, showing a print date of 1956, with the exception that the spine of one has a blue paper spine label while the other has the title in gilt lettering (fig. 16). Is the paper spine label the Innes printing and the gilt title the Dutton printing? Could this Dutton publication be the mysterious 1957 printing? Mr. Fletcher did not have the answer to these questions other than to tell me that “if the wrapper is gone, the only way you can be sure it is a fake is to compare

Figure 15 a: Eleven variations of the 19th Edition!

Figure 15 b: The eleven 19th editions with the 20th and 21st (left to right).

the type of the spine of the book with the true Innes spine. They are not identical.” It is interesting to note the green ink on the 19th Edition’s spine label. Does this signify the last Innes printing reminiscent of the celebrated 6th Edition with its green spine label?

To the distress of my budget, many online purchases of 19th Editions have been made looking for a white/ tan dust jacket printed solely by Innes and/or an obvious Dutton edition described by Mr. Fletcher. To date none have been found. Adding to this saga, and possibly answering the question at hand, are two dust cover variations of the revised edition as described earlier (fig 15 a,b). The white jacket spine states the publisher as “Aquariums Incorporated Dutton” instead of

“ A q u a r i u m - D u t t o n ” shown on the pink jacket.

A very common example of the 19th Revised without a dust jacket was published in 1966 by Metaframe-Dutton, entitled The 19th Revised, The Innes Book. It is a yellow colored covered book with red highlights, with the hatchetfish profile/trademark used by Innes

on the bottom of the spine (fig. 17). To close the lid on the tank, so to speak, Mr.

Fletcher related that he had been building a file for a 20th Edition before he left the business, but assumes it became the 1964 “19th Edition Revised” edited by Helen Simkatis.

From 1966 to 1979, with the TFH publications, the book changes little in content from the 19th Revised edition. In fact the books are termed “reprints” in the foreword! What does change is the order of the pictures, some of the text, the addition/deletion of color photographs or black and white pictures of the original color plates, the cover color is yellow or white, paper quality (seen in the thickness of the book (fig. 18)), border treatments on certain pages, and the significant addition of advertisements within the text. Most are copyrighted in

Figure 16: Spines of the 19th and 19th Revised Editions; years 1956, 1956, 1964 and 1964, respectively. Note the green ink spine label...evidence honoring the last Innes printing?

Figure 17: 19th Revised Cover (1966) published by Metaframe/Dutton.

Figure 18: Thickness differences of the TFH reprints, an obvious difference between books.


1979, but are p r e s u m a b l y printed for years thereafter. With the 1979 reprints, an additional f o r e w o r d is added by Herbert Axelrod, capitalizing on a 1966 foreword by William T. Innes found in previous

TFH reprints; apparently burying the hatchet between the two authors. A whole thesis could be written on how many ways a book can be remixed and resold with regard to the TFH printings! Some of the obvious marketing examples are seen on the covers, stating “The New 1969 Printing” in red, or “The New 1971 Printing” in black (fig. 19). As mentioned earlier, this collection has eleven different variations of the 19th Edition, which include the reprinted TFH editions. According to Dave Rayburn in his note of prominent vintage aquarium books and magazines listed in The Calquarium, Vol. 42 #8, four revisions were published by TFH after the original nineteen editions. It is unclear which are revisions and reprints. It all gets a bit confusing!

Except for a hint of Innes’ voice, the 20th Edition is unrecognizable from earlier renditions (fig. 20). It was published in 1979 by Living World (Metaframe) and re-titled The Innes Book 20th Edition, Exotic Aquarium Fishes in a more updated format (two column style, for example). The contents are basic, with a photographic cover featuring a variation of Scatophagus on a lush green background. Photographs have replaced the color plates as noted in the Foreword. It is interesting to see the publication/copyright dates on the back of the title page, which

Metaframe claimed rights to (fig. 21). According to the synopsis in the 21st Edition, sales of this Metaframe edition were so poor that it was never reprinted!

The most recent edition, copyrighted in 1994 by TFH with the title, Innes’s Exotic Aquarium Fishes, 21st Edition, A work of General Reference, is not much different from the 20th in format. However, it is written in a more approachable voice. The cover is white with an array of photographs of various multicolored fish (fig. 20). The most noteworthy entries are the descriptions and discussions about the nomenclature of the cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi, and the history and husbandry of the neon tetra, Paracheirodon innesi (pgs: 94-98). The Foreword mentions the final printings of Exotic Aquarium Fishes being made in 1955, 1957, 1964, and 1966. Again, there is no mention of the 1956 printing discussed earlier.

The best feature of the 21st is the nostalgic photo of Dr. Innes and colleagues opposite the Foreword along with a very informative history and synopsis of the politics, marketing and detailed revisions from previous editions. The Foreword implies that this will be the last edition referencing Innes or Exotic Aquarium Fishes. In fact, the book makes no claim of being a revised book, but stands on its own merit, as seen in these excerpts from the Foreword:

“it is really not correct to credit innes with this book

because neither a single Innes photo, nor any significant text written by innes, is included herein. however, from

a commercial point of view, the designation The Innes Book is valuable and for commercial reasons we are

using the Innes name. We apologize to our readers for this misleading designation but it will, in no way, affect

the quality of the book.”

“Knowing that several generations of hobbyists

have enjoyed Exotic Aquarium Fishes, we sincerely

hope that the new 21st edition will help many more

aquarists enjoy our pleasant hobby. in deference to

William t. innes, who inspired so many aquarists with

his book and his personal advice, we hope we have

succeeded.”

Indeed, it’s been almost two decades since the 21st came out and I have not seen a 22nd for sale. That’s fine by me, as the bookshelves can barely hold the books I already have! Looking at my grandfather’s slate-bottom, open-topped fish tank (fig. 22), the same style featured in the March 1931 National Geographic, maybe I should start collecting vintage fish tanks! I wonder how many variations there are of those?!

Figure 19: The 1969 and 1971 printings of the TFH publications. Note that one is a "New Edition" while the other is a "New Printing".

Figure 20: Covers of the 1979 Living World and the 1994 TFH publications, respectively.

Figure 21: Copyright claims of Metaframe Corporation, from the 20th Edition.

Figure 22: My grandfather's cast aluminum and plate-glass vessel (left) identical to the one featured in the March 1931 National Geographic pg. 288. (see photo at right).

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) March 2012 2918 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar

by Michele L. Thieme, et al.Island Press, 2005

a Series On Books For The Hobbyistby SUSAN PRIEST

Dedication

Ninety years! The GCAS can boast of a greatmany accomplishments throughout itstenure, but this is not a time for boasting. It

is a time for pooling our resources as we look to thefuture. When you think of ourresources what comes to yourmind? I hope that the first thingyou think of is yourself. Itseems to me that if we fortifyourselves with knowledge,perhaps we can play a small partin rescuing what is left of thenatural world. With that goal in mind I amdedicating this, the 19th season of Wet Leavescolumns, to the cause of conservation issues. Wewill be wading intouncharted waters. Areyou ready to get wet?

Here is a brief quotefrom the introduction:“This book aims topresent an objective planf o r l a r g e - s c a l ebiodiversity conservationi n A f r i c a a n dMadagascar.” Its multipleauthors (the reference etal. means “and others”)break this herculean taskdown into numerouschapters, essays, lists,charts, appendices, etc.T h e o c c a s i o n a lphotograph contributes tothe overall presentation,but it is the colorful anddetailed maps which bringthe information to life.

A brief but not to beoverlooked essay near the beginning of the book isentitled “Dragonflies: Sensitive Indicators ofFreshwater Health.” Very simply put, the larvalstage in the life of a dragonfly takes place in water.A reduction in the populations of dragonflies is adirect indicator that the water quality is not adequateto support aquatic life. This is significant because

a simple pair of binoculars is all that is required todetermine the relative populations of dragonflies,thereby providing a direct one-to-one indicator ofthe health of a body of water. Even more simplystated, fewer dragonflies mean fewer fishes.Floating plants (referred to in the text as weeds)which “increase oxygen levels, provide shelter forthe larvae and perches for the adults,” are alsothreatened.

You will frequently find me returning to thetopic of the maps. At this point I would like todescribe to you the use of color coding on a mapwhich is labeled “Level of Biological ImportanceFor Freshwater Conservation.” I am going tosubstitute the word “concern” for the word

importance. Areas shaded inred have the highest level ofconcern, areas shaded in blueare rated as high, and areasshaded in green are consideredto be of medium concern. Thisis as far as it goes. The thingwhich immediately jumps out

at me here is that there are no freshwater bodies ofwater which are considered to have a low level ofconcern, or are of no concern at all. Otherwise

stated, every lake, river,stream, and puddle ofwater in all of Africa andMadagascar have at leasta medium level ofconcern as to theirconservation status.

Part of the plan islaid out for us in Chapter5: “Setting Priorities . . .”There are five priorityc lasses which a recalculated, and thenincorporated into adecision making matrix.Let’s back up briefly toask the question “whatpriorities?” The degreeo f b i o l o g i c a ldistinctiveness of anecoregion is combinedwith the level of threat toidentify those ecoregionswhich should be targetedf o r i m m e d i a t e

conservation action. The quality of the availabledata also plays a part in making these calculations.The matrix, or priority grid, has twenty slots intowhich an ecoregion can be inserted. The first stepis to assign each ecoregion a class. Class I regionsare “highly threatened ecoregions of extraordinaryglobal value or rarity,” that is to say, they have thehighest priority. Classes II, III, IV, and V slowly

30 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) March 2012 19

descend the ladder of priority, but “all ecoregionsare worthy of conservation intervention.” Themajority of Class I ecoregions are in the Great RiftValley. By now you won’t be surprised when I tellyou that there is an excellent map which illustratesthe locations of the different priority classes.

Here are a few excerpts from the essay entitled“Madagascar’s Freshwater Fishes: An ImperiledTreasure.” There is a “quiet crisis” occurringbeneath the water line, as many of the freshwaterfishes endemic to Madagascar are among its mostendangered vertebrates. The three main threats tofreshwater fish populations are 1) degradation ofaquatic habitats as a result of deforestation, 2)introduction of exotics (that is, non-native species),and 3) over fishing. The cause and effectrelationship is clear; the behavior of the humanpopulation is having a direct impact. Important tonote here is that Madagascar has one of the highestpopulation growth rates of any country on earth.This can only lead to the conclusion that humanintervention will continue to be a major factor.“Curiously, there is a lack of representation offamilies of fish which are present in both Africa andIndia. One is forced to postulate a series of majorextinctions for which we can find no currentevidence.”

Appendix F sounds like the last in a long lineof boring afterthoughts. Nothing could be furtherfrom the truth. We have been preparing ourselvesto take full advantage of all that pages 173-360 haveto offer. Appendix F, entitled “EcoregionDescriptions,” takes us on a tour of 93 aquatichabitats throughout Africa and Madagascar. I waswishing that each and every site had its own map toillustrate where we were visiting, but our publisherprovided the next best thing. There is a map entitled“Freshwater Ecorecions of Africa and Madagascar.”The facing page has a legend which is numberedand color coded. In combination, they serve as asort of index to appendix F. For example, if youknow you want to look up Lake Tanganyika, youturn to the legend and go to the section labeled“large lakes,” You learn that Lake Tanganyika isecoregion number 55, and you can quickly turn to it.You also learn that number 55 is in the dark greenregion of the map, and can just as easily locate itthere. The only other thing you need to take fulladvantage of this feature is a post-it note to mark thelocation of the map and legend, and then you will beon your way. So, where would you like to go? I’lltake you someplace familiar.

Ecoregion number: 53Ecoregion name: Lake MalawiMajor Habitat Type: Large LakeConservation Status: VulnerablePriority Class: I

“The ecoregion hosts highly endemic species flocksof fishes, which make up one of the richest fish

faunas in the world.” Vulnerable; that speaks foritself. Priority I; you already know what thatmeans. Each of the 93 sections breaks down itspresentation into the following five categories:location and general description, distinctivebiodiversity features, threats (current as well asfuture), justification for ecoregion delineation, anddata quality.

Let’s take a closer look at Lake Malawi. It isthe fourth deepest lake in the world, and has asurface area of 31,000 km. More than 200 riversflow into the lake. It has thermal stability, and iswell oxygenated down to 40 meters. The shorelineis steep and rocky in most places. Of the morethan 800 cichlid species, 99% are endemic, andonly 300 of these have been scientificallydescribed. “The evolutionary processes that haveproduced such incredibly high numbers of endemiccichlids have led to the use of metaphors such as‘explosive speciation.’” The almost totaldependance on natural resources by the people ofthe region lead to deforestation, inappropriateagricultural practices, and exploitation of thewildlife and fishes. These are the main threats tothis ecoregion.

One part of the overall plan which I don’twant you to miss out on is the Ramsar Convention.This important initiative, also known as theConvention on Wetlands, began in1971 in Ramsar,Iran. Its vision is “to develop and maintain anetwork of wetlands that are of internationalimportance due to their ecological andhydrological functions, for the conservation ofworldwide biological diversity and the enduranceof human life.” Ramsar maintains a “List ofWetlands of International Importance.” Basically,it is a list of endangered freshwater ecosystems.Think of it as being akin to the Red List, only forbodies of fresh water. The registration of awetland ecoregion can help to maintain itsbiological diversity. It has been determined thatthe preservation of wetlands is compatible withsimultaneous use by humans. I have barelyintroduced you to the Ramsar Convention and itsactivities, so you might want to undertake someindependent research on this topic.

Is it a text book? Is it a reference book? It isboth of these, and more. There is a very goodglossary which I made extensive use of. It isheavier reading than we are used to, but it is notbeyond our grasp. I regret that I have only beenable to give you a very superficial sampling of thevast amount of detailed information, and analysisthereof, which it has to offer.


ANABANTIDS “the Fish With two Names” by susan Priest .................................................................... 10/24

“a simple Complex: the albimarginata Complex” by alexander a. Priest ........................ 09/10

“a small Mouthful: Betta falx” by alexander a. Priest ........................................................ 05/15

“try a different african Challenge” by alexander a. Priest .................................................07/11

“Vaillant's Chocolate gourami: Sphaerichthys vaillanti” by alexander a. Priest ................ 03/09

AQUARIUM HOBBY HISTORY “a Family affair” by dan Carson (MA Classics) ................................................................ 10/20

“Carpy diem! Part i: the old guard” by dan radebaugh ................................................. 05/21

“how WWii Contributed to the golden decade” by alan Mark Fletcher ............................ 08/10

“Nostalgia Notes: New York’s Fabled Aquarium Stock Company” by Joseph Ferdenzi ..... 11/11

AQUASCAPING/DESIGN “a recipe for smiles” by susan Priest ............................................................................... 04/15

“aquaria as art” by stephen sica ...................................................................................... 07/09

“diver dan” by edward Vukich........................................................................................... 10/09

“My Nanoaquarium” by stephen sica ................................................................................ 10/13

BOOK REVIEWS“WET LEAVES” Column - by Susan Priest The 101 Best Aquarium Plants, by Mary e. sweeney .................................................... 09/23

Culturing Live Foods, by Michael r. hellweg ..................................................................11/21

Discus Fish: A Complete Pet Owners Manual by t.a. giovanetti & o. Lucanus .......... 07/17

Do Fish Sleep? by Judith s. Weis .................................................................................... 05/19

Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook - 2nd Edition by robert goldstein, Ph.d. ............... 08/07

Modern Aquarium -- Series III ..........................................................................................12/11

Setting Up a Tropical Aquarium - Week by Week by stuart thraves .............................06/11

Wet Leaves Index ............................................................................................................ 07/19

CARTOONS “the amusing aquarium” by Bernard harrigan (MA Classics) ......................................... 09/17

“CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST” – by Elliot Oshins august Cartoon .................................................................................................................. 08/05

september Cartoon ........................................................................................................... 09/07

october Cartoon ................................................................................................................ 10/07

November Cartoon .............................................................................................................11/09

december Cartoon ............................................................................................................ 12/07

CATFISH “Five days in the Life of Corydoras adolfoi” by Joseph Ferdenzi (MA Classics) ............. 09/16

CHARACINS “My Favorite Fish: the Kerri tetra” by stephen sica ......................................................... 06/07

2011 Modern Aquarium

article indexIssue/Pg

32 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

CICHLIDS “Caring For and Breeding the Buffalo head” by Jules Birnbaum .......................................04/11

“serendipity” by rich Levy ................................................................................................. 04/13

CONSERVATION “Corrosion and You” by susan Priest ................................................................................ 03/15


“Carpy diem! Part ii: the Fantastic Four” by dan radebaugh ......................................... 08/17

“Fish ‘n schools” by stephen sica ......................................................................................11/15

“Grand Cayman’s Lionfish” by Stephen Sica ..................................................................... 09/13

“I Think I See A(nother) Lionfish!” by Stephen Sica ........................................................... 04/17

“it’s Not a Bird!” by stephen sica ...................................................................................... 08/08

“Live Long and Prosper” by susan Priest ...........................................................................11/27

COVER PHOTOGRAPHS Betta falx - photo by alexander a. Priest ...........................................................................05/C1

Ctenopoma kingsleyae: The Tail Spot Bushfish – photo by Alexander A. Priest ...............07/C1

DC-3 Under Repair – photo by Alan Mark Fletcher ...........................................................08/C1

great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) - photo by stephen sica ...................................12/C1

Nanoaquarium - photo by stephen sica ............................................................................10/C1

Pterois volitans (the Lionfish) - photo by Stephen Sica .....................................................09/C1

school of Haemulon chrysargyreum - photo by stephen sica .......................................... 11/C1

Sphaerichthys vaillanti - photo by alexander a. Priest .....................................................03/C1

Stained-glass Killifish by Horst Gerber - photo by Joseph Ferdenzi .................................06/C1

Steatocranus Casuarius - photo by alexandra horton ......................................................04/C1

CYPRINIDS “Breeding the red-tailed Black shark” (MA Classics) ..................................................... 06/15


“Carpy diem! Part ii: the Fantastic Four” by dan radebaugh ......................................... 08/17

GCAS Society IssuesExchanges “Fish Bytes” by stephen and donna sosna sica ................................................. 04/09

“Fish Bytes” by stephen and donna sosna sica ................................................. 12/09

Fishkeepers Anonymous column by Susan Priest overview ............................................................................................................... 06/19

2010 Modern Aquarium article index .............................................................................. 03/19

Bowl show rules ............................................................................................................... 06/14

gCas 2011 award Winners .............................................................................................. 12/21

gCas Past award Winners ............................................................................................... 12/20

the gCas author award Program report for 2011 .......................................................... 12/22

gCas Breeders award Program ....................................................................................... 04/23

gCas Breeders award Program report for 2011 ............................................................. 12/23

gCas Breeders award Program Points totals .................................................................. 12/26

rules for august’s silent auction/Fleamarket .................................................................... 07/04

rules for august’s silent auction/Fleamarket .................................................................... 08/06

GENERAL INTEREST and Miscellaneous “The Amazing Joe Ferdenzi and his Awesome Fishroom” by Tommy Chang ................... 06/21

“the Common denominator of successful aquarists” by Jules Birnbaum ........................ 07/07

“the Fish With two Names” by susan Priest .................................................................... 10/24



“odds & ends, or anything Worth Learning...” by Jules Birnbaum .....................................11/19

“More odds & ends” by Jules Birnbaum ........................................................................... 12/08

“Reflections of a Filter Collector” by Jules Birnbaum ......................................................... 05/07


“tempus Fugit” by Jules Birnbaum .................................................................................... 03/13

HEALTH / NUTRITION “Fish tuberculosis: What is the threat to aquarists?” by dan radebaugh ....................... 09/19


KILLIFISH “Mekong rice Killes: Oryzias mekongensis” by Joseph graffagnino ................................ 12/17

LIVEBEARERS “No, it’s Not a guppy!” by alexander a. Priest ................................................................. 04/22

“a recipe for smiles” by susan Priest ............................................................................... 04/15

MARINE FISH “do Barracudas Bite?” by stephen sica ............................................................................ 12/13

“Fish ‘n schools” by stephen sica ......................................................................................11/15


“I Think I See A(nother) Lionfish!” by Stephen Sica ........................................................... 04/17


“My Favorite Marine Fish: The Yellowhead Jawfish” by Stephen Sica .............................. 05/10

MEMBER PHOTOS “greater City’s 2010 holiday Party & awards Banquet” by susan Priest .......................... 03/16

“Pictures from our Last Meeting” by susan Priest ............................................................ 04/20





“Pictures from our Last Meeting” by susan Priest .............................................................11/24


NEC and FAAS News/Events “the 2010 Faas Publication awards” by alexander a. Priest ........................................... 09/08

“Faasinations” by alexander a. Priest .............................................................................. 03/07

the NeC 2010 article Competition .................................................................................... 05/05

OPINION AND/OR HUMORTHE UNDERGRAVEL REPORTER - a column by The Undergravel Reporter “Can i Put this in my tanks?”............................................................................................ 04/27

“Caveat emptor: Let the Buyer Beware!” ........................................................................... 06/25

“get tanked!” ..................................................................................................................... 09/25

“tails, Long and golden” ................................................................................................... 05/27

“the Massage is the Message” ......................................................................................... 12/29

“Naturally Artificial” ............................................................................................................. 10/29

“survival of the Fittest Ugliest” ........................................................................................... 08/25

“Water Music?” ...................................................................................................................11/29

“What Would You do?” ...................................................................................................... 03/27

“the Weirdest of the Weird!”.............................................................................................. 07/25

34 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

OTHER OPINION/HUMOR “a Little help” by dan radebaugh ..................................................................................... 06/09

“diver dan” by edward Vukich........................................................................................... 10/09

PLANTS “aquarium Plants 101” by Jules Birnbaum ........................................................................ 06/17

“a recipe for smiles” by susan Priest ............................................................................... 04/15

PUZZLE: “FIN FUN” Page “the Colorful Cory” ............................................................................................................ 09/26

“Found on gabon?” ............................................................................................................11/30

“homeward Bound” ........................................................................................................... 07/26

“Last summer’s Pond” ....................................................................................................... 12/28

“Quit yer Carping!” ............................................................................................................. 05/28

“searching for ornaments” ................................................................................................ 10/30

“shape Up!” ....................................................................................................................... 08/26

“Tetrazzini” ........................................................................................................................ 06/28

“What it’s Not” .................................................................................................................... 03/28

“Wanna Fight?” ................................................................................................................. 04/28

SPAWNING “Breeding the red-tailed Black shark” (MA Classics) ..................................................... 06/15

“Mekong rice Killes: Oryzias mekongensis” by Joseph graffagnino ................................ 12/17

“Leaf spawning: Using indian almond Leaves” by alexander a. Priest............................. 10/10

“Caring For and Breeding the Buffalo head” by Jules Birnbaum .......................................04/11

“Five Days in the Life of Corydoras adolfoi” by Joseph Ferdenzi (MA Classics) ............. 09/16

“No, it’s Not a guppy!” by alexander a. Priest ................................................................. 04/22

“a simple Complex: the albimarginata Complex” by alexander a. Priest ........................ 09/10

“a small Mouthful: Betta falx” by alexander a. Priest ........................................................ 05/15

“try a different african Challenge” by alexander a. Priest .................................................07/11


“Vaillant's Chocolate gourami: Sphaerichthys vaillanti” by alexander a. Priest ................ 03/09

SPEAKER PROFILES Profile of andre Carletto: “Aquatic Habitats in Brazil” by Claudia Dickinson ..................... 04/07

Profile of Judith Weis: “do Fish sleep?” by Claudia dickinson ......................................... 05/06

Profile of george richter: “Adventures on the Amazon River” .......................................... 06/05

Profile of Mark soberman: “Keeping and Breeding Corydoras” by Claudia dickinson ...... 09/05

Profile of rit Forcier: “Collecting in Florida” by Claudia dickinson .................................... 10/05

Profile of ted Judy: “going gabon!” ...................................................................................11/05

TRAVELING AQUARIST “Fish ‘n schools” by stephen sica ......................................................................................11/15


“I Think I See A (Nother) Lionfish!” by Stephen Sica ......................................................... 04/17


“My Favorite Marine Fish: The Yellowhead Jawfish” by Stephen Sica .............................. 05/10



GCAS Happenings March

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

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: april 4, 2012

Speaker: tBa

Event: TBDMeets: Meets the first Wednesday of the month (except

January & February) at 7:30pm:

Queens Botanical garden

43-50 Main street - Flushing, NY

Contact: dan radebaugh (718) 458-8437

Email: [email protected]

Website: 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: March 9, 2012

Speaker: tony Vargas

Topic: Successful Reef Aquariums Around The WorldMeets: 2nd Friday of the month (except July and august)

at 7:30pm:

NY aquarium - education hall, Brooklyn, NY

Call: Bas events hotline: (718) 837-4455

Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

LONG ISLAND AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: March 16, 2012

Speaker: Frank greco

Topic: Fishes of Taiwan Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and august) 8:00pm.

room 120 in endeavor hall on thestate University at

stony Brook Campus, stony Brook, NY

Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]

Website: 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: March 13, 2012

Speaker: tBa

Event: TBDMeets: 2nd tuesday of the month (except July and august)

at 7:30 PM

Molloy College - Kellenberg hall ~1000 hempstead ave -

rockville Centre, NY

Contact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766

Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: March 15, 2012

Speaker: dr. ted Coletti

Topic: I Know What You Did Last SummerMeets at: this month's meeting will be held at the

Lyndhurst elks Club, 251 Park avenue,

Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

Contact: NJas hotline at (732) 332-1392


Website: http://www.njas.net/

NORWALK AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: March 15, 2012

Speaker: tBa

Topic: TBDMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd thursday of each month at:

earthplace - the Nature discovery Center - Westport, Ct

Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833

Call our toll free number (866) 219-4Nas


Website: http://norwalkas.org/

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS JuleS birnbAum And tommy chAng!


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.

The cartoon character Blinky.Photo: http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Blinky

“Two Cars inEvery Garage

and Three Eyeson Every Fish”A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

This month’s column is titled after a November1990 episode of the cartoon show “TheSimpsons” in which Bart Simpson caught a

three-eyed fish (“Blinky”) in the river near thenuclear power plant where his dad works.

OK, it’s only a cartoon — right? Wellrecently, a wolf fish with three eyes was caught inthe Córdoba province of Argentina in a lake near(are you ready for it?) a nuclear power plant!

The Spanish-language website Infobae.comreports that hot water from the nuclear plant ispumped into that lake.1

“We were fishing and we got the surprise ofgetting this rare specimen. As it was dark at thattime we did not notice, but then you looked at himwith a flashlight and saw that he had a third eye,”said fisherman Julián Zmutt of his unusualdiscovery.2

Concerned about eating a nuclear wastemutated fish? A German inventor, with peopleliving near to the Fukushima disaster in mind, hascome up with a plate to tell how much radiation isin your food.3 Problem solved—or is it?

1 http://america.infobae.com/notas/36638-El- pez-de-tres-ojos-de-Los-Simpson-es-argentino2 http://www.treehugger.com/travel/three-eyed-fish-caught-near-nuclear-plant-in-argentina.html3 http://nilsferber.de/fu.html

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)38 March 201224 March 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Fin Fun

The March meeting of the GCAS this year is the last meeting before April Fools Day. So, see if you cancorrectly match the common names of the “clown” fish in the left column with their scientific names:

Common Name Scientific Name

Harlequin rasbora Gagata schmidti

Clown loach Pseudepiplatys annulatus

Clown barb Rasbora kalochroma

Clown catfish Chitala ornata

Clown killi Puntius everetti

Clown knifefish Rasbora heteromorpha

Clown rasbora Botia macracanthusSource: Baensch Atlas Vol 5

Solution to our December Puzzle: Last Summer’s Pond

Modern Aquarium March 2012

Documents

exotic aquarium fishes

aquarium lighting

modern aquarium greater

steven hinshaws article

delegate alexander

delegate claudia dickinsonbowl

susan priest bowl

steven hinshaw of sitka