THE GRANITE-FISHER Fisher/GFnov08.pdfTHE GRANITE-FISHER INSIDE: Raising Grindal Worms by Poly Pads by Dan Wright Editor’s Contest Winner 2007-8 Congratulations go to our Secretary,

THE GRANITE-FISHER

INSIDE:

Raising Grindal Worms by Poly Pads

by Dan Wright

Editor’s Contest Winner 2007-8

Congratulations go to our Secretary, Chuck Smith, for winning a copy of Baensch Atlas I. Remember original articles, poems, drawings, puzzles etc may be submitted to the Editor anytime by email, fax, mail or in person. I much rather use our members stories in the “Granite-Fisher” than trying to locate something to use. Come on members get busy! You may win next year’s contest.

VOL.17 NUMBER 9 NOV 2008

Subscription only to the Granite-Fisher - $10.00 per year

CLASSIFIEDSAny member wishing to place an ad in this column can do so at no cost. The ad must be for non-commercial (business) items. Up to three items per ad. All ads are for one month. If you do not sell your goods, you may place the ad again the following month. The "Granite-Fisher" is not responsible for any false or misleading ads. To place an ad, the ad must be in writing, to the Editor or any Board Member prior to or at the general meeting for the next publication

NHAS General Meeting Speaker Schedule Nov 12 – Rick Oellers – Lion Fish, as Invasive Species Dec 10 – Holiday Party Jan 14 – Annual Banquet & Elections

Well, now I know why my aquarium/fish pictures look

like they do. I think the last two speakers really hit home runs and for the same reason; they are totally wrapped up in their topic. In September it was Rich Paulhus speaking about Mudskippers and then, last month, it was Tony Terceira enthusing about aquarium photography. When I introduced Tony I said his photographs can be found on line, in magazines and, as I found the next day, as the October photo on the TFH calendar. The picture is a beautiful pastel Betta splendens and when I looked at it more carefully I could easily see what Tony meant about the use of light to fill in the background and to highlight the flowing fins of a lovely fish. I guess there is one thing that has not changed in photography. If you want to take really great pictures you should be prepared to spend a great deal of money. If we can maintain, for the rest of the year, the quality of speakers that we have had for the first two meetings it is going to be a great year. Along those lines, keep your eyes and ears open for people who might make good speakers. Tracey Hall, our Program Coordinator, is always in need of suggestions so if you have some ideas please let someone know.

As I write this, our annual auction was yesterday and what a fun time it was. It is too early to know how we made out financially but I certainly know it was a good time. NHAS has the reputation of running a well organized auction and this one was no different. Jack Adinolphi always makes the comment that the New Hampshire club always has a great auction and some unusual items to offer. And do you know what? He is right.

There are so many people to thank for all the help they provided at the auction but I don’t want to risk missing someone so I’ll just say, “thank you all for your time and your efforts.” I must, however, recognize a few people for their ‘above and beyond’ efforts. Again, as in years past, thanks to Bill Janetos for all he did with his handy, dandy computer. From about nine o’clock in the morning until the last person checked out around four in the afternoon, there was no let-up of the pressure on Bill. As usual, he handled it with ease and, once again, we had a well-

run, well-organized auction. Thanks, Bill. Another special thank you has to go to the food providers. Sandy Smith, with a ‘little’ help from Chuck did a spectacular job buying, preparing and serving what has to be the best food offerings of any club auction I have ever been to. I think I could have skipped the auction and just spent my time in the kitchen, eating. Thank you very much, Sandy. Also, thanks to Maria Olsen for all the time she spent cooking and helping out in the kitchen. Sandy, Maria and Chuck, we all thank you.

PREZ SAYS

The bowl show last month seemed to be kind of skimpy. I am sure you all have at least one or two fish that you would like to ‘show off’. Bring those lovelies in and give us a chance to see some beautiful and interesting fish. Carl Emerson is in the lead for bowl show points and we need to give him some competition. So, next time, bring in a fish or two.

The slate committee, which is the Board of Directors, is working on creating a slate of officers and directors to be presented to the members at the December meeting and voted on at the January meeting. The purpose of the slate is to assure that we have at least one person for each slot. Even though there is a slate it does not preclude others from running for office. If you are interested in being on the board please be sure to contact any of the current board members and we will see to it that your name is added to the slate. The Board of Directors has eight elected positions; the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and four Directors. The other members are the immediate past president, the program coordinator and the Editor of the Granite Fisher. The Board meets once a month, August through May, usually on the last Tuesday of the month. One of the benefits of being on the board is that we meet at board member’s homes which is always very pleasant and it gives you a chance to see other people’s tanks as well. The strength of any organization is in the number of members that not only attend a monthly meeting but are also involved in the day-to-day operation of the club. Get involved, the more the merrier!

That’s it for now. I hope to see you all at the next meeting and until then, stay dry.

The October meeting of the NHAS/BOD was held at the

Smith home. In attendance were Bill Janetos, Mike Olsen, Chuck Smith, Don Van Pelt, Rupert Richardson, Anita Weidknecht, and Dan Wright.

Bills were submitted for the Granite Fisher, annual auction advertising, auction kitchen, and sodas for monthly meetings and all were paid.

Mike reported on the profits from our annual auction. About 52 people attended the auction with 42 bidding cards distributed. It was not our biggest auction, but the club made a good profit ($1500) to fund the coming year’s activities. A broad spectrum of species was offered for sale, but the high point may have been a beautiful pair of mated discus that sold for $180!

Rupert reported on the club’s web site. Traffic has doubled in the past few years with this past October our biggest month ever. The web site is now making money for the club thanks to sponsors and Rupert’s efforts to find sponsors. We discussed putting the Granite Fisher on line in addition to the regular mailings and expect to do so shortly.

Tracey Hall continues to do a stellar job of finding excellent speakers. The speaker list for the next few months is:

Nov. – Rick Oellers on Lion Fish as Invasive Species

Dec. – Christmas Party Jan. – Annual Banquet and Elections Any suggestions or requests for speakers should be

brought to Tracey’s attention or to a member of the board. We are always looking for good ideas for speakers.

Many club members continue to work on their photographic skills and are encouraged to submit their efforts to the monthly Photo Show.

The club will again hold its annual Christmas party, pot luck dinner, and Yankee swap at the December 10 meeting. Please bring a dish to share. Those wishing to participate in the Yankee swap should bring a wrapped gift worth about $5.

NHAS BOD MEETING Sept 30, 2008 The annual club banquet is currently planned for January

14 at Wonton’s Chinese Restaurant on Rt. 16 in Sanbornville, NH. The club got a terrific deal on a great menu and the board hopes this year’s banquet will be one to remember.

The board is looking for people willing to serve next year. Every year the club elects a new board including President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 4 Members-at-Large. Don Van Pelt has announced that he will not run this year for President, and Roger Dev will not run again this year for Member-at-Large. Most board members have expressed a willingness to serve in various capacities, but new members are needed to complete the board. Further, all positions are subject to vote, so please consider applying for any and all positions on the board. A candidate slate must be prepared by the December General Meeting and additional nominations will continue up until the vote at the January banquet. Your club needs you.

The board took up the subject of tattooing tropical fish. As a practice it disturbs everyone on the board. However, it was unclear whether such fish should be allowed as entries in the Bowl Show and other club activities. The subject will be taken up with the members to determine what, if any, official action should be taken by the club. As always, the club’s primary function is to enhance the enjoyment of tropical fish and assist members in becoming better caretakers for their pets. The club encourages the ethical and humane treatment of all animals, whatever your view of that goal may entail.

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM. The next board meeting will be at the Wright home on November 25, 2008. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

Submitted by Chuck Smith, November 1, 2008.

It was a lovely, cool evening and 22 people turned out for what was one of the more delightful meetings in my memory.

Announcements: 1. There will be a growth contest starting at the October meeting with fish (Cichlasoma salvini) provided by Nick Petralia. 2. A 90g tank with stand, hood, light, and filter was donated to the club and put on sale at the meeting with a starting price of $150. (Paul Kimball committed to purchase it after the meeting.) 3. The TFSRI auction is scheduled for Sept. 21. 4. The NHAS annual auction will be Oct. 19 in the Newington Town Hall.

Rich Paulhus spoke on Mudskippers and provided one of the most delightful talks of the year. He focused primarily on the dwarf Indian mudskipper, which is smaller than its African cousin and less aggressive. He has kept 12 to 16 mudskippers in a 40g breeder with a few other small species. They require brackish to marine conditions and warm, humid air, so keep a lid on the tank for this reason and because they jump. They eat anything that can be taken on land and will accept a significant vegetable content in addition to live food. These fish are bright, so keep them stimulated and entertained.

The monthly auction brought in a terrific assortment of fish, plants, and hardware.

Our next General Meeting will be October 8 at Somersworth High School and will start at 7:00 PM.

Submitted by Chuck Smith, September 12, 2008.

Calendar of Upcoming Fish Events: GENERAL MEETING Sept 10, 2008 Nov. 2, 2008 – Boston AS Auction, Dedham VFW, Dedham, MA Nov. 2, 2008 – TFCB Auction, VFW Hall, Burlington, VT Nov. 7-9, 2008 - AFISH Convention, Long Island, NY Mar. 20-22, 2009 – NEC Convention, Farmington, CT

Bowl Show Rules 1. Bowl Show is open to all members and all entries must be accompanied by their owner. 2. Members may bring in up to three fish. 3. Members must have owned the fish three months prior to entering. 4. Containers entered in the show must have one flat side. 5. There is to be no decoration in the containers. 6. The fish will be judged by all present. Awards will be given for FIRST, SECOND and THIRD place based on popular vote. 7. Points will be given for each place (first:4points;second:3 points;third:2 points). In the case of a tie, members will receive equal points for that award. 8. With the exception of the Best of the Best, first place winners may not be reentered in future bowl shows within the calendar year. 9. At the end of the year awards will be presented to the member with the most points. 10. Bowl show points are to be awarded on an individual basis and not on a family membership basis.

NHAS BAP Participation Listing* Name 2008 Total Lifetime

Fish Class Pts Lvl

Bean, Darlene Darlene needs a Class D fish to move to Expert Level 320 A Brandt, Norman 635 E Brown, Denise 40 B Burdick, Paula 25 B Dev, Roger 15 Emerson, Carl 20 Feltz, Larry 130 665 A Pterophyllum scalare C 15 Angels Hall, Tracey 5 20 Janetos, Bill 15 350 A Kooken, Jason 75 S Loomis, Brad 55 S Marks, Dan 20 Mercier, George 110 S Neal, Tom 1510 SU Olsen, Mike 50 85 B Petralia, Nick 10 20 Richardson, Rupert 10 50 B Riley, Fred 90 230 S Aphyosemion gardneri Makurdi B 15 Killifish (2nd Generation) Poecilia wingei A 10 Endler’s Livebearer (2nd Generation) Ancistrus temmickii B 10 Albino Bristle Nose Pleco Shatney, Bruce 25 B Sienkiewicz, Felicia 35 B Smith, Annamarie 25 B Smith, Dave 10 Smith, Charles 70 180 S Taube, Kevin 90 S Van Pelt, Don 180 1375 SU Melanotaenia parva B 10 Rainbow Corydoras melini C 15 Cory Cat

Award Levels : B=Breeder, S=Senior, A=Advanced, E=Expert, SU=Superior

OCT BOWL SHOW

1st Place – Large Pleco – Carl Emerson Half Black Red Guppy – Fred Riley 2nd Place – Gourami – Don Van Pelt

Black Molly – Don Van Pelt 3rd Place – Tilapia – Carl Emerson

Bowl Show Standings YTD Norman Brandt - 16

Carlton Emerson – 23 Dan Marks – 10 Amy Marks – 2 Mike Olsen – 2 Ben Owens – 3 Fred Riley – 13

Jean McGuire – 4 Don Van Pelt - 14

1 Oct 2008 Beginning Balance 4108.07 Oct Income 90 Gal Tank Sale 150.00 Monthly Auction 46.00 Monthly Raffle 25.00 Membership Renewals 30.00 Food Donations 6.25 Supporters 90.00 Annual Auction 1747.85

Total Income 2095.10 Oct Expenses Speaker Fee 100.00 Clothing Purchase 315.75 Website 48.90 Refreshment Restock 32.62 Book Purchase 58.00 Auctioneer 100.00

Total Expenses 685.27 31 Oct 2008 Ending Balance 5517.90 Respectfully Submitted Mike Olsen, Treasurer, NHAS

FINANCIAL REPORT 10-2008 NHAS Aquarist Points

Name Oct Yearly

Arroyo, Eric-Thomas 0 2 Atlantis, Veronica 0 0 Brandt, Norman 0 26 Brown, Denise 4 10 Burdick, Paula 0 5 Burdick, Michele 0 5 Caron, Stephen 2 2 Curatolo, Joel 0 13 Cheney, Deborah 0 0 Dev, Roger 0 8 DiBurro, Bill 0 0 DiBurro, Sandy 0 0 Emerson, Carlton 5 31 Emerson, Michelle 0 2 Feltz, Larry 0 13 Hall, Tracey 0 34 Janetos, Bill 3 17 Loomis, Brad 0 2 Loomis, Sher 0 0 Kimball, Paul 2 6 Kooken, Andrew 0 0 Kooken, Jason 0 6 Krols, Marolyn 0 0 Marks, Amy 0 5 Marks, Dan 3 21 McGuire, Jean 6 43 Mercier, George 0 5 Neal, Peggy 0 0 Neal, Tom 0 0 Olsen, Cory 0 0 Olsen, Maria 3 25 Olsen, Mike 2 25 Owens, Ben 0 8 Parker, Carol 0 0 Petralia, Nicholas 3 16 Piroso, Heidi 3 12 Richardson, Rupert 2 2 Riley, Carole 0 3 Riley, Fred 5 20 Shatney, Bruce 2 17 Sienkiewicz, Felicia 0 0 Smith, Annamarie 2 11 Smith, Dave 0 7 Smith, Charles 0 11 Surette, John 0 0 Taube, Kevin 0 0 Terril, Mary 0 2 Terril, Richard 0 2 Theriault, Toni 0 0 Van Pelt, Donald 4 31 Wasiewski, Ed 0 0 Weidknecht, Anita 3 26 Wright, Dan 0 17

EDITOR'S NOTES: All original articles are welcome in the Granite-Fisher. Articles must be submitted one week after the general meeting to be in the next month's issue. Articles can be submitted in any format you'd like. Hand writing is acceptable, if it is legible. (Please also print any product names or Latin terms). If you would prefer to submit on a computer disk, I generate this newsletter using Microsoft Word. I will try to open up the file you send me. Please submit all articles on disks with a hard copy printout in case your file is one I can't open. Illustrations and photos are always welcome. All artwork will be returned at your request. Send articles, pictures to: Bill Janetos, 211 Rollins Rd., Rollinsford, NH 03869-5014 or bring to the next general meeting. This is your newsletter so submit anything: tips, how to's, weird experiences, anything.

NHAS SUPPORTERS NHAS LIBRARY Encyclopedias/Reference Axelrod, Dr. Hebert R., Tropical FishBaensch & Riehl, Aquarium Atlas 3 Volumes Lewis, Dr. Peter, Common Names of Tropical Fish Types of Fish 1. Catfish Ferraris, Dr. Carl, Catfish in the AquariumLoiselle, Dr. Paul & Pool, Dr. D., Hobbyist Guide to Catfishes & LoachesSands, David, African and Asian Catfishes Sands, David, South American Catfishes2. Cichlids Axelrod & Burgess, African Cichlids of Lakes Malawi and TanganyikaDegen, Bernd, The Discus King of the AquariumGoldstein, Dr. Robert, A Complete Introduction to Cichlids Loiselle, Dr. Paul, A Fishkeeper's Guide to African CichlidsLoiselle, Dr. Paul, The Cichlid AquariumSands, David, A Fishkeeper's Guide to Central American Cichlids Sanford, Gina & Crow, Richard, The Manual of Tank BustersVierke, Jorg, Dwarf CichlidsWattley, Jack, Discus For the Perfectionist3. Salt Allen, Dr. Gerald R., Damselfishes of the WorldBaensch, Hans A., Marine Aquarist’s ManualMills, Dick, A Fishkeeper's Guide to Marine FishesThiel, Albert, Small Reef Aquarium BasicsTullock, John, The Reef Tank Owners Manual4.Other Axelrod, Dr. Hebert R., Guppies in Color Jubb, Dr. R.A., NothobranchiusMarkis, Alan C. & Langton Roger W., Beginner’s Guide to KillifishMaurus, Walt, A Complete Introduction to BettasMyers, Dr. George, The Piranha BookOstrow, Marshall E., Breeding KillifishWassermann, Lou, Show Guppies Tanks and Breeding Andrews, Dr. Chris, A Fishkeeper's Guide to Fish BreedingBoyd, Kevin, The Complete Aquarium Problem SolverCarrington, Neville, The Healthy AquariumMills, Dick, The Tropical AquariumZupanc, Gunther, Fish and Their Behavior Videos Tetra Video for a Successful Aquarium Reef Aquariums, Live Rock & Algae In Admiration of God’s Creations ( African Cichlids) The Seacoast Naturalist (Fishes) Nightime on the Reef, Seasons in the Sea, Predators of the Amazon National Geographic (Heart of Africa, Jewels of Lake Tanganyika) Livebearers (2 Volumes) NHAS Club Video – Go to Your Room – 3 Volumes If any of these books interest you, call or email our librarian, Carlton Emerson at 522-8441 or [email protected] . He will make sure that the book or video is brought to the next general meeting. 11/00

AIR, WATER & ICE LLC ALL GLASS AQUARIUM

AQUACULTURE TECH INC. THE AQUARIUM GALLERY

BOYD ENTERPRISES DRS. FOSTER and SMITH

GINGER INC. ROLF C. HAGEN (USA) CORP.

HBH PET PRODUCTS HIKARI SALES, USA JAY’S AQUAUTICS

JUNGLE LABORATORIES LITTLE SHOP OF PETS

KENS FISH MARC WEISS COMPANIES

MARINE ENTERPRISES INTERNAT’L NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM

NLI/EIGHT IN ONE PET PRODUCT NOVALEK, INC.

PET CITY PET JUNCTION

PYTHON PRODUCTS, INC. RESERVE STOCK CICHLIDS SAM’S CLUB of Seabrook, NH

SEACHEM LABORATORIES, INC. SERA NORTH AMERICA

TETRA TROPICAL FISH HOBBYIST MAGAZINE

UNITED PET GROUP ZOO MED LABORATORIES

Raising Grindal Worms on Poly Pads By Dan Wright

Grindal worms are a great live food source for your

small to medium sized fish. The juvenile grindal worms are slightly larger than micro worms making them a great transition live food, and the larger worms are big enough for even adult angelfish to relish. I have tried soil mixes and synthetic material as culture media. Having tried both, I strongly recommend the synthetic method do to the lower production on soil and the mess soil mixes tend to make. Below are directions for how I culture grindal worms. There is always room for improvement, and I would like to hear your ideas or success stories if you have them.

Shopping list (Wal-Mart has all of this but Target, your grocery store, or even a dollar store should have most of it). Not counting fish food (you should have plenty) the set up should cost you around $10-15 to buy everything new at the store;

• Poly scrubbing pads (the green kind you get by the sponges at the store)

• Plastic shoe boxes, how ever many you need/want Or large disposable 'Glad Ware' type containers

• Some type of ridged plastic or glass that can be cut to fit over the poly pads inside of the container (I use cheap clear plastic material like Plexiglas)

• Spray bottle for water (at Wal-Mart these are by the cleaning supplies like mops, or you might have an old one by the iron)

• What ever flake or powder type fish food you have (granules should be pulverized). I also feed algae tabs a couple of times a week, although I don’t know if this increases production. I have tried kitten food as you sometimes see suggested online, it makes a smelly moldy mess and the worms have done better for me without it so I wouldn’t suggest it.

Directions set up; I wash the poly pads by soaking them in HOT water (water I boiled but now off the stove) then rinsing with cold water. I don't know if the hot water step is required but it makes me feel better about rinsing any chemical residue or dust off the pads. Stack poly pads 2-3 high inside container and how ever many side by side as you can so that they lay flat. Do not worry about the sides of the container having contact with the pads. I them mist/spray the pads with a spray bottle until water starts to accumulate in the bottom of the container. I sprinkle my food of choice on the Plexiglas, cut to fit inside the container and rest on the poly pads, and mist it with water to make it damp enough to stick to the plastic but not soaking wet. Add starter culture of worms to pads, place plexi with food side down on top of pads and replace lid. I use plastic shoe boxes, and do not worry about adding any ventilation. If you use the Glad ware products you might want one or two very small holes in the lid. The key is going to be keeping humidity high and other critters out.

My shoe box worms, production looks low because they have run out of food on the lower half. Note only a few drops of water along edges.

Maintenance and harvest; I keep the shoe box on a shelf in the darkest corner of the fish room, what ever light it gets I don't worry about but it is more than enough light to see and work by. What ever temperature is in the room is what they get, probably in the low/mid 70's although this summer I had plenty of over 80 days. Until the culture is going strong enough to harvest I feed the worms when I feed the fish, just pull out the plexi sprinkle food and mist the food again. I try to feed a little more than the worms can eat in about 24 hours. This will help with harvesting later. You will get a feel for the amount they need as you go along, just add a pinch of food early on and keeping adding more until you find the right amount, this will also change as the worm population increases. To harvest the worms I pick up the plexi, and rinse some of the worms into a jar using an eye dropper (a turkey baster, or what ever you feed liquid type food with would work fine). Having a little more food than the worms could eat in 24 hours keeps them on the plexi, if they eat all of the food they go down into the poly pads and you will not get to harvest any. I usually take about 2/3 of the worms, although I have read that you can take all of them and there are plenty more in the poly pads to replenish the population. I then give the worm container and poly pads a light misting and feed the worm culture as described above and put it back on the shelf. I can feed like this every day, and not have production suffer. Occasionally, as water starts to build up in the bottom from the daily misting, I tip the container to a corner and suck out the excess water with my eye dropper, leaving enough water for a little puddle in the container under the poly pads but no standing water around the edges. Often this water is loaded with worms, and I feed them as above with the added step of one rinse with clean water since the puddle is usually discolored with worm p**p.

I have never had fruit flies in my cultures either with soil mixtures or the poly pads. I have had major problems with mites in my soil cultures in the past, but only the occasional mite in my poly cultures. The mites do not seem

to be able to reproduce on the poly pads that well, and I probably rinse off and feed what ever ones do make it onto the food.

Photo Show Rules

1. The Photo Show is open to all members. Members must take the photograph and accompany the entry to the show.

2. Members may bring up to two photos, unframed, measuring up to 8.5 x 11 inches per meeting.

3. Photos will be judged by all present and awards will be given for first, second and third place based on popular vote.

4. The First place photo cannot be reentered for the current year. NHAS will hold on to all First place photos until the November meeting. Second and third place photos may be reentered in future photo shows.

At the November meeting all first place photos will be judged for the Best Photo of the Year. A plaque will be awarded to the Best Photo of the Year

Your starter culture should reach a harvestable size in the next week or two. You can keep them in the container they came in for a while, but to really get better production you will want bigger containers. Just put the poly pads, from the starter in the new container and feed as appropriate.

Worms on plexi cover. Harvest amount would be higher if adequate food was available on the lower half of the cover. For size comparison my left hand is holding the plastic.

NHAS HAP Participation Listing* Name 2008 Total Lifetime Plant Class Pts Lvl

Brandt, Norman 15 45 N Dev, Roger 60 Hall, Tracey 20 Janetos, Bill 20 Kooken, Jason 15 Mercier, Joey 10 Olsen, Mike 10 130 Riley, Fred 5 Shatney, Bruce 50 N Smith, Chuck 15 * Flowering Award Levels N=Novice, A=Advanced, S=Senior, E=Expert, M=Master, GM=Grand Master

Annual Auction Income 2008 2007 2006 Auction 1282.60 1233.05 1602.20 Clothing 150.00 74.00 55.00 Raffle 81.00 61.00 87.50 Food 234.25 207.12 220.50 Total Income 1747.85 1575.17 1965.20 Auction Expenses Auctioneer 100.00 100.00 100.00 Town Hall 150.00 150.00 100.00 Venders 43.20 143.20 Begging Letters 41.00 47.97 Total Expenses 250.00 334.20 391.17 Annual Auction Profit 1497.85 1240.97 1574.03

OCT PHOTO SHOW

1st Place – Lamprey – Jean McGuire 2nd Place – Mudskippers – Jean McGuire

Bettas - Anita Weidknecht 3rd Place – Plants – Mike Olsen

Oct 2008 Special Report

Hi Everybody, I wanted to write a brief update on the web site and also

the new web site sponsors that we have. The web site continues to improve, even though it is at a

rate that is far slower that I would like! We have however made some great improvements over the last few years and I hope that you will all remember that it is your web site, so please let me know what you would like to see on it.

To give a brief recap of what has happened in the last couple of years:

• The web site has moved both hosting and registration to a single organization which has both reduced costs and great simplified administration.

• We have been added the Discussion Forum’s which were well attended to start with but have dropped off recently. I would encourage you all to revisit them and post a question or answer.

• New library section of the web site • NEC newsletters updated monthly • Updated BAP/HAP forms and results • Updated Articles and Pictures • The traffic on the web site varies by month but we have

seen a steady increase to about 4,000 hits/month with a peak last month of just over 5,000.

The other changes that we have been making are getting the web site to work for us and contribute toward the club. To this end, the web site now generates approximately $200/year from online sponsorships. It is these sponsors that I would also like to introduce you all to:

Pet City, Seabrook NH: We are a brick and mortar store located on the seacoast of New Hampshire for the past 26 Years. We specialize in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. However we also carry an array of birds, reptiles, small animals, supplies for all including dogs and cats. We deliver Japanese Koi

from Sakai of Hiroshima one of the top breeders in Japan to our store.

A Note From Our Webmaster

The Aquarium Gallery, Hudson NH: The Aquarium Gallery has a simple mission and purpose: to provide those who are both experienced in the hobby of aquariums, as well as those who are thinking of getting started, with the finest equipment, supplies, and assurance of knowledgeable information all in one location. (These people also host our discussion forum)

Air, Water and Ice: Specializing in Reverse Osmosis Equipment. AWI’s goal is to continue to be one of the industry leaders in is quality RO/DI systems, parts, accessories and service. AWI offers a lifetime warranty on all of our RO/DI units. http://www.airwaterice.com/ PLEASE NOTE: They have set up a 10% discount for all members, just enter the code: #52693 when you checkout.

Reserve Stock Cichlids: Specializing in African Cichlids. At our hatchery, we’ve been supplying the wholesale trade with African cichlids for 18 years. Now, we want to offer a special selection of fish direct to hobbyists. This “reserve stock” is the result of carefully applied selective breeding. From the thousands of fish we raise each year, the very best will be set aside and sold only through our website: www.reservestockcichlids.com

Jay’s, Aquatics, Salem NH: At our store we maintain a large selection of freshwater and marine livestock. Along with our livestock, we maintain a large inventory of aquarium supplies. From full tank and reef setups down to small powerheads and food, we carry everything you need to maintain a successful aquarium.

Again, PLEASE remember that this is the Club’s web site so please feel free to let me know what you want to see on it and how it can work better for you all: [email protected]

Respectfully submitted: Rupert Richardson