Modern Aquarium April 2009

April 2009volume XVInumber 2

ON THE COVER

Our cover photo this month features Betta coccina, often called the red wine betta. For more information about this beautiful and challenging little fish, see Al Priest’s story on page 9. Photo by Alexander A. Priest

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Mark SobermanTreasurer Jack TraubCorresponding Secretary Warren Feuer Recording Secretary Edward Vukich

MeMBers at Large

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

CoMMittee Chairs

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

MODERN AQUARIUM

Editor in Chief Dan RadebaughCopy Editors Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. PriestExchange Editors Stephen Sica Donna Sosna SicaPhoto/Layout Editor Jason KernerAdvertising Mgr. Mark Soberman

In This IssueFrom the Editor

2G.C.A.S. 2009 Program Schedule

3 Our Generous Members

3President’s Message

4An Open Letter to the Members

5by Joseph Ferdenzi

How to Become a Not-for-Profit Organizationin New York

6by Jack Traub, C.P.A.

Fishkeepers Anonymous 7by Susan Priest

Bubbles in the Wine 9The Red Wine Betta, Betta coccina

by Alexander A. Priest

Looking Through the Lens 12Photos from Our Last Meeting

by Claudia Dickinson

AFISH C.A.R.E.S. Letter 15by Claudia Dickinson

Wet Leaves 16by Susan Priest

Famous Chocolates Join to Form Trio 17by Jannette Ramirez

The Fish Mobile 19by Elliot Oshins

Cichlidically Speaking 21by Claudia Dickinson

Our Featured Speaker: Mark Soberman 25by Claudia Dickinson

O Fish Tank! My Fish Tank! 27by William Amely

The Undergravel Reporter 28

G.C.A.S. Happenings 29

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 30

Series III Vol. XVI, No. 2 April, 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 April 2009

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

Rather than an “inner grouch,” Jannette Ramirez reveals her “inner impresario” as she tells us about three famous chocolates forming a trio to delight and enrich their shareholders.

The fish on our cover this month is one of the “wild” bettas – B. coccina, also called the red wine betta. Al Priest gives us an in-depth profile of this small and rather demanding beauty.

“Through the Lens” this month documents our March meeting, specifically our “enhanced interrogation” of former GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi. In addition to “Through the Lens,” Claudia Dickinson this month debuts a new column, “Cichlidically Spleaking” (easy for her to say), which will keep us abreast of goings-on at the American Cichlid Association.

The Undergravel Reporter returns to amaze us with unlikely but true fish stories, and we finish with “Fin Fun.” We even have a poem this month!

Remember, 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!

I have been told that for our continued health and development one of the things we should regularly remember to do is give thanks. I have

heard this from ministers, rabbis, teachers, colleagues, martial artists, astrologers, authors – by more people than I can name. I even recall a popular song (from the 1950s?) about “counting your blessings.” Most often this thanks giving is a private acknowledgement, but sometimes public declarations are in order. In that spirit, I’d like to give a special thanks to all of our members who have submitted articles for publication in Modern Aquarium. I’ve asked for your stories, you have come through in a big way, and I am truly grateful. Thank you! And keep them coming!

I believe you’ll find this a lively issue. Jack Traub documents how an organization (maybe an aquarium society, for example), can achieve “Not-for-Profit” status in the state of New York. Of course many businesses have recently found that becoming a not-for-profit organization is far easier than they had hoped. But I don’t think that’s what Jack is talking about.

Speaking of “how-to,” Elliot Oshins chips in with his own do-it-yourself project, the fish-mobile, and in “Wet Leaves” Sue Priest reviews a book that I’m sure each of us has at one time or another wished for, an Aquarium Owner’s Manual. Regarding owner’s manuals, does it seem to anyone else that most of the instructional documentation we now receive with our aquarium equipment seems less designed to tell us how to get the gear up and running than to provide the manufacturer some immunity from being sued? Probably necessary I suppose, but it really activates my inner grouch when the only “owner’s manual” I can find confines itself to telling me that I shouldn’t plug their heater (or whatever) into an electrical source while standing on my roof during a thunderstorm. End of rant.

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium must be received no later than the 10th day of the month, three months prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to [email protected]. Copyright 2009 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) April 2009 3

GCASPrograms2009

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

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

Claudia

May TBA

June Jeff Bollbach

July TBAAugust Silent Auction

September Members Night

October Tim NurseDiving Lake Tanganyika

November Joseph FerdenziHistory of the GCAS

December Holiday Party!

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

Mario Bengcionrod du CassePete d’orio

Joe FerdenziJakleen Minassi-haftvanni dan & Marsha radebaugh


Several of our members attended the recent NEC (Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies) annual convention up in Connecticut, and the reports I’ve heard were very positive. There was a strong group of speakers, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I also have a few awards to hand out to GCAS member-authors, as Modern Aquarium garnered its fair share of publication awards. I asked our Editor about listing them in this issue, but he told me not to ruin the surprise for everyone, and promised to publish the winners’ names and their awards in next month’s issue.

We are now in the heart of the Spring convention season, what with the ALA (American Livebearer Association) holding its annual meeting this month, and the AKA (American Killifish Association) holding theirs in May. If you have some vacation time coming, these National Conventions are great places to gain information, make friends, and see (even purchase) fish that you might never come across literally anywhere else. If you haven’t attended one yet, and can afford to, I urge you to try one out.

President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

Last month we all enjoyed a marvelous tribute to former GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi. Everyone involved did a great job, and Joe

was a good sport about the whole thing. For those of you who were unable to attend, be sure and see “Looking Through the Lens” in this issue of Modern Aquarium.

I was gratified that we had such a good turnout, especially in light of some of the minor difficulties we experienced getting into the meeting hall. Hopefully this situation will improve as all involved get used to dealing with current exigencies. I’m sure that by now you know that the Botanical Garden’s budget has been drastically cut, and they no longer have the personnel on hand to provide the same level of service they have in the past. Our Board will be monitoring the situation, and if necessary, we will of course look into other possible meeting places.

The strengths of the Botanical Garden continue to be its easy-to-reach location, free parking, low cost, and institutional stability. I’ll be first to agree that the current entrance/exit scenario is inconvenient and annoying, but let’s give it a little time before we hit the panic button. Things like this often have a way of working themselves out if approached with a little patience.


An Open Letter to the Members

I am deeply appreciative of the kind expressions of friendship that were displayed at last month’s meeting. Each one of you – those who made a presentation, those who wrote a message for Modern Aquarium, and those who were just simply in attendance – has my heartfelt thanks. It was a very special evening filled with

laughter and great warmth. Again, thank you.I also express my best wishes to Dan as he takes the helm as our new President. It is of great comfort to

me to know that Greater City is in the hands of a fine gentleman like Dan, who will be supported by a Board of Directors comprised of experienced, talented, and dedicated members. I know that the entire Greater City membership will make his tenure as marvelous as mine was for me..

Excelsior!

Joe Ferdenzi


How to Become a Not-for-Profit Organization

in New Yorkby Jack Traub, C.P.A.

Charitable, educational and scientific non-profit organizations enjoy unique benefits on the federal as well as local level. First,

they are exempt from income taxes as well as local real estate taxes on property owned, and sales taxes for items purchased. Second, contributions made to these organizations are deductible as charitable contributions. In order to derive this second benefit, organizations must file with the Internal Revenue Service and receive the government’s blessing.

In order to obtain federal tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must first show that it was organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes. Second, it must show that it is being operated exclusively for those same purposes. The organization can be created by incorporating, or if in a non-corporate form, by adopting articles of association.

Incorporating the organization does not require the use of an attorney. Everything can be done online. In New York the responsible agency is the State of New York Department of State. Following are the steps to be followed if the organization chooses to incorporate in the State of New York. Other states have similar provisions.

The organization will incorporate under 1) Section 803 of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law. Be sure to select the paragraph that specifies that upon the dissolution of the organization, assets will be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Obtain Application Form 1023 from the 2) Internal Revenue Service. This is a booklet which contains the form and the instructions. If the organization has already been in existence, then financial statements for the

past three years will have to be submitted.Once Federal tax exemption is obtained the 3) organization will want to obtain exemption from New York State Sales Tax by filing Form ST-119.2 – Application for an Exempt Organization Certificate. Having obtained exemption from Federal income taxes, obtaining New York State Exempt Status should present no difficulties. Just follow the instructions on the above-mentioned form, and submit the requested information.Upon approval, New York State will issue 4) Exempt Organization Certificate Form ST-119. This form will contain an Exempt Certificate Number.Any time subsequent to receiving Form ST-5) 119 from New York State, the organization may make purchases not subject to New York Sales Tax. Form ST-119-1 is used for this purpose, by means of the Exempt Certificate Number. This form can only be obtained directly from the New York State Sales Tax Department. At present it cannot be downloaded from the Department’s Web Site.Only the organization itself may use this 6) exemption, and purchases must be for the use of the organization.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) April 2009 710 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Suggested Questions Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your favorite aquarium. What was your very first fish? Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper. Is there someone you think of as a mentor?

Tell us about him or her. Describe your “Fantasy Fish Tank.” If you were a fish, which one would you be? Who is your “Hobby Hero?” What fish which you have never kept would

you like to acquire? Describe your biggest fishkeeping “blooper!” Describe your most memorable fishkeeping

experience. What changes have you seen in the hobby

during your tenure as a fishkeeper? What advice would you give to a

beginning fishkeeper? What are your fishkeeping goals?

- OR write a narrative story -

Our Honeymooner:Desirée Martin

by SUSAN PRIEST

Romance is in the air! Love is in full bloom!“The bells are ringing for me and my gal.”What on earth am I talking about? I’m

talking about the GCAS’s newest newlywed, andthat ain’t all!! For the first time in any aquariumsociety anywhere, a new bride who still has cake onher face has written an article for a club magazinewhile on her Honeymoon!!! Now, if that ain’tlove, I don’t know what is. (Bobby, I hope youaren’t too jealous of Desirée’s devotion to us, butdon’t worry, we’ll share her with you.)

Long before she fell in love with the GCAS, orwith Bobby, Desirée developed a passion forlivebearers, which she still has to this day. Whenher head hits the pillow at night, her thoughts driftto that perfect saltwater aquarium of her dreams.No greater love hath afishkeeper of herhobby than our brideDesirée.

Well, Bobby, Ican see clearly thatyou have your workcut out for you. Youhave a lot of stiffcompetition for theaffections of yourbride. You aren’t bya n y c h a n c e afishkeeper, are you?If not, I’ll be glad tooffer you equal spaceto tell us about yourpassions. I hope youwill be able to attendone of our meetingssometime soon, soyou can see foryourself what it isthat your bride likesabout us. So far wehaven’t been able tofigure it out for ourselves. And thanks Desirée, forsharing your love and your honeymoon with all ofus.

* * *

And nowfor somethingc o m p l e t e l ydifferent. Weare going to do alittle bit of timetraveling. Weare going tor e v i s i t o u rDecember 2008Holiday party.Lots of you werethere, and lots ofyou were given acard with mye-mail address,

indicating that this isthe best place tos u b m i t y o u rF i s h k e e p e rAnonymous Q&A's.If half of you did it, Iwould have enoughautobiographies to lastModern Aquariumfor two years. Well,one person submittedtheirs. Have youguessed yet that it wasDesirée? As youalready know, she hadother things on hermind, but she camethrough for her club.Now it’s your turn.You probably lost thecard, so I will print thee-mail address here: [email protected] know you are readingand enjoying thiscolumn, so please, fill

my inbox with quips, quotes, anecdotes, bloopers,and assorted stories. In other words, followDesirée’s lead by sharing your love of the hobbywith the rest of us.


Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) April 2009 9Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) March 2009 5

Betta coccina Photo by Al Priest

Bubbles in the WineThe Red Wine Betta, Betta coccina

by ALEXANDER A PRIEST

Aquarists who specialize in anabantoidsgenerally, or in keeping so-called “wild”bettas (generally understood to mean any

member of the genus Betta other than Bettasplendens), are probably familiar with the conceptof Betta “complexes” (for more information, visitthe website of the SMP, or Species MaintenanceProgram of the International Betta Congress1).

These complexes are a way of categorizingmembers of the genus Betta that go beyond thegenerally accepted scientific nomenclature ofphylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.The “Coccina complex” consists of the species:Betta brownorum, B. burdigala, B. coccina,B. livida, B. miniopinna, B. persephone, B. tussyae,and B. rutilans. They are all small, slender fishthat reproduce by building floating “nests” ofbubbles into which fertilized eggs are placed andtended by the male half of a spawning pair(however , othermembers of thiscomplex have alsobeen reported to bep a t e r n a lmouthbrooders, andwhether those speciesare “switch-hitters”or r epresen t aseparate species is att h i s t i me s t i l lunclear) . The“Coccina complex” isnamed after what isl ikely i ts mostwell-known (and firstdiscovered) member, Betta coccina, which is thefocus of this article.

“Coccina” means wine-red or claret. Bettacoccina is so named because of its beautiful redbody, a body coloration that, until the descriptionof Betta coccina by Dr. Jörg Vierke in 1979, wasknown to occur in the members of the genus Bettaonly in Betta splendens. Betta coccina is a smallred betta native to the Indonesian province ofJambi (Sumatra), and the West Malaysian states ofJohor and Malaka (or Malacca).

Based on my personal experience of havingkept five of the eight currently recognizedmembers of the coccina complex, all of thesespecies should be kept in captivity only byexperienced and dedicated aquarists. This is

because they all require specific water conditionsthat are not easy to achieve, and even harder toconsistently maintain in the home aquarium.

Betta coccina is native to the very soft, veryacidic water found in forest peat swamps. Thatwater has a pH of between 4.0 to 6.0. The water isalso very soft, having a degree of hardness (dH) ofbetween 0.0 - 4.0 and a carbonate hardness (KH) ofzero (0.0).

While you can use various commercialproducts to lower the pH of water added after awater change, you should not rely on theseproducts to lower and maintain the overall pH ofyour tank. Many pH lowering products rely onsodium biphosphate (the same ingredient found inFleet® Enema—green box). Aside from potentialinjuries to your fish (just Google™ the side effectsof sodium biphosphate on humans to see myconcerns), relying on externally added chemicals to

change your waterp a r a me t e r s w i l lalmost always notwork in the long run.You need to allow thetank pH to lowernaturally by addingdecaying vegetablematerial (I preferdried almond leaves,but oak and magnolialeaves work just aswell). Make certainthat any added leavesare from a source thathas not been sprayed

previously with insecticides, fungicides, etc. Youcan also use driftwood (I use only driftwoodpurchased from a reliable aquarium store, and Iboil it for several hours before introducing it intothe tank), or aquarium-safe peat moss inside in abox filter. While using driftwood is probably theslowest method I know of to lower pH, it is alsothe most consistently reliable. If you must lowerthe tank pH rapidly, I recommend using blackwaterextract (available from several companies and soldin most aquarium stores).

Betta coccina do not, in my experience,readily adapt to even slight changes in waterconditions, and that includes second and thirdgeneration fish bred in captivity. Regardless ofhow carefully I matched the water parameters of

10 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)6 March 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Scientific name: Betta coccinaCommon name: Red Wine Betta, Claret Betta Geographic location: Sumatra & West MalaysiaSize: 2" (TL)Temperament: Generally peacefulTemperature: 75°-80°FAcidity: pH 4.0-6.0 Hardness: Very softLifespan: 3-5 yearsSkill level: Advanced (in my opinion)Minimum tank size: 5.5 gallonsReproduction: Egglaying bubblenest builderNutrition: Omnivorous

newly added water, I had far more fish mortalityfollowing a water change than at any other time.

For a while I wondered if I was at fault, eventhough I made certain that newly added water waswell-aged, dechlorinated, and had a temperatureand pH exactly matching the water I removed.Going on the Internet, I discovered I was not theonly person that experienced the problem of havinghigh Betta coccinamortality following aroutine water change.The only explanationI have found thatseems to make senseis that, in the wild,this species lives inan environment thatexperiences verylittle change; and sothey require analmost unchangingenvironment in thehome aquarium. Ibase this on thefollowing, from TheBetta Handbook by Dr. Robert J. Goldstein:

“The coccina species live in stenotopic(rigidly unvarying) semiaquatic habitats consistingof small, shallow pools within almost stagnantstreams that seep through the ancient peat forestfloor. The water is strongly acidic and almostblack.”2

Betta coccina is a relatively small fish,attaining a total length for both males and femalesof only about two inches (although females areusually slightly shorter and wider). The body islong and slender (it has been likened to the body ofmany killifish). The body color can be light todark brown, but is more typically bright towine-red color (thus, the reason for their commonname of “Red Wine Betta”). Males may have twohorizontal bars running from the eye to the base ofthe caudal (tail) fin. Their pectoral fins are nearlytransparent.

This species, along with some other speciesin the Betta coccina group, sometimes has a brightblue or bluish-green circular mark on the side ofmales. Although this spot is typically associatedwith members of the coccina group, it is notalways visible, nor is it present on all coccinamales. Some sources have stated that only youngmales possess such a spot, and that as the malegrows older the blotch slowly disappears. Othersources have declared that only the dominant malehas this spot. The important thing to note is thatthe spot is not a hard and fast rule for Bettacoccina; there are numerous reports of maleslacking any spot (most of mine either have no spot,or the spot can only be viewed in fairly low-light

conditions). There are also reports of males havinga spot on only one side of the body. Even when abody spot is present, it is difficult to capture it in aphoto (such being the case with my group).

Betta coccina is a notoriously difficultspecies to breed in captivity. One problem appearsto be that pairs need to select themselves, and justhaving a group of males and females together in

one tank does noti n s u r e t h a t acompatible pair willemerge. So, unlessyou know you have ap a i r t h a t h a spreviously matedtogether, an aquaristseeking to breedBetta coccina shouldkeep several pairstogether, in the hopethat a bonded pairwill form. Once thathappens, the bondedpair can be separated,and put into a

breeding tank. Another problem is that fry appearto be more sensitive than adults to even slightchanges in their environment, while still requiringvirtually pristine water.

Other than the fact that Betta coccina aremuch more difficult to spawn and to raise the fry,conditioning, tank filtration and preparation, andfish behavior are all very similar to that of Bettasplendens. As with Betta splendens, Betta coccinais a bubblenester. Males build a nest of bubblesunder a floating leaf, floating plants, a styrofoamcup cut in half, a plastic lid from fish food (or evenfrom a can of coffee), or floating tubes that can bemade by simply cutting the bottom from an emptyplastic fish food container (remove the label beforeplacing it in the tank). Because the nest consists ofbubbles, water movement should be kept to aminimum, so sponge filters and/or a gentlybubbling box filter should be used instead of powerfilters. A mature sponge filter (one that has been ina tank with fish for several weeks, at least) alsodevelops infusoria and other microorganisms thatcan provide fry with their first meals.

Feeding live food is the best way to conditionBetta coccina for spawning. When the fish are inspawning condition, the female will often showsome dark vertical stripes, sometimes with a lighterhorizontal stripe from the head to the caudalpeduncle. As is also true with (darker colored)Betta splendens, a female coccina in spawningcondition can usually be seen to have a small white“egg spot”on her underside.

As with Betta splendens, a female who isready to spawn can be become aggressive towards

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) April 2009 11Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) March 2009 7

a male that is not ready. This is true even if theyhave already selected each other as mates. On theother hand, males can be very aggressive towardsfemales during spawning, and torn fins on bothparents is not uncommon after a spawning.

A male coccina embraces the female torelease some of her eggs, which he will retrieveand spit into the floating bubblenest. The femaleusually floats motionless between these repeatedembraces, which continue until all of her eggs havebeen expelled (reports are that from 20 to 50 whiteeggs are released, but in my experience the numberis less ). For a small fish, the eggs are fairly large.

Once the female has been relieved of all hereggs, she should be removed, because the male(again, as is the case with Betta splendens) willchase her away from the nest. As was previouslynoted, she may also have some torn fins, so I liketo add a little Melafix™ to her water at about halfthe recommended dosage. Melafix™ is a productderived from the oil of the Tea Tree, Melaleucaalternifolia. I have found it to be safe andeffective in promoting healing of minor injuries infish, and in controlling any resulting secondarybacterial infections or subsequent fungalinfections.

Within two days, the eggs will beginhatching. As soon as you start seeing some fryswimming horizontally (usually in about three daysafter first hatchings have occurred), the maleshould also be removed, and placed in his owntank with some Melafix™. Do not immediatelyput the male back in with the female. They bothneed time to rest and recuperate before theyattempt to spawn again.

If you put a mature sponge filter in thespawning tank, and leave the fry in that tank afterremoving the adults, the fry should be able to grazeon the organisms on the surface of the sponge.Some liquid fry food (get the type marketed for egglayers), newly hatched brine shrimp (Artemiasalina), and microworms (see “My MicrowormRecipe” in the August 2008 issue of ModernAquarium) are excellent first foods. Be carefulnot to overfeed, as it is essential to keep up thewater quality, and uneaten food can degrade waterquality very rapidly! While I personally hatesnails, and keep them in only one of my tanks(feeding them to my Clown Loach whenever I havea snail population boom), a few ramshorn snails inthe fry tank will help remove any uneaten food.

One final but very important note: as withmost of the so-called “wild” betta species, Bettacoccina is a jumper! You must have a tight-fittinglid on the tank, put tape or plastic wrap around andover all openings cut for air lines or electric cords,and always be very alert to jumping fish whendoing water changes and at feeding time.

This is a small and attractive fish; but it ismost certainly not for everyone. If you feel up tothe challenge, please carefully read all of thecaveats in this article before starting out. I do notwant to discourage you from keeping exoticanabantoids (my personal hobby speciality). Onthe other hand, I would not recommend Bettacoccina to anyone just starting out in the hobby, oras anyone’s first “wild” betta.

1http://smp.ibcbettas.org/Pages/complex.html

2Goldstein, Robert J., The Betta Handbook,Barrons, 2004, p.34

12 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Looking through theText and Photos

Joe the Judge?! Joe the cook?! Joe the family man?!

What a Grande time we had at our March meeting in our surprise Tribute to Joe Ferdenzi! It was with a roast and toast of friendship that we celebrated the nineteen years that Joe has given selflessly of himself as our GCAS President. All of the

GCAS played an important part in making this night a special and memorable one in showing our love and appreciation for Joe, and all that he has done to make the club what it is today.

GCAS President Dan Radebaugh did a splendid job of getting the meeting underway. Brad Dickinson then took on the role of Master of Ceremonies as he magically converted the meeting hall into the set of a reality TV show while revealing several new sides of Joe, as well as a bit of his own humorous side. Warren Feurer, Rich Levy, Horst Gerber, Sue Priest, and Mark Soberman were *STARS* as they stepped up to the podium to offer special thoughts and recount entertaining memories from the past. Margaret and Jim Peterson made certain that the cake was perfectly exquisite as well as delicious…and personally delivered!

Your contributions to Modern Aquarium and your many autographs were the highlight of the evening! A warm and heartfelt thank you to all of you for making this another true GCAS family affair!

Joe the American Idol Star?!Following Joe’s American Idol audition, judge Randy Jackson (a.k.a. Pete D’Orio) felt that

he might be better suited to a job as “Joe the Plumber!” A.I. judge Paula Abdul (a.k.a. Claudia Dickinson) thought that Joe had great promise and was definitely on the road to being another David Cook, while Simon Cowell (a.k.a. Anton Vukich), on the other hand, felt that perhaps Joe was best suited as a keeper of slimy creatures that were housed in a glass box that was filled with water! And so, MC Brad Dickinson continued his quest in locating the perfect reality show occupation for Joe...


Lens with the GCASBy Claudia Dickinson

Or…perhaps “Father Joe” as ordained by “Brother Brad.”

Joe Ferdenzi takes his stage cues from Sue Priest! Brad Dickinson and Sue Priest share in the laughs!

Margaret Peterson makes certain that everyone has a piece of the sumptuous celebratory cake.

Joe Ferdenzi receives a collage of special memories with the GCAS and our honored guests throughout the ages.

Joe Ferdenzi makes a wish of good luck before blowing out the candles.

14 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Bowl Show winners Bob Hamje and Mario Bengcion. Joe Ferdenzi treats us to the opportunity of bidding on his homegrown fish!

Brad Dickinson, Joe Ferdenzi, President Dan Radebaugh, and Marsha Radebaugh take a moment to reflect on another special GCAS evening spent with dear friends!

Horst Gerber is delighted with his Door Prize win!

Ed Vukich and GCAS President Dan Radebaugh draw the final raffles!

LaMonte Brown has had a Grande time and is already looking forward to next month!


The Aquarium Hobby C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program

www.CARESPreservation.com Claudia Dickinson

CARES Preservation Program Coordinator [email protected]

April 1, 2009 Dear AFISH Convention Committee and Attendees,

On behalf of the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program, I would like to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you for your most kind and generous donation of $256.50 garnered through the AFISH 2008 registrations. These funds will be an enormous help to CARES in keeping up with the many needs of our rapidly growing CARES clubs and schools. We are most honored and extremely grateful to AFISH for your thoughtfulness in choosing CARES as the recipient of these subsidies. Your support for the CARES effort, as well as the tremendous time and work that you placed into the convention, is so appreciated! Hope has been found for a future that seemed bleak for countless species to remain for the benefit and enjoyment of many generations to come. For all that you have done, the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program, and our species at risk, thank you!

With Sincere Warmth,

Claudia

The C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program is about our fish, and it is about people.

We are one team, working together. Please, clear a tank ~ save a fish! Because of you, we are making a difference!

16 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)18 March 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Aquarium Owner’s ManualBy Gina Sandford

DK Publishing, 2005

a Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

It’s a good title, don’t you think? It kind ofreminds you of the owner’s manual that comeswith a microwave oven, or maybe a weed

whacker. Along with all the do’s and don’ts, youwill be told what results you can expect to achieve,along with how to make themhappen.

A wide variety offishkeeping topics are touchedupon in this beautiful book.Equipment, stocking, anda wide spectrum ofhealth and nutritioninformation complementthe sections whichcharacterize individualspecies of freshwater,brackish water, andmarine fish (180 in all).The descriptions of seven“sample tanks,” whichinclude rift lake, coldwater, and reef tanks,“offer inspiration bothfor beginners and moreexperienced aquarists.”Instructions on how toset up a breeding tank forfish which use suchs t r a t e g i e s a smouthbrooding, eggs c a t t e r e r i n g , n e s tbuilding (and more), arepart of the picture. Itwraps up with a doubleindex which covers fishnames as well as generaltopics.

I especially liked thesection on freshwater plants. “Fine-leaved plantssuch as Cabomba spp. require an efficient filtrationsystem to prevent the leaves from becoming cloggedwith fine matter suspended in the water.” Too badI didn’t know that about fifteen years ago!

My main gripe (you know I always have atleast one, or I wouldn’t be doing my job), is that itis difficult to separate the information about marinetanks and livestock from the information aboutfreshwater fishkeeping. (It is almost like combiningowner’s manuals for a microwave oven and a weed

whacker, with the pages all mixed up.) The thingthat is most misleading about it is the placement ofthe photos, as lovely as they are. Many of thesections on general subjects such as “history offishkeeping” or “body processes” put photos ofmarine and freshwater fishes next to each other onthe same page. I think that the uninitiated aquaristcould be easily confused by this.

The Aquarium Owner’s Manual is highlyreadable, and packed with good information. It isa visual delight. By challenging itself to addressthe needs of both freshwater as well as marinefishkeepers (along with their fishes), it overreachesits margins a bit. I think that it is best suited to the

intermediate-level fishkeeper;someone who has a good graspof the basics, and is ready for afresh perspective.

* * *Over the years of

writing this column,people have occasionallyasked me “why don’t youinclude the price of thebook?” My stock answerhas always been “becausethe price varies dependingon where you buy it.” Iwill take this opportunityto offer you an example.This book was purchasedfrom Amazon.com. It waschosen from a list ofcopies available from“alternative vendors” (notAmazon itself). Usedcopies were availablewith descriptions rangingfrom “poor condition-water damage,” to “nearlynew,” and from a cost of21cents up to I’m-not-sure-how-high, each ofwhich having a shippingcharge of $3.99. Thecopy I have wasdescribed as “like new,”and had a price tag of

$1.50. Add $3.99 to that, and I received a bookwith a list price of $25.00 printed right on it (whichI would not have paid) for $5.49! I don’t believeanyone had so much as peeked into it. As you cansee, it’s a buyer’s market if you take the time toshop.


Famous Chocolates Join to Form Trio

by Jannette Ramirez

Who would have suspected that three well-loved chocolates, Hershey, Nestle, and Perugina

‘Baci,’ would come together to create such delicious combinations for us to enjoy? Flavors to please all – milk chocolate, striped chocolate, dark chocolate/hazelnut mixes (just to name a few!). Not surprisingly, everything they touch turns to gold! They have the “Midas Touch.” In gratitude, those that they have touched and turned to gold make certain to keep their grounds and landscaping impeccably clean!

Peace and tranquility are inevitably felt by all who have the honor of meeting these three representatives of highly respected chocolates. They all share equally the responsibility of personally overseeing how everything is done on their premises. Even though all three have similar interests and characteristics, they still possess charming individual personalities and appearances to distinguish them from one

another. Did I mention that these particular chocolates contain “zero” calories? And, that by keeping these chocolates you

will regularly burn calories without fail? What other chocolates can make you such a promise?! Read on, friends, and I will soon let you in on this exclusive chocolate secret!


Having all three of these chocolates under the same hood… err…umm…I mean roof… can only tempt you to want more. These three famous chocolates are my Hypselecara temporalis (a.k.a. chocolate cichlids) that share a large tank with nine goldfish. These goldfish are looking a few carats darker as they mature. I believe that besides the food and regular maintenance given, they also thrive due to my chocolates’ Midas touch!

If you decide to treat yourself by adding one or more of these chocolates to your collection of fishes, you may find yourself adding brown to your list of favorite fish colors. You will define ‘brown’ as ‘rich, piercing brown’ – not just plain brown. Anyone who already owns these beautiful fish can tell you that the best way to describe them – and their unique color-changing ability – is to compare them to a “mood ring.” I have seen many different shades and marking

on each member of my chocolate trio, depending on how they are feeling at any given moment in time!

My three chocolate cichlids are named Hershey, Nestle, and Baci. Baci is the smallest of the three, and that’s why he is named Kisses (in Italian) and is representing the Perugina company, which makes Perugina’s Baci chocolates. (I certainly didn’t want Hershey to think that Baci was trying to be a “Hershey’s Kiss”!) Each of them is unique. The claim of zero calories is because you won’t be eating these chocolates; the calorie burning will take place when you (happily!) do your partial water changes and scheduled tank maintenance. So, all you chocolate lovers out there, what are you waiting for? Go out and get some of these special chocolates of your own. I guarantee you will love them!

Photo of H. temporalis pair by Linda Konst

Photo of male H. temporalis by Marsha Radebaugh


The Fish Mobileby Elliot Oshins

Good or bad, I am a saver. You name it, I’ve saved it. Maybe it would sound better if I said I was a collector. My jacket and coat

pockets contain old movie tickets, old business cards, even old matchbooks – and I don’t even smoke. I have about 25 old shirts made in the USA (that’s how old they are). I don’t even feel too bad about wearing one on Saturday afternoons while attending art class. As you can imagine, things can get a little messy painting in oils and pastels. I even had a pair of shoes so old that when I took them to the shoemaker, he would hide when he saw me coming. So I finally decided to throw them out, but of course I did save the laces. Where are those laces now? Who remembers? I don’t.

Speaking of shoes…

In my closet I found a very old sport jacket and some old winter pants that I was going to donate to charity. While cleaning out the pockets, I came across a very old shoe repair ticket that was from the early 1990s. The ticket was for a pair of loafers I had forgotten to pick up from my local shoemaker. Totally embarrassed, I walked into the shoemaker (who was actually still in business) and sheepishly handed him

the ticket. He looked at it, puzzled, and walked to the back of the store. He was gone a good ten minutes, and when he returned he told me they weren’t ready yet, and to come back next week. (Sorry – an old joke I heard years ago and couldn’t refuse.)

Why I save things I don’t know – maybe because I was a child of the Depression. While cleaning one day, I realized that I had an old TV sitting in the corner of my basement. As many of you already know, my basement is now my fishroom. Realizing that the TV obviously didn’t work anymore, I decided to get rid of it. As the TV was very heavy, as most old sets were, I called the only person I knew who could give me a hand getting it up the stairs and out the door: my good friend The Maven. When he arrived, he saw the TV and the old stand that it was perched on. “You’re getting rid of that, too I presume?” he said. I replied, “No, just the TV.” “You’re kidding. You don’t need an old TV stand taking up space and collecting dust,” said The Maven. I told him the stand was light and I could carry it myself, figuring (as I normally do) that I could use it for something. A sense of calm and relief fell over me as The Maven said, “OK.”

My fishroom started with about 40 tanks. I then downsized to about 30, and now I’m holding steady at


about 15 tanks. Feeding all those little mouths became such a full-time job that I found myself spending most of my days feeding them all. My collection includes very large fish and very small fish and of course, the unlimited babies. Feeding them all is no small task. Sometimes I feel like I’m running a restaurant for fish, and having to provide them with a different menu throughout the day.

One day, while feeding my fish, I almost dropped a can of fish food into one of the tanks. I started getting frustrated, but then a light bulb went off in my head. So on November 10, 2008 at 9:00 P.M., The Fish Mobile was born. Weight – four pounds, ten ounces. I dressed the sides with very fancy gold hooks for nets and brushes to clean filters. It consists of two shelves. The bottom shelf is for filter pads, plant food, baking soda, and Epson salts (for my African tanks), and chemicals for water changes. The top shelf carries all my food. I very carefully drilled two holes; one for a thermometer used in photo developing (very accurate), and a larger hole for a magnifying glass (good for observing fry).

Now when it comes time to feed my fish, I push The Fish Mobile from tank to tank, taking their food orders. I still feel like a waiter in a restaurant (Caesar Salad, anyone? Baked Alaska for dessert?), but it saves me a lot time, and if necessary I also can do maintenance on a tank.

Who knows, this could be a new business venture for me. I recommend The Fish Mobile to anyone who has numerous tanks (and the space to store one). If you want to take the plunge and make one for yourself, go to an old furniture store that might have old TV stands or tea carts that you might be able to hondle for a few bucks. Or better yet, just check your basement – you probably have one hiding down there in a corner. It’s certainly worth the effort. It’s making my life easier and my fish much happier.

Thanks again to The Maven for not throwing out my old TV table, and thanks for my ingenuity for seeing the potential in an old relic.

Illustration by Elliot Oshins © 2009


You won’t want to miss out on the extraordinary array of cichlid specimens, such as this Vieja bifasciata, which abound at the ACA Convention!

The ACA Convention is host to the most spectacular show of cichlids featuring species such as this Crenicichla sp. ‘Xingu I.’

ACA Convention Show Photos

Cichlidically SpeakingYour Link to the

American Cichlid AssociationBy Claudia Dickinson

Photos by the author unless otherwise noted

First appearing in the February 2001 issue of the American Cichlid Association’s Buntbarsche Bulletin, my ‘Cichlidically Speaking’ column ran until August of 2005. Its commentary covered current ACA news, as well as relevant cichlid research and conservation efforts. There continues to be much to report in these areas, and so as your ACA Club Delegate I thought I would resurrect that column for you here in Modern Aquarium. Let us think of it as “Volume II!”

ACA Convention Cincinnati 2009 Mark your calendars now and be certain to make your reservations for the upcoming ACA Convention on July 30th to August 2nd, this year hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society! Celebrated greats such as Ad Konings, Dr. Paul Loiselle, Dr. Wayne Leibel, Hans Koops van’t Jagt (a.k.a. Discus Hans), Michi Tobler, and Chuck Rambo top the speaker line-up, plus there will be superb workshops with renowned photography expert, Gary Lange, and catfish expert, Stephan Tanner. You simply must not miss out on all of this plus the most spectacular show of cichlids as you have ever witnessed, an enormous cichlid auction, fabulous side trips, and an immense variety of cichlids for sale coming at you from all directions—hotel rooms, hallways, the huge fish room, the Babes Auction, wherever! It’s all about cichlids, and cichlidiots, and we would love to see you there! Please be certain to register now at www.ACAconvention.com!


Lake Victoria CARES ConservationRecent years have found the conservation

endeavors of the ACA spanning the globe, from the Old World in Madagascar, Lake Victoria, and Lake Malawi, to the New World in Venezuela, and closer to home in our very own aquariums and those of our youth.

Of the global catastrophes occurring as a result of human ignorance and exploitation of the environment, the devastation of Lake Victoria and the endemic haplochromines that once abounded within its waters is arguably the most tragic. Five decades ago, the lake held an estimated population of 500 or more species of cichlids. In a mere half century, three out of every five of those species have become extinct, leaving the current number of survivors to stand at approximately 200 (Loiselle, 2008). Theoretically, if left unchecked, in the year 2040 no cichlids will inhabit Lake Victoria, aside from the possible few that manage to find refuge in the outlying regions of the basin.

With this knowledge before us, why is it that such massive eradication has not, seemingly cannot,

be brought to a halt? Disheartening and often frustrating, there is no easy answer or prompt remedy to this question. The dilemma reaches far deeper than statistics due to the extreme challenges of human survival in an impoverished land whose people rely on the rapidly depleting natural resources of the lake.

Dr. William Ojwang has the solution. It is not a quick fix, nor is it a simple one, but it is the right one. ‘Lake Victoria CARES Conservation Through Education’ will provide the people of the Lake Victoria region with a basic understanding of the give and take necessary to achieve a delicate balance between the lake and its people that ultimately will sustain life for both. It is this long-term remedy that will only strengthen over time and be passed on to the next generations, particularly when the awe and appreciation of cichlids in an aquarium are given the opportunity to touch young lives.

When esteemed conservationist, celebrated underwater photographer, and long-time ACA supporter, Dr. Dwight Smith, referred to affectionately by friends and colleagues as “Subsee,” learned of Dr. Ojwang’s proposal, he presented the ACA with a generous contribution to advance its mission with a request that consideration be made to use the funds to accomplish the rehabilitation of the KMFRI Kisumu Research Center, and for the development of aquarium facilities in select schools within the Lake Victoria Basin. With great appreciation to Dr. Smith for his immense generosity, the ACA is proud to see the first major step of Dr. Ojwang’s dream come to fruition.

Greg Steeves, Dave Hansen, Barbara Wooton, Troy Veltrop, The Hill Country Cichlid Club, and the Federation of Texas Aquarium Societies (FOTAS), are leading the way on the club front as they hold auctions and fundraisers in their admirable job of supporting this critical endeavor!

While we look forward to getting equipment and supplies gathered and shipped to Kenya, and reporting on the progress of the Lake Victoria CARES Conservation Through Education Project, the next step

This extraordinary Aulonocara sp. ‘lwanda red top,’ owned by Ron Georgeone, took Best in Show at a recent ACA Convention.

Ron Georgeone’s stunning Geophagus altifrons took Reserve Best in Show at that same convention.

CARES

Turbid river waters demonstrate evidence of poor land use and deforestation in upstream reaches of rivers feeding into Lake Victoria. Photo courtesy of Dr. William Ojwang


for us will be to help Dr. Ojwang expand to outreach schools. For a nominal sum of money, we will have the unique opportunity to play a personal role in the Lake Victoria CARES Adopt-a-School Program. Each school sponsored by a club, organization, or individual will be provided with the aquariums and equipment that will truly make a difference.

As we collectively make a difference in our conservation efforts, please take a moment to feel great pride in your accomplishments, whether they be in Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Western Africa, Central America, or in your own tanks—together, we can and we are changing the world!

ACA Paul V. Loiselle Conservation FundThe 2008 grant from the Paul V. Loiselle

Conservation Fund was awarded to Carmen Montaña for her studies on the ‘Evolutionary Ecology of Cichlid Assemblages in a Neotropical Blackwater River in Venezuela.’ Due to the membership’s immense generosity, support, and concern for cichlids at risk, Carmen now has the opportunity to continue to pursue her research. Such endeavors will provide valuable information, ultimately proving beneficial to the conservation of Neotropical cichlids.

Herculean efforts to accrue monies for the PVL Fund, thereby bringing this and future awards to realization, are made by Pam Chin, Caroline Estes, Pam Marsh, and all of the Babes in the Cichlid Hobby, who work diligently throughout the year towards the celebrated Silent Auction held annually at the ACA Convention. Your donations, and your high bids(!) at the auction, bring the rewards of success.

The enormous endeavors and dedication of the Greater Chicago Cichlid Association, the Bermuda Fry-Angle Society, and individuals are invaluable and deeply appreciated. A warm thank you to all who continue to make this possible!

In her research, Carmen addresses the following objectives:

1) examining relationships between habitat heterogeneity, species richness, and assemblage of ecomorphological patterns of cichlid fishes;

2) identifying patterns of resource use and feeding habits among cichlid fishes, as well as the characteristics with which cichlids subdivided resource space in order to facilitate coexistence; and

3) examining relationships among morphological, trophic, and mesohabitats attributes within cichlid assemblages to gain insights about form and function in response to biotic selective pressures.

Results from this study will help to gain a better understanding of the ecological traits and life histories of Neotropical cichlid fishes and contribute essential information for future studies of cichlid evolutionary ecology and conservation.

Financial support from the ACA’s Paul V. Loiselle Conservation Fund will be used for lodging in Cinaruco River in Venezuela in the spring of 2009 and expenses associated with dietary analysis using SIA.

To find out what you can do to ensure the continued conservation efforts of cichlids through research such as Carmen Montaña is conducting, please contact me at: [email protected].

Introduced water hyacinth multiplies exponentially in the nutrient rich water, literally strangling what remains of the endemic flora and fauna. Photo by Dr. Peter Howard

The students at Onjiko High School receive their first aquarium, and with that take the first step towards environmental awareness. Photo by Dr. William Ojwang

Large piscivores, such as this Cichla intermedia, not only provide Paul V. Loiselle Conservation Fund grant recipient Carmen Montaña with valuable information, they are also a main food source for local people of the Cinaruco River. Photo by Noel Montaña


ACA Cichlid Breeder AwardsLast year marked the first of the ACA Cichlid

Breeder Awards Program (CBAP), initiated by ACA Club Liaison Chair Ted Judy. Wishing to recognize hobbyists who are actively keeping and breeding cichlids, the ACA CBAP works in cooperation with local and regional aquarium societies. The ACA recognizes individual achievements in breeding cichlids, awards an ACA Cichlid Breeder of the Year from all entrants, and acknowledges the local and regional aquarium societies whose members are collectively breeding many cichlid species.

To be eligible for an ACA Cichlid Breeder Award, a hobbyist must have been a member in good standing of the GCAS, participated in the GCAS Breeder Awards Program, and turned in at least one cichlid species in the calendar year.

With great pride in you for your cichlid breeding endeavors, I am thrilled to announce the recipients of the past year’s ACA Cichlid Breeder Awards.

2007 Breeding Club of the YearHonorable MentionGreater City Aquarium SocietyTotal number of cichlid spawns: 26Participating members: 7

ACA CBAP Certificates of AppreciationAwarded in recognition of valuable contributions to the aquarium hobby and cichlid breeding.

Ed VukichNumber of cichlid spawns: 4

Warren FeuerNumber of cichlid spawns: 4

Joseph GraffagninoNumber of cichlid spawns: 5

Jeff BollbachNumber of cichlid spawns: 8

ACA Spawn of the Year NomineeDick MoorePrognathochromis perrieri

Congratulations to all! Keep up the great work and the cichlid spawns coming for the next year!

ACA Cichlid Writer AwardsWishing to recognize hobbyists who are actively

writing articles about cichlids for their local club’s publications, i.e., Modern Aquarium(!), the ACA Cichlid Writer Awards Program (CWAP), also initiated by ACA Club Liaison Chair Ted Judy, works in cooperation with local and regional aquarium societies. The ACA recognizes articles from individuals in different categories, as well as acknowledging the clubs that have given cichlid topics excellent press in the calendar year.

To be eligible for an ACA Cichlid Writer Award, an author must be a member in good standing of the GCAS, and the submitted article must have been published in Modern Aquarium. Eligible articles must be on a topic that is strongly associated with a cichlid species or genus, cichlid husbandry, or cichlid collecting. I will take care of the submissions for you, so all that you need to do is the writing!

Good luck! We so look forward to your outstanding accomplishments in the ACA CWAP!

Until next time…

Keep on Enjoying Your Cichlids!Claudia

ACA Spawn of the Year Nominee for his success with CARES at risk species Prognathochromis perrieri, Dick Moore shares his fry stripping techniques with Bennie Graham, Jeff Bollbach, and Artie Friedman.


The G.C.A.S.

Proudly extends a most Warm Welcometo

Our Guest Speaker

Mark SobermanSpeaking on

African Catfishby Claudia Dickinson

From the time he was a young boy growing up in Sunnyside, Queens, Mark Soberman was fascinated by all aquatic life. Occasional visits

to a neighboring apartment were savored, as here old-fashioned fishbowls, filled with the allure of guppies and live plants, lined the walls.

At the age of ten, Mark received his first ten-gallon aquarium from another neighbor with like interests. The tank came equipped with all of the fittings, which included an old Supreme piston pump, and two fish that Mark remembers well—one kissing gourami (Helostoma temmincki) and one blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus).

Encouraged by the full support of his parents, Mark’s passion flourished. It was a memorable day when his father took him on an excursion to Brooklyn for the purchase of his first thirty-gallon tank. His bedroom soon held this plus three more tanks, which housed everything from guppies to discus, and even saltwater fish!

Attending college at the State University of New York at Brockport, where Mark went on to get his Masters, put fishkeeping on a brief hiatus. In 1984, the newly wed Mark and Robin Soberman went for a day’s outing at the racetrack, where Mark won an Exacta. Well, he immediately drove to Tropical Fish

Supermarket with his winnings! The store’s proprietor, Charlie Murphy, assisted Mark and got him back into full swing with a twenty-nine gallon setup.

Mark’s hobby had been rekindled and it expanded, until eventually he was able to create his dream of a fishroom. Putting in long days as sales manager of a dental supply company, he can now rejuvenate in this basement room, immersed amongst the fish and bubbling waters of forty aquariums which range in size from 10 to 125 gallons. With Mark’s precise and meticulous style, the neat rows of tanks shine with healthy, vibrant, and prolific fish. Although Mark specializes in breeding Corydoras catfish species, over the years he has also bred cichlids, killifish, characins, and livebearers. He is involved in a variety of projects, his most recent being to attempt the breeding of some of the riverine Synodontis species.

One can always spot Mark’s fish in a show, most particularly if they are catfish, for they are certain to stand out from the rest due to the brilliant colors, large size, and striking beauty. His walls and shelves are filled with numerous trophies in recognition of his talents. Mark’s reputation travels far and wide for his ability to condition his fish and provide appropriate conditions for the spawning of the most difficult species.


With a deep interest in the history of the aquarium hobby, Mark has a remarkable collection of antiquarian literature and ephemera that joins numerous aquatic artifacts. This is displayed in special bookcases, with extra space available for his insatiable desire to discover yet another rare book.

The premier “All Aquarium Catfish Convention,” held in 2004, began a new journey in Mark’s outstanding career as he served as a panelist on the Corydoras Forum and united with fellow catfish experts from across the world. As a result of his acquaintances here, he now serves in the distinguished role of moderator on the highly respected forum, “Planet Catfish,” www.planetcatfish.com, and he is a member of the British Catfish Study Group. In 2006, Mark was invited back to the biannual convention to speak on African catfish.

Involved with the formation of the North American Catfish Society, as well as other catfish organizations, Mark is also an author, having written articles for Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Modern Aquarium, and several catfish journals. A highly sought after speaker, Mark has traveled extensively, giving his programs across the country as well as in Bermuda for the Bermuda Fry-Angle Society.

A member of the Greater City Aquarium Society since 1984, Mark has served on its Board of Directors for more than 15 years and is currently Vice President of the club. Enrolled in Greater City’s Joseph Ferdenzi Roll of Honor in 1998, he is also one of the club’s

top lifetime breeders. Aside from the GCAS, Mark is a member of the Long Island Killifish Association (LIKA), the American Killifish Association (AKA), and the American Cichlid Association (ACA), as well as the aforementioned British Catfish Study Group.

It is with great pride and warmth that we welcome Mark tonight as he shares his extensive knowledge and experience with African Catfish.

Photo by Claudia Dickinson


O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,You sit there in my room, waiting for me toCome in and enjoy the view.

O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,Fully lit, you brighten my day and allowMe to view you in all your splendor.

O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,With your filtration providing those whoInhabit you with the vital oxygen they needTo breathe, and keeping their watery world clean.

O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,The plants you house look so green andBeautiful and make your inhabitants feel as happyAs I feel to look at them.

O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,You are a window to a wonderful watery worldWhose beauty words alone cannot fullyDescribe.

O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,Look at how beautiful and plentiful yourInhabitants are. How I wish I couldHave all the different kinds there are in thisWorld and admire them in all their glory.

O Fish Tank, My Fish Tank, How Happy You Make Me,When I turn off your lights at night soI may sleep, I smile knowing that I willWake to your beautiful sight again with theNext day’s dawn.

O Fish Tank! My Fish Tank!by William Amely

28 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) April 2009 17

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.

Photo courtesy of the New England Aquarium

Tails of the

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Truman, a 7-foot-long, 30-pound octopus at theNew England Aquarium, managed to squeezehis body into a 14-inch square acrylic box in

search of food. The 30-minute performance drew acrowd of staff and guests. Caretakers at theaquarium place foodinside locked boxes as anenrichment activity. Theidea is that the animals,who are very intelligent,must figure out how tounlatch the boxes and getthe food. Recently,biologist Bill Murphyplaced some crabs inside a6-inch-square acrylic cubeand latched it, then placedthat cube inside a 14-inchcube with a different latch.The cubes were thenplaced inside Truman’stank.

The idea was for Truman to release the latchon the larger box, then release the latch of thesmaller one to get his food. The staff did not expectTruman to get to work until after the aquariumclosed and it was dark, because octopi typically preyon other animals at night. But Truman wasimpatient (or very hungry). He got to work rightaway. Rather than undoing the latch on the largerbox, he squeezed his legs and large head through atwo-inch hole in the larger box. Once inside, heworked for 30 minutes to try to unlatch the smallerbox. When he couldn’t get the smaller box open,

Truman simply slithered out again, the aquariumsaid.

Then, there’s Otto, a six month old octopusat Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, whoshorted out the aquarium’s entire electrical systemby squirting water at a spotlight overhead. At twofeet, seven inches, Otto discovered he was bigenough to swing onto the edge of his tank andshoot out the 2,000 watt spotlight above him witha carefully directed jet of water. Staff at theaquarium believe Otto was annoyed by the brightlight shining into his aquarium, and discovered hecould extinguish it by climbing onto the rim of histank and squirting a jet of water in its direction.

And then there is the female two-spottedoctopus at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium inCalifornia. She apparently tugged on a valve thatallowed hundreds of gallons of water to overflowits tank. While no sealife was harmed by theflood, the brand new (and ecologically designed)floors might have sustained some damage.

As you can see, the octopus is a verydexterous creature. Because it’s made of muscularhydrostat (the same type of muscle as the human

tongue) the tentacles ofan octopus can bend inany direction. When anoctopus reaches forsomething, its tentaclethins and elongates as itstretches toward theobject of its desire,enabling it to accesscrevices. Once it reachesits destination, theoctopus can then grasp anobject by wrapping theend of its tentacle aroundit. So, if these abilitiescould be translated into a

robot, then that robot could provide nearly endlesscapability for exploring hard to reach places in theocean, or at least that is the thinking of CeciliaLaschi, professor of industrial bioengineering atthe Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy.Laschi’s project, officially titled “Octopus,” wasproposed and approved by EuropeanCommission’s Seventh Framework Programme(FP7), the EU’s main funding organization forresearch initiatives in technology.

Referenceshttp://www.wmur.com/family/18868489/detail.html http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/64662.htmlhttp://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20090226/49a62fe0_3ca6_1552620090226-246635279http://news.cnet.com/8301-17912_3-10204095-72.html


GCAS Happenings April

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:GREATER CITY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: May 6, 2009Speaker: tBaTopic: TBDMeets the first Wednesday of the month (except January &

February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical garden 43-50 Main street - Flushing, NYContact: Dan Radebaugh (347) 866-1107Email: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

BIG APPLE GUPPY CLUBMeets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan & Feb) at

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

BROOKLYN AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: April 10, 2009Speaker: tony Vargas Topic: Diving On The Philippines ReefMeets the 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August)

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

LONG ISLAND AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: April 17, 2009Speaker: tony Pinto Topic: Trip to Kalimantan, Borneo collecting wild bettas and

licorice gouramiMeets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm.greenhouse Meeting room, holtsville ecology Center,

Buckley road, holtsville, NY Website: http://liasonline.org/Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]

EAST COAST GUPPY ASSOCIATIONMeets: 1st Thursday 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: April 14, 2009Speaker: Ed ChampignyTopic: Goldfish and KoiMeets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August)

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

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

NORTH JERSEY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: April 16, 2009Speaker: Mo devlinTopic: Big CichlidsMeets: 7:30 P.M. Lyndhurst elks Club - 251 Park ave - Lyndhurst, NJContact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.njas.net/ or

NORWALK AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: April 16, 2009Speaker & Topic: tBdMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at:

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

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:1 BoB Hamje Red Capped oRanda

2 maRio BengCion douBle-Tail BeTTa

3 BoB Hamje KRiBensis

Unofficial 2009 Bowl Show totalS to date:RoBeRt hamje 6 maRio Bengcion 3

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS bill Amely, ShAron bArnett, Steve bermAn, Jeff bollbAch, Arne briStulf, lAmont brown, Pete D’orio, roD Du cASSe, hArry fAuStmAnn, Joe ferDenzi, wArren feuer, wAlter gAllo, horSt gerber, Arie gilbert, Joe grAffAgnino, Al gruSell, bob hAmJe, bernArD hArrigAn, ben & emmA hAuS, mike henDerSon, JASon kerner, Denver lettmAn, rich levy, mAtt mcgullAm, JAkleen minASSi-hAftvAnni, temeS mo, Jim & mArgAret PeterSon, Al & Sue PrieSt, DAn Puleo, DAn & mArShA rADebAugh, DonnA & Steve SicA, mArk SobermAn, Peter & SuSAn Steiner, JAck trAub, Anton vukich, eD vukich, AnD richArD wAizmAn! A SPeciAl welcome to new memberS Steven lin, DAviD PArriS, Peter riverA, AnD bArbArA romeo!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)30 April 200924 April 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Fin FunPussies Galore!

Our scheduled program this month is on African catfish. Of course, catfish are not just found in Africa.There are Asian, South American, North American, and even Australian catfish. Using the chart below,see if you can pick out the African catfish from those endemic to other continents.

Scientific Name Common Name African Other

Eutropiellus buffei Swallowtail Glass Catfish

Synodontis congicus Congo Synodontis

Corydoras crypticus Cryptic Cory

Hexanematichthys graeffei Benny’s Shark Catfish

Auchenoglanis occidentalis Giraffe-Nosed Catfish

Tatia galaxias Milky Way Woodcat

Glyptoperichthys punctatus Spotted Sailfin Pleco

Schilbe marmoratus Shoulder Spot Catfish

Synodontis eupterus Featherfin Catfish

Peckolita vittata Striped PeckolitaSource: Baensch Photo Index 1-5, Baensch Hans A

Answers to last month’s Puzzle: Vivaldi in the Fishroom

Common Name Scientific Name

White River Springfish Crenichthys baileyi baileyi

Snowflake Bristlenose Baryancistrus niveatus

Snow King Sailfin Pleco Liposarcus anisitsi

Spring Pygmy Sunfish Elassoma alabamae

Christmas Darter Etheostoma hopkinsi

Easter Damselfish Chrysiptera rapanui

South American Leaf-Fish Monocirrhus polyacanthus

Spring Cavefish Forbesichthys agassizii

Snow Pleco Pterygoplichthys anisitsiSource: Baensch Photo Index 1-5, Baensch Hans A

http://www.fishbase.org/

Documents

Modern Aquarium April 2009