The Cichlid Corner Saltwater Made Simple More!

February 2012
Volume 41, No. 2
The Official Publication of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County
In this issue:
The Cichlid Corner
Saltwater Made Simple
More!
6$9(
%
722))
83
&KDLQ6XSHU6WRUH/RFDO3HW6WRUH3ULFHV
&HQWHUYLOOH5G/DQFDVWHU
‡WKDWSHWSODFHFRP
25%off
30%off
Pure Aquatic Ceramic Rings,
Phosphate Remover &
Filter Pads
20%off
Marineland 90 gal. Tank & Pine Stand
Black or Oak - with Cornerflo: 10% off tank
25%off
Pure Aquatic Goldfish
& Tropical Flakes
15%off
Coralife HO T-5 Bulbs
Seaclone
Skimmers
20%off
20%off
Aqueon
Water Siphons
25%off
Coralife Super
Skimmers
10%off
NEW!
15%off
15%off
Eshopps
Skimmers
Eshopps
Wet Dry Filters
3UHVLGHQWV'D\:HHNHQG
6DW0RQ)HE
Marineland Reef
Capable Fixtures
Fluval Edge
Kit with LED Lights
6 & 12 gal.
%
Fluval
Submersible
Heaters
TFP • TPP COUPON
Three
Three
30
%
off
Fluval
06 Series
Canister
Filters
AquaClear Filters
TWO DAYS ONLY!
✁
TWO DAYS ONLY!
20
%
✁
15off
TFP • TPP COUPON
off
Live Fish & Live Plants
Corals, Inverts, Frags,
Clams & Live Rock
Valid Saturday-Monday 2/18-2/20/12 with this
coupon and your Pet Rewards Instant Savings Card at
That Fish Place retail store on in-stock items only. Not
valid with sale items, other offers or prior purchases.
One coupon per household per day. Excludes
quantity discounts, feeder fish, algae packs, corals,
inverts and live rock. No copies accepted. PCFRF30
Valid Saturday-Monday 2/18-2/20/12 with this
coupon and your Pet Rewards Instant Savings Card at
That Fish Place retail store on in-stock items only. Not
valid with sale items, other offers or prior purchases.
One coupon per household per day. Excludes
quantity discounts, algae packs and plant packs. No
copies accepted. PCFRF20
Specials valid with your Pet Rewards Instant Savings Card.
Don’t have a card? Sign up today for FREE in our retail store!
Sales valid through 2/29/2012, while supplies last.
Tank Tales is the official publication of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County (ACLC). Ten issues of
Tank Tales are published annually. Anyone using original material from any issue of Tank Tales must
return two (2) copies of the publication in which the article is published to our exchange editor listed
below. The views expressed in any material appearing in Tank Tales are those of the authors, and do not
necessarily express those of the ACLC.
The ACLC meets on the third Saturday of each month (except July and August) at That Fish Place, 237
Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA 17603. Meetings begin at 1:00 PM unless otherwise noted. Meetings
usually are comprised of a program featuring a guest speaker, door prizes, a mini fish auction, with a
period allowed for mingling and refreshments. The philosophy of the club is such that our activities are
interesting to both the novice and advanced hobbyist alike. An effort is made to keep business to a
minimum at the general meetings, with the executive board meeting being held monthly as needed on a
pre-established date and time.
2012 ACLC Committee Chairs
Committee
Chair
Phone
E-mail
Editor
Joel Antkowiak
717-354-2274
editor@aclcpa.org
Exchange Editor
Kurt Johnston
717-965-7763
exchange@aclcpa.org
Web Master
Kurt Johnston
717-965-7763
webmaster@aclcpa.org
Social Chair
Tara Miller
610-689-5356
social@aclcpa.org
Horticultural Chair
Michael Vogt
570-764-2151
HAP@aclcpa.org
BAP Chair
Kurt Johnston
717-965-7763
BAP@aclcpa.org
Auction Chair
Joe Kunkel
717-627-3853
Auction@aclcpa.org
Raffle Chair
Barb Kunkel
717-627-3853
raffle@aclcpa.org
Audit Chair
Suze Glesky
717-574-6123
Audit@aclcpa.org
WAAP Chair
Joel Antkowiak
717-354-2274
waap@aclcpa.org
Bowl Show Chair
Robin Antkowiak
717-354-2274
bowlshow@aclcpa.org
Membership Chair
Bill Martin
Corporate Sponsor
Liaison
Scott McLaughlin
610-763-2721 Membership@aclcpa.org
717-779-9864
Sponsor@aclcpa.org
Lifetime Members of the ACLC
Paul Bricknell
F. Wayne Calender
Pedro Sanchez
David Stephon
Cover: Robin Antkowiak's axolotl. Photo by Joel Antkowiak.
2012 ACLC Board of Directors
President
Vice-President
Joel Antkowiak
Danny Corman
717-354-2274
717-564-6888
President@aclcpa.org
VicePresident@aclcpa.org
Past President
Secretary
Kurt Johnston
Suze Glesky
717-965-7763
717-574-6123
pastpresident@aclcpa.org
secretary@aclcpa.org
Treasurer
Financial Director
PICTURE
Tim Brady
Barb Kunkel
NOT YET
570-385-0573
717-627-3853
AVAILABLE
treasurer@aclcpa.org
financial@aclcpa.org
Public Relations Director
Scott McLaughlin
Programs Director
Terrence Trasatti
717-779-9864
PublicRelations@aclcpa.org
Programs@aclcpa.org
A Message from the President
of the
Aquarium Club of Lancaster County
Wow! It was nice to see such a great turnout at the January meeting
with the weather the way it was. Hopefully mother nature will
cooperate a little better for the February meeting.
The planning is well under way for our big 40th Anniversary
celebration to be held September 15th and 16th. We have 4 great
speakers lined up already, all big names in the hobby. We have commitments from Ray
"Kingfish" Lucas, Mike Hellweg, Dr. Paul Loiselle, and Mo Devlin. With this group it should
be entertaining as well as educational!
I have received some commitments from great artists in the hobby as well to provide
various artwork for our event. Raffles, maybe a silent auction or two, vendors, speakers, a
celebratory banquet and last but not least a giant auction all day Sunday! It's going to be a
great event! All we need now is YOU! More information will be forthcoming in future issues.
It took a long time, but I finally finished putting together our entry package for the 2011
FAAS Publications Awards. I am proud to announce that the ACLC has 70 entries in 18
classes! That is up from last year's 54 entries. I think the overall quality of our entries is
better this year too, but we'll let the judges make that call.
Speaking of articles, I need some! My article bank is almost drained. The holidays are over
folks - let's get writing!
One thing you might want to consider writing is a review article. If you have won items in
the raffle or door prizes, please let us know what you thought of the products. The
manufacturers are donating these products to the club so that we can use them to raise
operating funds. We can pay them back by writing a review on the products that you used
and getting them some face time in Tank Tales. We need the support of the manufacturers
to be able to keep this club running, so let's do what we can to make them happy with us then maybe they will donate more to us next year!
Last but not least, we need a replacement for Barb Kunkel both on the Board of Directors
and as Raffle Chairperson. Please contact me if you can help us out!
Enough from me. See you at the meeting.


The 2011 ACLC Schedule
February 18
Tony Horos
Malawi Peacocks and Haps 101
******************************************************************
March 17th
TBD
2012 Bowl Show Schedule
April 21st
Michael Barber
TBD
Barbs, Danios and Rasboras / Jr. Open
May 19th
Joint meeting with GWAPA
February
March
All Other Livebearers / Aquatic Animals
April
Fertilization for Aquarium Plants
Small Catfishes (4" max) / Open
June 16th
TBD
Dwarf Cichlids / Jr. Open
July ?
Shop Hop ?
August ?
ACLC Picnic
We need someone to organize this!
May
June
Anabantoids / Matched Fish*
*Bring in your twins! Entry is 2 or more fish.
September
No Bowl Show - 40th Anniversary Event!
October
Tetras / Killifish
September 15 - 16
November
ACLC 40th Anniversary Event
Bowl Beautiful - Decorate a 1/2 gallon bowl
Ray "Kingfish" Lucas
Mo Devlin
Mike Hellweg
Dr. Paul Loiselle
2012 Bowl Show Standings
Lots of fun all
weekend long!
Skip Schulz ..................................... 14 points
Matthew Shaffer ............................. 10 points
Joel Antkowiak ................................. 5 points
Bill Martin ........................................ 5 points
Presented by The Aquarium Club of Lancaster County
Meetings held at That Fish Place, 237 Centerville Road, Lancaster PA – 1:00 PM
Saturday February 18th 2012
“Malawi Peacocks and Haps 101”
Tony
Horos
Tony will present a general overview of these striking fish. Topics
will include basic requirements, water chemistry, and a survey of
popular (and easily kept) genera, species compatibility, breeding
tips as well as cookie-cutter setups of differing sizes. Whether
you're completely new to Malawi cichlids or an old-timer, this will
be a great talk to catch.
Tony Horos is the current vice-president of the Capital Cichlid
Association and has been keeping fish since he was in grade
school, but really got involved in the hobby in the mid-90s. While
he has experience with high-tech planted and reef setups, his
true passion is for cichlids from Africa’s Lake Malawi. In the past
5 years, he has expanded from a few tanks to about 25 and has
bred approximately 30 different species/variants of Malawi haps,
peacocks and mbuna.
THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME
For more information about the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County, or directions to a meeting,
please visit our website at http://www.aclcpa.org
or
contact Kurt Johnston - kaj41354@comcast.net or 717-965-7763
Saltwater Made Simple, Part 5
by Michael Steffen
In this installment I would like to introduce you to the fish only with live rock, or FOWLR,
style of salt water aquarium. This type of salt water aquarium is a stepping stone to the
full blown reef tank and can be a nice step up from a fish only tank on your way to the
reef set up of your dreams.
We covered what live rock and live sand are in an earlier installment so that information is
already available. But there's a few different kinds of live rock that are available on the
market and some are even man made!
I prefer to use man made live rock or to turn other types of terrestrial rocks into live rock,
more on that later.
Tonga branching live rock.
sizes than anything else.
Live rock is harvested
from a few areas of the
world and each area has
different life that hitches
a ride on the live rock
when it is harvested. The
major live rock producing
areas are Hawaii, Fuji,
Tonga, Florida, and Haiti.
Each location that live
rock is harvested from
has different flora and
fauna that inhabits the
area and, in turn, brings
different
micro
and
macro life into our home
aquarium. Each location
also has specific shapes
and colors to the rock.
Picking live rock goes
more on your personal
taste in the shapes and
The photo shows Tonga branching live rock. Notice how it looks like a tree that has been
felled and the limbs trimmed off? Hence the name branching.
A trip to your local fish store and you can get a good feeling for what is available locally in
the area of live rock.
There is another type of live rock available that is man made from oyster shells and
concrete. There people at GARF have gotten this down to a science and perhaps one day I
shall do an article on the creation of it. It is simply white cement, crushed oyster shell,
and rock salt. This rock can be made into any shape or size and really allows you to create
a one of a kind fish tank.
The last type of live rock that I would like to mention is called Eco rock and is another
man made rock that is hand crafted with a purple pigment added to the concrete to give a
total coralline algae coverage appearance. This is to some people cheating but it sure
looks good! 
You can also tank some terrestrial rocks and seed them with other live rock pieces to
create your own live rock. I prefer to use lava rock for this or fairly tight holey rock. Lava
rock is very easy to acquire and can even be purchased at some landscaping supply
locations. It is cheap, easy to shape, and very porous! This makes it a great choice for
seeded live rock. Holey rock offers the buffering capability of the lime stone to help keep
your pH up while still having the small holes and crevices for the micro life to inhabit.
Here is a piece of lava rock that I am currently seeding with the Tonga branching rock
shown earlier. Once it is seeded and completely covered in coralline algae and other micro
organisms I will be removing the Tonga branching rock and the piece of lava rock will be
the only piece of live rock in the tank.
Whichever type of live rock you choose, make sure to check it for hitch hikers and riders
when you first get it. Remove anything that is unwanted like sponges or mantis shrimp. If
there is no unwanted things on it just give it a quick scrub with a stiff bristle brush to
remove anything dead and get it in your tank to cycle. Live rock will have a die off and
regrowth phase when it gets in your tank, so monitor your water parameters closely and
wait for it to finish curing before you add your fish and other inverts.
Once your live rock is done curing, you're ready to add fish and a clean up crew to your
salt water tank. A clean up crew, or CUC, consists of turbo snails, hermit crabs, crabs, sea
hares, star fish, conchs, and other inverts that will turn your live sand and clean up any
uneaten food that your fish do not get. The CUC will greatly help reduce the waste that is
made by your fish in your saltwater aquarium. The CUC will also clean off any green hair
algae or other unwanted algae that may pop up in your tank. We will be covering algae in
a different article so I will not go too in-depth on the subject in this one, but a CUC is vital
to keeping a sparkling clean tank!
Now that your tank is
cycled you can add fish
and enjoy this tank as
you already enjoy your
other
tanks.
Just
remember
that
salt
water aquariums should
not be stress, but a
beautiful,
enjoyable
conversation piece that
you can tell your friends
that you created with
time, and love of this
hobby.
As always, until I peek
from behind my shell
and see you again, I bid
you
happy
fish
keeping
The Aquarium Club of Lancaster County
Celebrates 40 years in the Aquarium Hobby
September 15 – 16, 2012
at
The Lancaster Host Resort
2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster PA 17602
Mike Hellweg ~ Dr. Paul Loiselle ~ Mo Devlin ~ Ray “Kingfish” Lucas
6 Programs by 4 Legends of the Aquarium Hobby
Join us for Lunch with the “Kingfish”
and an “Aquamojo” Banquet !
You will have the chance to own artwork from some of the
country's finest fishy artists!
Huge Vendor Room
Raffles Galore
Silent Auctions
This is Your Chance to Explore our Local Specialty Clubs
Giant Sunday Auction
Visit us at www.aclcpa.org for more information!
This month I want to tell you about a website that I visit on a weekly basis. The website is Ted’s
Fishroom, a blog-style website run by one of the best hobbyists I have met, Ted Judy. On his website,
Ted has a multitude of well-produced videos that cover many different subjects. He has instructional
videos showing how he built his fishroom, videos on the fish that he has had the opportunity to keep; he
takes you to several public zoos and aquariums. Ted has tours of other aquarist’s fish rooms, fish shops
and even conventions. He has some great videos of his collecting trips and some very helpful
instructional videos covering the basics of fishkeeping. If you want to see why I keep trying to
encourage all of you to attend the NEC Convention, take a look at Ted’s 4 minute video of the 2011
convention. It will give you a great idea of what it is all about. Ted also has an area on his site where
you can purchase some of the beautiful fish he has bred and the supplies he uses and endorses. I have
had the pleasure of meeting Ted several times and enjoyed the discussions and the great amount of
knowledge he is always sharing with other aquarists. So, stop by Ted’s Fishroom soon for a very
entertaining education.
~Enjoy Fish ‘netting - Kurt

We recently received large boxes of donated items from the folks at Cobalt
Aquatics as wells as Seachem and Hikari. The boxes contained various food
items and water conditioning products, and power heads. We thank you for your
support!
OVERALL STANDINGS
Participant
Total Points Base
Bonus
Reprints
(Articles/Photos)
Special Awards
Pen and Quill Award (750 points)
Joel Antkowiak* ........................ 1,100 points
Michael Steffen ............................. 950 points
885
840
215
110
395
250
170
50
15
100
225
45
55
50
0
25
0
0
35
20
10
20
15
0
0
10
0
0
2/0
3/0
Fishy Photographer
Fishy Photographer
Wordsmith Award (500 points)
None.
Author's Award (250 points)
Scott McLaughlin.......................... 445 points
Jay Stephan ................................... 295 points
Bob Kulesa .................................... 280 points
Fishy Photographer
Writing Breeder
Writer's Award (50 points)
Kurt Johnston ................................ 225 points
Robin Antkowiak ............................ 70 points
Michael Vogt .................................. 55 points
Suze Glesky .................................... 50 points
0/1
Other Participants
Wayne Callender ............................. 35 points
Matt Shaffer .................................... 20 points
Terrence Trasatti ............................. 20 points
Bill Martin....................................... 20 points
Ashley Antkowiak .......................... 15 points
Bonus Points include points for articles reviewed, reprinted, article and/or photo of the month, and awards from FAAS and NEC.
*-Participant has enough points for the next higher award, but needs to complete one or more other requirements.
MIGHTY FIN STANDINGS 2012
Kurt Johnston ....................................... 90 pts
Scott McLaughlin................................. 70 pts
Jay Stephan .......................................... 50 pts
Joel Antkowiak .................................... 45 pts
Bob Kulesa ........................................... 30 pts
Robin Antkowiak ................................. 15 pts
Standings as of February 10, 2012
Thank you to Jennifer Williams for
designing our club logos!
Breeder’s Award Program Monthly Report – February 2012
Lifetime Achievement Award Report
Active Members Point Totals
F. Wayne Calender Breeder
Wayne Calender .......................... 1553 pts
Grand Master Breeder
Paul Bricknell ............................. 1291 pts
David Stephon ............................. 1120 pts
Pedro Sanchez ............................. 1050 pts
Master Breeder (None)
Expert Breeder
Bob Kulesa* .................................. 812 pts
Advanced Breeder (None)
3 Star Breeder (None)
2 Star Breeder
Joel Antkowiak* ............................ 444 pts
Michael Schrom* .......................... 245 pts
Mike Steffen ................................... 228 pts
1 Star Breeder
Jay Stephan* ................................. 396 pts
R/W/C Bressler.............................. 212 pts
Pat Kelly*...................................... 165 pts
Glenn Davies* ............................... 120 pts
Daniel Sanchez................................ 90 pts
Dave Frehafer ................................. 90 pts
Danny Corman ................................ 73 pts
Scott Shenk ...................................... 70 pts
Kurt Johnston .................................. 55 pts
Other Participants
Terrance Trasatti ............................ 40 pts
Scott McLaughlin ............................ 18 pts
Matt Shaffer .................................... 16 pts
Ashley Antkowiak ............................ 14 pts
Tara Miller ...................................... 10 pts
Gary Boyer ........................................ 9 pts
*Breeder has enough points for next higher class
award but needs to complete one or more classes
to achieve the award.
Specialist Breeder Awards Report
Being a new award program, no member has
qualified for any of the specialist awards. Several
members have completed the number of species
required for awards but need to complete one or
more of the other requirements for an award.
Paul Bricknell
Bob Kulesa
Michael Schrom
Joel Antkowiak
Wayne Callender
Bev Newcomer
Class 1 – Livebearers
Wayne Calender
Pedro Sanchez
David Stephon
Class 2 – Catfish
Bob Kulesa
Class 3 – Barbs & Minnows
David Stephon
Class 4 – Characins
Wayne Calender
David Stephon
Paul Bricknell
Pedro Sanchez
Wayne Calender
Bob Kulesa
Class 7 – New World Cichlids
Bob Kulesa
David Stephon
Bob Kulesa
Class 5 – Killifish
Pedro Sanchez
Bev Newcomer
Class 8 – Old World Cichlids
Class 11 – Other Aquatic Animals
Mike Steffen
Bob Kulesa
Class 12 – U. S. Native Species
Wayne Calender
**************************************************
2012 Breeder of the Year
R/W/C Bressler................................................ 41 points
Joel Antkowiak.................................................... 7 points
The new year is here! Let's get breeding!
ACLC C.A.R.E.S.Registrants
Updated on January 31, 2012
Species
Status
Obtained from
Date
Reg. Date
Joel Antkowiak
Mar-10
10-Dec-10
Vulnerable /Conservation priority
DCAS Meeting miniauction
PVAS (MD) Fall Auction
Sep-09
10-Dec-10
Betta simplex
Vulnerable
GPASI Spring Auction
Apr-10
10-Dec-10
Skiffia lermae
Endangered
GPASI Spring Auction
Apr-10
10-Dec-10
Xiphophorus couchianus
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
Paul Bricknell (ACLC
Meeting mini auction)
Mar-11
30-Mar-11
Melanotaenia lacustris
Vulnerable/At Risk in Nature
CCA Meeting Auction
Apr-10
30-Mar-11
Tanichthys micagemmae
Vulnerable
Dennis Heltzel (KKG Mtg.)
& Tara Miller (ACLC Mtg.) Feb-11
30-Mar-11
Ameca splendens
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
2011 ALA Convention
Apr-11
5-Jun-11
Pachypanchax sakaramyi
Critically Endangered
2011 AKA Convention
May-11
5-Jun-11
Zoogoneticus tequila
Critically Endangered
2011 ALA Convention
Apr-11
13-Oct-11
Chapalichthys encaustus
Vulnerable
2011 ALA Convention
Apr-11
13-Oct-11
Tanichthys albonubes
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
R/W/C Bressler
Jan-12
21-Jan-12
Dec-10
19-Dec-10
Xenotoca eiseni
Endangered
Cryptoheros nanoluteus
Mike Steffen
Xenotoca eiseni
Endangered
Joel Antkowiak
LS= Longevity Seal: Awarded for every year this species is maintained
GS= Green Seal: Completed Species Journal and shared the data through an article in “Tank Tales”
BS= Blue Seal: Sharing fry with ACLC member who registers that fry into ACLC CARES
RS= Red Seal: Sharing fry with member of another organization who has the fry registered with that organization
18-Dec-10
ACLC C.A.R.E.S.Registrants
Updated on January 31, 2012
Jay Stephan
Haplochromis sp. "ruby"
Critically Endangered/At Risk in
Nature
Mike's Cichlids
Jul-10
15-Jan-11
Lipochromis cf. parvidens
"Kyoga"
Endangered
Old World Exotic Fish
May-10
15-Jan-11
Paralibidochromis sp "Red Fin
Piebald"
At Risk in Nature
Mike's Cichlids
Jul-10
15-Jan-11
Pundamilia nyererei
Near Threatened
Mike's Cichlids
Jul-10
15-Jan-11
Haplochromis obliquidens
Endangered
Atlantis Tropical Fish
Apr-10
15-Jan-11
Pundamilia pundamilia
Vulnerable
Old World Exotic Fish
Feb-11
18-Jun-11
Psammochromis riponianus
Vulnerable
CCA mini auction
Mar-11
18-Jun-11
Pundamilia igneopinis
Endangered
Icthyos Enterprises
May-11
18-Jun-11
Astatotilapia aeneocolor
Vulnerable
Old World Exotic Fish
Jun-11
18-Jun-11
Astatotilapia latifasciata
Critically Endangered/At Risk in
Nature
Old World Exotic Fish
Jun-11
18-Jun-11
Critically Endangered
Old World Exotic Fish
Jun-11
18-Jun-11
Paralibidochromis
chromogynos
LS= Longevity Seal: Awarded for every year this species is maintained
GS= Green Seal: Completed Species Journal and shared the data through an article in “Tank Tales”
BS= Blue Seal: Sharing fry with ACLC member who registers that fry into ACLC CARES
RS= Red Seal: Sharing fry with member of another organization who has the fry registered with that organization
ACLC C.A.R.E.S.Registrants
Updated on January 31, 2012
Jay Stephan (cont)
Xystichromis sp. Kyoga
Flameback
Critically Endangered
Mike’s Cichlids
Jul-11
13-Jul-11
Pundamilia sp. Blue Bar
Vulnerable
Mike’s Cichlids
Jul-11
13-Jul-11
Xystichromis sp Day Glow
Near Threatened
Mike's Cichlids
Jan-12
31-Jan-12
Jan-10
15-Jan-11
May-11
27-June-11
21-Jan-12
Tara Miller
Tanichthys micagemma
Vulnerable
Dennis Heltzel-ACLC
member
Barbara Kunkel
Chapalichthys encaustus
Vulnerable
ACLC Spring Auction
Rit Forcier
Harry Knaub
Xiphophorus couchianus
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
Paul Bricknell – ACLC
Mini Auction
Feb-11
29-Jun-11
Xenotoca eiseni
Endangered
Joel Antkowiak – ACLC
Mini Auction
Feb-11
29-Jun-11
May-11
16-Oct-11
Robin Antkowiak
Tanichthys albonubes
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
That Fish Place
LS= Longevity Seal: Awarded for every year this species is maintained
GS= Green Seal: Completed Species Journal and shared the data through an article in “Tank Tales”
BS= Blue Seal: Sharing fry with ACLC member who registers that fry into ACLC CARES
RS= Red Seal: Sharing fry with member of another organization who has the fry registered with that organization
21-Jan-12
ACLC C.A.R.E.S.Registrants
Updated on January 31, 2012
Richard Bressler
Tanichthys albonubes
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
That Fish Place
Nov-11
14-Jan-12
Chapalichthys encaustus
Vulnerable
Barb Kunkel
Jan-12
21-Jan-12
Jan-12
21-Jan-12
Jan-12
21-Jan-12
Jan-12
21-Jan-12
Jan-12
21-Jan-12
Lonny Langione
Chapalichthys encaustus
Vulnerable
Barb Kunkel
Mike Mull
Xystichromis sp. Kyoga
Flameback
Critically Endangered
Jay Stephan
Karen Haas
Tanichthys albonubes
Extinct in the Wild/Conservation
Dependent
Richard Bressler
Claude DeLannee
Chapalichthys encaustus
Vulnerable
Barb Kunkel
LS= Longevity Seal: Awarded for every year this species is maintained
GS= Green Seal: Completed Species Journal and shared the data through an article in “Tank Tales”
BS= Blue Seal: Sharing fry with ACLC member who registers that fry into ACLC CARES
RS= Red Seal: Sharing fry with member of another organization who has the fry registered with that organization
21-Jan-12
Delaware County Aquarium Society
Meets the 1st Friday of each month from Sept.
through June at the Springfield Township Building,
Springfield, PA.
www.dcas.us
Diamond State Aquarium Society
The 2012 Fishy Calendar
March 3 - Tropical Fish Society of Rhode
Island Auction
March 4 - Norwalk Aquarium Society Benefit
Auction
Meets the 2nd Monday of each month from Sept.
through June at William Penn High School in New
Castle, DE.
http://dsas.topcities.com/
March 10 - North Jersey Aquarium Society
Swap Meet
Bucks County Aquarium Society
March 18 - Jersey Shore Aquarium Society
Auction
Meets the 1st Thursday of each month from Sept.
through July at the Churchville Nature Center,
Churchville, PA.
http://www.bcasonline.com/
Potomac Valley Aquarium Society
Meets the 1st Saturday of each month from Sept.
through June at the Green Acres School in Fairfax,
VA
http://www.pvas.com/
Keystone Killy Group
Meets the second Saturday of each month from
Sept. through June (except Dec.) at members'
homes.
http://www.keystonekilly.org/
Capital Cichlid Association
Meets the second Saturday of each month from
Sept. through June in Silver Spring, MD.
http://www.capitalcichlids.org/
Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association
Generally meets the fourth Saturday of each month
http://www.gwapa.org/
March 10 - Delaware County Aquarium
Society Auction
March 18 - Youngstown Area Tropical Fish
Society Auction
March 23-25 - NEC Convention
April 1 - East Coast Cichlids Spring Auction
April 15 - North Jersey Aquarium Society
Auction
April
26-29
American
Association Convention
May 6 - Greater
Society Auction
Pittsburgh
Livebearer
Aquarium
May 25-27 - American Killifish Association
Convention
July 11-15 - American Cichlid Association
Convention
September 14-15 - ACLC 40TH
ANNIVERSARY EVENT, Lancaster, PA
September 28-30 - MACNA XXIV
October - All Aquarium Catfish Convention,
hosted by Potomac Valley Aquarium Society
ATTENTION SISTER CLUBS: Please help promote the events of these and
other clubs so that all of our clubs may prosper!
Norwalk Aquarium Society
34st Annual Tropical Fish &
Aquarium Equipment Benefit
Auction for Earthplace
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Set up and viewing 9:30am-11:30am
Auction begins around Noon
At
Earthplace-The Nature Discovery Center
10 Woodside Lane, Westport, Connecticut
Open to the Public – free of charge
One of the Northeast’s Largest Auctions of Beautiful
Tropical Fish & New and Good Used Aquarium Equipment!
For more information visit websites: www.norwalkas.org or www.earthplace.org
Or Call the toll free number (866) 219-4NAS or (203) 227-7253 ext. 110
Directions to the Earthplace Nature Discovery Center
From Merritt Parkway - Wilbur Cross:
Exit 41. If coming from New Haven turn right at exit, (if coming from New York, turn left at exit). Proceed on CT Route
33. At first traffic light turn right onto Kings Highway North. Proceed straight and turn right (second town road) onto
Woodside Avenue. Woodside Avenue ends at the stop sign and Woodside Lane continues to Earthplace.
From New England Thruway (I-95)
From either direction take exit 17 and turn left onto Riverside Avenue (Route 33). Go straight approximately 1 mile to
Sylvan Road South (on left - gas station at corner). Turn left onto Sylvan Rd S. Turn right at light (Post Road, Route 1)
take first left onto Kings Highway, take left at Woodside Avenue-proceed to end of street. Woodside Lane continues to
Earthplace.
From Norwalk or Westport Via Rte 1.
Follow Route 1 to Kings Highway North. Take left onto Woodside Avenue and proceed to end of street. Woodside
Avenue
ends
at
the
stop
sign
and
Woodside
Lane
continues
to
Earthplace.
The North Jersey Aquarium Society
AQUARIUM SWAP MEET
& VENDOR EXPO
SATURDAY—MARCH 10, 2012
From 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
LYNDHURST ELKS CLUB
251 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
See www.njas.net for directions
Come spend the day with New Jersey’s largest Tropical Fish Club and get some
great buys on live tropical fish, aquatic plants, food, books, other new and used
aquatic related items, and a large selection of non-aquatic items.
Vendors:
BUYERS:
Only $30.00 per 8 foot table
Free Parking & Door Prize ticket
Second table $15.00
Admission $5.00 per person
No club split—keep 100% of profit
Kids 12 and under Free
Access to hobbyists & walk-in public
Access to vendors, breeders, etc
Vendors must set-up at 9:00 am
Browse, barter & make deals
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Breakfast & Lunch available
For more information, please visit us on our website: www.njas.net
Or contact Kevin Carr: 201-724-9460 or deadhead_kc@yahoo.com
Youngstown Area Tropical Fish Society
Spring 2012
TROPICAL FISH
AUCTION
Sunday March 18



Registration: 11:00 to 1:00. Auction: NOON
Fish, Plants, Dry Goods, Live Food
4 Dot System 70/30 split
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, FREE ADMISSION
(You do not have to be a member of an Aquarium
Society to participate.)
Food, Chinese Raffle,50/50 Drawings
Contact Tom: mruaru2@aol.com 330.758.3043
Day of Auction: 330.770.3131
Go to www.YATFS.com for directions and map
Schoo
l
Spring Street
an
Mataw
Elks
Club
Center Street
ne
h La
Jackson Ter.
Route
to Freehold Mall
Main St.
Any person may bring quality live fish and aquatic plants to
enter into auction.
60/40 split when preregistered by Mar. 11th or
50/50 split when registered at the auction.
Auction rules available upon request.
to
For more information or to preregister:
e-mail allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com, call (732) 223-4530,
or visit www.jerseyshoreas.org
)
ay
oadw
79 (Br
Veterans
Mem. Bldg.
Street
)
st Main
37 (Ea
Auction starts at noon sharp!
Bennett Street
N
Knights of
Columbus
70 E. Main St.
Live goods registration: 9 to 11 a.m. No guarantee that items
registered after 11 a.m. will be auctioned. No used dry goods.
Route
5
Bank
Bank
to Red
Viewing of items: 10 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.
Freehold
To be held on Sunday, March 18, 2012 at the Knights of
Columbus at 70 E. Main St. in Freehold, NJ.
Dutc
THE JERSEY SHORE AQUARIUM SOCIETY
presents its
20TH ANNUAL
Tropical Fish and
Dry Goods Auction!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Featuring rare and exotic tropical fish,
a wide selection of aquatic plants, with
free goodies and door prizes all day long!
Snacks and refreshments will be available.
Open to public – free admission
($2 bidder fee).
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
JSAS Auction, 03.18.12
Knights of Columbus
70 E. Main St., Freehold
www.jerseyshoreas.org
allaboutpetsllc@yahoo.com
(732) 223-4530
The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies
37th ANNUAL Tropical Fish CONVENTION
March 23 - 25, 2012
The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cromwell, Connecticut
Speakers – Vendor Room – Sunday Auction 11am – Banquet – Workshops – Club meetings
Pat Donston – FW & SW Nutrition
Scott Fellman – Saltwater
Bob Lewis – AFGA Guppies
Klaus Steinhaus – CARES – Tropheus
Scott Fellman – saltwater workshop
Hans-Georg Evers – Catfish – Sulawesi
Spencer Jack – Cichlids
Ken Normandin – Killifish – Panama
Rhonda Wilson – Planted Aquaria
Tony Terciera – Photo Workshop
Leslie Dick 203-748-7800 ConventionChair@northeastcouncil.org www.convention.northeastcouncil.org
EastCoastCichlids.org
is proud to announce
Spring Auction 2012!
Please come join us on
Sunday, April 1st
Union NJ Elks Lodge
281 Chestnut St
Union, NJ 07083
Registration: 8 am – 10 am
Auction: 11 am
There will be vendors, food provided by The Taco Truck, great
hobbyists from the East Coast and plenty of quality fish, plants and
dry goods.
For more information please visit our website:
http://www.EastCoastCichlids.org
SPRING AUCTION
SUNDAY MAY 6, 2012
GPASI
WWW.GPASI.ORG
P.O. Box 22452
Pittsburgh, Pa 15222-0452
For more Information call:
Wally Cox 412-420-7985 OR Eric Bodrock (412)491-0311
walmich@verizon.net
coryjeb@verizon.net
If you are attending our auction as a seller and traveling in from an area outside of Western PA region (any area code other than
412,724,878), we are offering to help defray some of your expenses! When you register your item(s) to be auctioned off, provide proof of
residency & you will be issued a food voucher for 1 FREE MEAL, from our kitchen while supplies last. (One food voucher per seller
sheet) (NOTICE: The food voucher has no cash value and can not be exchanged for cash and is void after the auction.)
North Hampton VFD
5149 North Pioneer Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044
PA Turnpike, Exit 39, Butler Valley, Go North-Route 8,
First light at East & West Hardies road turn LEFT,
Take the first LEFT onto North Pioneer. Fire hall is on RIGHT
Auction Rules
•
•




•
•




Registration will open at 9:30 AM and close at 1 PM.
Auction will start promptly at 11 AM.
Accounts must be paid in full when you leave the auction. PAYMENT OPTIONS - Cash or Checks only
Buyers may set up a Tab with a valid ID for information verification, or may pay with cash at time of purchase.
Bids will be in dollar increments.
Tables 1 & 2 will be sold first. The selling order for Tables 3 – 10 will be randomly selected during the auction
Express Bids: After the first table has been completed, for a $1 fee a buyer or seller may bring an item from any table up for
immediate sale during the auction.
Donations: please specify if the donation(s) proceeds are to go directly to the club or to the “Marzina Fund”
GPASI reserves the right to refuse to sell an obviously sick or deformed fish, or defective equipment
Any items not claimed or left behind become property of GPASI.
NO PRIVATE SALES. NO RESALE OF PURCHASED AUCTION ITEMS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
All Items are sold “AS IS”. GPASI does not warrant the condition or authenticity of item sold.
Seller Rules
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Split is 70% to the seller and 30% to GPASI.
Bags are to be labeled with an alpha numeric numbering system (ex. ABC-001, ABC- 002) 3 letters are chosen by the seller and the bags
are numbered in ascending sequence. All bags ending in 1 go on table 1, all bags ending in 2 go on table 2 etc.
You must register before you place your items on the tables. Bags MUST be marked clearly with this information: bag number,
your name, phone number, scientific name of fish, common name (if applicable), actual number of fish in bag. Appropriate
terminology: PAIR=1 male, 1 female same species MATED PAIR=pair that have spawned TRIO=1 male, 2 females same species
REVERSE TRIO= 2 males, 1 female same species.
MINUMUM BIDS will be allowed. If the item does not sell it will be set back and NOT come up for sale again during the auction.
All fish to be auctioned will be in suitable bags, NO Ziplocs or Baggies. Catfish, Cichlids, and other fish with sharp spines must be
double bagged. There will be a $2 re-bagging fee if fish are improperly bagged—play it safe and double bag everything!
Sellers are limited to the following: No more than 5 bags of any single species (unless it is a different color strain or fin type then you
will be allowed 5 bags of each type), or item type.
Please state if dry good equipment is in working order on your label!
NO PRIVATE SALES. NO RESALE OF PURCHASED AUCTION ITEMS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
Seller’s proceed checks will be mailed within two weeks of the auction.
Piscatorial Pearls
“Reviewing Aquarium Society Newsletters from Around the World”
~ February 2012 Edition
This month we start our journey in the deep
south with 2 articles in the December 2011
Atlanta
Area
Aquarium
issue
of
the
Association’s Fish Talk. The first article,
written by J.W. Wood, is titled My First
Aquarium and is a great trip into nostalgia
that many of us can relate to. David Ramsey
tells us about The Driftwood that got away in
this article about a trip he made to Tampa
Bay.
Heading up the east coast we have 3 great
stories in the Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s
November-December
2011
edition
of
Aquatica. The first story is a regular column
by Izzy Zwerin called The Planted Tank in
which Izzy helps us answer the question, Is a
Planted Tank Right for Me? Editor John Todaro
has also promised to reprint all of Izzy’s
previous columns in 2012. I can’t wait; these
are great, informative stories. In the next
story we learn all about the care and breeding
of Crystal Red Shrimp from Dan Hagan of The
Shrimp Farm. Finally, in this edition is a story
by BAS president Joe Graffagnino titled Black
Eggs in which Joe tells us about his
experience with a great little West African
cichlid, Tilapia snyderae.
A little closer to home we have an article in
the December 2011 issue of the Diamond
State Aquarium Society’s Gravel Gossip
titled The Hump-Backed Limia ~ Limia
nigrofasciata by Bob Berdoulay. Bob tells us
about his experiences raising and spawning
this great little Hispaniola livebearer.
Our next stop is in Ohio for a story in the
Nov/Dec 2011 edition of the Greater
Cincinnati Aquarium Society’s Fincinnati. Al
Winstel tells us about The Effect of Jack
Hammers on Fish Tanks and he tells it from
personal experience.
Heading to the Great Southwest we have 5
articles in the December 2011 issue of
Lateral Line, the publication of the Hill
Country Cichlid Club. The first article by David
Ayres is titled Can you Spot the Difference? In
which David tries to clear up a debate about
the differences between 2 Synodontis species,
lucipinnis and petricola. Next we have a
spawning report by Benjamin Smith about
Aulonocranus dewindti “Zambia”, a great
looking featherfin sand-sifter from Lake
Tanganyika. Benjamin not only gives us great
details of how he successfully got these fish
to spawn, but supplied us with some great
pictures. In this issue there is a 21 page
article with a ton of pictures about the 2011
FOTAS CARES Convention held in November.
I don’t think anyone who attended did not
have fun, learn about fish or escaped the
camera lens. Finally in this issue we have 2
articles by Ad Konings the first of which is a
CARES report on Pseudotropheus saulosi, a
great looking cichlid from Lake Malawi, and
the second Konings article, titled Folks…it’s
Payback Time, is an eye-opening article about
what we as hobbyists CAN do to help
preserve the species from the Rift Lakes.
Coming back to the Midwest area we have 2
stories on the December 2011 edition of the
Michiana Aquarium Society’s Tropical Times.
The first, by Bruce Haynes, is titled
Australoheros sp. Oblongum and gives us a
great accounting of Bruce’s experience with
this great South American Cichlid. The other
story in this edition is titled Limia tridens by
Ben Slocum and Ben does a great job telling
us how to keep and spawn this beautiful
Caribbean livebearer.
Finally, this month we travel to the Sunshine
State for 2 articles in the December 2011
issue of the Tampa Bay Aquarium Society’s
Haplochromis
The
Filter
newsletter.
obliquidens by Joe Berberich is a good article
about this colorful Lake Victorian cichlid. In
Siamese Algae Eater…or not, Mike Jacobs tells
us about the best algae vacuum and how to
identify it.
Kurt Johnston – Exchange Editor
Click on article title to request an electronic copy ~ click on club name to visit their website
Don’t forget to visit the ACLC website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter
Our list of national sponsors has grown this year. These companies have donated products to our club to help
make it a success. These products are used to raise funds for the club so that we can continue to offer top notch
speakers and other programs. Please support them. To get information about their products, click the name and
you will go directly to their website.
Hikari Sales USA Inc.
Aquarium Products
Mars Fishcare
Air, Water, & Ice
K and A Imports
Boyd Enterprises
Ginger Inc.
Kent Marine
Kordon
Sachs Systems Aquaculture
Penn Plax Pet Products
Python Products Inc.
Red Sea Max
Seachem Labs Inc.
Tropical Science Biolabs
Vitakraft Pet Products
Marc Weiss Companies Inc.
Danner Manufacturing. Inc.
Hawkeye International
Drs Foster and Smith
Tetra Products
Rolf C. Hagen Corp.
San Francisco Bay Brand
Bow Tie Press/Fish Channel
Cichlid Press
Blue Zoo Radio
Zoo Med Laboratories Inc.
Spectrapure
Aquarium Guys
Aquadine Nutritional Systems
United Pet Group
Aquatic Life LLC
Kingfish Services.net
Sera N. A.
Barron's Educational
San Francisco Bay Brand
Ocean Nutrition
Omega Sea
Aquarium Life Support Systems
Drs. Foster & Smith
E. G. Danner Mfg
Aquaculture Technologies
Aquatic Life
******************************************************************************************************************************************
FREE REGISTRATION FOR THE NEC Convention
JUST ONE AVAILABLE!
Because of the diligence of our NEC Delegate, Kurt Johnston, the ACLC has ONE FREE REGISTRATION to
give away to the NEC Convention coming up in March. The registration DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY FOOD IT IS A BASIC REGISTRATION - you can pay the difference in registration fee if you would like an upgraded
package that includes the banquet, t-shirt, etc.
We will give this registration away for FREE! If you are going to the NEC Convention in March, see Joel or
Kurt at the February meeting. All those interested will have their names put in a fish bowl and the winner will
be drawn. You must be a current ACLC member, and you must have been a member of the ACLC in 2011 to
qualify. The registration must be confirmed by an e-mail from the president, so it is non-transferable.
ZOOTOPIA PETZ
7420 Derry St. Harrisburg, PA 17111
PH (717) 558-PETS
FAX (413) 691-0935
Mon-Fri 12 to 7:30
Sat 10 to 5; Sun 12 to 5
Scott & Nola Sommer
ROGER H. STRAUSE, D.D.S.
Centerville Family Dental
803 Estelle Drive
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-898-9099
JAY A. RIZZO, D.M.D.
General Dentistry
Hempfield Center, Suite 100
930 Red Rose Court
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-295-5590
M-T 8AM-6PM, W-TH 8AM-5PM, FRI 8AM-12PM
PAXTON AQUARIUM & PET SHOP
Paxton Square
6033 Allentown Blvd.
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Hours: M-F 10am –7pm
Sat. 10-6pm; Sun 12 noon-4pm
Owner – Charles Lambiasi
LITITZ ORTHODONTICS
Michael V. Palasz, DMD, MS
4-A Tollgate Rd. Lititz, PA 17543
717-626-0600
Hours: Mon-Thu 8am - 6pm
Fri 8am - 12noon
Specializing in Orthodontics
for Children and Adults
PETSMART
Dustin Chambers, Manager
2405 Covered Bridge Dr. Suite145
NE corner of Whitmer Rd. & R30 E.
Tel.717-393-0820,
Fax. 717-394-6384
M-S(10am –5pm;Sun. 10am-6pm
HIRAM PEOPLES HATCHERY
Main Street
New Providence, PA 17560
717-786-7346
Hours: M-F 8-4 Sat 8-12
Wholesale: Koi, Goldfish, Pond Supplies
MARYLAND AQUATIC NURSERIES
3427 N. Furnace
Jarrettsville, MD 21084
410-557-7615
Please support our local sponsors by visiting their businesses and purchasing their products and services.
They support your club! Underlined sponsors have a website, just click on the sponsor's name above and
you will be whisked away to their site.
Want to sponsor the ACLC? Contact Dave Frehafer at 717-626-9456 or via e-mail at Docdave144@aol.com.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
The Cichlid
CORNER
THE RISE OF AN EMPIRE!
by Scott McLaughlin
It has been said in all of us sleeps the
hidden desire to “Play God”- if only
for a moment. Now before you take
cover waiting for the lightning to
strike, just hear me out. Where do
you think the popularity of video
games such as “The Sims”,
“Farmville”, “Civilization” and
“World of Warcraft” comes from?
It’s our hidden desire to want to
create a world of our own and
control it…...The God Complex.
Well fellow aquarists, I have to
share some bad news with you. We,
as hobbyists, are no better! Look at
what we do. We take a glass tank and fill it with water. Then we add wood, rock, and plants creating a
world to our personal liking. After that we hand select fish that fit perfectly into our new aquatic world.
We have the technology to adjust the temperature, we have lights and timers to make it night or day on
command. We even have the ability to purify and filter the very water our fish thrive in. So what’s left?
It’s the creation of life. Breeding and reproducing fish is the greatest thrill in this wonderful hobby. It’s
the final jewel in the crown, the proof you are in fact a “Jedi” (ok, I might have went overboard with that
one). But it’s a clear sign that you have established a healthy environment and, more importantly, you
have a good understanding of what’s needed to provide an environment your fish can thrive in.
I’ve had various degrees of success breeding cichlids throughout my “revival” back into the aquatic
hobby. As a 2012 New Year project I challenged myself to create a colony of jaguar cichlid fry to grow
and prosper in my 75 gallon replica of an underwater Eden. So as God made man, my first act was to
introduce my 2 year old, 6 inch jaguar cichlid affectionately named “Rocky” into the tank. Rocky would
be the cornerstone of my colony, the prototype that all other generations of fry would stem from. Rocky
was one of the first cichlids I purchased upon returning to the hobby. He had been in so many fights and
brawls with other cichlids that the name Rocky just came naturally too him. He was a champion. A
champion with just one flaw. After careful research and study about how to breed jaguar cichlids (shout
out to Mo Devlin for his great article in Red Fish Magazine) I found out that my “Rocky” was really a
“Roxie” (ooops!)! That’s right Cichlid Corner fans, Rocky was really a girl and my perfect “Eve”.
Now began our search for “Adam." After multiple trips to pet stores, searches on tropical fish forums
and other various outlets I finally came across a promising posting on Craigslist – “Large jaguar cichlid
needs rehoming”. After a short phone call and a 45 minute trip I was on the brink of my new
civilization. When I reached my destination I was welcomed into a cozy apartment with a 120 gallon
tank sitting in the living room. Followers of “The Cichlid Corner” may recall last month's article as this
was the very tank that inspired my article on cichlid addiction. The tank was stocked to the rim with
numerous cichlids, so much so that I couldn’t even see where my possible male Jaguar cichlid “Adam”
was hiding. And then he appeared. Amidst all the darting of some frightened and some aggressive
cichlids, arose this amazingly healthy looking 8” inch Jaguar cichlid. It was clear he was the dominant
cichlid in the tank as lesser cichlids darted for cover as he approached. All fins were intact, mouth cut
free, and a beautiful body of silver and white with black jaguar markings and blue trim on his dorsal fin.
This was my champion. After some friendly haggling, a deal was struck. I was 40.00 lighter in my
wallet but full of excitement as my dream of a new civilization was about to be realized.
And
God
created
the
Earth….With Roxie and Adam
now in hand,
the proper
preparations were needed to create
the perfect environment…”Eden."
I used a grain sized substrate that
closely resembled sand to ease the
jaguar cichlids' task in burying their
soon to come eggs. My hardscape
consisted of large pieces of
Malaysian driftwood purchased at
an ACLC meeting / auction months
before. I finished off my replica of
Eden with large sand stones and a
mixture of artificial plants and live
Java moss. The end result was
stunningly beautiful and done in
less than 7 days (if you know your
bible you’ll get that joke ). The
Roxie (top left) and Adam.
final touch to spark their spawning
(as if I was cupid) would be the addition of American Salt provided by our friends at Seachem.
So my Utopia was built, the mood set as I introduced the jaguars to their tank and to each other. Join us
next month to see if I was successful in creating my colony of jaguar cichlids.
Look at what is now available at
the ACLC Store !
Come see these and all the other
great ACLC items at
http://cafepress.com/aclcpa
HELP WANTED!
Hey folks, we need one or two people to take over the positions that
Barb Kunkel is vacating due to her upcoming move to Florida.
Please see a board member or contact me if you can help out!.
Joel
Swap Shop
Ashley Antkowiak will be selling magazine subscriptions, including Aquarium
Fish International (at just $13/year) at the February meeting. Proceeds will benefit
the ELANCO School District.