T H E O N - L I N E J O U R N A L O F T H E B R O O K L Y N A Q U A R I U M S O C I E T Y

VOL . 2 8 JAN UARY ~ F EB RUARY 2 0 1 5 No . 3

AQUATICAAQUQUMetynnis argenteusSilver Dollar

HAPPY NEW YEAR

PAGE 2 THE AQUATICA STAFF.

PAGE 3 CALENDAR OF EVENTS.BAS Events for the years 2015 - 2016

PAGE 4 MOLLIES LOVE CRACKERS!Collecting wild Sailfin Mollies in Florida.ANTHONY P. KROEGER, BAS

PAGE 6 SPECIES PROFILE. The SailfinMollie, Poecili latipinna.JOHN TODARO, BAS PAGE 7 TERRORS OF THEPLANTED AQUARIUM. Keeping Silver dollar fish; you must keep inmind they’re in the same family as thePiranha and are voracious plant eaters.JOHN TODARO, BAS

PAGE 10 SPECIES PROFILE. The Silver Dollar, Metynnis argenteus.JOHN TODARO, BAS

PAGE 11 SAND LOACHES - THEY BREED BYTHEMSELVES. A report on how David bred thisinteresting loach, or how they did it themselves.DAVID BANKS, TFCB

PAGE 13 SPECIES PROFILE. The Sand Loach better known as the Banded Mountain Loach, Acanthocobitis urophthalmus.JOHN TODARO, BAS

PAGE 14 THE PRACTICAL PLANT. PropagatingPogostemon stellata, a native Asian stem plant that requires high light. When grown in sufficient light, itwill turn a fabulous red color. A real attention getter.IZZY ZWERIN, BAS

PAGE 15 CANADIAN BEEF HEART & LIVERDINNER. A hearty recipe from our friends northof the border for those fish that crave high proteinfoods. Paprika is added to enhance fish color. JOHN TODARO, BAS

PAGE 16 COOL CATS.Information on the care and breeding of Corydorascatfish from the master of catfish breeding, Ian Fuller.IAN FULLER, BAS

PAGE 18 THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT.Jason writes in detail about the basic principles ofkeeping a reef aquarium, in 3 parts.JASON KIM

PAGE 23 NOTABLE NATIVES. Allabout some of the beautiful NorthAmerican aquarium fish, seldom seenand almost never available commercially.ANTHONY P. KROEGER, BAS

PAGE 25 SPECIES PROFILE.Etheostoma caeruieum, Rainbow Darter.JOHN TODARO, BAS

PAGE 26 HOBBY HAPPENINGS.The further aquatic adventures ofLarry Jinks.LARRY JINKS, BAS, RAS, NJAS

PAGE 28 CATFISH CONNECTIONS.Sy introduces us to Australia’s yellowfin tandanus.

SY ANGELICUS, BAS

PAGE 29 BLUE VELVET SHRIMP. Another articleon keeping freshwater shrimp, with information onkeeping them healthy..BRAD KEMP, BAS, THE SHRIMP FARM.COM

PAGE 29 PRISON BREAK-THE CONVICTWORM GOBY. Notes on keeping this beautifuland hardy marine fish ANTHONY P. KROEGER, BAS

PAGE 31 SPECIES PROFILE. Pholidichthys eucotaenia, Convict Goby or Engineer Goby.JOHN TODARO, BAS

PAGE 32 HOW TO QUARANTINE FRESH &SALTWATER FISH & INVERTEBRATES. Detailedinformation on quarantining your newly purchased fish or invertebrates that can save you from endangering the animals already in your tank.FRANK M. GRECO, FRANK’SAQUARIUM.COM‘PAGE 36 EXCHANGE EDITOR’S REPORT Sturecommends articles from a few of our sister societies.STU HERSHKOWITZ, BAS

PAGE 37 OUR SPONSORS: THEY SUPPORTUS. WE MUST SUPPORT THEM.

PAGE 37 SPONSORS ADS.

PAGE 39 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION.

A Q U A T I C AV O L . 2 8 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5 N O . 3

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104 YEARS OF EDUCATING AQUARISTS

CONTENTS

2

AQUATICA is published on line bi-monthly (except July/August) by BAS. Original articles may be reprinted by other non-profit organi-zations, provided proper credit is given to the author and AQUATICA, and two copies are sent to the Exchange Editor. Transcriptions oflectures may not be reprinted without written permission of both Editor and the Speaker. A notice of where original AQUATICA articleshave been published should be sent to the BAS Exchange Editor; Stu Hershkowitz, P.O. Box 290610, Bklyn, NY 11229-0111AQUATICA will exchange publications with all interested societies. If we do not receive your publications for three consecutivemonths, we will assume you no longer wish to exchange and your club may be removed from the mailing list.

ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE SENT TO:• Editor: John Todaro, 247 Middletown Road, South Londonderry, VT 05155 - Phone: 802 824-3743 Fax: Same number. You can submit articles to the Editor by mail, fax, or E-mail to: JTODDYBAS@AOL.COM.

Editor: John TodaroAssociate Designer: Ginny CahillCopy Editor: Kay MartinFreshwater Shrimp Editor: Brad KempMarine Editor: Anthony P. KroegerPlant Editor: Izzy ZwerinCatfish Editor: Sy AngelicusExchange Editor: Stu HershkowitzIllustrations: John Todaro

Norman Doughty, Chris Giam, Julia Noonan,Shelly Sacks

Note: The Editor takes full responsibility for misspellings and punctuation errors.

The Brooklyn Aquarium Society Inc. is a non-profit organization 501(c) (3) for people interested in the aquarium hobby and the study of

aquatic life. The Society meets the 2nd Friday of each month except July and August at the Education Hall of the New York Aquarium at

Coney Island, Surf Avenue at West 8th St., at 7:30 PM. Meetings are open to visitors. Refreshments are served. Membership is $25 per year

family/$20 individual/$15 for students under 14. Send inquiries or membership checks payable to:

Brooklyn Aquarium Society, c/o Membership Chairperson, P.O. Box 290610, Brooklyn, NY 11229-0011.

All articles in Aquatica are the opinion and experiences ofthe author or authors, and do not necessarily representthe opinions of the editors or staff of Aquatica or theBrooklyn Aquarium Society Inc.

AQUATICA STAFF

Contributing Writers:Sy AngeliousDavid BanksMarc EliesonIan FullerJoe GraffagninoFrank Greco

Larry JinksBrad Kemp Jason KimAnthony P. KroegerJohn Todaro Izzy Zwerin

OFFICERS

President: Joseph Graffagnino

1st Vice President: Steve Matassa

2nd Vice President: Marie Licciardello

Treasurer: Denise Hershkowitz

Corresponding Secretary: Dan Smith

Exchange Editor: Stuart Hershkowitz

Membership Chairperson: Christina Cingari

Sergeant-at-Arms:Lita Goldberg

Recording Secretary:Kay Martin

Web Master: Bernard Deren

Editor: John Todaro

BOARD MEMBERS

Bill Amely John FoxMarty KarfinkelGennady (Gene) KoganTomas Lis David ManuelDr. Robert M. PriceAlfred Turrisi

BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

3

B ROOKLYN A QUARIUM S OCIETYCALENDAR OF EVENTS ~ 2015

JAN 9 Mark Soberman ~ Keeping & Breeding Corydoras, Aspidoras & Brochis Catfish ~ Marine

fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction.

FEB 13 Joe Yaiullo - Reef Water Flow - How Much is Too Much? ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals,

freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction.

MAR 13 Discus Hans - Raising Discus - Marine fish,aqua-cultured corals,freshwaterfish, plants & dry goods auction.

APR 10 Todd C. LaJeunesse - The Intriguing Evolution of Palau Corals ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals,

freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction.

MAY 8 Giant Spring Auction ~ Freshwater fish, plants, marine fish, aqua-cultured corals & dry goods

including a 55 gal. tank & stand.

JUN 12 Lou Ekus (Tropic Marin USA) ~ Basics of Reef Chemistry ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals,

freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction.JULY/AUGUST - NO MEETINGS

SEPT 11 TBA ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction.OCT 9 Giant Fall Auction ~ Freshwater fish, plants, marine fish, aqua-cultured corals & dry goods, including a 55 gallon tank & stand.NOV 13 Bob Fenner ~ Reef Stocking ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & drygoods auction.DEC 11 Holiday Party ~ Members, their families and friends, all you can eat sit-down dinner

• Fish Bingo & Prizes • BAS awards presentations.

HAPPY NEW YEAR2015

Everyone lovesvacations.The sunshine

state of Floridais an awesome placeto vacation, especially for aquarists.So many beautiful and interestingfish live there. Undoubtedly one ofthe most beautiful is the nativegreen sailfin molly, Poecillia latipinna.

A male in full display isincredibly gorgeous with shimmeringblues, reds and greens, with thesunlight playing off him. No aquaristwould ever forget the beauty ofthis fish.

Sailfin mollies are a relatively commonfish in Florida. They inhabit most creeks, canals,pools, lakes and drainage ditches which areexposed to sunshine. This exposure to sunlightpromotes both the growth of plants and algae,both of which mollies need to thrive.

In addition, these environments are warm,

heated by the sun. Thewater temperature herecan easily hit 85˚F.

Rarely does one findmollies in shade, cooler

environments and never inwater devoid of plant life or algae.

So how do you collect mollies in Florida?It’s pretty easy actually and what’s a better

way to remember your vacation than by lookingat a tank of fish you collected while on it!

Basic equipment is all that’s needed: dipnets, buckets, bait, 5 gallon buckets and a generalbait aerator. You can easily find these items atWal-Mart, your local fishing supply store andmaybe even your pet shop. The cost of theseitems is minimal. You do need a State of Floridafishing license. All bait shops and sporting goodsstores in Florida sell them. The cost is about $25.

My favorite place to go “mollie” fishing isin orange groves. Why orange groves you ask?Well, orange groves are surrounded by drainageditches. These ditches are easily accessible, tree-free,sandy bottomed and shallow (no gators). Plusthey are everywhere. Along roads, they’re consid-

4Anthony P. Kroeger - BAS

MOLLIESLOVE CRACKERS!Collecting Sailfin Mollies in Florida

5

ered public domain, so you cancollect them with just a license.

These open exposedditches usually contain exten-sive growth of plants and al-gaes, particularily hornwort,ludwigia, sagittaria and parrotsfeather.

Note to plant afficionados:DO NOT collect water hyacinth,its possession in Florida is illegal.

So back to our quarry:The sailfin mollies.

Once you’ve found asuitable collecting spot, how do you attract them? Bait, of course. I started baiting by throwingHikari floating pellets and OSI livebearer flakes(my favorite fish food brands) onto the surface ofthe slowly moving ditches. Mollies love thesefoods and appear from everywhere, usually witha few hungry golden ear killies and jewel cichlids.What? Cichlids? That’s another story, folks!

As I said, sailfin mollies love thesefoods...only one problem. Wild mollies are FAST!!And they have very good visionand will see you coming. Youwill catch a few occasionally,but usually they are faster thanyou are and just steal your bait.

This happenedto me time and timeand time again. Luck-ily for me, some mi-grants taught me howto distract the molliesenough to catch largequantities of them.

Actually, Ithink they taughtme because theirsides were achingso bad fromlaughing at thecrazy gringo

catching ditch fish that theycouldn’t take it anymore.

Pedro is from Mexico. Hepicks Valencia oranges for aliving. He loves nature, andPedro taught me about wildsailfin mollies.

What’s the trick, you ask?Saltine crackers! Say what? Ikid you not; mollies go crazyover them. They are so busypicking at the salt and crackers,they become distractedenough for you to catch them

easily. Just float the saltines salty side down.Crumble up one or two as well and scatter themover the surface of the water. Every fish in thevicinity will come to investigate. Especially themollies.

For you cichlid fanatics out there, yes,jewel cichlids will eat saltines too, although I’mnot sure they’re good for them.

Wild mollies are usually quite healthy.Proper care during transit; involves aeration anda stable warm temperature. Avoid chilling molliesbecause shimmy would be the result.

Properly acclimated and quarantined for 2weeks after you’ve arrived home will ensure

your Florida vacation mollies willprovide you with

many hours ofenjoyment inyour home.

Happy fishing!

Note to plant afficionados -

DO NOT collect water hyacinth; its possession in

Florida is illegal.

Tony

in

6

Scientific Name: Poecilia latipinna.Family: Poeciliidae.Common Name: Sailfin Mollie, Yucatan Molly.Distribution: North Carolina to Texas, theYucatán Peninsula of Mexico, in marshes,streams, swamps, and estuaries. The sailfin isvery common in Florida.pH Range: 7.0 - 8.0.Idea pH Range: 7.0 - 7.4.Temperature Range: 75 - 82˚F.Water Hardness: High. It’s recommendedyou use 1 tsp of aquarium salt to 2 gallonsof water.Breeding Temperature: Around 82˚F. Life Span: 2 to 4 years.Size: Males up to 5 inches. Females up to 5 - 6inches.Temperament: Peaceful.Diet: Sailfin mollies feed primarily uponalgae and other plant materials, althoughthey will consume a number of aquatic invertebrates, including the larvae ofmosquitoes.Will accept flake food. Sexing: Easy. Males have larger dorsal finsand are larger than females. Females are no-

ticeably rounder in the body than males.Breeding: Sailfin mollies produce broods of10-140 live young, depending upon maturityand size, and females may store sperm longafter the demise of their relatively short-livedmates. The gestation period for this species isabout three to four weeks, depending upontemperature, and a single female may givebirth on multiple occasions throughout theyear. A ratio of three females to one male ispreferred, as with all live bearers, becausethe females are harassed by males to the pointof exhaustion, and having more females givesthe others a rest.Care of Fry: A livebearer, the sailfin mollywill eat its fry, so it is important that floatingplants are available in the event you are notpresent at birth. As soon as you see fryswimming about, place them in a breedernet or remove them from the aquarium andinto another aquarium.

Reference:Wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailfin_mollywww.fishchannel.com

SPECIES PROFILE

John Todaro - BAS

om the .

7

John Todoaro - BAS

Terrors of t!e"#ante$ %&'ari'm

(f this is a problem you have or if you just wantto have a tank full of these herbivores sparklingfish, here is a short background on keeping this

beautiful plant-destroying Amazon fish.The Silver dollar is a common name given to a

number of species of fishes, (see page 8) mostlyin the genus Metynnis, tropical fish belonging tothe Characidae family which are closely related topiranha and pacu. Native to South America, theseround-shaped silver fish are popular with manyhobbyists.

The Silver dollar is a peaceful, schoolingspecies that spends most of its time in themid - to upper-level of the water. Its lifespan, if

well cared for, can be up to and more than ten years.Silver dollars natively live in a tropical

climate in the sides of weedy rivers. They preferwater with a pH of 5–7, a water hardness of up to15 dGH, and an ideal temperature range of75˚–82°F. Their diet is almost exclusivelyvegetarian and in captivity they will often eat allthe plants in a tank.

If you have a infestation of duckweed, M.argenteus or any of the other Metynnis species willend your duckweed nightmares. They will alsoeat worms and small insects. But plants are theirmain dietary interest. Siver dollars will eat allsorts of greens once they have demolished all

Metynnis argenteus,

better known as the

Silver Dollar fish is

often seen in

tropical fish,

stores with a note

on the tank that

this fish is not

compatible with live

plants. I know this is

true, since years ago I had a

30 gallon tank in my bedroom

with a school of about eight of

these spectacular fish. I

used these fish to

dispose of over-

grown plants from

my other tanks.

These fish sure did

a good job. This is

a great fish to keep

if you have other

aquariums that need

constant plant pruning or if

you’re plagued by duckweed.

your aquatic plants, lncluding lettuce, spinach, kale,mustard greens, zucchini, peas and even broccoli.

Silver dollars should be provided with avariety of foods other than just veggies to becompletely healthy. They can’t get all the nutritionthey need out of just eating your aquarium plantsand lettuce and spinach, etc., theyshould be provided live foods,such as brine shrimp, black orbloodworms or chopped earthwormsor frozen foods. They will alsoaccept flake or pellet foods and, ofcourse, algae wafers.

That being said, Silverdollars are primarily, though notexclusively, vegetarian. A largepart of their diet must includesome kind of vegetable mattersuch as wilted greens, dandelion greens, spinach, or romaine lettuce(fresh, non-wilted greens areharder for them to eat), or cookedvegetables such as peas, greenbeans, or squash.

Despite being terrors ofaquatic plants, they are fairly shyand need tank mates that are alsopeaceful. Silver dollars do greatwith medium to large tetras suchas serapes, black skirt tetras,Buenos Aires, and phantom tetras.

Given enough space, theyalso do well with giant danios, andoccasionally with smaller typessuch as zebra danios.

Because silver dollars aremid-dwelling fish, they generally govery well with top-dwelling andbottom-dwelling fish. Corydoras, bristlenose plecostamus, botia loaches, and other medium-large bottom-dwellers will all get along well in aSilver dollar aquarium. Use caution when combiningSilver dollars with the common plecostamusoften sold in pet stores, as it is a well-known"slime sucker" that loves to eat the slime coat oflarger, slower-moving fish.

As I have always said, you should readabout the needs of any type of fish before buyingthem and adding them to your aquarium.

It’s also important to keep in mind whatthe adult sizes of the fishes will be, when shoppingfor them. Most Silver dollars are sold very small -

generally around 1.5" inches in diameter. Don’t be put off by thissmall size, they’ll grow quickly iffed well, so make sure your tankcan handle fish that can grow to6” inches.

As mentioned before, Silverdollars are a peaceful, activeschooling fish. So, to keep themhappy you should buy six ormore fish of equal size, if you canafford it. A 30 gallon tank, or, evenbetter, a 55 gallon tank, would beconsidered a good size for thesefish.

Filtration for a properlystocked tank of silver dollarsshould be about a 6X turnoverper hour. For example, in a 55gallon tank you’ll want a filterrated for 330 gallons per hour.

Silver dollars like a verylight current opposed to heavycurrents, so make sure you keepthe filter discharge water flowaimed towards the side or bottomof the tank.

Live plants should not be putin a silver dollar tank unless youwant them to become food foryour Metynnis, with the possibleexception of hardy broad-leafed

plants like java fern, but there are no guarantees.Silver dollars are voracious plant eaters and willquickly destroy any live plants in the aquarium.

You can use driftwood and rocks todecorate the aquarium, but leave lots of openspace for the fish to school.

Keep the tank tightly covered as Silverdollars are known to be jumpers, but with

8

SILVER DOLLAR SPECIES

Metynnis altidorsalisMetynnis argenteus

• Silver dollarMetynnis fasciatus

• Striped silver dollarMetynnis guaporensisMetynnis hypsauchen

• Schreitmüller's silver dollar • Spotted silver dollar

Metynnis lippincottianus• Striped silver dollar

Metynnis luna• Red-spot silver dollar

Metynnis maculatus• Speckled silver dollar

Metynnis molaMetynnis otuquensisMyleus schomburgki

• Black-barred silver dollarMyloplus rubripinnis

• Red hook silver dollarMylossoma duriventre

• Silver mylossoma• Hard-bellied silver dollar*

*Hard Bellies are silvery andsomewhat transparent; they arethe most commonly encounteredspecies.

9

sufficient space and clean water, they usuallydon’t do it often. But, to be on the safe side, havea good, tight-fitting lid on your tank.

Partial water changes should be done tokeep the nitrate levels in the water under 40ppm;the fish will appreciate a goal of not over 20ppm.

Regular gravel vacuums will keep excesswaste and uneaten food out of the system andhelp control your nitrate levels.

If the watertests with ANYammonia or nitrite inthe water, the tankhas either not beencycled properly or waspopulated too quickly,causing an ammoniaspike. This conditionis extremely hazardousto the fish and partialwater changes willhave to be done everycouple of days until itis under control.

Breeding thesefish is not easy; first,it is tough to tell the sexes from one another. Ofcourse, the fish know the difference. The questionis how many fish should you put in a breedingtank? I would try to identify a pair.

Here are some tips that may help sexingSilver dollars:

Check out the anal fins. The female’s anal finis straight; male’s anal fin with a reddish hue anda "bump" 3/4 the way down. Some hobbyistssay males have a faint black spot shape justbehind the gill plate. Another way is to look at them from the top.The female should have a “fuller” body.

Males may also have more vibrant colorin their anal and dorsal fins, but not always.

Some hobbyists feel that you cannot accurately sex these fish until they are at least 6inches in size; that is fully adult!

Metynnis species often spawn in schoolsamong floating plants such as Java Moss. This isa perfect plant to keep in a Silver dollar tank. The

fish will pull it apart as they eat it and therebyspread it around the tank.

When spawning, the released eggs fall tothe bottom of the tank or are trapped in the JavaMoss. Some sort of netting should be placed toward the bottom of the tank to allow the eggsto fall through but small enough not to allow theparents to get at them.

Remember, adults will eat the eggs if theyfind them. The fry willhatch in approximatelythree days dependingon the temperature.The fry are very tinyand should be feed infusoria at first, thenother live foods suchas micrworms and,when larger, brineshrimp nauplii.

Silver dollars areone of the hardiest andeasiest to care for fish.A good understandingof their basic needs isessential to allowing

them to live a full and healthy life.A tank with a large school of these

brilliant flashing fish is a sight to behold.

References:WikipediaYahoo.com/fish-silver-dollars-4529491.html

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10

Scientific Name: Metynnis argenteus.Family: Characidae.Common Name: Silver Dollar.Distribution: South America, Guyana.pH Range: 5.0 - 7.0.Temperature Range: 75˚ - 82˚F.Water Hardness: Up to 15 dGHBreeding Temperature: Around 82˚F. Life Span: 10 + years.Size: 2 to 6 inches.Temperament: Peaceful.Diet: Herbivore: Loves to eat greens, so almost all aquarium plants in the tankwith them will be eaten. Sexing: Very hard to sex. Check out the analfin. Females anal fin is straight, males analfin has a "bump" 3/4 the way down.Breeding: Egglayers. Much like Angelfish,the best way to acquire a breeding pair is topurchase a half dozen juvenile silver dollarsand raise them together. Although the parents will not usually consume the eggsor fry, other fish will, so, when spawningthem place them in a separate tank. To facilitate spawning, make sure the wateris soft (8 dgH or below) and warm (80 to 82F), keep the lighting dim, and provide fineleafed plants (which will be eaten if they arelive rather than plastic plants).

When they're getting ready to spawn,

you will see some of the following changesin the fish - 2 black blotches behind the gills(mainly in the males), black/red fin edgesand overall more colorful bodies(Red/Black). The males chase the females,swim next to them and wrap their anal finunder the female. Female releases around20+ eggs; the male fertilizes them; theyshake, then separate quickly, which scattersthe eggs. They’ll do this for hours at a timeuntil the female has released all her eggs,which may be thousands! The eggs are clearand tiny. You won't see them unless youlook very closely. Care of Fry: When a pair spawns, the femalewill lay up to 2000 eggs. The eggs will fall tothe bottom of the tank, and they will hatchin three days. After approximately a week,the fry will be free swimming and able toeat freshly hatched brine shrimp or finefoods such as commercially prepared fryfood, finely crushed spirulina.I would recommend removing the adultsfrom the tank after spawning.

Reference:•Wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailfin_molly•www.fishchannel.com•freshwateraquarium.about.com/od/silverdollars

g

SPECIES PROFILE

John Todaro - BAS

We boughtthe sandloaches at

a local pet store;they didn’t knowanything aboutthem and I hadnever seen thembefore. But webought all theyhad, I think therewere about five. They were very inexpensive,only $1.49 from what I remember. I assumed thatthey were probably not going to get very big.They were just under two inches when we gotthem and they did grow a little but not much.They definitely fattened up some too as they gotolder. They were very thin and long and wouldperch themselves on the bottom of the tank ontheir pectoral fins. They are cream colored, orsand colored, with faint vertical stripes the entirelength of their body. They did seem to chase eachother from time to time, but never for very far,and they never did any damage to each other. Theyseemed somewhat shy, but would come out from

the verythickly plantedAnubias andWindelov Javaferns wheneverfood was in thetank. Youwould also seethem aroundthe tank justhanging out.

Overall they seemed like a great little fish to have.I had seemingly done nothing to help

them spawn, but in reality I guess I had. Theyvery much enjoyed the very thickly planted tank,and I had provided them their own tank with noother fish. I apparently had also given them ahuge food source. After noticing that they hadspawned, I had also noticed that the two applesnails were nothing more than empty shells. I’mnot sure if the apple snails had just died or if thesand loaches had killed and eaten them. Loaches ingeneral are known to be very good at eliminatingunwanted snails from an aquarium, but thesesnails were very large by comparison.

11

David BanksFirst published: In Depth, newsletter of The Tropical Fish Club of Burlington.

Aquarticles

Sand LoachesThey Breed by ThemselvesIt has been said very often; it is not the hobbyistwhich breeds fish, it is the fish that breed. All wecan do is try to help, and sometimes we don’t evendo that. Such was the case when our Acanthocobitisurophthalmus spawned. I just went in one day andnoticed some strange behaviour going on in ourten gallon planted tank. It just so happened thatthe only fish in the tank were the sand loaches, asthe last of the other fish, Odessa barbs, had justdied of old age. The other thing in the tank was acouple of small apple snails.

The breeding activity wasvery apparent: there were threeloaches left in the tank when thefirst spawning took place. Onewas very slender and not quiteas big; the other two were morebulky and a little bit larger thanthe other was. I believe thesmaller slender one was themale. I walked into our fishroomand immediately noticed thatsomething was going on in thistank. Two of the fish, what Ibelieve were a female and theone male, were darting around the tank veryquickly together. They would stop and the malewould very quickly try to wrap himself aroundthe female and then they would be off again. Inoticed very small opaque eggs everywhere andas I watched saw eggs go flying several timeswhen the pair were "wrapped" together. The eggswould just go everywhere when they releasedfrom each other and started darting all over thetank again. I tend to feed the fish just beforegoing to bed. It was already very late, but wewatched this for about twenty minutes. Theywere apparently at the end of this spawning cycleanyway since I only saw eggs a few times. Therewere hundreds of eggs all over the tank! I wasamazed at how many eggs had been producedfrom this fairly small fish. Maybe the male hadbeen spawning with both females, but I only sawhim with one.

I decided to siphon some eggs out to aseparate tank to see if I could try to raise some ofthem. I left many eggs in the spawning tank hopingthey would survive, but by the next morning Icouldn’t see a single egg. I still hoped that somewould make it since the tank was so denselyplanted, but I never saw any fry in that tank. Theones that I had taken out hatched very quickly, inabout 24 hours. They were the smallest fry I hadever seen, just clear little slivers clinging toeverything. There were probably sixty or moreeggs and I think that almost all had hatched. Iwaited a few days before trying to feed them. Thefirst food was "filter grunge." I would take a

seasoned sponge filter andsqueeze it into the tank. Theyneeded very small food and thisseemed to work pretty well. Ilater added APR [Editor’s note;APR is a powedered fry food, artificial plankton & rotifer] andafter a few weeks started withnewly hatched brine shrimp. I hadquite a few that seemed to begrowing, but then I had to go awayfor a few days. When I returnedthere were only a handful left,but of these I raised five up to

adulthood.We had lost one of the females shortly after

the first spawn, but still had one pair left. We didhave a second spawning too, about 1month later. I was unfortunately not able toget any eggs the second time and lost both fishwithin a couple of weeks. I am guessing that thespawning had taken too much out of them. It wasa very frenzied and an exhausting courtship. Iwould see them stop at times as if to catch theirbreath, they were definitely breathing very hardand rapidly. We had these fish for close to twoyears but they always had tank mates. I amguessing that they may have spawned earlier butI just never saw any eggs as they were probablyeaten as soon as they were laid. But then again,maybe these were the only times and we just sohappened to see it each time.

Note: I had carefully marked the calendarwith the dates on the spawns and the egg hatchingand the fry free swimming. But these spawnshappened in October or November so the calendarwas recycled before I was able to transfer thedata to this article. The fry are now almost twoyears old, so I am considering removing all oftheir tankmates and trying to spawn these fishagain, in the same tank even. I believe I have atleast one pair, maybe more than that. I am notsure, as you rarely see them for very long. I mighteven add a few apple snails again.

12

I noticed verysmall opaque eggseverywhere andas I watched saw

eggs go flyingseveral timeswhen the pair

were "wrapped"together.

13

Scientific Name: Acanthocobitis urophthalmus.Family: Nemacheilidae.Common Name: Banded mountain loach, Sandloach, Tiger loach.Distribution: Asia south western lowlandsfrom Kelani River to Nilwala River, Sri Lanka.pH Range: 6.5 - 7.5.Temperature Range: 73˚ to 79˚F.Water Hardness: Soft to medium dh 4 -12.Life Span: Around 2 to 3 years.Size: Maximum size 2 inches.Temperament:. Peaceful.Diet: Most commercial foods accepted,sinking pellets and bottom-dwelling live-foods.Frozen foods; bloodworm/brine shrimp.Sexing: Hard to tell. The females normallylook plumper than slender males.Breeding: During courtship, the fish willrapidly dart around the aquarium together.The male constantly tries to wrap himselfaround the female. Courting is tiring forthese fishes. It might be a good idea toseparate them after spawning to give themsome time to relax before spawning again. Afemale Acanthocobitis urophthalmus canproduce hundreds of eggs. Eggs are releasedmultiple times during spawning and arescattered about the tank. Eggs are verysmall and look opaque.

Raising Fry: Adults will eat their eggs. Theycan be siphoned out and raised in a separatetank using water from the breeding tank.Eggs will hatch in about 24 hours (dependingon temperature). The fry are really small,and will cling to aquarium plants, rocks anddriftwood. Feed liquid fry food or strainedhard boiled egg yolk; do not feed more thanthey will eat in ten minutes. Do waterchanges with water from breeding tank. Asthey grow bigger, feed them microwormsand newly hatched brine shrimp.Note: Try to replicate their natural conditions.They like fast flowing water, well oxygenated.Provide hiding places, rock formations ordriftwood; small flower pots and shortlengths of PVC tubes are also good. Thesefish like to be in groups of 6 to 8 or more tomake them feel comfortable. They requireclean fast flowing and very high water quality. A species tank is recommended. Youmight add snails to the tank. The loacheswill use them as a food source.

Reference: www.loaches.com WikipediaHttp://www.aqua-fish.net

John Todaro - BAS

Ph

oto

: M

art

in T

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ne

SPECIES PROFILE

Pogostemon stellata is a stunning plant, but

it is quite demanding. It has recently undergone a name

change; it used to beknown as Eusteralis stellata.

This plant is anAsian native. It is a fairlylarge stem plant whichneeds a somewhat largertank than most other stemplants. P. stellata will requirevery high light intensitiesand because of this youmust be careful not to overcrowd it by planting the stems too closely together.When grown in sufficientlight, it will be a fabulous red color. If your lightis too weak, the plant will be green and start tolose its lower leaves.

I kept my specimen in a 37 gallon aquariumwith 130 watt compact fluorescent lighting andthat was barely adequate to keep this plant happy.The water was kept at a pH of 6.8, hardness 4-6˚GH and a temperature of 78˚F. The plant grows asubstantial root system by stem plant standards,so substrate fertilization is in order. I am alsomaking use of CO2 enrichment. A Fluval canisterfilter (model #303) with the output being directed

through a submerged spray bar is doing myfiltration. I use the Estimated Index system of

fertilizer dosing. Thismeans that once a weekI perform a large waterchange (50-75%). This isusually done on Saturday.Do not be concernedabout the large volumeof water that is beingreplaced; your fish willlove it. This large waterchange is necessary toreset the system. Thenon Saturday, Mondayand Wednesday, I dosethe macronutrients. On

Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, I dose the micronutrients. Friday, I take the day off. The lightingis timer controlled and on for 12 hours a day.

The plant is slow to branch and ispropagated via stem cuttings. If you can meet thehigh demands of this plant, I highly recommend it.

It’s a real attention getter.

14

Izzy Zwerin ~ BAS

ThePractical Plant

PropagatingPogostemon stellata

Izzy

ghlylylyly rec

The following recipe comes from Hans Roth, a member of the

Montreal Aquarium Society, and has been adapted from a 1980

article in The Bulletin, the Society’s publication.

More ingredients can naturally be added to

the mix, Hans suggests, such as fairy shrimp, daphnia,

and fresh mosquito larvae when available. Early

spring and summer, you can net mosquito larvae

and place them in a plastic container and put in

the freezer for about half an hour. That should

kill them without losing any of their nutritional

value. You can then add the larvae, discarding

the water.

Paprika is added as color agent to

the mixture to help pump up the reds in

your fish.

Bon Appétit!

15

R E C I P E

John Todaro - BASFrom the Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s publication

SCRUMPTIOUS MEALS & LIVE FOOD TREATS Compiled, Edited & Written by John Todaro

Canadian Beef Heart & Liver Dinner

INGREDIENTS:

5 lbs. of fresh beef heart

1/2 lb. of beef liver

1/2 oz. of Tetramin™ or other

good staple fish food.

3 oz. fresh spinach (remove stems)

2 pkg of Knox® unflavored gelatin

1/2 tsp. of paprika

PREPARATION:

Trim skin, fat and blood vessels from

beef heart.

Place in blender with beef liver and

blend. Add Tetramin and blend.

Boil spinach until wilted (about 5

minutes), drain and add to blender

and blend.

Dissolve gelatin in 1/2 cup of boiling

water. When fully dissolved, add along

with paprika to mixture and blend for

a minute or two at high speed to liquefy

the mixture. If you have to add water,

use the water the spinach was cooked in.

Use only enough water to make a

thick paste.

Cool and place in Zip Lok® bags. Flatten

to about 1/4” inch for easier handling.

FEEDING:

Simply break or cut chunks about

1/4” inch in size. You do not have to

defrost before feeding fish.

Just drop pieces into tank.

16Ian Fuller - BAS

Founder of Planet Catfish

Cool Cats

For this particular feature, I would like to dealwith some of the species thatprefer the cooler end of theso-called tropical scale. Weare talking a temperaturerange of between 60˚ and 70˚Fahrenheit. There are fourspecies in particular thatwould be very comfortable living within this temperaturerange. The first two are veryclosely related and resembleeach other to a degree; theseare Corydoras barbatus (Quoy& Gaimard, 1834), comingfrom fast flowing rivers thatempty into Guanabara Bay inthe Rio de Janeiro State andCorydoras kronei, (A. de MirandaRibeiro, 1907), coming fromthe Rio Ribeira de Iguapebasin, São Paulo State. Thethird species is Corydorasmacropterus, (Regan, 1913),which also comes from SãoPaulo State. The forth species isCorydoras paleatus, (Jenyns,1842) originating from the

Rio Paraná, north west ofBuenos Aires in Argentina.

All four species arefound at least 22˚ South ofthe equator, in the case ofCorydoras paleatus 33˚ South.The water temperatures inthese areas fluctuate farmore that we would imag-ine, with temperatures ofbelow 60º F being recorded.

My recommended setup for any of these fourspecies would be a tank of atleast 24 inches in length, witha thin layer of smoothgrained sand (10 – 12mm), afew lumps of sandstone rockto create a few hiding placesand the impression of a riverbank and maybe a couple ofclumps of Java fern to give abit of color. For filtration, Iwould use an outside can-ister type power filter, whichwill give a good movementof water and optimumfiltration. I would only installa heater to combat extreme

The topic of what temperature to keep what fish at is something that creates debate wherever fish keepers

meet. This seems to be even more evident when the subjectis catfish, or, in my particular area, Corydoras catfish.

Corydoras kronei

Corydoras paleatus

Corydoras barbatus

Corydoras macropterus

winter temperatures. If you live in an area that isfree from winter frosts, then I would not use aheater at all. The natural day night temperaturefluctuation would actually be beneficial to all fourspecies. I have successfully spawned the speciesCorydoras barbatus, Corydoras kronei and Corydoraspaleatus at 60˚F.

In smaller tanks, 24-inch minimum,Corydoras barbatus and Corydoras kronei are bestkept in pairs. If there are two males per female,which is the preferred ratio with most Corydorasspecies, there will certainly be squabbling, if not outand out fighting. Both species tend to be territorial,especially during the breeding season. I havefound Corydoras paleatus are best kept in multiplesof three, two males per female.

Corydoras macropterus, although a speciesthat also enjoy the cooler temperatures, are not afish for the inexperienced Corydoras keeper.

They are a fish that inhabit Blackwater biotypes and require a little more water preparation.Soft and acidic is a term we have heard and readabout for many fishes, but it is a requirement forthis particular species. They will survive without toomany problems in neutral water (7 pH, 8˚-10˚ GH),but are definitely at their best when the water isaround 5-6 pH. 2˚-3˚ GH. To help put some of the

natural elements into the water, I use a piece ofsoft bogwood, which is allowed to leach its tanninsinto the water giving it the look of weak tea. Aregular check must be kept on the pH level tomake sure that it does not suddenly drop too low,which can happen very quickly in a smallenvironment like a aquarium. The best way Ihave found to avoid such problems is by twiceweekly 25% water changes. Rainwater filteredthrough moss peat is a good way of creating theright water conditions, providing, of course, that,there are no industrial contaminants in it. Failingthat, then it can become somewhat more expen-sive, with the need for a water-purifying device.

Corydoras macropterus males are defiantlyterritorial and are very aggressive towards eachother, even when there is an abundance of females.The best method I have found to stop any seriousdamage from being caused is to slightly overcrowdthem. I have 6 males and 5 females in a 18 x 12 x12 tank and so far there has not been any harmdone from their little squabbles. This is the onlyone of the four species that I have not yet bred,but I am working on it.

17

that

Corydoras barbatus

18

Jason KimJason is the founder of AquaC. Inc. From his web site www.proteinskimmer.com

Aquarticles

ThE AqUAtiC EnViRoNmENTA lot of people who become interested inreef keeping have little or no backgroundknowledge about the marine environment.Oftentimes, beginning hobbyists are those

individuals who feel ready to make the transition fromfreshwater to saltwater aquariums. Although some ofthe basic principles which apply to a freshwater systemremain, reef microcosms are often more complex due tothe fact that they are really miniature replicas ofthe actual ocean environment.

So what is a reef, anyway?Biologists define atraditional coral reefas a large, stableframework which is

biogenic in origin, limited to thephotic zone, and resistant to waveand storm action. Did you knowthat the Great Barrier Reef inAustralia is the single largestorganic construction on theplanet? These tiny animals arereally quite amazing. Becausecoral polyps are so small andslow-growing, it takes thousands,if not millions of years to builda large reef. Over time, the

calcareous remains of coralskeletons, molluscs, bryazoans,and other marine critters areslowly cemented together bycoralline algae and geologicalprocesses. Coral reefs are limitedto the photic zone (the warm,sunlit bathed belt around theEarth's equator) since hermatypicinvertebrates rely on U.V. lightto synthesize food. One of thehallmarks of a pristine reef isthe crystal-clear, nutrient-poorwater which surrounds it. Justlike the expensive condominiumsin Hawaii, real estate in tropicaloceans is hard to come by and

extremely valuable. The only wayslow growing corals can competewith the faster colonizing species ofalgae and sponge is by living in an environment which isinhospitable to nutrient-lovingorganisms. Most algae requirelots of nutrients like nitratesand phosphates in order tothrive, and these delicacies areoften in short supply off theshores of a tropical island.Corals, on the other hand, subsistquite well on the simple sugarstheir symbiotic zooxanthellaeprovide via photosynthesis. Notonly are tropical waters nutrient-poor,

PART 1

19

but they also tend to be clear ofsediment, terrestrial run-off,and phytoplankton blooms.Sunlight already has a toughenough time penetrating water -in fact, as much as 75% of usefulU.V. light is absorbed in the firstfew feet of the ocean's surface.Unclear water only makes itharder for corals to harness thesunlight they so desperately need.

Through proper techniquesand husbandry, an oligotrophic(nutrient-poor) environmentcan be maintained.

Those are topics for futurearticles, however... Look forward tonext week's issue, which will bepart two of this three part serieson the aquatic environment.

In last week's article, Istressed the need forsuperb water quality.Some of you may havewondered why many

tropical areas are oligotrophic(nutrient-poor) by nature, sincetemperate parts of the worldseem to be heavily inundatedwith an abundance of nutrients.One of the main reasons is dueto the fact that nutrient-rich water,after a long journey through thedeep sea, is constantly importedby offshore currents along thecoasts of many temperate areas.Most of the world's temperatecoastlines are directly affectedby upwelling currents, and thisis one of the reasons thatkelp/macroalgae habitats arecommon in these areas. Tropical

coral reefs export rather thanimport nutrients through strongwave action and currents.Furthermore, the biologicalinteractions which exist on coralreefs are so tightly interwoven

that most nutrients freed throughbiological processes are simplysucked right back up into thesystem and recycled. Just likethe real estate on a calcareousreef, nutrients are hard to comeby and are plucked up as if theywere hotcakes. Besides havingcrystal-clear water, tropical reefsare also remarkably "sunny"places. Unlike Northern Englandor Seattle, Washington, the tropicsreceive near constant bombard-ment by the sun's intense U.V.rays. The tropics experiencefewer cloudy or overcast daysper year than do other latitudes,and they also receive a greateramount of sunlight. The angle ofincidence effects light's abilityto penetrate the atmosphere andocean surface. If you hold aflashlight at an angle and stare

into the bulb, your eyes wouldprobably be just fine. But if youlook straight into a flashlighthead on, you might be temporarilyblinded. This is a good exampleof light's angle of incidence andhow it affects intensity.

Since corals depend soheavily on light in order tosurvive, and we know that lightrays are amazingly strong at theequator, it makes sense that wemust strive to create a very brightenvironment in the aquarium.The term brightness, however,means very l i t t le to theexperienced reef aquarist. Light,just like sound, varies in wave-length, as well as intensity.Certainly, there is a huge differencebetween one of Beethoven'ssymphonies and the sharp stingof an air horn. Imagine that corals,in the same way that people cantolerate certain frequencies ofsound, enjoy certain wavelengths oflight and dislike others. Sincewater serves as a very good filterfor most of the visible light inthe spectrum, corals have, overtime, evolved and adapted tospecific "colors" of light. Thesewavelengths happen to be thosewhich penetrate water the mosteffectively. When you are underwater,everything seems to look blue,green and grey. Notice how redsand yellows become drab thedeeper you go. Since blues andgreens, or wavelengths near400-450 nanometers penetrate theocean so well, corals absolutelydepend on this band of energyto survive. This is of greatimportance to the reef aquarist,since many of the bulbs offeredfor sale at pet stores producehigh intensity red and yellow

PART 2

Since water servesas a very good

filter for most ofthe visible light in

the spectrum,corals have, over time,

evolved andadapted to

specific "colors"of light.

20

light, and little blue light. Thereason manufacturers producethese bulbs is simple. Corals,fish, and decorations look theirbest under red/yellow lightsince this wavelength seems tobring out their vibrant colorsbest. When purchasing lightsfor a reef tank, however, it iswise to pick bulbs which mostclosely match the wavelengthswhich are found in the naturalenvironment. Do not buy bulbswhich only make your critterslook vibrant. Sure, you may geta few oohs and ahhs, but theywill be temporary gasps ofamazement since your tank'sinhabitants will soon be dead.Luckily, the recent boom in thereef keeping hobby has broughtabout an awareness of this issue,and it's quite easy to find theperfect lighting system.

I would like to mentionone other matter before I endthis article. Now that we havecovered the basics of light andwater quality, some people mightwonder what other aspects ofthe aquatic environment remainto be discussed. One issue thatfrequently gets left out of manypopular texts is the bioload factor.For those familiar with fish-onlyaquariums, there is an old ruleof thumb which states "one inchof fish per gallon of water."How does this rule apply to reeftanks?

First of all, there are very,very few "rules" in the reefkeeping hobby at all, and anyonewho tells you otherwise should belooked at with great skepticism.

Even in regards to fish-only tanks, this rule of thumb issilly. Why? Different species of

fish produce varying amountsof biological waste. For example,a six inch triggerfish whichfeeds on raw meat and goldfish

will certainly present a greaterstress on a filtration system thanwould a six-inch pipefish. Somepeople recommend calculatingactual body mass as a way todecide how many fish an aquariumcan handle. This, in my opinion,is just as silly. A large angel fishwith the same body mass as atriggerfish just doesn't producethe same amount of waste. Triggers are messy fish, whereasangels tend to be delicate, nit-pickyeaters. Furthermore, a tank with awet/dry filter, protein skimmer,mechanical canister filter, U.V.sterilizer, and ozonizer willcertainly be able to process aheavier bioload that one whichonly benefits from a single

wet/dry filter. Once again, theold trustee "rule of thumb" fallsapart.

Corals, like fish, come inall sorts of shapes and sizes, andalso vary in their capacity toproduce waste. If you've everseen a picture of a coral reef, orhad the privilege of diving one,you undoubtedly noticed thatmost sections of living reefs donot look like the pictures ofbeautiful aquariums you see inmagazines and books. For themost part, corals simply cannotcoexist in such tight orderlyfashion with one another.

Remember, it's a dog eatdog competition for space andresources out there. This is notto say that a tank jam-packedwith corals is an unhealthy tank...it is merely a word of caution. Ionce read an article whichstated that the average two-inchdamsel fish, in nature, has theequivalent of 2,000 gallons ofwater in which to live. It wouldbe mighty depressing if wewere forced to purchase huge,ten foot long tanks in order tokeep a lone damsel. The point isthat many ocean creatures areaccustomed to a large amountof space to move about in andlive. Corals, though sedentary,need space too. Many species ofcorals have evolved specializeddefense mechanisms to ward offwould-be intruders. These includestinging, nematocyst-linedsweeper tentacles and variousmethods of chemical warfare.Since we should attempt toduplicate nature in the homeaquarium, it is appropriate tokeep these factors in mind.Beware of placing corals too

Many species ofcorals have

evolved specialized

defense mechanisms to

ward off would-be intruders.

These includestinging,

nematocyst-linedsweeper tentacles

and various methods of

chemical warfare.

21

close together. Some specimens,such as certain species of softcorals that produce harmfulbiotoxins, should also bewatched closely. As long areyour aquarium's inhabitantslive peacefully and appearhealthy, then there really is nolimit to the number of animalsyou may stock in your tank. Donot, however, purchase athoughtless assortment ofanimals, place them in yourtank haphazardly, and hope forthe best. This would be crueland pointless, since your animalswould undoubtedly harmthemselves, and might even die.

Next week will be partthree of this series on theaquatic environment.

Ahh. . . we havefinally reached thelast article of thisseries. Hopefully,those of you who

are taking the time to read thesearticles are actually learningnew information and gainingnew insight into the biologicalprocesses which help make coralreefs some of the most fascinatingplaces on Earth. So far, I've talkedabout water quality, theimportance of light, and factorsconcerning bioload. The lasttopic I want to discuss is thestate of the world's reefs. Whilethis topic does not directly dealwith aquarium techniques, Ithink it is important for allprospective reefkeepers to have

an idea of what's going onbelow the ocean's surface.

There are hundreds ofdifferent types of habitats hereon Earth. People tend to bemost familiar with terrestrialecosystems, since these areasoften benefit from the mostpopular spokesmen. I am nottalking about Jack Hannah orsome environmentalist from

Greenpeace... I am referring tothose cute, furry animals thatinspire compassion for nature.Tigers, koala bears, and their as-sorted cuddly friends contributea great service to ecologists whofight to save their habitats.Unfortunately, ecosystems likesalt marshes, deserts, and theopen ocean do not have manyspokesmen to speak of (no punintended). Everyone knows that

the world's rainforests are beingslashed and burned at amind-boggling rate, but did youknow that coral reefs are takingjust as bad a beating?

Agricultural runoff,blasting, cyanide use, andover-fishing are just a few of theproblems which threaten reefstoday.

I doubt that the InternationalCoral Reef Conservation Associationwould attract much publicsupport by putting a longhorncowfish on its brochure. What ashame! Corals (or their closerelatives) have, for the most part,inhabited the earth's tropicalocean's for over a billion years.That is a very long time, evengeologically speaking. Coralreefs have witnessed the birthand extinction of dinosaurs, andwill likely persist to witness thelast days of Homo sapiens. Oneof the reasons they have been sosuccessful is the fact that reefs,as an ecosystem, are remarkablyadaptable. Unfortunately, humanbeings have used this fact as away to justify their grosslyexploitative actions. The progressive,blitzkrieg-style impact on reefsdue to anthropogenic influences,combined with natural phenomenalike storms, temperature variations,and disease are really takingtheir toll throughout the world'stropical oceans.

Quite a few experts inthe field agree that the pristinereef environment is a thing ofthe past. A habitat gone extinct.

What can we do to helpsave the world's reefs?

Unfortunately, not awhole lot. Even with increasedlegislation and awareness of key

What can we do to help save theworld's reefs?

Unfortunately, nota whole lot. Evenwith increased legislation and

awareness of keyenvironmental is-sues, the state ofthe oceans hangs

perilously from the sloped

shoulders ofmankind.

PART 3

environmental issues, the stateof the oceans hangs perilouslyfrom the sloped shoulders ofmankind. As the world's populationcontinues to explode, the oceanswill be forced to accept greaterand greater stresses. There are manyill-informed conservationistswho would have the publicbelieve that the aquariumindustry is one of the greatestthreats to coral reefs. This saddensme, since I feel that their energycould be better spent trying totackle more serious issues at hand.Until recently, caring for livetropical invertebrates was some-thing straight out of a science fictionnovel. We simply did notunderstand the biology or possessthe technology to keep such delicate creatures alive in thehome. As a result, corals havethe reputation as a wasted resource in the aquarium. Conservationists can easily target aquarists since they arenot backed by the enormousfunds which oil companies, foreign fishing conglomerates,

or organizations representingfarmer's agricultural rights useto fight their economic and political battles.

The fact is, the harmfuleffects of harvesting for theaquarium trade is low on thelist of environmental threats.

Unlike other pressures,the industry does increaseawareness and promote educationwhich might ultimately lead toincreased conservation efforts. Ibelieve that one of the mostpromising ways to preservenatural coral reefs is througheducation. As the reefkeepinghobby continues to gainpopularity, the general publicwill learn what amazing creaturesthese are and hopefully want tohelp save them. The manatees inFlorida or the California condorwould have gone extinct longago had their plights not beenmade so visual to the entireworld. Large public aquariumsare sprouting up like weeds inmany parts of the country, whichgoes to show that increased

awareness and education is nowwithin our reach. As responsiblereefkeepers, and in order tohelp fight to save the world'sreefs, we should avoid purchasingspecimens which are obviouslyunfit for life in an aquarium.There are plenty of species ofcoral, fish and invertebratewhich can live comfortably in acaptive tank

Let's not add fuel to thefire by attempting to maintainthose certain "delicate" specieswhich have little chance to survive.

If we act responsibly,there just might be the slightestglimmer of hope for the futureof our Earth's most prestigiousaquatic environment. Takepride in the fact that, as youacquire knowledge and gain

the experience necessary to become a successful reefkeeper,you are also a full-fledged con-servationist, playing an ethicalrole in the grand scheme ofthings.

22

gr

23

When people think of gorgeous aquarium fish Cardinal tetras, Discus and others come to mind. Most

people, when they hear “North American fish” think minnows. But North America has stunning

aquarium fish. Most are seldom seen and almost never available commercially.

NotableNatives

The Rainbow DarterEtheostoma caeruleum

Arguably the most colorful, gaudiest,beautiful aquarium fish from NorthAmerica is the Rainbow darter,

Etheostoma caeruieum. Male Rainbow darters are gorgeous! The

body is tan above diffusing to orange below. Finsare fire engine red edged in wide neon blue bands.6 to 12 broad neon blue bands run verticallyacross its flanks. Some populations have redspeckles on the sides and a neon blue anal finwith electric blue bodies.

The female is tan with a lighter belly andbrown and black mottled markings.

Rainbow darters are widespread; theirnatural range is from Tennessee and northGeorgia, north thru the Great Lakes and westwardinto Minnesota.

Males grow to 3 inches, females to 2 inches. Although hard to find commercially here, Rainbowdarters, though rare, are extremely popular in Europeand the Far East.

In the wild, Rainbow darters frequent shal-low (3’or less) clear, cool, well oxygenatedstreams over rocky or shallow stream beds withrough water and rubble type of bottoms.

Rainbow darters require well filtered,

AN AMERICAN BEAUTY

IIlustration:Ted Walke

Anthony P. Kroeger - BAS

24

clean, high quality water. I suggest power filtersso as to provide sufficient water turnover and current.

Editor’s Note: A water circulation pump can also be used to create a current.

I change 20% of my tank water twice weeklyon all my darters; darters do not tolerate nitrite.

Rainbow darters can easily be kept in a 20gallon long tank with a gravel bottom, power filterand Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum. Noheater is needed. Room temperature is fine. Insummer heat, keep your darters cool by using achiller or floating ice cubes in the aquarium.Never let Rainbow darters get warmer than 77˚F. Ice in their water does not bother them.Their natural habitat freezes over every year.

Darters readily eat all live foods andfrozen foods; they will accept high quality pelletsand flake food after they become acclimated toyour aquarium. They move about in Goby style.

Darters in general (though there are someexceptions) need hard alkaline water. All dartersare peaceful.

There are many species of darters. Thusthey spawn in many different ways: plant spawners,gravel spawners, cave spawners.

Rainbow darters are gravel spawners. To spawn, set up a bare bottom 20 gallon

tank with 1 male and 2 females. Separate thesexes and condition them heavily.

The fish must be “chilled” before spawning.They spawn in the spring when their creekswarm up.

I chill mine by putting the tank on an unheatedcold basement floor. Chill the fish for about 30 daysprior to spawning. The “chilled tank” must befiltered and lit. The fish are fed lightly during thistime. I use ice cubes to keep the water temperaturebetween 50˚ and 55˚F for the 30 days.

After 30 days, I warm the water to 70˚Fand start feeding heavily for 2 weeks. Then I putthe fish in the breeding tank at night, in the dark.

The breeding tank is a 20 gallon long, barebottomed with a glass pyrex tray of gravel on thebottom. I use 12 X 4 tray with 1” to 2” inches ofgravel. (So it is possible to remove the tray and eggsto a fry hatching tank). An air stone provides aeration. The water must be hard and alkaline orthe eggs will fungus. The temperature is kept at

70˚F after the fish are introduced to the tank. Thefish will usually spawn the next morning andcontinue for 4 to 10 days. A normal spawn isabout 500 eggs; if fed lightly, the breeders seldomeat the eggs.

They spawn side by side similar to FloridaFlagfish, usually producing 25 eggs per day. Themale’s colors are especially intense at this time.His colors literally glow.

The eggs hatch in 11 days at 68˚ - 70˚F. Theeggs are not especially adhesive. I have triedstirring the gravel and collecting eggs daily.

This allows you to hatch them separately,but I have not noticed any difference in the hatchrate of collected and uncollected eggs. Do not useMethylene Blue when the eggs are left with theparents. The dye seems to cause the fish to stopspawning. I don’t know why. I need to researchthis more. You can use a fungicide on collectedeggs, but it’s not really needed. The eggs aretough, like killie eggs.

The eggs are yellow, shaped like miniaturechicken eggs and have an oil/fluid droplet at thesmall end. When hatched, feed the fry newlyhatched brine shrimp nauplii. They will soonlearn to take micro-pellets and crushed flake food.Two final bits of information:1] I have had rainbows spawn at 65˚F, but thelargest and best spawns have been at 68˚-70˚F.2] I have tried experimenting using a smallpowerhead in addition to an air stone for morecurrent. The fish seem to like it, but I’m unsure ifit improves spawn size or not. I need to do moreresearch on this.3] Last but not least - native fish are governed bystate laws in many states. Always check withyour local wildlife authority prior to obtainingnative fish to be sure their possession is allowedin your area. Most states do allow possession.

The Rainbow darter is gorgeous, unique,interesting and a challenge to breed. What morecan an aquarist ask for? Try some. You’ll be gladyou did. They are well worth looking for.Until next time.

are welle.

Tony

25

Scientific Name: Etheostoma caeruieum.Common Name: Rainbow darter.Distribution: Great Lakes, Mississippi Riverbasins, southern Ontario, western New York,Minnesota, south to northern Alabama andArkansas.pH Range: 7.0 to 8.0 or higher.Temperature Range: 65˚ to 77˚F.Water Hardness: 250 ppm or more.Life Span: In captivity around 3 years.Size: Males 3” inches. Females 2” inches.Temperament:. Peaceful. Darters are verynervous fish and should have a full aquariumcover to prevent jumping.Diet: Frozen bloodworms, small wormsand crustaceans. Will take live and flakefoods in captivity.Sexing: Males have blue stripes separated byorange coloring. Females have brown stripes. Breeding: Rainbow darters breed between62˚F - 70˚F. Males are brightly colored duringbreeding. The female buries the ventral halfof her body into the gravel substrate and themale fish promptly mounts her. The twofish vibrate and the male

deposits his sperm; the female deposits 3-7eggs in the gravel. The fish separate and re-peat the process over again for several daysuntil the female lays about 800 eggs.Raising Fry: Eggs will hatch between 10 - 12days. When free swimming, feed fry newlyhatched brine shrimp nauplii. They will soonlearn to take micro-pellets and crushed flake food.Note: Although many darter species areendangered or threatened, the Rainbow darteris one of the most abundant of all the darterspecies. They do well in an aquarium ifprovided with a modest current, but you must have aspecial permit to collect and keep them.

Reference: • www.fishbase.org/summary/3405• Wikipedia• www.biokids.umich.edu/crittershttp.//hatch.cehd.umn.edu/research/fish/fishes/rainbow_darter.html• To purchase Darters: http://www.btdartes.com/content/page/catalogs/fish/darter_rainbow_hc/buy.htm

John Todaro - BAS

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SPECIES PROFILE

26

HAPPENINGSHOBBY

Larry Jinks ~ RAS - BAS - NJAS

My June trip to the Pittsburgh club and the July trek to the ACA inLouisville were great, but this month I want to get back to talkingabout fish. Fish are always spawning somewhere in the fishroom, butI’d like to touch on two events in particular. The first is the southernpurple spotted gudgeon, native to Australia, and the second is Kro-bia sp. “Xingu orange spots” from the Xingu River in Brazil.

The gudgeon story begins several years ago.Since I first joined the Raleigh AquariumSociety in 2010, we’ve had a rotating cast of

characters (in every sense of the word!). Two notablemembers at the time were Dr. Eric Hannemanand Dr. Peter Unmack. I had known Eric previouslyfrom ACA conventions. He was working as curatorof aquariums at the NC Museum of NaturalHistory in Raleigh (and provided me with a neat“behind the scenes” tour!). I met Peter at a Raleigh ASmeeting. He was doing post-doctoral research atUNC. Both men graciously provided Raleigh ASwith outstanding talks and had visited my new fishroom.

One day I got a call from Peter. He had justhad a spawn of a gudgeon and he had to go awayfor several weeks. He wondered if I could raisethe fry for him, since I had a new fishroom withplenty of tank space and regularly hatched babybrine shrimp. He brought the fry over in a bucketand we transferred them to a 2 ½ gallon plastic tank(which are everywhere in my fishroom). The frywere absolutely tiny and I told Peter I would domy best. I started feeding them with the sub 50micron Golden Pearls powder and mixed in newlyhatched baby brine shrimp when the fry gainedsome size.

I had previously gotten Mogurnda cingulatuafrom Peter and they turned out to be five inch

territorially nasty fish which systematically atevoraciously and killed each other off for fun.Peter assured me that Mogurnda adspersa was notnearly as large or aggressive. He was truthful andI wound up with about two dozen one inch fishin a ten gallon tank. Peter then announced that hewas moving back to Australia for a job opportunity.I asked him when he wanted his fish back, since Ihad not only the gudgeons, but several species ofrainbows which he had loaned me to spawn andspread around the hobby. He said: “Keep them.”I said: “Thank you!”

I moved the gudgeons to a 20-gallon longtank with a sand substrate and some rocks andthey proceeded to eat well and not show anyspawning behavior, but at least they didn’t killeach other! I had about a dozen two inch fish in thetank. They were shy, but came out to feed greedilyon anything I put in. They got flake food, live babybrine, live blackworms and frozen bloodworms.

Joanne and I were going to a wedding inPennsylvania the first weekend in August and Iwas getting the fishroom ready for my friendRich Poole, who stops on the way home from workand feeds my fish when we’re away. He probablytakes better care of my fish than I do (maybe Ishould go away more often!). As I was walkingby the gudgeon tank, I noticed one of them camped

Tips, techniques, and commentary from master breeder, Larry Jinks. Larry invites you to contact him at bapman13@hotmail.com for any questions you may have about the hobby.

27

out halfway up the glass onthe short end of the tank. Igrabbed the flashlight andlooked to see a patch about aninch in diameter being guardedby the fish. The patch consistedof small ovals that were difficultto see (maybe the algae hadsomething to do with that). Ifigured they wouldn’t be therewhen I returned after severaldays away, so I got a brineshrimp net and a razor bladeand scraped the eggs into the net totransfer them to a gallon plasticshoebox. Upon a more carefulexamination in the shoebox, thediscovery was made that the ovalsweren’t eggs, but were yolk sacs withtiny fry attached. Scraped algae fromseveral tanks was put it in theshoebox, along with Java moss andhornwort, and several spongefilters from other tanks weresqueezed into the shoebox aswell. I figured between the algaeand “sponge grunge” they wouldfind some microorganisms to feed onif they became free swimming.

We returned from the triplate Tuesday night and I didn’tget into the fishroom untilWednesday morning. A pleasantsurprise awaited me as I counted ten to twenty silverslivers swimming in the shoebox. Powdered foodwas added and, after a week, baby brine shrimp.I still have tiny fry swimming almost a monthlater. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

Last May I stayed with very good fish friendFrank Nell while speaking at the Jersey Shoreand North Jersey clubs. Frank and I always tradefish whenever I make a journey north. Whileadmiring a pair of Krobia sp. “Xingu orange spots”sitting on a clutch of eggs in a forty gallon tank,Frank said that he had turned them in for pointsalready and I could take the pair if I wantedthem, as he could use the tank space. The pairmade the trip to NC in a five gallon plastic tote

and Frank gave me a bagof half inch fry as backupin case the parents didn’tmake it.

Upon the return to NCthe pair was housed intheir own 40-gallon tankwith a sand substrateand several flower pots.They were initially veryshy, but fed on flake, liveblackworms and frozenbloodworms. One morning

while doing water changes Inoticed the pair hovering aroundone of the pots and they both hadspawning tubes extended. Icarefully cleaned the outside ofthe glass and they ignored medoing it. Grabbing my camera Iproceeded to take pictures. Theyignored me as I watched thefemale deposit the eggs andthe male fertilize them. Twodays later the pair moved thewrigglers to a pit they had dugin the sand. A day later I didn’tsee any fry in the pit. I searchedaround the tank, as the parentsoften move the fry, and discovereda fat, happy Corydoras metaethat I had missed while clearingthe tank! Oh well. I netted out

the cory and, hopefully, will be getting anotherspawn soon.

I often say to BAP members that getting the fishto spawn isn’t always hard, but raising the fry toturn them in for points can be tricky. I’m lookingforward to the Raleigh AS auction on September14th and the Atlanta auction on September 21stand then to the Catfish Convention in October,where I can obtain some new fish after clearingtank space for the auctions.s.

Krobia sp. “Xingu orange spots.” Femalelaying eggs as the male stands guard.

Eggs fertlized by the male.

Eggs guarded by the male.

Larry

My niece, theyellow fintandanus, is

only very rarelyavailable in theU.S.A. She is veryathletic, spending hertime swimming withher friends. Alwayskeep her in groups or3 or more. She seldomrests and is alwaysswimming in a knifefish fashion.

She is very much shapedlike a knifefish with whiskers;her color is a yellow tan body,with a white belly and a prettyyellow anal/caudal fin.

My niece loves freshwater,preferably hard and alkaline at72˚ - 80˚F. She grows to 8” inchesand eats all foods offered. She isvery peaceful with fish her ownsize or larger. She makes a verygood dither fish for MalawiPeacocks. Do not put her withfish smaller than she is. Thoseshe will consider as snacks. Likeall my relatives, she appreciateswater changes, 25% twice aweek is fine.

When maintained in a

school, she is active and swimsall day. She likes to show off herstuff. She even feeds at the surface.

I think she thinks she is arainbow fish sometimes. Keepher tank covered; she jumps.

My niece has not spawnedin the aquarium yet.

She is from very hardystock, being from the Northeasternjungle of Australia. But if for anyreason she does get ill, never useMalachite or copper for her meds.She is deathy allergic to bothand will die if you use them onher. Use Methylene blue orAcriflavine and you will get goodresults. Formalin works too!

Because she is so activeand likes to be with her friends,

give her some room.She and 4 or 5 of herbest friends are fine ina 55 gallon aquarium.

She never digs upor bothers plants soyou can decoratewith them and withrocks, but be sure toleave lots of freeswimming space upfront so you can

enjoy her athletics.She is very long lived in

the aquarium. Some of her sistersand brothers have lived formore than 10 years.

My niece is a really goodfish to have. Next time you see her,let her and her friends vacationin your tank. Just remember“shrimp NO barbie.” G’day!

EDITORS NOTE: This catfish iscurrently a protected specieswithin Victorian waters.

ber!

28

A KNIFEFISH WITH WHISKERS?

AUSTRALIA’S YELLOW FIN TANDANUS

Sy Angelicus - BAS

CATFISH CONNECTIONS

Sy

Weʼre traveling again. This time weʼre visiting myAussie relative. Sorry, no shrimp on the barbie. Weboth prefer our shrimp raw, frozen or freeze dried.

Tandanus tandaus

29

Brad Kemp - BASTheShrimpFarm.com is the place to go for freshwater shrimp. The owner, Brad Kemp, has a new address:

The Shrimp Farm USA, 11936 West 119th St., #197, Overland Park, KS 66213, U S A and has set up an Aquarium ShrimpForum http://theshrimpfarm.com/forum/index.php. You can go to this forum and ask questions, talk to other shrimp nuts

and discuss anything and everything related to Aquarium Shrimp.

Scientific Name: Neocaridina heteropoda.Other Scientific Names: N/A.Common Name: Blue Velvet Shrimp. Origin: Taiwan.Found in the wild: No.pH Range: 6.2 - 8.0.Ideal pH: 7.2.Temperature Range: 65˚ - 85˚F.

Ideal Temperature: 75˚F.Hardness Range: 3 - 15 dkh.Ideal Hardness: 8 dkh.Life Span: 1 - 2 Years.Gestation Period: 30 Days.Size: 1/2” inch.Diet: Omnivore.

Blue Velvet Shrimp

ame: Neocaridina heteropoda Ideal Temperature: 75˚FNee:amamam dadadapopoporororoterotehehehea a ina ininididaridarararocarocNeNeNeocaridin e:ure:urururatateraterermpmpmpmpmpTeTeeal eaeaIdIdId ˚F7575˚F

Fresh Water Invertebrate Health Considerations

Most types of invertebrates are quite lowmaintenance as far as healthcare goes, so long asthe quality and chemistry of your water are keptin optimum condition. With the exception of thepond snail, most types of invertebrates arevulnerable to poor quality water, or water con-taining high levels of nitrates. While some freshwater invertebrates are able to breathe air, forexample, apple snails and crabs, most cannot doso, and could quickly succumb in tanks that havepoor water conditions.

One of the most important issues to be aware

of if you want to keep fresh water invertebrates isthat of copper-based medication. These types ofmedicines should be avoided at all costs, becausemost types of invertebrates are extremely intolerantof these compounds. Most aquarium medicationsuse copper, and so you will need to check carefullybefore you go treating your tank.

Another important consideration is thatmany fresh water invertebrates like to molt.Molting is a complex process, and depends onthe animals receiving the right kind of diet andliving in the right conditions. Under the wrongconditions, many invertebrates will not be able tomolt, and will therefore die.

ates w.

30

Convict worm gobies donot have stunning colors.Juveniles are black with a

white/silver stripe runningdown the lateral line. Adultsare black with yellow bumblebeestyle stripes. The juvenilecoloration disappears.

But what convict wormgobies lack in color they morethan make up for in interestingbehaviors and hardness.

Convict worm gobiesgrow to about 6 to 12 inches.They’re peaceful communityfish in my experience.They eatany flake, frozen or pellet foodoffered. Convicts tolerate any normal salinity. Temperature:72˚ - 76˚F. Above 80˚F is too hotfor them. Low nitrite andammonia is a given, but theycan easily tolerate breaking in anew tank and tolerate newtank syndrome well. This is onetough fish. It tolerates a lot ofabuse and beginners mistakes.

Why keep this fish, youask? The answer is its behavior.This is a neat fish to observe. Itswims eel-like. Juveniles school,

but adults are solitary. Convictsdig! Usually under a coral head,they form a “cave.” The fishbuild a substrate pile all aroundits “cave.” Convicts peer outover their “cave wall” all dayand dart out for food or the occa-sional reconnoissance of its tank.

Convicts are not shy fish;they readily compete with tank-mates at lunchtime. Convicts

will feed from the surface,mid-tank and bottom.

They can easily swimbackwards ala freshwaterknife fish. Not surprising,seeing as their body shape issimilar.

Keeping several of thesegobies in the same tank is veryinteresting. Once sub-adultsstart to dig caves, each stakesout a territory. These territoriesfrequently are very close andoverlap. This close proximitygives the convicts ample chanceto steal stones from each other’s “cave wall.” When the walls collapse, a new digging bingeensues. Their behaviors are entertaining and a delight. Tryyour own prison break. Try a

convict worm goby or betteryet, several.

Happy fishkeeping.

P I O B E KCONVICT WORM GOBIES

Anthony P. Kroeger - BAS

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Pholidichthys leucotaeniaJuvenile

BEAUTIFUL MARINE FISH ABOUND, ANGELS,TANGS, BUTTERFIES AND MANY MORE. MY

FIRST MARINE FISH WAS NONE OF THEABOVE. IT WAS A CONVICT GOBIE.

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Pholidichthys leucotaeniaAdult

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31

SPECIES PROFILE

John Todaro ~ BAS

Family: Pholidichthys leucotaenia.Scientific Name: Pholidichthys leucotaenia.Common Name: Convict goby, engineer goby.Origin: Indo-Pacific.Distribution: It lives in shallow lagoonsand on coastal reefs from the Philippines tothe Solomon Islands.pH Range: 6.0 - 7.5.Temperature Range: 72˚ - 78˚F.Hardness: 8 - 12 dkh.pH: 8.1 - 8.4.Life Span: Up to 10 years.Size: .6 to 12 inches.Diet: Carnivore. Its diet should consist of avariety of fresh or frozen seafood, brineshrimp, and mysis shrimp. It should be fedat least twice per day.Sexing: Unknown.Breeding: The convict goby has beenspawned in aquariums. Spawning occurs inthe nest once a year after the fish is over oneyear old. The eggs are a white adhesivemass, less than a 1/8” in diameter. Hatching

occurs 7 – 10 days after fertilization. The larvaeare colorless except for the eye and arearound 1/4 “ in length, having a small yolksac. Around 26 days, the larvae will morphinto a young convict gobie. Remarks: It is neither a blenny nor agoby, but in fact one of two species inthe family Pholidichthyidae. Its markingschange throughout its life. Buy them ina small group (they’re social animals), 3or 5 fish, if your tank has sufficient size.As juveniles, the markings are horizontal,running the length of the body. With age,they become vertical bands.

Reference:•www.liveaquaria.com.•http://www.freeinfosociety.com/site.php?postnum=2303.•http://www.redorbit.com/education/ref-erence_library/animal_kingdom/fish/1112757218/convict-blenny-pholidichthys-leu-cotaenia/.

y.

32Frank M. Greco

AnimalForum.com staff - From Frank's Aquarium.com Copyright 1997 by Frank M. Greco.

Reprinted with permission. Aquarticles

H O W T O Q U A R A N T I N E F R E S H & S A L T WA T E R F I S H & I N V E R T E B R A T E S

One should assume thatall fish, either captivebred or (especially)

wild are carriers of one form ofnasty pathogen or another. Frombacteria to protozoas to viruses...any or all may be waiting tocause you grief. Why take thechance of introducing some-thing like that into an alreadyestablished system when a sim-ple quarantine can take care ofthis potential problem? I know...I know... you don't have roomto set up another tank. Well, inmost cases all you need is about240 square inches of floor space...which just happens to be thesize of a 10 gallon tank. Norneed the tank be left up andrunning all the time. It can beset up at a moment's notice tohold that one of a kind animalyou have had your eye on. Andyou don't need all the fancybells and whistles you wouldexpect to find on a permanentset up.

In fact, all you'll need

is listed here:

• 10 gal. tank (or larger if need be).• Cover, preferably with light• 2 or 3 pieces of 6" long 2" PVC

for hiding places.• Air pump.• Heater and thermometer• Biologically active sponge filter.• Net.• Crushed oyster shell or calcareous

gravel.• Ammonia test kit (fresh and

salt water).• AmQuel or similar product.• Nitrite test kit (freshwater). • Antibacterial medicated food• Anti-parasitic medicated food• Citrated copper (for marine fish) • Copper test kit (for marine fish) • Malachite green (for freshwater fish).

As you can see, not muchis needed to get started, In factthe most costly item on the list isthe canopy and light. This neednot be an expensive fluorescentlight. An incandescent fixturewill do here.

STARTING OUT

How do you start? Quitesimple. You will be setting upyour tank the same way you'd setup any tank, with the exceptionof painting the OUTSIDE bottomof the tank black or in some wayblocking the bottom of the tank(note that NO substrate is usedin the quarantine tank, hence theneed to black out the bottom).This will give the fish the illusionof a solid bottom, and place themmore at ease (with fish, as withhumans, psychological well-beinggoes a long way to aiding withphysiological well-being).

Next, place the tank on anice sturdy, level surface (a standmade for this purpose, preferably),and fill it with 10 gallons of waterfrom your already establishedaquarium. Add the heater, PVCpipe pieces, a small amount (ahandful is usually good) ofcrushed oyster shell or calcareousgravel in a mesh bag (to providesome buffering) and the biologicallyactive sponge filter, and...VOILA!...a quarantine tank is born!

While at first thought quarantining your newly purchased fish or invertebratemay seem to be a royal pain, this simple procedure can, in the long run,

save you from a number of problems that could endanger the well-being of the animals already present in your system.

33

"Hey!", you might say,"Where do I get a biologicallyactive sponge filter?" There areseveral options here. Perhapsyour local dealer can sell you anactive sponge filter. (A note todealers here: since it is a goodidea to have auxiliary aerationin your systems, in any event,why not utilize sponge filters?This way, when your customerneeds an active sponge filter, youhave plenty on hand to sell).Failing this, perhaps a fellowhobbyist can help you out.However, the easiest thing todo, in my opinion, is to alwayshave a sponge filter on hand.This is easily accomplished byplacing a working sponge filter(or two) in your sump or directly inyour tank (hidden behind somedecorations so that it is not visiblewhen viewing the tank). After 4 to6 weeks you will have an activesponge filter! After the quarantineperiod is over, all you need dois remove the sponge filter fromthe quarantine tank, rinse it underhot water, and place it back intoyour tank/sump for bacterialre-colonization. Really, what couldbe simpler?

O.K., now the tank is upand running. All environmentalparameters check out (so far).What next? You'll want to add thefish, of course. Follow whateveracclimation procedures younormally follow (which, in mycase, consists of netting the fishfrom the bag to the tank whileyelling "ACCLIMATE!").

NEVER dump bag waterinto your quarantine or main tank.Always net the fish from thebag. Allow the fish 24 hours tosettle in before starting treatment.

FRESHWATER

QUARANTINE PROCEDURE

For those of you quarantiningfreshwater fish, please read on.For those dealing with marinespecies, please skip down threeparagraphs.

For freshwater fishes,the quarantine procedure isquite simple:

First, you will want tofeed your fish an antibacterialmedicated food twice a day for14 days. Feed as much as thefish will eat in 2 minutes or so ateach feeding. Bacterial disordersare the most common cause ofdeath in fishes, and it pays to givea preventative treatment here. Ifyou are dealing with wild-caughtfishes, you will also want tosupplement this with anantiprotozoal medicated food(antibacterial diet at one feedingand antiprotozoal at the other) to ridthese fish of whatever intestinalparasites they may be carrying.There are antiparasitic diets thatcontain both an antiprotozoal

and an antibacterial, and this typeof food can be substituted inplace of the two separate diets.

Next, you will want totreat the fish with malachitegreen. I know some of you mustbe shaking your heads, sayingthat malachite green will kill somefreshwater species. NONSENSE!When dosed correctly, malachitegreen is safe for even the mostso-called sensitive species.

The dose I use, and havebeen successful with, is 0.05 PPMmalachite green for three treatments,one every other day. At this level,your fish should not experiencemalachite sensitivity. Of course,dosing at 0.05 PPM means doingmore than adding one drop pergallon. To figure out the correctamount of liquid to add, you takethe concentration of malachitegreen listed on the bottle (in percent),and convert it to milligrams permilliliters (10 percent = 1000milligrams per 100 milliliters ofwater). Divide the milligramsper milliliters by the finalconcentration. This will give youthe results in milliliters/liters.To convert to gallons, divide thenumber of liters by 3.8. For example,we have a 10 gallon tank, wanta final concentration of 0.05 PPM(or 0.05 mg/l. It's interchangeablefor our purposes), and we areusing a 0.75% malachite greensolution. So...0.75% = 7.5mg/milliliter. 7.5 mg/ml di-vided by 0.05 PPM (or mg/l) =1 ml per 40 gallons. Since 1 milliliteris about 16 drops, we will need1/4 of that, or 4 drops per 10gallons of a 0.75% malachitegreen solution.

Now for the kicker: mostmalachite green based medications

34

advise ONE DROP PER GALLONof a 0.75% solution. This works outto 2.5 times the amount actuallyneeded. No wonder some hobbyistslose fish when using malachite green:they have severely overdosed!

Anyway..to continue...You want to dose at least

three times, once every other dayfor three treatments, all the whilefeeding the medicated food(s).While the malachite treatmentwill last only six days, you reallywant to continue the quarantinefor another eight days. If afterthis time period no obvioussigns of disease are present, youmay safely add the fish to yourestablished tank.

If obvious signs of anotherillness show themselves (for example,a lesion caused by an externalbacterial infection), you willneed to treat that as well, inconjunction with the malachitetreatment. Nitrofurazone, orany of the furan-type antibioticswill usually effect a cure.

Please note that malachitegreen, being an organic dye, willstain clothing, skin, the siliconsealant in your tank...almostanything! If fabrics or siliconhave become stained, you willneed to live with it since this stainis not removable. Malachitegreen inadvertently gotten on skinshould be rinsed off as soon aspossible. The stain left behindwill wear off within a few days.

During this 14 day period,you will want to monitor boththe ammonia and nitrite levels inthe tank, and take appropriateactions if you notice an increase.If the ammonia level is slight, theaddition of AmQuel or similarproduct will take care of it. Just

be aware that AmQuel willlower the pH of the system, andconstant use can bring aboutpH readings of 4 or lower!

Hence the use of crushedoyster shell or calcareous gravelin the tank: it will help in main-taining an acceptable pH range.If the ammonia level continuesto rise, a water change (up to50%) is in order. Remember tore-dose the appropriate amountof medication after the waterchange. If the nitrite level begins toclimb, the addition of aquariumsalt at one teaspoon per gallonwill negate its toxic effects.

MARINE FISH

QUARANTINE

If you have a marine system,the process is a bit more complex.

First, the acclimation ofthe new fish is the same, but youwant to give the new arrival atleast 24 hours to recuperatefrom bring moved before youbegin medicating. If the animaldoes not begin to eat within 24hours, hold off treatment until itdoes begin to take food.

Next, you will want toadd enough citrated copper tobring the level up to 0.15 PPM(you can really go as high as0.20 PPM, but no higher, please).I know many of you use heavilychelated (or bonded) coppers,but I advise against their use.First off, in order for copper tobe truly effective, it must be inits ionic state. Heavily chelatedcoppers, by definition, are not inthat state, and so are less than useful.The fact that, in my experience,crabs and shrimp can live insystems treated with heavilychelated copper attests to its

ineffectiveness in most cases.(Try that in a system treated withan ionic copper. The inverts donot live very long). Secondly, thelevel produced by some chelatedcoppers may be far higher thanis actually needed to control thedisease organism (which shouldalso tell you something. At ashigh a dose as some of thesechelated coppers produce, thefish should be dead). Thishigher-than-needed dose isactually detrimental to the fishin the long run in several otherways: gill degeneration, livershutdown, anemia, compromisedimmune system...the list goeson. There is absolutely NO needto subject the fish to levels farabove what is needed to treatthe condition.

How do you know howmuch citrated copper is in yoursystem? You'll need to get a goodtest kit in order to measure thelevel. Personally I advise thepowdered reagent kits over tabletor dipstick based kits, as theyare far more accurate. (I havechecked many a test kit againstatomic absorption readings, andmany are consistently off,especially when testing marinewater).

In the beginning, you mayfind it difficult to maintain a0.15 PPM level due to the calcareousmaterial in the system. This is tobe expected as the carbonate reactswith the copper, forming coppercarbonate. At first, you will needto check the level twice a day, andadd copper as needed to maintainthe 0.15 PPM level. Once youget two consecutive readings of0.15 PPM, you can consider thatday one, and you can begin

35

monitoring the level once a day,adding copper as needed.

You will want to continuethis regimen for 14 days. Duringthis treatment period, you willalso want to feed the fish anantibacterial medicated food.

Doing so does help thefish fight off systemic bacterialproblems since the copper treatmentdoes tend to compromise theimmune system to a degree.After 14 days, do a 50% waterchange (to bring the copperlevel down), and wait 24 hoursafter that before adding the fishto your established tank.

As with freshwater fishes,if obvious signs of any otherdiseases show up, treat with thecorrect proprietary medicationfor the appropriate period oftime. For copper sensitivespecies, you can use malachitegreen at 0.10 PPM (which endsup being 8 drops of a 0.75%solution per 10 gallons). Treat everyother day for three treatments,wait two days, and repeat. Asalways, monitor water qualityand take appropriate action if itdegrades. Please note that thistreatment is NOT as effective ascopper, and will not result inthe same kill rate of parasites.There are other non-copperbased medications that can beused (such as chloroquine phosphate,pyrimethamine, quinacrine andother proprietary medications).In my experiences with them,most are FAR less effective thanis copper, and should be usedonly as a last resort. Also notethat I have not mentioned the useof formalin as a viable treatment.There are MANY chemotherapeutic

mixtures that contain formalin.However, IMO and IME, formalinshould NEVER be used as partof a mixture. If one is to use it(and there is no reason why oneshould), it should be dosedseparately, and at its correcttherapeutic dose. The fact that,if dosed incorrectly, you can killyour fish quickly and that it canbe injurious if gotten into oneseyes is reason enough to stayaway from formalin.

QUARANTINING

INVERTEBRATES

As for invertebrates, therereally is no set procedure forquarantine. Luckily, few invertscan be considered carriers ofpathogens. A simple 14 dayquarantine without anychemotherapeutics is your bestbet. It is important though, tofully quarantine all new corals,both stony and soft, beforeintroducing them into anestablished tank. With all thenew epizootics occurring on thereef, there is a great chance ofintroducing these pathogensinto your tank, thereby wipingout your coral collection.

NOW WHAT?

O.K., your fish are throughquarantine, and there are no newfish on the horizon. Now what?Simply break down the tank.Rinse everything (except thesponge filter) out with warm(NOT HOT OR BOILING)water into which a little bit ofbleach has been added. (Pleasewear eye protection and gloveswhen using bleach in this manner.Also realize that bleach will eat

some fabrics, and cause colorloss in fabrics not intended forbleaching). The sponge filtershould be rinsed in HOT water,with no exposure to bleach(some sponge material used insponge filters reacts poorly tobleaching). Allow everything todry, and put it away until it isneeded again.

So you see, setting upand using a quarantine tank isnot difficult or complicated.Remember, it is better to controla disease in a smaller tank,treating beforehand, than it is totreat in a large system. A littlepreventative medicine is yourbest bet.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The information andprocedures contained within arebased upon techniques (withminor modifications) that havebeen used for many years at thepublic aquarium at which Iwork. I am not saying that thisarticle contains the final wordon the subject. Far from it.

However, it does containwhat I consider a practicalquarantine procedure whichany hobbyist can utilize to thebenefit of their hobby. All opinionsexpressed herein are my own, andare based upon my experienceswith particular products and/ortechniques.

Comments regardingthis article are appreciated, andshould be sent to franksaquarium@hotmail.com

cular pr

36

Our esteemed President, Joe Graffagnino,was the honored speaker at the Central NewYork Aquarium Society in the Syracuse

area for their September meeting. I understandthat he survived and they survived and no onewas hurt.Did anyone go to the ACA (American Cichlid Association) annual convention this year? It washeld in Louisville, Kentucky, July 10-13, and hadquite an array of speakers like Juan Miguel ArtigasAzas, Ad Konings, Dr. Paul Loiselle, Joe Fredenziand Willelm Heijns, to name a few. If you attended,the members would like to hear from you. Perhapsyou can share your experiences at our generalmembership meeting. This would inspire othersto attend as well.

• New Hampshire Aquarium Society, TheGranite-Fisher, Volume 23, Number 6 June 2014.Bill Janetos, the editor, publishes the NHAS list oftheir library books and videos that are availablefor their members to look at if interested and theselections will be brought in to the next meeting.Pretty neat, eh?

• Greater City Aquarium Society - NewYork, Modern Aquarium, Volume XXI, Number 4,June 2014, has several articles that are worth reading,one of which is “The LFS (Local Fish Store)

Report” by Dan Puleo. He does a ‘spotlight’ onthe Franklin Pet Center located in FranklinSquare, N.Y. He spent some quality time with thecurrent owner, Manny, who like the rest of usbegan his involvement in the trade as a hobbyist.It is a nice piece, very well done and worth reading.

Alexander A. Priest also provides a list ofthe 2013 FAAS Awards. The list covers 11 clubsand numerous categories and even more win-ners. You can view the current and past lists bygoing to the FAAS website at www.FAAS.infoand click on ‘Publication Awards’ and see thelistings for the past 8 years or so.

Jules Birnbaum writes an article “Waterand the Fishkeeper" which of course goes intohow important the chemistry of water and itsfiltration related to fish as well. Did I mention waterchanges?

“The Pea” is a well done story and photosby Stephen Sica chronicling his and his wife’svisit to the Caribbean two years ago and some really nice pictures of a trunkfish, Latin nameLactophrys triqueter. Once again, very well done.

That’s it for now. See you all next issue. Happy fish reading.

The Exchange Editor’s job is reading publications from different clubs and suggesting items of interest to our members.

Stu Hershkowitz, BAS

Exchange Editor’sReport

STU

37

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS. THEY SUPPORT US. WE MUST SUPPORT THEM!

ABSOLUTELY FISH’S staff is knowledgeableand can help you solve your aquatic problems.They offer a 15% discount on select fish, marinelife & supplies with current BAS membership card.A really great aquatic shop. Well worth the trip.

ABSOLUTELY FISH1080 Route 46 W., Clifton, NJ 07013

Ph: 1 (973) 365-0200Open 7 days a week:

Mon - Fri 12AM- 9PM• Sat 12AM- 8PM• Sun 12AM - 5PM

“C” THE JUNGLE PET STORE In the heart ofBrooklyn carries a full line of pet supplies, tropical fish,birds, and small animals. They offer a 10% discount toBAS members with a current membership card.

“C” THE JUNGLE PET STORE247 New Lots Ave., Bklyn NY 11207

Ph: 1 (718) 649-2536Hrs: Tue-Sat 10AM - 8PM • Sun 10AM - 6PM

FAUNA is Manhattan’s largest exotic pet boutique anda new sponsor of the BAS. Dan offers a 10% discount tomembers. They keep over 2,300 gallons stocked withfreshwater, marine fish and corals. They also carrysmall animals, birds and reptiles. Make a point tovisit and tell them you saw their ad in the BAS Bulletinand Aquatica. This store will blow you away!

FAUNA 265 West 87th St. between Bway & West End Ave., NY, NY

Ph: 212-877-2473Store hrs: M-W-T-F 11AM - 7PM • Closed Tues.

Sat 11AM - 7PM • Sun 11AM - 6PM

AQUARIUM VILLAGE has 4 to 5 livestock shipments offreshwater, saltwater fish and corals every week, to offeryou a great selection at a great price. With 6,000 gals. ofstocked tanks, 1,000 coral frags and 2 tons of live rock instock at any one time. Saltwater is their specialty, but you’llalso see a large selection of African cichlids, 1,000 gals. oftropical fish, goldfish, koi and plants and a wide range ofequipment, accessories and supplies to fit all your needs.They also do installation and maintenance. A well-trained staff ison hand to answer questions and provide quality service.Richard, the owner, also welcomes group buys and offers.

This is a must visit store!AQUARIUM VILLAGE

473 A2 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY 11590Ph: (516) 333-0682 • www.nyAquariumVillage.com

Mon - Sat 11-9 • Sun 11-6

MANHATTAN AQUARIUM has one of the largest selections of marine fish & corals on the east coast.Located conveniently at 522 West 37th St. in Manhattan.You should check them out for all your Marine Fish &Coral needs.

BAS members get a 10% Discount with current membership card.

MANHATTAN AQUARIUM522 West 37th Street, NYC, NY 10018Ph: 212 594-2271 • Fax: 212 594-2271

www.ManhattanAquarium.Com • www.UniqueCorals.Com

PETLAND DISCOUNTS, the complete pet store, car-ries a full line of pet supplies for fish, dogs, cats, birds,reptiles and small animals. Also a variety of fish,birds, small animals and reptiles. Open 7 days aweek. Locations in New York, New Jersey &Connecticut. Over 15 stores in Brooklyn. Shop online at: See the white pages, for a store near you.

WWW.PETLANDDISCOUNTS.COM.

JOSEPH S. REISMAN & ASSOC.Accounting & Tax Experts.They specialize in aquarium societies, aquarium hobbyists,aquariumretail suppliers and stores and aquarium wholesalesuppliers. They offer a 10% discount to Brooklyn Aquariummembers with a valid membership card.

Ph: 718-332-1040 • Fax: 800-518-5251 orwww.TAXHELP1040.COM

38

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS. THEY SUPPORT US. WE MUST SUPPORT THEM!

ZOOMED AQUARIUM LOG not only floats but alsoprovides security, comfort and stress reduction for fishand other aquatic pets. It floats at the surface so that fishcan swim inside and it comes in three sizes for anyaquarium. Find out more about it and other ZooMedaquatic products at

WWW.ZOOMED.COM

PACIFIC AQUARIUM & PET INC., in Manhattan’sChinatown,carries ornamental goldfish, koi, freshwaterfish, & aquatic plants. BAS members get 10% discountwith current card (Discounts not to be combined withother specials). They have a full line of aquarium supplies.You can order custom size tanks.

PACIFIC AQUARIUM & PET INC.46 Delancy St., NY, NY 10002

Ph: 1 (212) 995-5895Open 7 days a week and all holidays 10AM to 7:30PM

REEFS2GO.COM. They’re located in sunny Florida. Visittheir web site to view the full line of saltwater fish, inverts,corals, live foods for marine fish and corals plus acomplete line of saltwater dry goods and equipment. Getall the details on FREE SHIPPING and their 14 dayGuaranteed Living or Credit policy. If saltwater is yourpassion and you’re looking for deals, check their DailyDeals and Over Stocked Items page. For more greatbuys, check Buy 1 get 1 Free Offers. Check out the site.Read the testimonials and if you still have questions, callthem Monday to Thursday from 10AM to 5PM EST at 727-623-0914.

WORLD CLASS AQUARIUM has been serving the hobbysince 1986. New Yorker Magazine recognized them as the"best aquarium supply store in the five boroughs."You'll be pleased to know that they:• Offer a large selection of freshwater, marine fish, corals, plus afull line of aquarium, bird, and small animal products.• They give a 10% discount to BAS members with a

current membership card.• Carry a selection of large and small tanks and cabinets.• Have a marine biologist on staff.• Design and install aquariums for educational institutions. • Do maintenance for home or office aquariums.• Build glass tanks and sumps to your specifications.

If you’re into birds, check out their selection of hand-fedbaby parrots, African grays, cockatoos, macaws, Amazons,conures, parakeets, and canaries.

Call or stop by to see what new babies have arrived!Owned by two hobbyists, Allan and Robert, who offer a

personal touch and pride themselves on “world class”quality. They’re always available to answer questions. You can also subscribe to their Newsletter.

Visit www.WorldClassAquarium.com and sign up.

WORLD CLASS AQUARIUM2015 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11234Ph: (718) 258-0653 • F: (718) 258-4637

Store Hrs: Mon - Sat 10AM - 7PM Sunday 10AM - 6PM

Please Patronize Our Sponsors. They support us; we must support them.

Tell them you saw their ad in the Aquatica.

39

Welcome our

newest

sponsor!

PACIFIC AQUARIUM &PET INC.

46 DELANCEY ST., N Y, NY 10002

PH: (212) 995.5895

10% Discount to BAS members with current membership card

Specializing in freshwater aquatic plants& supplies. Large selection of exotic

freshwater, marine fish, goldfish & koi.Custom size tanks & maintenance

available.

Open 7 days a week & all holidays 10AM - 7:30PM

Close to the F, B, D, & 6 Subway linesVisa, MC, Discover Card, AmEx

BUY 2 FRESHWATER FISH, GET 1 FREE EVERY DAY

OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE718•649•2536

“C” The JunglePet Store

10% Discount for BAS members with

current membership card

TROPIC AL F ISH , B IRDS & SMALL ANIMALS .

PET SUPPL IES

247 New Lots Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11207

Hs: Tue-Sat 10AM - 8PM Sun 10AM - 6PM

FREE SHIPPINGVisit us for Details

Quality saltwater livestock &products at reasonable prices

GOT QUESTIONS? CALL USM-TH 10AM - 5PM EST 727-623-0914

Visit our site for our full line of fish,inverts, corals, live food & marine supplies.

Check out our

DAILY DEALSOverstocked Live Stock &

Buy 1 get 1 Free Offers!

www.ManhattanAquarium.Comwww.UniqueCorals.Com

Phone: 212 594-2272 Ext/5Fax: 212 594-2271Cell: 347-782-2407

522 West 37th StreetNYC, NY 10018

10%D I S C O U N T

F O R M E M B E R S

PETLANDDISCOUNTS

OVER 47 YEARS OF SERVICE•

OPEN 7 DAYS•

See our listing in the white business pages

or onlinewww.petlanddiscounts.com

LOCATIONS:

New York. New Jersey& Connecticut

WORLD CLASS AQUARIUMNew York’s Best Pet Shop!

2015 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11234P: (718) 258-0653 • F: (718) 258-4637

Store Hrs: Mon - Sat 10AM - 7PM • Sunday 10AM - 6PM

We Accept

Weekly shipments of tropical fish, marine fish, African cichlids,live coral. Large selection of tanks and cabinets IN STOCK.

Recognized by the New Yorker Magazine as the "best aquarium supply store in the five boroughs."

Advice is always free; just call us with your questions.

We are Hobbyists who use the products we sell.

www.WorldClassAquarium.com/

Custom tank and sump building, installation, & aquarium service unequalled for almost 3 decades. We have the largest on-hand asst'd

baby birds in the area and bird & small animal products.

Discount for BAS members with current membership card.10%

Welcome our

newest

sponsor!

40

Manhattanʼs LargestExotic Pet Boutique

Fauna265 West 87th

btwn Bway & West End Ave.

212-877-2473

Inquire about our aquarium set up andmaintenance service!

Hrs: Mon-Wed-Thur - Fri 11AM - 7PMClosed Tue & Sat 11AM - 7PM • Sun 11AM - 6PM

Over2,300gallonsof freshwater &

marine fish & corals.10% DISCOUNT FOR

BAS MEMBERS

Please Patronize Our Sponsors. They support us, we must support them.

Tell them you saw their ad in the Aquatica.

A w a r d e d B e s t A q u a t i c P e t R e -t a i l e r i n N o r t h A m e r i c a f o r

t h e y e a r 2 0 1 3 B y P e t P r o d u c t s N e w s

(973) 365-02001080 Route 46 West Clifton, NJ 07013

Open 7 Days a WeekM-F 12AM - 9PM • Sat 12AM - 8PM

• Sun 12AM - 5PMWe Honor: Visa, Master Card, Discover,

American Express, MAC

Freshwater Fish;Over 120 tanks filled with common & hard to

find tropical, catfish & cichlids.Specialized aquatic plant systems.

High-tech reef & filtration equipment. Larger selection of live rock & live sand.

More invertebrates; Over 2,000 gals of coral-reef exhibits. Over 4,000 galsof rare & unusual marine fish

Expert Staff in marine science & aquariumhusbandry ready to answer questionsCustom aquariums & cabinetry available.

BAS MEMBERS GETA 15% DISCOUNT

516 333-0682

AQUARIUM VILLAGE473 A2 Old Country Road

Westbury, NY11590

info@nyaquariumvillage.com

A complete range of exotic fish; freshwater, saltwater, and corals.4 to 5 shipments per week for the widest selection of great prices.Also a wide range of aquarium equipment. A well-trained staff provides the highest customer service for your aquarium needs.

• 6,000 Gal. of well stocked tanks. Saltwater a specialty.• 1,000 frags of coral, plus 2 tons of live rock and

a 44 cubic ft freezer of frozen foods• A wide assortment of tropical fish, goldfish, koi and plants.

• Rare and unusual invertebrates.

SERVICES: Installion of entire systems.• Aquarium maintance. • Expert help on tanksize, equipment, installation and logistics.

LONG ISLAND’S AQUARIUM

Store hours: Mon-Sat 11-9 • Sun 11-6

JOSEPH S. REISMAN & ASSOC.Accounting & Tax Experts2751 Coney Island Avenue

(Corner of Avenue Y)Brooklyn, NY 11235yn,

WE SPECIALIZE IN:• Aquarium Societies• Aquarium Hobbyists

• Aquarium Retail Suppliers• Aquarium Wholesale Suppliers

Tel: 718-332-1040 Fax: 800-518-5251

www.TAXHELP1040.com10% discount to

Brooklyn Aquarium Society memberswith, valid membership card

41

Membership & Renewal Application Brooklyn Aquarium Society

NAME___________________________OCCUPATION_________________

ADDRESS_________________CITY_______________STATE____ZIP______

PHONE (DAY) _______________(EVE)______________(FAX)______________

E-mail Address__________________________________________________TYPE & LENGTH of MEMBERSHIP: (CHECK ONE)

INDIVIDUAL FAMILY [ ] $15 STUDENT 1YEAR(UNDER 18 YEARS)

*If family membership, please list all family members. Only first two listed will have voting rights.

1_______________________ 2____________________ 3________________________

4_______________________ 5____________________ 6________________________

Number of tanks [ ] marine [ ] freshwater [ ] Do you breed fish? [yes] [no]

If yes, what types do you breed:_________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Special interest (if any)___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How did you hear about BAS [friend] [dealer] [flyer] [Aquatica] [mag ad] [online]

other_______________________

To volunteer check [yes] [no] A board member will contact you if you check yes.

Mail This Form And Your Check Payable to Brooklyn Aquarium Society toBROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY, ATT: MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON

P.O. BOX 290610, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11229-0011

On occasion, the Brooklyn Aquarium Society uses its mailing list to send notices of interest to our mem-bers.If you DO NOT wish to receive these mailings please check here [ ]

Official use

Member number:________ Type of membership [F] [I] [S] Datepaid:_________________ Board approved date ___________Amount paid:___________ Renewal/member since__________

1yr.

$20

2yr.

$36

3yr.

$51

4yr.

$68

1yr.

$25

2yr.

$45

3yr.

$63

4yr.

$85

Meetings are held at the NY Aquarium Education Hall on the 2nd Friday of the month at7:30pm. Knowledgeable speakers on fish care and culture, door prizes,

raffles, and fish auctions. All meetings are free to members. Visit us on line: WWW .BROOKLYNAQUARIUMSOCIETY.ORG