Underwater News January 2016 - Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society

BOARD MEMBERS
OFFICERS
In This Issue
President: Chuck Pixley, cpixley16@comcast.net
Vice President: Jim Cormier, jimcormier1@gmail.com
Secretary: Jacob Guinasso, jguinasso@pvas.net
Treasurer: Christina Guinasso, cguinasso@pvas.net
President’s Message
Chuck Pixley
MEMBERS AT LARGE
William Maier, lame_bull@yahoo.com
This Month’s Program
Jeff Slade, n/a
Cichlids of Lake Tanganika
Michael Liu, mike@berkshiredesign.com
A National Geographic Video
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Membership: Don Hennemann
Programs: Dan McKercher
Pictures From Last Month’s Meeting
Newsletter: Michael Liu
Bowl Show: Michael Liu
Photo Show: Michael Liu
Breeder Award Program: Jim Cormier
Auction Chair: Jim Cormier
NEC Delegate: (open)
Featured Article
Tips on Breeding Bettas
Carolyn Hanlon
Greater Akron Aquarium Society
NEC Alternate Delegate: (open)
MEETING INFORMATION
Bowl Show & Photo Show Results
Location: First Congregational Church, 42 Lathrop Street, West Springfield, MA 01089
Michael Liu
We meet on the first Tuesday of the month,
except July and August, at 6:30 PM. Meetings
are open to the public and include a short business update, program or event, door prizes,
mini-auction and refreshments.
Trading Post—Items For Sale
Affiliations
PVAS is a member of the
Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies, Inc. (NEC)
The Underwater News is the official publication of the
Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society, Inc. and is published monthly or
bi-monthly except July and August. The views and opinions printed
herein are those of the individual authors, and are not necessarily
those of PVAS. The Underwater News is provided free to our members as part of their membership.
Reprint Policy: Unless noted by copyright, articles from this publication may be reprinted by other non profit aquarium societies.
Please acknowledge PVAS as the source and mail two copies of the
publication in which the reprint appears to PVAS: Pioneer Valley
Aquarium Society, c/o Michael Liu, 14 Indian Hill, Florence, MA
01062
President’s Message, By Chuck Pixley
Well, it looks like winter is finally upon us.
I hope this message finds everyone warm and well.
We had a great January meeting with Adam Harris as our speaker for the evening. We were fortunate to
have members of a local Boy Scout Troop join us for Adam’s presentation. Everyone enjoyed the program.
We are hoping to have the Scout Troop along with friends and family join us for other activities in the future.
We had a productive board meeting with all board members present. Focus once again was on the PVAS
auction. At the general meeting this month, we will discuss our plan for the auction as well as a couple other important issues.
For those members who have not been at the meetings and are planning to attend the auction, please contact me or Jim Cormier if you would like to assist. Your time and effort on auction day is greatly appreciated.
The success of the auction will help PVAS determine what activities and programs we can look forward to in
the upcoming year.
Hope to see everyone on February 2nd!
Chuck
This Month’s Program: Meeting Date - February 2, 2016, 6:30 PM
Cichlids of Lake Tanganyika
A National Geographic Video
Pictured is a pair of
Boulengerochromis microlepis
with a swarm of fry
This program not only features the cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, but also displays
other wildlife found in and around the lake, including turtles, snakes, birds and
otters. It offers a brief discussion of the formation of the Rift Lakes of Africa, and a
fascinating look at the ecosystem of the lake. Not just for cichlid lovers! Come to
the meeting and enjoy the program—hope to see you there!
Photos From Last Month’s General Meeting
Adam Harris gave a exciting talk about reptiles for the January meeting. Here you can see Adam with
some of the critters he brought to share with the club.
Featured Article
Tips on Breeding Bettas
Carolyn Hanlon, Greater Akron Aquarium Society
In the past several months, several people have asked me about breeding bettas. For a 5-point BAP fish, it
seems that these little guys cause an awful lot of problems. I’m no exception – I’ve had my share of troubles
too, so maybe I can give some pointers to help others.
First is the matter of the breeders. If the male is not in good condition, he will eat the eggs. Keep your male
well-fed, for at least two weeks be-fore attempting the spawning. Also, those large old males in the pet
shops aren’t likely to spawn. A male older than 12 months old is not likely to do more than kill females or eat
eggs. Get a young male (about 6 months old) from a breeder and you’ll have better luck. There are exceptions, of course, but why waste your time with an unlikely spawner.
In females, age is not as significant as long as she is in condition. The old tried-and-tired statement about
breeding stripes (vertical barring) is only half true. My females show stripes in the presence of any male, any
time. Your female is in condition if she has a full ovary. It is easier to see in light-bodied females, but basically the ovary is a wedge-shaped area directly behind the rounded
portion of her abdomen. One of Gene Lucas’s articles in FAMA
(Bettas. . .And More – FAMA August 1981) had a photograph that
illustrates a betta ovary beautifully. A full ovary and breeding
stripes is a guaranteed ready female.
A conditioned male and ready female in a tank full of 80 degree
clean water with a place for a male to blow his nest is about all
that’s necessary for a spawning. Males prefer to blow their nests
under something – half of an inverted styrofoam cup or a piece
of opaque plastic, for example.
Eggs can be seen in the nest by looking up under the nest with a flashlight. The eggs will be an opaque white
area in the nest. You will learn to recognize behavioral changes in your own particular males that indicate a
spawning has occurred. If your eggs repeatedly fungus, try ½ strength Nov-Aqua. It has helped me t o have
good hatches.
Get to know your fish. I have one male who will tend a nest for 24 hours and then eat the eggs. I let him tend
the nest for about 23 hours and then pull the male. If a male tends the eggs well, he will rarely eat the fry
(although it does happen).
After the fry are free-swimming, or 24 hours after the eggs hatch (whichever comes first) pull the male (you
pulled the female right after the spawning). First food for the fry is baby brine shrimp, Tetra Egglayer, and
Aquarian Egglayer. DO NOT use infusoria. You don’t need it and you’ll starve the fry. Get them onto microplankton after the first week, and add mashed growth food and crumbled freeze-dried daphnia – variety is
the key. The fry should be able to eat frozen brine at 4 to 6 weeks of age.
Start water changes at 7 to 10 days old, and change water once or twice a week. You’ll really improve growth
rates.
The main thing with breeding bettas is to keep trying. The fish can be frustrating, but remember – “Patience
is a virtue” (I know, you never wanted to be that virtuous). Really, it can be done, and the pleasure you’ll get
from watching a tankful of “slivers” become long-finned beauties is worth all the frustration.
END
Don’t forget our Annual Auction !
Fish Tune—by Michael Liu
When I was a kid, I eagerly read MAD Magazine. I enjoyed the Spy vs. Spy cartoon series very much, as
well as the spoofs of anything and everything under the sun. One such tidbit that always stuck in my
mind was the following fish ditty, which fore-told of my future in the fish hobby. Please sing along to
the tune “My Favorite Things”.
Black shiny mollies and bright colored guppies,
Shy little angels as gentle as puppies,
Swimming and diving with scarcely a swish,
They were just some of my tropical fish.
Then I got mantas that sting in the water,
Deadly piranhas that itch for a slaughter,
Savage male betas that bite with a squish,
Now I have many less tropical fish.
If you think that
Fish are peaceful
That's an empty wish.
Just dump them together
And leave them alone,
And soon you will have -- no fish!
SAVE THE DATE ! ! !
See more information on the NEC Facebook Page:
NEC 2016 CONVENTION & 60th ANNIVERSARY
Bowl Show Results—January 2016
1st Place:
Dan McKercher, Male Betta
2nd Place: (no entry)
3rd Place: (no entry)
2015-2016 Bowl Show Standings
16 points Dan McKercher
3 points Chuck Pixley
Bowl Show Rules
1. The bowl show is open to all members. Members must bring fish entries and a container to
display the fish for the show at each meeting.
2. There is no limit to the number of entries a
member can bring to each meeting.
3. Until further notice, all entries will be judged
by the membership in attendance and winners
will be determined based on popular vote.
Points will be awarded as follows: First Place4 Points, Second Place-3 Points, Third Place-2
Points. Additionally, any entry not in the top
three places will also receive 1 point.
4. Point totals will be kept by the Bowl Show
Chair. The top three entries and the winners
will be published in the next newsletter.
4. The first place entry cannot be re-entered for
the current year. Second and third place entries may be re-entered in future bowl shows
during the same calendar year.
5. Point totals will accumulate through the December general meeting. Awards will be presented in January, and are as follows: First
Place-$50, Second Place-$25, Third PlaceFree Annual Membership.
Photo Show Results—January 2016
1st Place: Travis & Rebekah Peck, Sand Sifting Starfish
2nd Place: Michael Liu, Whiptail Catfish
3rd Place: (no entry)
2015-2016 Photo Show Standings
8 points Michael Liu
6 points Chuck Pixley
6 Points Travis & Rebekah Peck
2 points Elva Hughes
Photo Show Rules
1. The photo show is open to all members. Members must take the photograph and bring the
entry for the show at each meeting.
2. Members may bring up to two photos, unframed, each meeting. Photos can be any size
up to 8 x 10 inches.
3. Photos will be judged by the membership in
attendance and winners will be determined
based on popular vote. Points will be awarded
as follows: First Place-3 Points, Second Place2 Points, Third Place-1 Point. Point totals will
be kept by the Photo Show Chair. The winning
1st place photo will be published in the next
newsletter.
4. The first place photo cannot be re-entered for
the current year. Second and third place photos may be re-entered in future photo shows
during the same calendar year.
5. Point totals will accumulate through the December general meeting. Awards will be presented in January, and are as follows: First
Place-$50, Second Place-$25, Third PlaceFree Annual Membership.
6. Winners need to submit their entry digitally if
they wish to have them published in the newsletter.
Trading Post—Items For Sale
FOR SALE from Jacob Guinasso– Good stuff, low prices. I need to sell lots of tanks, plants, decor, and some
fish. Looking for best offers, not trying to make money. Please contact me if you’re interested,
email - spiritualsnipers@gmail.com or phone (707) 718-2866.
125 gallon full setup is sold, I just need to sell off
all that java moss, java fern, rocks and driftwood
with said plants attached, 1 koi, 1 small albino
bristlenose, a few dwarf/pygmy cories,
a Fundulopanchax gardneri, and a deformed cory.
20 gallon with metal stand, dual T5 light, small internal filter. Several Threadfin Rainbowfish, variety of
stem plants, Anubias nana, java moss, floating
plants, Ranunculus inundatus, and dirted bottom.
Two 29 gallons on metal
stand.
Top: mostly dwarf sag or
pygmy chain sword in the
tank, few other stems and
such. variety of plants on
top, such as pothos, wandering jew, etc. on
floating driftwood, HOBs,
and planters. Heterandria formosa, a Dario dario, and a bunch of wild
type cherry shrimp.
Bottom: fake decor with a
ton of marmorkrebs
Immersed plant growing tanks, variety of plants, would rather
sell off really cheap than try to ID all the plants
35 gallon hex, internal
filter. big center piece of
driftwood with java fern
and Anubias nana
attached, potted lily, and
golden shiners
Lots of Xenotoca eiseni (CARES
goodeid) I need to find homes for,
as well as a few Tiger Limia.