Modern Aquarium

July 2013volume XXnumber 5

1994 — 20th Anniversary — 2013

ON THE COVER

Our cover this month features Fishkeeperus longislandi, a species well-known to our members. For more information on the habitat requirements of this denizen of Suburbia, see Jules Birnbaum's "Three Years in the Fishroom," on page 14.

Photo by Alexandra Horton

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

BOARD MEMBERS

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Edward VukichTreasurer Jules BirnbaumAssistant Treasurer Ron WiesenfeldCorresponding Secretary Sean Cunningham Recording Secretary Tommy Chang

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Claudia Dickinson Pete D’OrioAl Grusell Ben HausEmma Haus Jason KernerLeonard Ramroop

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

A.C.A. Delegate Claudia DickinsonBowl Show Leonard RamroopBreeder Award Warren Feuer Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate Alexander A. PriestMembership Marsha RadebaughN.E.C. Delegate Claudia DickinsonPrograms Claudia Dickinson

Mark SobermanTechnology Coordinator Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM

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

In This Issue

From the Editor 2

G.C.A.S. 2013 Program Schedule 3

President’s Message 4

June's Caption Contest Winner 5

Cartoon Caption Contest 7

Bad Rap for Goodeids? 9by Dan Radebaugh

G.C.A.S. Bowl Show Rules 11

Pictures from our Last Meeting 12by Susan Priest

Three Years in the Fishroom: My Grades 14by Jules Birnbaum

Key Largo Revisited 17by Stephen Sica

Bujurquina Vittata: The Banded Acara 20by Joseph Graffagnino

Our Generous Sponsors & Advertisers 21

Rules for August's Silent Auction 22

Member Classifieds 24

G.C.A.S. Happenings 26

The Undergravel Reporter 27Remember When All Fish "Swam"?

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 28Heads Up!

Series III Vol. XX, No. 5 July, 2013

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 July 2013

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

Since I’ve been Editor, our group of active authors has been pretty stable; some are less active now than they once were, others have left, and still

others have joined and are making their own, unique contributions. I want to be sure that all our authors know how much I (and our members) appreciate their contribution to the improvement of our fishkeeping knowledge, as well as to our reading pleasure and entertainment.

I have lately been reading old issues of Modern Aquarium (see the President’s Message for further elaboration), and a few things come to mind. In terms of quality, this has been a stellar publication for many years—it was in fact excellent for some years before it began to be recognized as being so. In the past couple of weeks I’ve added 2007 to the volumes available online. Fortunately, Al Priest had given me the 2007 issues in their electronic format when I took over as Editor in 2008. I say fortunately, because the printing of the issues prior to 2008 was, except for the front covers, all done in black and white (color was cost-prohibitive). For the text of course this wasn’t a big deal; it looks great, as does the hand-drawn art. The problem was the photos. They just didn’t print well. Here’s where fortune comes in. As I was perusing 2007, I noticed that these same photos in the electronic document look perfectly fine, even though they’re still (mostly) in B&W. So this is one case in which the issues online will look even better than the printed ones did!

This wasn’t the only thing I noticed, of course. For one thing, we used to have many more articles on plants than we’ve had recently. I see a lot of plants at our monthly auctions, so someone here clearly knows what they’re doing. Come on, guys & gals—pass on the knowledge as well as the plants. Tell us about your plants! Tell us how you succeed!

We also used to have more articles on saltwater subjects. I know that we’re presently a very freshwater-heavy group, and I’m very much in tune with that bias, but I have to believe that some of you are doing more than you’re saying. Right now, I feel like if I had to learn how to keep up with salinity levels, specific gravity, preparing saltwater mixes and all, I’d probably just cry and throw up. Who knows, though? Maybe if I read the right thing I’d be motivated to try. So on second thought, never mind about the saltwater articles. Ignorance is bliss, so they say.

Also, I know both first-hand and through my spies, that more than a few of you have some very interesting breeding projects going on. We want to know. We want to know. We want to know!

In a slightly different vein, in one of Al Priest's “Babblenest” columns in 2007, he mentioned that one of his motivations in turning over the editorship was so that he could spend more time with his fish. I’ll now testify that he wasn’t kidding. The amount of time and attention my fish receive has steadily decreased over the past five years or so. Though they might like to, our fish (unlike say, our cats), can’t hunt us down and remind us to feed them, clean up their environment, or just be companionable (I have no documented proof of this, but I am convinced that many of our watery friends like to see us and interact with us as much as our furry ones do, even absent the familiar mammalian exchange of body heat and physical play). So Al, I can totally validate that time claim!

* * *Remember, just in case I was too obscure above,

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

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

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2013 3

GCASPrograms

2013It is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously

accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent

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

Claudia

March 6 Joe Ferdenzi90 Years of GCAS!

April 3 Larry JohnsonLake Malawi

May 1 Sal SilvestriApistogrammas

June 5 Leslie DickLivebearers

July 3 Joe FerdenziDo-It-Yourself Aquarium Gadgets

August 7 Silent Auction

September 12 Mark DenaroBettas/Labyrinth Fishes

October 2 TBA

November 6 TBA

December 4 Holiday Party!

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to [email protected]. Copyright 2013 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com


President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

One of my long-term projects as President (and Editor—I forget which of us thought of it) has

been to make our magazine available online. So far, all issues from 2008, my first year as Editor, through 2012 are now accessible. You can get to them from our website (www.GreaterCity.org), or you can go directly to Issuu.com and search for Modern Aquarium. In recent weeks I’ve been looking through earlier issues to determine whether we should try to make them available as well. This is in large part a matter of historical preservation. A club like ours doesn’t have an “office,” or a staff, or a library. What we have are members who donate their time and energies to helping us do the things that need to be done to keep the club able to adequately serve its members. Things like awards, records, magazines, and other physical memorabilia of our existence are left to individual members to take care of (or not). For a club with a longevity like that of Greater City, this can sometimes be a problem. Greater City has been fortunate over the past twenty or so years to have members who have stepped up and taken ownership of some of these important tasks. Joe Ferdenzi in particular has been a stalwart. Not only did he serve as President for many years, he has also written many articles for our club magazine, spoken many times to our club and others, and served as de facto club (and indeed aquarium hobby) historian, among other, less-publicized roles. We of course have other members who have made very important

contributions—most of you know who they are, and I don’t have the space here make this an honor roll). The point is that much of our historical archiving is quite understandably done on a rather ad hoc basis. When the member handling one of these important areas leaves (all of us will sometime experience life changes, grow old, move away, etc.), the club may or may not be able to find another member who is willing and able to pick up the reins.

This brings me to the subject of online access to Modern Aquarium. Until the past few years our web site was hosted on a Compuserve account set up by Al Priest. With Compuserve’s purchase by AOL and subsequent effective demise, we moved the site—still administered by Al—to an Earthlink account, and it continues to cost the club nothing. Meanwhile, our data, namely six years (so far) of Modern Aquarium, is stored and accessible online, again at no cost to the club, and the club is not dependent on any one member for server space. So if Al or I wear out, as eventually we must (this club has been going for over ninety years now, remember), Modern Aquarium will still be available as a legacy for future members.

Dan


June's Caption Winner:Denver Lettman

Up for bid — a breeding pair of Dentura labiatus!

6 July 2013 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Support Fish in the Classroom!If you have any 5 or 10 gallon tanks, or any filters, pumps, or plants that you could donate to NYC teacher Michael Paoli's classrooms, could you please bring them in or email Rich Levy ([email protected]). If you'd like to donate larger tanks, be sure and email Rich so he can make sure Michael can accommodate it.


The Modern AquariumCartoon Caption Contest

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

Your Caption:

Your Name:

Cartoon by Elliot Oshins


Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies

Serving the Northeastern Portion of the United States

SUMMER AUCTION – 2013! SUNDAY August 11, 2013

OF FISH (All Species), AQUARIUM EQUIPMENT AND RELATED DRY

GOODS,

Location: THE CROWNE PLAZA 100 Berlin Road

Cromwell, CT (860) 635-2000

Registration: Register at the auction, 50/50 split, 10 or more lots 60/40 split, 1 red dot per vendor, add’l red dot/10 *lots, please label your bags (see auction rules)

*Acceptable lots will be determined by the auction committee

Vendors Tables

Food & Refreshments will be available

AUCTION HOURS:

REGISTRATION.................................8:00 AM TO 11:00 AM

VIEWING OF GOODS........................9:30 AM TO 10:45 AM

AUCTION..................................................11:00 AM TO 5 PM

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

NEC INVITES YOU TO ATTEND!!!


Bad Rap for Goodeids?Story and Photos by Dan Radebaugh

Over the past year or so we’ve had several articles on, and a few guest speaker presentations detailing efforts to preserve

endangered “little gray ditch fish,” such as the North American family of goodeids, a group of livebearers now seriously endangered by habitat destruction exacerbated by unwise introductions of exotic species—in short, the things afflicting virtually all the wildlife—plant and animal—on the planet. However, along with the pleas for our (aquarists’) help by devoting tanks space to help preserve some of these species, comes a rather explicit rejection of their worth as denizens of our tanks. I know it’s done partly in humor, but the message seems to be, “I know they’re not much to look at, but it would be really noble of you to keep some of these guys alive.”

While this approach may work to some extent, by making us feel “special” for devoting some “excess tank space” to these fishes, I believe it also does them a disservice. Can we really say that all of the other fishes we routinely keep in our tanks are miracles of living color? Please! How colorful are guppies? Or cory cats? Or even most tetras, for that matter? Take a look at your tanks, and honestly evaluate how you’re making your decisions on what populations you maintain? Is it really all about the color? I like color probably as much as anyone does, and I enjoy keeping fish that visually pop. However, not all of my fish are chosen specifically for their color. I’ve noticed in the fishrooms of some other members here a similarly catholic approach. We like what we like, sometimes for rather odd and personal reasons. So why run down an entire family

of fishes just because they aren’t intensely colorful? And who says only intensely colorful fish are beautiful?

So that’s part of the motivation for this article; the other part is that I believe these guys (the goodeids) are getting a bad rap on their level of attractiveness. When Rit Forcier came here to speak a couple of years ago, I bought a couple of his Ilyodon whitei at that evening’s auction. I bought them

mostly out of curiosity—they looked pretty plain in the bag (though in my opinion most fish do). I have in turn brought in some of their fry to auction from time to time. (This brings up an embarrassing side-story: Somewhere along the way I managed to confuse myself about the name of the fish, and so for the BAP points and ID info for our auctions I have referred to them as Ilyodon furcidens, a closely

related, but larger species. Preparing for this article, I checked my original records and confirmed that they are in fact I. whitei. So, if you’ve bought any of those fry from me at auction, take note of their true identity!) One member of the original pair (there were three in the bag, but one of them had already bought the farm) became ill and died several months ago, and to give the younger ones more room in their ten gallon tank, I moved the surviving parent into my “miscellaneous” 30 gallon tank, where he quickly became a star attraction. Not that he was unattractive in the 10 gallon; but these are (for livebearers) fairly large, robust, and active fish, with subtle but striking coloration, and the additional space allows them to show themselves off to much better advantage than

Above: Ilyodon wheitei in 30 gal. with unidentified rainbow fish.Upper right: I. wheitei checking out the photographer.Lower left: Juvenile I. wheitei in 10 gallon.


they're able to in a smaller tank. Keeping this fish involves no aesthetic sacrifice whatever! Who knew?

Ilyodon whitei is native to Mexico’s Pacific

slope, inhabiting the upper tributaries of the Rio Balsas in the states México, Michoacán and Morelos1. Their habitat consists of “pools and riffles of clear to turbid streams, over substrates of sand, silt, mud, gravel, rocks and boulders. The currents are usually slight to swift. Vegetation can be absent or made of green algae, Potamogeton and Ceratophyllum. The preferred depth is less than 1.3m.1” The species within this genus have been difficult to firmly classify, being very closely related, and they have amassed a number of Latin names along the way. According to the Goodeid Working Group, “This genus is definitely in a specification process, which makes it very difficult for scientists to classify the different forms1.”

I. whitei is an enthusiastic feeder, and not fussy. An omnivore, it will eat whatever you put in there, wherever in the water column it can find it. In keeping with what we know of its native habitat, most of the water recommendations you will see are to be expected: relatively hard water, with a pH of 7 to 9. However, I have not found them to care much about this sort of thing. I’ve mostly kept mine in a planted ten gallon tank with no heater, and have made no attempt to alter the pH of our New York City tapwater (7.0 out of the faucet), so it stays right around 6.8. I do a 50% water change once a week. They do seem to be somewhat sensitive to chlorine, so either use a dechlorinator with your water changes, or keep some aged water on hand.

Newborn fry are surprisingly large, and I have witnessed no signs of fry predation by the adults. My 2nd generation group began reproducing at about 1.5 inches. Brood quantities have been 4 or 5 so far, but the literature suggests that up to ten times that is not uncommon.

The I. Whitei in the 10 gallon tank are cohabiting with an Aspidoras catfish and a couple of kuhli loaches, as well as many snails. The 30 gallon is likewise heavily planted, but heated, with pH also in the 6.8 pH range. Tankmates include a couple of golden snowball plecos (Hypancistrus contradens, L201), a mormyrid, a Synodontis nigriventris, two leopard ctenopomas, many, many snails, and one lonely rainbow fish.

The adult I. whitei has been a great addition to this tank—brightening it up visually and adding some energy and movement. There are splashes of yellow on its fins that really add some flash to the tank. Nevertheless, these tankmates would not be suitable for a family group of these fish, as the ctenopomas would make short work of any fry. Although I do currently have a group of youngsters in a ten gallon tank, a twenty would really be better, considering

their size and energy level. Easy to feed, and easy to keep, I highly recommend this very attractive fish for a place in your collection!

For more information:1http://www.goodeidworkinggroup.com/Ilyodon-whitei2 h t t p : / / w w w . d i s c o v e r l i f e . o r g /mp/20m?map=Ilyodon+whitei3http://www.goodeiden.de/html/whitei-lennoni3.html

Distribution of Ilyodon whitei3

SPECIES NOTESScientific name: Ilyodon whiteiSynonyms: Goodea whitei Meek, 1904 Balsadichthys whitei Hubbs, 1926 Ilyodon lennoni Meyer & Förster, 1983Common names: Balsas Splitfin White's Ilyodon Adult total length: 3.5 inchesTemperature: 68-83° FpH: 7-9 Distribution: Pacific slope of MexicoReproduction: Livebearer.Temperament: Suitable for community tanksEnvironment: RiversNutrition: OmnivoreIUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2013 11Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)6 March 2010

BOWL SHOWRULES

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

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


The evening’s speaker, Leslie Dick,

with GCAS President Dan Radebaugh

Leslie and Dan with Claudia Dickinson

Leslie’s sidekick for the evening,

Rit Forcier, making a point

Brad Dickinson and Joe Ferdenzi --

They must be talking about water changes

Jules Birnbaum -- can it be true that he is

(almost) 80 years young?How many did you count?

Pictures from our

18 July 2013 M odern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)


Andrew DeSantis with sons Michael

(Black shirt) & Christopher (white shirt)

Emanuele Viola

Brad and Claudia Dickinson

1st Place: Jerry O’Farrell

2nd Place: Rich Waizman 3rd Place: Mario Bengcion

last meetingPhotos by Susan Priest

A warm welcome to our newest members:

And welcome back to:

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2013 19


In case you missed Rich Levy’s video tour of my fishroom, I’ll give you a short review. His interview showed the 9 X 12 room and

discussed how it all came about. I’ve been in this room for many hours over the past three years, so I will give you some of my personal experiences working there, and some of the grades I give myself.

There are two points I would like to stress before I proceed. First, never stop learning, regardless of your age. You can learn from fellow club members, speakers at our meetings, conventions, books, the internet, and by spending time with your fish. Second, form some good habits that successful aquarists have utilized over the years. Good habits make much of what we do in everyday life automatic and thus less stressful.

My fishroom has a Mitsubishi heat pump, which provides air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. This unit has been running for three years, and I’m very satisfied with the results. If I come into the room during the summer and the room temperature is uncomfortably high, I simply lower the temperature by using the remote. In the winter I control the temperature the same way. All individual tank heaters have been eliminated. The heat pump is a luxury that has worked out well. This unit deserves my grade of A+.

A small TV keeps me up to date and also keeps me company. I don’t have to miss what is going on in the world by being in a room with

no windows. This TV has worked out well, and deserves an A+.

A refrigerator in the room is shared by my wife; fortunately it is full-sized. So far there have been no complaints from my wife or the kitchen staff (me). Another A+.

The fact that the room is on the first floor of a converted garage (we have no basement) has also worked out well. There are no stairs to torture tired legs, and I just go out the back door to work in the garden. This also gets as A+.

My water changing system is composed of two water pumps, one for each side of the room, attached to tubing which empties into the laundry room sink. I have a contraption for filling the tanks that has an automatic cut-off when the water reaches the level I desire. This system allows me to change 80 per cent of the water in each of my 25 tanks in a total of 2 ½ hours. I perform this water change once a week. Although some larger fishroom owners have developed automatic water change systems, mine works for me. If someone comes up with a better system without the need for drilling tanks, I’ll consider changing my system, but for now I’m satisfied. I give this system a B.

My racks were constructed of 2X4 and 2X6 wooden boards. The racks remain unpainted. The plans came from JEHMCO fishroom supply company, and I also received advice from Joe Ferdenzi. All my tanks are positioned the long way, for maximum ease of viewing. My racks were designed for 20, 29, 30, and two custom 45 gallon tanks. The only space I have for additional tanks is in the center of the room. The racks could be improved to get the lower tanks higher and offer room for more tanks. I grade the racks a C.

The tanks sit on sheets of clear plastic to protect the shelving from decay caused by water spills or leaks. There are two levels, one at eye level and one at a lower level, about 12 inches above the floor. All tanks are covered to keep down the humidity in the room. The standard covers are sometimes annoying, since the seams

THREE YEARS IN THE FISHROOM: MY GRADES

by Jules Birnbaum


sometimes fail from the constant use. They also need periodic cleaning so that the maximum light can get through. Tank maintenance would be easier if the tanks were uncovered, but humidity would have to be watched closely. I might try this in the future. Grade B.

I recently converted all my light fixtures to LED, using Current’s Satellite Freshwater LEDs. I can’t fully rate them yet for growing plants, but they are 6500K and have wireless remote controllers. They look great, and the light brings out the best in my fish and plants. I’m certainly saving a lot on electricity, and the bulbs are good for 50,000 hours. I previously had 20 fluorescent bulbs. By using the LED fixtures I don’t have to replace bulbs every two or three years. I give lighting a provisional grade of A+ for now.

One linear piston air pump runs the box filters (Poret Hamberg type) and sponge filters. The pump was purchased from JEHMCO fishroom supply house, and can supply 60 to 80 tanks. It’s been running for three years with no problems, but I do have a backup pump that will supply 40 tanks. I have eliminated all but this one pump for the room. I would rate the pump an A+.

The fishroom floor is covered with 12-inch foam squares, that are constructed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. This has made it easy on my feet and knees when servicing the lower tanks. The flooring is also water and mold proof .When fish jump out they now bounce. Grade A+.

All but three tanks are heavily planted; I love live plants almost as much as I do the fish. The plants I have thrive on moderate or low light. The more heavily planted tanks have less of an algae problem. Most of my planted tanks have a slight layer of fine substrate. This thin layer avoids a buildup of mulm, is easier to keep clean, and the gravel makes the tanks look more natural. Some of my plants are grown in clay pots or attached to rocks and wood, making it is easier to break down the tanks, or to move the plants to a different tank. Each clay pot is half filled with potting soil and then covered with gravel. Grade A+.

Tanks below eye level cause maintenance (and bad back) problems. Any lower level tanks should be avoided; if it can’t be helped they should be at least a foot or two above the floor. Higher rows of tanks, above eye level, are also a problem to maintain. After the experience of these past three years I will try to stay away from any more

high or low tanks. I grade the positioning of my lower tanks and one higher tank a failure.

My fish are mainly small killifish, livebearers, and dwarf cichlids, a choice dictated by the size of my tanks. I have one big 11-inch mistake, a 10-year-old gold severum that I raised from a 1-inch juvenile to its present large size. The lesson I have learned is to try and stay away from large fish unless you have large tanks. The trouble here is I have never met a fish I did not like. My tanks are overpopulated. Grade C.

Feeding once a day means using a high (46%) protein flake such as beef heart/color enhancing varieties, Repashy gel food, frozen bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp, microworms, or table food such as salmon, shrimp, and chicken. The saying goes, “you are what you eat.” My wife and I have always tried to eat a balanced diet, and this has been carried over to my fish. My grade here is an A+.

Our local weather has changed for the worse, and we have looked into obtaining emergency generators for the house. We don’t have natural gas, and prices for anything worthwhile ($3,000 and up) don’t warrant our expenditure at this time. We also looked into a permanent propane generator, but our current local regulations make this impracticable. This situation is hard to grade because the weather is beyond my control, and so far I have not purchased a generator. A “grade pending” for now.

I am still learning, and open to new ideas. The next three years might bring many changes to my fishroom, and hopefully I will improve my overall grade. Graduation is a long way off, if ever.

Photos by Alexandra Horton



In one of my latest articles about our travels in Key Largo last year, I briefly mentioned our experience with the Coral Restoration

Foundation, or CRF. We were introduced to the CRF during our annual Key Largo diving reunion. I have a lasting reminder of this adventure in the form of a small permanent lump on the end knuckle of my left index finger where I was stung by fire coral while scraping growth from a PVC plastic coral growing tree. Unfortunately, many different life-forms, aside from specific corals that the foundation is attempting to grow, abound on their growing trees.

We began our reunion weekend on a Friday morning by attending a lecture and slide show about the history, development and goals of the foundation. The presentation was given by Ken Nedimyer, the founder of CRF. The foundation provides classroom training followed by work in the field. They also offer lectures to local groups such as schools, civic organizations, and dive clubs. As a non-profit conservation organization, the CRF operates via grants, donations, and fundraising. Nedimyer has a small staff that is supplemented by unpaid volunteers. The CRF has a website (http://www.coralrestoration.org/get-involved/) where you can adopt a coral for a donation, or make an on-line donation in any amount, or even purchase a tee shirt!

Nedimyer relocated to Key Largo many years ago with his young family, where he started a wholesale business in the saltwater tropical fish industry. Ultimately, he became interested in conservation as he experienced, firsthand, the decline of Florida’s reef system.

Coral reefs comprise a very small part of the marine eco-system, but they provide refuge to a much greater percentage of fish and other sea life. Without reefs, where would all the reef fishes live? With no place to hide, would they be eaten by the open water pelagics?

The CRF specializes in elkhorn and staghorn corals. These are the primary reef-building species in the Florida Keys and most of the Caribbean. I believe that these corals are now officially listed as endangered in the United States. Every time that we visit Florida or the Caribbean, it seems that the coral reefs are shrinking. Signature dives, such as

“Mushroom Forest” in Curaçao, are now mostly skeletons in many places. I remember that we had paid extra for the long boat ride to this famous dive site almost two years ago. I almost spit my regulator mouthpiece when I saw the degradation of the corals! It was not worth the time and cost.

After the introductory lecture, slide presentation, and basic instruction, we left for the dive boat, which took us a few miles offshore to a sandy bottom in about 25 to 30 feet of calm water. This was the location of the coral reef farm and planting fields. We were divided into groups of four and assigned to either a CRF employee or volunteer. Each group made two dives on specific growing trees that were assigned to us. The four of us were divided into two groups. On the first dive, Donna and I cleaned the trees with a wire brush and a paint scrapper, while our partners prepared small pieces of coral for “planting” on the trees. Actually, the new corals were fastened to the arms of the tree as if you were decorating it. On the second dive we exchanged jobs. To prevent damage to the coral we used a tiny metal tube to loop nylon fishing line around small pieces of coral. Then we hung the corals from the branches on the trees by inserting and crimping another tiny metal tube at the end with pliers to hold the coral in place on the tree.

My camera was dangling from a wrist thong, so I found it difficult to work. I seized upon the opportunity to allow Donna to carry my share of the work for a few minutes while I took photos. There were several bold fish that would dart in periodically to eat the scrapings before they fell to the seafloor. I attempted to photograph these fish, some of which came within inches of us. After we finished, our group leader took us on a brief underwater tour of the coral farm before heading back to the boat. By the time we were back on the boat, the pain from my coral sting had subsided. It was a worthwhile experience.

Nedimyer’s goal is to engage as many people as possible to help save the reefs. I’m sure that almost everyone, even members of aquarium societies, can help save a reef—or a least a coral here and there. You know what some people say: “After your dog, coral is man’s best friend!” Someday, we may find out if my statement is true—assuming that corals are not by then extinct.

Key Largo RevisitedStory and Photos by Stephen Sica


Donna and her team prepping coral fragments and hanging them on a newly cleaned tree.

Donna fastening thin nylon line to a small coral fragment before hanging it from a tree.

Coral fragments growing on PVC plastic tree.Adolescent corals to be either cut into small fragments, or fastened near or on a reef in larger pieces to re-populate barren areas.

Similar to land plants, corals are grown in flat or bed-like frames--albeit underwater.

Ken Nedimyer, the CRF founder, surveys and tends to his corals.


Donna scraping growth and debris from a tree to prepare it for another coral planting or hanging.

After a long morning of coral restoration, Donna heads back to the boat for a well deserved rest--and lunch back on shore.

Close-up of coral fragments hanging from their tree.

Coral fragments PVC plastic growing tree and resident White grunts, Haemulon plumier. This coral farm is on a flat sandy bottom so fish congregate at the trees for protection and a food supply.

Close-up of resident grunts.


Bujurquina vittata

The Banded AcaraStory and Photos by Joseph Graffagnino

Bujurquina vittata is an interesting biparental mouth-brooding South American (Brazil, Argentina and

Paraguay) cichlid. This little beauty, not growing larger than 4.5 inches, is unique because both parents take the fry in their mouth when they change foraging locations. If predators are about, the fry zoom into the parents’ mouths, and the pair makes a quick escape. I fed the parents a diet of HBH African Cichlid Attack™ pellets, various types of flakes, and live blackworms. There were originally three females and a male when I got them from friends at the North Jersey Aquarium Society (hence the need to join multiple fish clubs). It took several months, but eventually I found the male and one of the females prodding the other two females away. Not wanting to have the single females hurt, I moved them to another aquarium. The new pair quickly set up house in the center of the tank.

They are excellent parents, though very nervous, zooming across the aquarium at full

speed. Fearing for their safety, I taped newspaper on the front glass. To observe them I had to carefully and quietly move to the side panes. I also limited water changes for fear of upsetting them, possibility causing them to eat their fry. They laid their eggs on the inside of a half of a coconut shell, along the top ridge. Then, after a few weeks of semi isolation, I was rewarded

when I witnessed a cloud of babies rising off the bottom, between their parents. For the first few days of free swimming, the babies rarely left their parents, but as the days wore on, they started venturing further away. The parents kept trying to corral them into one spot, but the fry didn’t want to hear it. After the babies had been swimming for two weeks, I removed the parents to a separate tank. I kept the parents’ tank unlit, so as not

to spook them. They were able to see from the lights of other aquariums nearby. The babies didn’t seem to mind the absence of their parents, and continued to graze off the algae and bits of food around the tank. I started them on frozen baby brine shrimp and crushed flakes. Regular biweekly water changes of 15% declorinated tap water produced larger fry. The environment for the fry was 80 degrees Fahrenheit, neutral pH, and soft water, as are New York City standards. In a couple of weeks, they moved to frozen cyclopeeze and minced blood worms.

The males have blue lips, with yellow flush cheeks and a gold streak moving horizontally above their lateral line. The males also have a red trim along the top edge of their dorsal fin. Males have lyre-tail strings that extend

8

They are excellent parents, althoughthey are very nervous, zoomingacross the aquarium at full speed.Fearing for their safety, I tapednewspaper on the front glass. Toobserve them I had to carefully andquietly move to the side panes. I hadto limit water changes for fear of up -setting them with a possibility of themeating their fry. They managed to laytheir eggs in the inside of a half of acoconut shell, along the top ridge. However, after a few weeks of semiisolation, I was rewarded when Iwitnessed a cloud of babies rising o�the bottom, in the center of theirparents. For the �rst few days of freeswimming, the babies rarely left their

parents, but as days wore on, theystarted venturing further away. Theparents were trying to corral them

to hear it. After the babies were swimming

for two weeks, I removed the parents

tank unlit so as not to spook them.They were able to see from the lightsof other aquariums nearby. The babies

their parents and continued to grazeo� the algae and bits of food aroundthe tank. I started them on frozenbaby brine shrimp and crushed�akes. Regular biweekly waterchanges of 15% declorinated tap


from their dorsal, anal and tail fins. They have turquoise blue lines in their pectoral finnage, which are replaced with aquamarine dots in their anal fin and in the rear of their dorsal fin. The males develop a slight hump on their forehead. The females are slightly smaller and are blander in color, but still maintain the aqua blue in their anal fin and at the end of their dorsal fin. The females don’t have the extended fins of the male, and are grayish in color, with slight yellow in their face and cheeks.

I highly recommend this interesting and pretty fish. Their temperament is mild, they don’t bother tankmates and they eat anything in flake, pellet or frozen form. They do especially love live blackworms. I feed them a few pellets or flakes and then the live food, because it will stay in their stomachs longer. This will, in turn, give them greater amounts of protein, which produces larger quantities of, and more fertile

9

eggs. Set them up in a tank of their own, such as a 30 gallon (36”L x 12”w x 20” H), let them pair off, and enjoy their antics!

This article previously appeared in the January-February, 2011 issue of Aquatica, the journal of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society, Vol. XXIV No. 3.



24 July 2013 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Member Classifieds

WANTED:

For Restoration Project: Does anyone have some pieces of bubble-edge glass? Perhaps from a broken or old tank? Need three pieces -- Will pay! Please contact Steve: shhinshaw@gmail.com.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR SALE:

Need to part with 10 fully set up tanks:6 Ten-gallon tanks 1 20-gallon-long2 3 0-gallon tanks1 125 gallon tank with wood stand and canopy

Call Gerry: 347-837-5794------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR SALE: Fish Hobbyist’s Dream Home: $189,000!

Fishroom: 15 X 26 – Almost 400 square feet. 10 Picture-window tanks, with built-in wall shelving underneath for storage. Room for more tanks, with pressurized air system throughout the room. Full sink (hot/cold) with work space; ceramic tile floor.

Pond Room: 12 X 16 – Almost 200 square feet. 300 gallon indoor pond for tropical fish. Mag pump, ceramic tile floor, large cathedral windows, lots of light for growing plants. Gorgeous views. Great place to read the Sunday papers.

Rest of House: 2 BR, 2 BA, HUGE kitchen with 49 cabinets and drawers. All rooms huge, LR/desk area. Almost 2,000 square feet. Central A/C.

Climate: 340 sunny days last year. Mild winters with absolutely NO snow shoveling.

Location: Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. Great name, huh? Was formerly called Hot Springs (and yes, we’ve got ‘em). Very friendly community. Cars actually stop for you to cross the street. Rarely hear a car horn. Two blocks from town.


House Location: On historic site for Geronimo and his braves, where they ground holes in huge boulders (on the southern edge of the property) for cooking maize. Evidence still there (placard next to property). Just 20 feet below us stands a fi sh pond stocked with trout, and another hundred feet down is the Rio Grande River, for rafting, tubing, and fi shing. For even greater bass fi shing, we’re only fi ve miles from Elephant Butte Lake, the largest lake in New Mexico, which also

features water sports such as boating, swimming, fi shing, jet skiing, etc. There are two marinas.

View: Tremendous! From the front porch (completely tiled) you have the best view of Turtleback Mountain rising majestically above the park and river in front of you. Breakfast on the porch is breathtaking! Lunch too!

Taxes: Only $600 per year.

Summing Up: We’ve lived here for 19 years, and I both the fi sh pond and the fi shroom built for my hobby, but I’m now 83, and it’s time to retire from the hobby. We watched our grandchildren grow up as they spent all their summers here. Irreplaceable memories. You could have them too.

Charlie Kuhne: (575) 894-2957


GCAS Happenings July

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

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: August 7, 2013Speaker: NoneEvent: Silent Auction/FleamarketMeets: Meets the first Wednesday of the month (except

January & February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437Email: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

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

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

BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: September 13, 2013 Speaker: Joe GraffagninoEvent: Knowledge of Useless Stuff I Acquired...Meets: 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NYCall: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

LONG ISLAND AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: September 20, 2013Speaker: TBA Topic: TBD Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm. Room 120 in Endeavor Hall on theState University at

Stony Brook Campus, Stony Brook, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]: http://liasonline.org/

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

NASSAU COUNTY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: September 9, 2013Speaker: TBATopic: TBDMeets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August)

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

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

NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: September 19, 2013Speaker: TBA Topic: TBDMeets at: The Lyndhurst Elks Club, 251 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392Email: [email protected]: http://www.njas.net/

NORWALK AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: July 18, 2013Speaker: TBA 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/

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS Steve bermAn, FrAnk bonnici, leSlie Dick, clAuDiA DickinSon, temeS mo, Steve PAnAgiotiDiS, michAel vuliS, AnD richArD wAizmAn!

A SPeciAl welcome to new gcAS memberS AnDrew De SAntiS & FAmily, AnD emAnuele violA!

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:1 Jerry O'Farrell SalmOn elephant ear male Betta

2 richard Waizman GOld & Black kOi anGel

3 mariO BenGciOn White draGOn Betta

UnOFFicial 2013 BOWl ShOW tOtalS tO date:richard Waizman 13 rUBen lUGO 6 mariO BenGciOn 6 Jerry O'Farrell 6 carlOtti deJaGer 5


Spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus)Photograph courtesy CSIRO

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

The Nopili rock-climbing goby has two suckers for climbing.

Photograph courtesy Takashi Maie

Pacific leaping blenny (Alticus arnoldorum)Photograph by Courtney Morgans, UNSW

Rememberwhen all fish

“swam”?A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta flyfrom the song “Can't Help Lovin' That Man”Showboat - lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

The above line from a classic Americanmusical makes for a great song, but, asanother song puts it, “It ain’t necessarily so.”

National Geographic News reports that there are 14known species of handfish.1

These fish, in the genus Brachionichthys usemodified pectoral fins to move about on the seafloor. These highly modified fins have theappearance of hands hence their scientific name,from Latin bracchium meaning “arm” and Greekichthys meaning “fish.”2 They are found in shallow,coastal waters off southeastern Australia.

Then, there is the Pacific leaping blenny aboutwhich National Geographic News reports “areamazingly agile on land, where they engage incomplex social and courtship behaviors” and “canforage, court, and mate—basically take care of alltheir blenny business—only during the few shorthours of midtide. That's when the water level is highenough to keep the fish's skin wet but the wavesaren't strong enough to carry the animals out tosea.”3

And on the freshwater side, NationalGeographic News reports on a goby that can crawlup waterfalls for as much as 100 feet using thesuckers in its mouth!4

I’ve often wondered about the occasional“crispy critter” on my fishroom’s floor. Now, Ithink I understand.

References1 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/photogalleries/100524-new-species-handfish-walk-science-pictures/#/new-handfish-species-pink_20881_600x450.jpg2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handfish3 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/09/pictures/110901-walking-fish-pacific-leaping-blenny-evolution-animals/4 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/01/130107-freshwater-fish-weird-animals-science-evolution/

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2013 17


Fin Fun

The common name of several fish species include the name of body parts. For the purposes of this month’spuzzle, all the common names on the left include reference to a body part that, at least for humans, is foundfrom the neck up. On the right are scientific names of some of those species. See if you can correctlymatch up each common name with the correct scientific name for that fish.

Common Name Scientific Name

Headstander Scleromystax barbatus

Four-eyes Trachyphyllia geoffroyi

Thick-lipped gourami Gnathonemus petersii

Bearded catfish Maylandia xanstomachus

Green Throat Mouthbrooder Thorichthys meeki

Elephantnose fish Epiplatys chaperi

Firemouth cichlid Betta chloropharynx

Pseudotropheus yellow chin Abramites hypselonotus

Toothed carp Trichogaster labiosa

Brain Coral Anableps anableps

Source: http://www.fishbase.org/

Solution to our last puzzle:

Scientific name Scrambled common name UNscrambled commonnamePterophyllum scalare hansigfel angelfishJordanella floridae gliffash flagfishCarassius auratus foldgish goldfishXenomystus nigri hikneiffs knifefishMonocirrhus polyacanthus felfaihs leaffishGnathonemus petersii phantolensee elephantnoseParambassis ranga flagshiss glassfishToxotes jaculatrix herfairsch archerfishMacropodus opercularis radishfeapis paradisefishAstronotus ocellatus casor oscar

24 July 2013 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

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