March 2009 - KWAS Community Forums

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Fins & Tales
Serving Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area since 1960
In This Issue:
Volume 49, Issue 3
The Minimalist Aquarist in Israel - page 5
Next Meeting:
PlantED Tank: Cryptic Bio-types - page 9
Tuesday, March 3rd at 7:30pm
Catherine Salmon: Bettas
Avoid Being a Nervous Fishkeeper - page 12
Breeding The Peacock Gudgeon - page 14
Breeding The Peppered Corydoras - page 18
Official Publication of the Kitchener-Waterloo Aquarium Society
Complimentary Copy
Welcome to our club!
Visit us at http://www.kwas.ca
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This Issue Contains...
TMA in Israel
BAP: Peacock Gudgeon
BAP: Peppered Corydoras
PlantED: Cryptic Bio-Types
From The VP’s Desk &
From The Editors’ Desk
Page 4
Recently Joined Members
Page 7
March Exchange Report
After last month’s
“tourist attraction”
grotto report, The
Minimalist Aquarist
finds a stunning
example of world-class
public aquaria and
discusses the intricacies
of how these
institutions educate and
rehabilitate within our
hobby.
Page 5
After quite a few
attempts Geoff finally
manages to breed this
beautiful, if odd, fish
and keep the fry alive
for more than 60 days.
Now that he’s got the
technique down maybe
we’ll see more of this
fish in the area stores or
for sale on the forum
and in this year’s
auctions?
Page 14
Ed Koerner serves up
his recipe for breeding
the peppered cory in
one of the most
entertaining and
creative BAP reports
this club has ever
published. Be sure to
check this article out,
even if you don’t own
any corydoras. After
this you might want to
pick some up, even if
it’s just for a dinner
date.
Crypts are one of the
most common plants in
our tanks. Even non
“planties” can keep
them alive. However,
there is much more to
this group of plants
than mere adaptability.
Ed discusses many of
his favourites in the
third edition of The
PlantED Tank.
Page 8
Small Tale: Super Neon
Page 13
February Show Jar Results
Page 15
February Meeting Minutes
Page 16
Constitution Amendments
Page 17
Page 9
Name That Fish
Page 19
Page 18
Upcoming Fishy Events
On the front cover
• Mar 3rd - KWAS General Meeting
This photo of a Spotted Green
Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus)
was taken by Joran Roncato and is
the winner of February’s Fish of the
Month contest.
• Mar 10th - KWAS Business Meeting
• Mar 15th - Peel/Brampton Auction
• Mar 15th - CAOAC Meeting
On the back cover
• Mar 16th - CDAS General Meeting
• Mar 22nd - Hamilton Auction & Flea Market
• Mar 29th - Brant Show, Auction & Flea Market
• Apr 7th - KWAS General Meeting
• Apr 14th - KWAS Business Meeting
• Apr 18th - Sarnia Auction
• Apr 19th - Durham Show and Auction
• Apr 19th - CAOAC Meeting
• Apr 20th - CDAS General Meeting
• May 2nd - St. Catharines Auction
• May 3rd - London Auction
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This 55 gallon planted community
tank is owned by Jerry Doucette and
won February’s Tank of the Month
contest on our forums. Can the nonplanted and non-salt tanks even
compete? Why don’t you try?
Get your cameras out! Your fish or tank could be featured in an upcoming
edition of Fins & Tales! How? All you have to do is win the monthly People’s
Choice Photo Contest on our forum. Submit pictures to webmaster@kwas.ca
before the 1st of each month then vote between the 1st and the 7th.
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KWAS Mission Statement
The Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society, KWAS is a nonprofit organization whose primary goals are to:
• Further the hobby and study of tropical fish and related
endeavors
• Inspire the preservation of aquatic life
• Maintain a meeting place for its members
• Develop and maintain a library on aquatic life
• Promote fellowship among its members
• Seek out and establish a kinship with other clubs with
similar objectives
KWAS is a charter member of CAOAC:
The Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs
Fins & Tales is published 10 times each year between the
months of September and June for KWAS members. Opinions
expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not
necessarily those of the Fins & Tales editors or KWAS. The
mention of any product does not constitute an endorsement by
Fins & Tales or KWAS members.
Reprint Policy — Articles from this publication may be printed
in a not-for-profit publication provided credit is given to both
the author and KWAS. Copies of the reprint must be sent to
both the author and KWAS. Any other use is prohibited
without the written consent of KWAS.
Exchange Program — KWAS exchanges newsletters with other
clubs across North America. If your club is interested in
becoming a part of this program please contact our exchange
editor by mail or e-mail zenin@golden.net
Correspondence — Please send all correspondence to the
Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society, Box 38037 256 King
Street North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2J 4T9.
Submission of Articles
Cover images and articles can be submitted for publication in
Fins & Tales by all hobbyists and must be submitted digitally.
Priority is given to KWAS members and to topics that have not
been recently covered. Not all submissions will be printed in
the month they are submitted. The editors of Fins & Tales may
be required to edit your submission for length, spelling,
grammar and/or clarity. Please indicate if you would like to
proof read the edited version prior to official publication.
Submissions are due via email to the editors (editor@kwas.ca)
by the 15th day of the month for publication in the upcoming
issue of Fins & Tales. Please contact us if you have any
questions or would like suggestions or feedback on possible
article topics.
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KWAS Officials 2008 - 2009
Executive
President ** To Be Elected in May **
Vice President Geoff Money (gmoney@golden.net)
Treasurer Brad McClanahan (nasfan@3web.com)
Secretary Lezley Smith (scarlett_0767@hotmail.com)
Past President Al Ridley (pyrofish@sympatico.ca)
Board of Directors
Editor/Publisher Cameron Turner, Tanya Morose
(editor@kwas.ca)
Exchange Editor Zenin Skomorowski (zenin@golden.net)
Membership Chair Miecia Burden (miecia@rogers.com)
Auction Chair Ed Koerner (edkoerner@sympatico.ca)
Oktoberfish Chair Al Ridley with Ed, Miecia and Geoff
Librarian David Bradley (davesolo29@sympatico.ca)
Lunch Committee Katie McClanahan (nasfan@3web.com)
Programs Al Ridley (pyrofish@sympatico.ca)
Raffle Chair Charity Gilmore (char_n_jenn@rogers.com)
B.A.P Chair Miecia Burden (miecia@rogers.com)
H.A.P Chair Filipe Martins (filipem@rogers.com)
CAOAC Reps Phil Maznyk
(and one position open still)
Name That Fish Zenin Skomorowski (zenin@golden.net)
Jar Show Anthony McAslin (mcspetworld@sympatico.ca)
Webmaster Phil Maznyk (webmaster@kwas.ca)
Pet Store Liaisons Al Ridley (pyrofish@sympatico.ca)
Zenin Skomorowski (zenin@golden.net)
Advertise in Fins & Tales
Please contact the newsletter editor if you are interested in
advertising in KWAS Fins & Tales. Rates apply for ten (10)
consecutive issues (one year).
Business Card, B&W$25/yr
1/4 Page, B&W $60/yr
1/2 Page, B&W $100/yr
Full Page, B&W $150/yr
Full Page, Full Colour$35/issue
Advertising of any hobby related items in Fins & Tales is free to
KWAS members in good standing, space permitting.
Join KWAS
2009 Membership Fees
Adult Family
1 Year $25 $30
2 Years $48 $58
3 Years
$71 $86
4 Years $92 $112
5 Years $100$120
Junior Members (18 years and younger) $10 per year
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From the Vice President’s Desk
Hi All,
We have seen some glimpses of spring in the air, with warm weather and cooling again, but spring is just around the corner. My
Oscar did not see his shadow the other morning, so spring will be in less than 6 weeks.
We will continue to use the meeting format that was introduced last month: we will start with the usual BAP, HAP and name that
fish, followed by the auction where half the items will be sold, and then we will have a break before our program.
After the program we will auction the remaining items followed by the show jar results and finishing off with the raffle. So if you
have any auction items get there early and get registered
We will have a vote on changes to the club constitution and by-laws, so look inside the news letter to see the actual changes that
are proposed. [Ed: See bottom of page 17]
In March the show jar category is Characins and AOV, so get involved and bring some fish out.
We now have an Oktoberfish Chair for 2009, Al Ridley, with Ed Koerner looking after organizing the auction and Miecia Burden
and myself looking after the show.
Thank you to Phil Maznyk, who is now our CAOAC rep.
I would like to voice my support to Phil and Al for all the work they are doing by looking after and policing our forum. Their
actions have the full support of the executive.
See you at the meeting.
Geoff Money
Vice President, KWAS
From The Editors’ Desk
Another month, another fine set of articles from our regular contributors.
We have to thank everyone who has submitted something over our tenure as newsletter editors. Without you our job would be
much easier… but of course that would only be because there would be no newsletter to produce. Thanks for making our job
hard :P
If you’ve been thinking of writing an article, telling a story or starting a column, please contact us to discuss your ideas. We’ll do
everything we can to help you and get you started.
This month we have another Small Tale from “Mrs. CB” on page 13. If you have any fun stories like this, we want them. Not
everything in Fins & Tales needs to be educational, some of it can be entertaining too.
Last month we mentioned we’d be increasing the advertising rates in our newsletter, but after a careful survey of other club
publications, only The Aquatic Gardener charges more than we do (5-10x as much actually), but they also have a circulation of
more than 1000 people quarterly. As a result we’ll leave everything alone and instead focus on finding some new advertising
content.
Like last month, if you have any ideas about who might be interested in advertising please let us know ASAP. We’ll be sending
out solicitation packages in the next few weeks.
Also like last month, we’ll end with an assurance that this newsletter won’t fill up with too much advertising… well unless no one
bothers to write articles. How’s that for a “write something today” threat?
See you at the meeting.
Cam Turner & Tanya Morose
Newsletter Editors, KWAS
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The
Minimalist
Aquarist
in Israel
Doing more with less and keeping it simple: TMA’s visit to Israel (part 1)
— Article and Photos by Rein & Char Breitmaier, KWAS (mrrein@gmail.com)
As I wind down the pages of our
Mediterranean tour, I’ve saved a
whopper of a fish story for last. We stop
this month in the State of Israel, in the
City of Eilat (pronounced eh-latt). A
search we always do as we venture from
country to country is for ‘public aquaria’
and in the entire Middle East, the only hit
on the web or in the guide books was
called alternately Israel Coral World or
Eilat Marine Park. Having recently
visited the Cairo Aquatic Ghetto (or was
that garden grotto?) last month, we were
suspicious but when the admission price
here was listed as $24 instead of the buck
or two we had been accustomed to
paying for attractions we were hopeful.
Eilat is Israel’s southern-most point and
its only access to the Red Sea (via the
Gulf of Aqaba) – a fishes rich
environment as we have spoken of in
these pages.
Toronto had their brightly painted Moose
as a promotional gimmick a few years
ago (or was that Mooses?), Buenos Aires
similarly had giant fibreglass cows, but
Eilat had a sidewalk display of giant
fishes. Things were definitely looking up.
There are hiccups on every quest and
ours came as we spotted an ever-so-tacky
advertisement for the Marine Park, a
display that took up an entire island in
the middle of a traffic round-about. A
bizarre looking sea tower and a caricature
submarine on a blue gravel bed
surrounded by bigger than life fishes got
TMA thinking animatronics a-la-Disney
instead of ‘world class aquarium’. Would
a fuzzy-headed fishy version of Goofy
come strolling around for photo ops with
the kiddies?
A young lady bussing tables at our hotel,
who incidentally spoke seven languages,
grimaced when we asked whether one
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could walk to the aquarium. How far
could it be for heaven’s sake as you could
see Jordan and Saudi Arabia across the
bay one way and Egypt was just a ten
minute drive the other way along the
coast? An hour later already somewhat
footsore, we finally caught sight of the
real sea tower and we’re thinking the bus
might have been a better idea. We
remained hopeful that there would be
more to it than a bell-bottomed light
house. We were about to be very
pleasantly surprised.
The first thing a visitor encounters at the
front gate is an enormous glass cube. This
‘coral head in a box’ display was entirely
open to the tropical sun although I
suspect the glass was lightly tinted. By
my paced steps about 8 feet square with a
six foot water depth inside, yet
sparklingly clear it showed no algae to
impair the inward view. The fishes were
stunning and I knew in that moment that
the rest of today had been booked up. We
asked about saltwater management and it
turns out they rely directly on water
drawn from 42 meters below the surface
out in the Gulf. Water is pumped into a
holding reservoir from which it streams
through the various displays before
exhausting back to the sea. I found this
part a little worrisome as the gulf which
is part of the Red Sea is a major shipping
lane for cargo vessels but it hides a deep
underwater rift (2850 metres at its
deepest point – yes, nearly 3 kilometres
deep) with an enormous water volume.
Interestingly any captive breeding that
occurs within the Eilat system also
flushes out into the surrounding
ecosystem and helps either feed or
repopulate the reef.
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back, stalking their prey by hanging near
the surface before recoiling and diving
sharply into a school of lesser fishes. We
were reminded that a living reef
embraces a natural food chain philosophy
where not every specimen is guaranteed
survival.
A short pier led past the submarine which
turned out to be a variant on the glassbottomed-boat theme, scooting along
with its windows just barely submerged,
to the sea tower. Once in the tower a
circular stairway lead 26 steps down to
sea level, and a further 26 steps to the
underwater viewing chambers. Two
circular pods each surrounded by
windows let the naturally sunlit reef
shine in. The tower was built into a coral
head which has been augmented by the
reintroduction of hundreds and hundreds
of new corals from the school program
(more about that later). Each new coral
specimen bears an identification tag
which permits the student who adopted
and cared for the coral fragment in the lab
to continue to monitor and appreciate its
progress.
Outside the observatory windows the
corals are neither fed nor cleaned but
exist as in nature. The viewing windows
are another matter and every few months
need to be scrubbed. Being the equivalent
of two stories underwater gave TMA a
view not possible by snorkelling alone.
We were in the realm of the scuba diver
now. You note immediately that any red
colouration is gone and a soft blue
permeates the scene. The coronet fishes
which escaped my lens a month ago were
Soft corals swayed in the currents, mature
lion fishes would be eating no guppies
here tonight as their captive brethren
normally might, and schools of marine
fry numbering in the thousands cascaded
by our eyes. Signage throughout the
tower display was bilingual, including
English, but curiously absent any Latin
names. Guides came through
intermittently with large group tours and
then a host of languages followed. We
were never far from a staffer willing to
help identify a fish and yet were never
hurried along to the next exhibit. I
suspect one could literally perch at one of
these windows all day and be entertained
by the endless activity mere inches away
on both sides of the glass.
Education is a key element for many
public aquaria and this marine park has
partnered with the local school board.
Coral reefs routinely suffer damage from
recreational divers, shipping, and storms.
Eilat Aquarium sends its divers out to
collect freshly broken fragments from the
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sea bed returning them here to the
facility. Each piece is glued to a flat rock
which will serve as its base in the
recovery tanks. School children are tasked
with accurately measuring the growth in
the rehabilitation phase along with
providing light and food. At the end of
each school year, the corals are returned
to the Red Sea, some to the viewing area
around the tower. Pollution and climatic
changes take a toll on reefs each year but
this program offers a plan to rebuild
some of that damage.
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TMA can never be entirely trusted not to
poke a nose and a camera lens into any
door standing even slightly ajar, so I am
able to offer a quick peek at the
zooplankton/phytoplankton grow-out
chambers that provide the food source for
the corals and other filter feeders like the
little gem I will close with this month.
Clearly a relative of the pipefishes/sea
horses complex, TMA has not seen these
before on display and what a
magnificently delicate specimen it was.
The ornate ghost pipefish has a glass-like
body camouflaged with fingernail cuticle
sized spikes and is draped with what I
can only call Red Sea khaki. These pelagic
little fishes could easily be overlooked in
natural environments. I rotated our photo
to make him easier to view and to
examine, but normally Solenostomus
paradoxus hang head down in the water
column. It seems we’ve only just begun
here in Eilat but fortunately as the
entrance coupon states we can visit a
second day for free for the one paid
admission. We can explore here further
next month – but let’s take the bus
instead. - TMA
New Members in
January and February
A hearty welcome to our new members from the January and
February meetings. We’re always thrilled to have more people
to share experiences and stories with. If any of you have some
nugget of info, or small story to tell please share it on our forum
or with our newsletter editors.
•Cindi Butler and Linda Driscoll
•Steve Byer
The Fish Sempai
•William Neal
www.fishsempai.com
•Victor Dinh and Tianna Bartolo
•Ryan and Kelli Barton
•Melanie Whelpdale
•Anne Kelly
•Matthew Sendzik
•Taryn Sendzik
•Alex Campbell
info@fishsempai.com
(519) 648-9992
• Show quality goldfish: Ryukin, Ranchu, Oranda,
Butterfly Moors, Jikins, Pearlscales, Tosakin
• Japanese & Malaysian Koi
• Arrange to visit the fish farm to see one-of-a-kind,
rare and marvelous specimens
• Hobbyist Club members receive 10% off purchases
• Wholesaler inquiries are welcome
• Visits by appointment ONLY
1268 Kramp Road RR 2, Breslau, Ontario N0B 1M0
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March Exchange Editor’s Report
Submitted by Zenin Skomorowski, KWAS (zenin@golden.net).
The newsletters featured in this column and others are available to
you. Please let me know by email, or at the monthly meeting, which
ones you would like to read.
Living near the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago does have
advantages. Besides seeing great displays of fish, some high
school students can qualify for the Lake Ecology Summer
mentorship programme. Sam Borstein wrote two essays and
had an interview before being accepted. He spent a week
aboard a tall ship on Lake Michigan and attended classes on
the Great Lakes history, geology, biology, invasive species and
more. Read all about his projects and experiences in the
November-December 2008 issue of Cichlid Chatter from the
Greater Chicago Cichlid Association. Also in this issue, Rick
Boester wrote about Neolamprologus tretocephalus. Many people
consider them to be a smaller version of the much larger
Frontosa. These very aggressive fish require a meaty diet and
lots of hiding places for the female. Another Tanganyikan is
the Petrochomis. Mike Garibaldi describes how they are very
similar to Tropheus, but are much larger.
A couple of marine salt water articles can be found in the
January 2009 issue of Pisces Press from the Nassau County
Aquarium Society. The Bumble Bee snail Pusiostoma (engina)
mendicaria burrows in the sand bed. There are about 30 species
of Clownfish. They love to live among the tentacles of a sea
anemone. Clownfish have an interesting hierarchy in a group
and on occasion will change from male to female.
Charlie Drew wrote a couple of articles for the January 2009
issue of The Monthly Bulletin from the Hamilton & District
Aquarium Society. The Honeycomb Catfish Tatia perugiae is
originally from Peru. They inhabit piles of driftwood, and are
nocturnal feeders on insects, worms and crustaceans. Charlie
also details his perfect infusoria technique to produce these
microscopic organisms as a first food for very small fry. Also in
this issue is a description of the Open Aquarium to promote
plant growth. It is written by Claus Christensen, managing
director of Tropica Plants of Denmark.
There are a variety of pond plants in the Sagittaria family.
Derek Tustin details a few in the January 2009 issue of Tank
Talk from the Durham Region Aquarium Society. In his
column Eyeballs On Oddballs, Derek talks about a prehistoric
monster. Well, it was labelled as “Monster Fish” at a Local Fish
Shop. Turns out it is Thalassophryne amazonica or the Amazon
Toadfish. This benthic ambush predator sits buried in the sand
or mud with just its eyes poking out, waiting for a meal to
swim by. The Toadfish opens its huge mouth, creating a
vacuum to suck in the prey, and then holds it and makes bite
size pieces with its many rows of teeth. This monster also has
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venom producing glands beneath hollow dorsal spines. You
don’t want to step on this fish.
Have you ever thought of what your Top 10 favourite fish
would be ? Sam Borstein had too many to fit on one list, so he
made up several lists based on geographical regions. His first
list of Central American Cichlids is in the January-February
2009 issue of Cichlid Chatter from the Greater Chicago Cichlid
Association. There are some photos and descriptions with why
they are on his list. See if any match your favourites. Also in
this issue, Rick Borstein talks about the “Hybrid” issue that
was triggered by discussion on the GCCA Cichlid Forum. The
dictionary defines a hybrid as an offspring of two animals or
plants of different races, breeds, varieties, species or genera.
Rick details what this means for fish and the hobby. Some
view hybrids in a very negative light, others say they are just
enjoying their pets and do not distribute hybrid fish without
fair warning. Is it a moral issue ?
Bruce Hart writes about his experiences breeding the
Synodontis petricola in the February 2009 issue of Aqua Antics
from the Sarnia Aquarium Society. This small rock dwelling
catfish from Lake Tanganyika is a popular choice with fish
keepers today. Bruce had to try a couple of setups before he
was able to get a decent number of eggs to be produced and
hatched. Peter Melady, on the other hand, got some
unexpected spawning results from his Dwarf Neon Rainbows
Melanotaenia praecox. Sometimes, you just get lucky.
Surf’s up ! Here is this month’s web site to explore:
www.earthlife.net/fish/intro.html
Gordon Ramel has created a web page of interesting fish facts
and terms. Some examples:
Benthic = Living on the floor of the sea, ocean, river, pond
Pelagic = Living and swimming in the open waters of the sea,
ocean, river, pond
Poisonous = Makes you sick if you eat it.
Venomous = Toxins injected by stinging or biting.
The most poisonous fish in the world = Death Puffer of Makimaki Arothron hispidus. The internal organs of this fish are so
poisonous that it takes less than 0.1 grams to kill an adult
human being in less than half an hour. Nevertheless people in
Japan eat the flesh of this fish which can be safe if none of the
toxin in the organs gets into the final cut. Chefs who prepare
the meal serve a special three year apprenticeship. However,
despite all precautions about 50 people die every year in Japan
from eating poorly or improperly prepared fish.
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The PlantED Tank: Cryptic Bio-Types
A Regular Column by Ed Koerner, KWAS (edkoerner@sympatico.ca). Photos by the author and Glen C.
large, from plants that top out at 2 inches like C. parva to large
leaved giant C. wendtii that can easily grow over 24 inches in the
home aquarium.
Almost everyone that has had plants in their tank has had a
crypt at some point in time. The most popular species in my
opinion is C. wendtii. It is found in several colour varietiesgreen, bronze and red, and there are several cultivars that have
been developed. Most people know cryptocoryne as a slow
growing low light plant but in reality this is a misconception.
Yes, they can be kept in low light, sometimes at ½ wpg and they
will even grow a little but these are not the conditions that they
are at home in.
Most crypts are found in streams and rivers with moving water
or swampy overflow water basins. They are emmersed for most
of their lives and really only submerged during rainy wet
seasons when the water levels are high. Being placed into an
Last month I talked about bio-types and their relationship with aquarium often 20-24 inches below the water level is something
that they have adapted to, not evolved to. Their leaves can be
choosing plants in the aquarium. Here are a few photos
showing that even though we talk about a bio-type we often are above or below the surface and will form differently in each.
When grown emmersed, or with the roots and part of the plant
talking about the fish we are keeping and not truly the full
environment we are setting up. The photos above and below are in water but the rest left to grow out into open air, the leaves
will be thicker and tougher and will often be more coloured or
from a couple of my “South American” tanks and there are
spotted. They will often be more rippled and textured as there is
clearly plants that have never seen the Amazon Basin.
much less pressure on them in air compared to under water. It
is in this emmersed state that crypts are most likely to flower as
well. They will send up flower stems from the center of the
plant that look like trumpet lilies. The stems will grow above
the water surface where they will go to seed, then fall to be
carried away to germinate wherever the current takes them.
“South American”... Maybe the fish are, but not all of the plants are!
Well, when last we left our chat on plants and bio-types I
mentioned visiting the species of Cryptocorynes or cypts next.
This is a rather large family of plants with over 60 species and
many more cultivars being added into the mix. They are native
to Asia in warm and humid environments like India, Sri Lanka,
Sumatra and further east. They are found in sizes small and
125G tank with 6 varieties of bunched crypts
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Being that most crypts spend their time in an emmersed
condition they are heavy CO2 feeders. Plants that are near or at
the surface will absorb much higher levels of CO2 than at the
bottom of an aquarium and they, of course, enjoy more light as
well. Leaves out of water have easy access to CO2 and light so
growth will be fuller, thicker and faster. While crypts are
normally considered a slow growing plant, the recent increase
of CO2 use in aquariums along with new light technology and
fertilizers have provided plant enthusiasts with fuller growth
than ever before and I have seen many tanks producing junglelike stands of plants.
So, what is a crypt and why should you have one (or many) in
your tank? Well, almost everyone that has plants in their tank
has one so you should too, right? Not always but they will
handle a wide range of conditions and they are quite adaptable.
BUT, I should add at this point that there is a condition known
as crypt melt that often accompanies the acclamation stages.
This happens from no fault of the plant keeper – quite often a
plant will be put into a new tank and the water parameters may
not be the same as what the plant came out of. The plant will
often start to melt, which is that its leaves will start to rot and its
stems will decay near the base of the plant. I have seen this
happen in my plants from moving from one tank to another one
right beside it. The different water conditions and lighting are to
blame. If the conditions are still favourable to grow the plant, it
will come back on its own, slowly poking out a few leaf stems
as if checking if the coast is clear. If left undisturbed it should
now come back and flourish in the new environment.
There are some plant suppliers that actually prune back all the
leaves right down to the stem for this reason before shipping.
When put into the new tank, they will send out leaves that are
now acclimated and growth will be healthy. If you are
purchasing new plants make sure you look for a firm crown
and good root structure as this will be more important than the
condition of the leaves.
Crypts can handle a wide variety of water conditions once they
are acclimated. They will survive the soft water conditions of a
South American bio-type and the harder water conditions of an
African Rift Lake tank. They can be kept in slow water
movement conditions or a fast flowing river tank. They can
even be grown with only their roots in the water. In their
natural setting they experience most of these conditions
through various seasons of the year.
The family is also popular since it comes in many shapes, sizes
and colours. There are deep reds and brilliant fuchsias, browns
and bronzes as well as various combinations and shades of
green. It should be noted that the more colour there is to the
plant the more light it will require to keep it. A red plant will
need more light than a basic green one, and may also benefit
from an occasional supplement of iron. There are small leaved
varieties and wide leaved, tall and narrow, spiraled and
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straight, crinkled, ruffled and smooth – enough to satisfy any
plant lover.
Crypts form a large root ball which, over time, can become
quite woody and thick. A solid crown sits atop the roots and
should not be buried in the substrata or the plant will rot. Stems
forming leaves will radiate from the crown. The plant will
propagate through runners sent out from the root ball as it
matures and in shallow water, with a flower. The flower once
pollinated will form a seed pod. Over time the plant can be
divided at the roots into several new plants that are ready to
make it on their own. One thing to remember is that crypts like
to grow as a group – don’t get them and try separating them
into little individual plants, they will do better planted as a
clump and split up every so often. They will also continue to
grow quite well when root bound.
Some Cypts that I have experience with...
Cryptocoryne wendtii
This is maybe the most popular crypt, and is normally the plant
that people think of first when considering them. It is generally
a small to medium sized plant growing to 6-12 inches but there
is a giant variety that will send 24 inch leaves to the surface.
There are three colour varieties – green, red and bronze or
brown. The green can develop nice stripes in the leaves under
favourable growing conditions while the red will take on an
almost fuchsia tone to the undersides of its leaves. The bronze
under good light can take on a deep brownish purple and it
rather unique in its shading. The leaves are long and narrow
and tend to hang in a broad spread. A good cover plant for the
mid level of the aquarium.
Cryptocoryne crispatula
The are a number of varieties to this plant, the most popular
being balansae, with tonkinensis being another in my tanks. This
is an interesting species as it has very rippled and textured
leaves that are long and thin….. growing well over 24 inches in
good conditions. It is a rich green colour and can take over a
corner of a tank very easily.
Cryptocoryne crispatula
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Cryptocoryne parva
This little thing is one of the smallest of crypts attaining full
growth at about 2 inches. It has smooth green leaves and looks
like a miniature sword plant. I find that these are hard plants to
keep, as they tend to need a lot of light or they quickly
degenerate and almost disappear, yet if given high light they
tend to become covered with algae, which will retard their
growth and looks unsightly. Having CO2 present in the tank
will greatly improve the success in keeping this very nice
foreground specimen.
Cryptocoryne spiralis
Another variety that will grow tall and thin, this plant sends up
leaves over 20 inches long that are about ¼ inch wide in wide
spiral patterns. These spirals are much looser that a corkscrew
val but look quite interesting when the plant forms into several
standing clumps. The ruffled edges also add to the texture and
interest of the plant.
Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
This plant will form a thick tangle of woody roots like most
crypts do and will develop leaves 6-12 inches tall that are a bit
wider and more colourful than spiralis. Leaves will be green or a
rusty yellowish colour and will form into a bushy clump with
shorter leaves as it gets root bound. A good mid level plant that
should be divided up over time to encourage taller growth.
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sword-like narrowing to a fine point and with good light will
take on a reddish-brown coloration. It is good grower and will
easily form runners and form a nice clump of plants.
Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
A different looking plant, it is light green coloured with large
spade shaped leaves. I have found it to be rather slow growing
and more needy of light than most crypts. It takes some time to
establish but once it takes hold will send large root tendrils out
that will shoot up to form runner plants. It needs some space
because of its leaf size and upward growth pattern and makes
for a good mid tank specimen.
Cryptocoryne lucens
This is a nice foreground or mid tank plant with smooth swordlike green leaves that give a clean and crisp appearance. The
leaves will grow 4-6 inches and will develop into a nice bushy
clump about 12 inches tall. It seems relatively undemanding of
light and any other needs and has been an easy plant to grow.
Cryptocoryne walkeri
Cryptocoryne blassi
Walkeri is another variety that will form into a dense bushy
clump over time and sometimes may look quite similar to
wendtii at first glance. It has rippled leaves that can be varied
and mottled shades of green but will grow wider and a bit
shorter. It should be used as a mid tank plant as it gets too thick
and bushy and will outgrow a foreground placement and will
get about 12 inches high but will take on a weeping form.
This is an interesting plant as it is different from most crypts. It
has a rather large rounded leaf 2-3 inches long, green on top but
a brilliant fuchsia underneath. It grows 10-12 inches high and
can be quite a center piece when it meets its full colour
potential. It does seem to take a bit more acclimating as it’s
larger leaves show the effects of melt more so than some of the
finer leaved plants but it is well worth looking for.
Well, there you have a glimpse at just one species of Asian plant
selections with many more varieties of crypts left to search for. I
will revisit this part of the world in future articles. Next month
though, spring is in the air and it is time to clean off the garden
tools. Get ready to head out and enjoy time with some pond
plants along with their roles and uses. Thanks for reading and
see you again. - PlantED
Cryptocoryne undulata and red wendtii
Cryptocoryne undulata
This is a very nice plant that can be placed in the mid or rear of
the tank as it can grow 15-18 inches tall but should have some
room to spread it attractive leaves. They are rippled with
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Avoid Being A Nervous Fishkeeper
Submitted by Phil Maznyk, KWAS (pmaznyk@rogers.com). Photos by the author except as noted.
Fishkeeping is supposed to be relaxing
and fun. Is it not? Often it is, however just
as often, it is not. Here are some reasons
that fall into the latter category. Dead and
dying fish, algae everywhere in the tank,
heater and filter problems and fish that
hide all the time. Is it any wonder that
new hobbyists have high anxiety? What
will go wrong next? Why did I get into
this hobby in the first place? Those are
two of the most common questions that
beginner aquarists find themselves asking
when things start to go wrong!
When it comes to aquariums, prevention
is everything. Curing a diseased fish is
unfortunately, often as likely to fail, as it
is to succeed. Continually removing algae
will become a nuisance chore very
quickly and never seeing those nice fish
you purchased can make us all wonder
why we have an aquarium in the first
place. It is logical to assume that the
solutions to all of these challenges could
well be found in the initial approach
taken.
were not so, will not correct it! Research
your fish, based on your particular tank’s
size and filtration, you can make an
educated guess on an appropriate
amount of fish.
Poorly maintained tank.
The combination of excessive organic
compounds in the water, warm water
conditions and excessive light will all
lead to algae problems. If there is lot of
light, particularly direct sunlight, you can
have an abundance of green algae in your
tank faster than you could imagine. If
there is less light, you could even end up
with an excess amount of brown algae.
While not as difficult to clean as the green
form, it can still become an unpleasant
sight. From a biological point of view,
algae are simple single celled organisms
that are a naturally occurring component
of all aquatic environments, both in
aquariums and outdoors in nature.
Aquarists however, have the power to
control the intensity and duration of
lighting that reaches our tank. You could
even fill the tank with live plants. They
will naturally absorb excess nutrients that
opportunistic algae are using to prosper.
Scrubbing problem algae.
Having too many fish in the tank, feeding
them too much, too often and not
maintaining good water quality are all
going to result in sick fish that can
quickly become dead fish! It is not a
question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ will this
Too many nutrients, too much light.
happen. You cannot maintain good water
Photo from marchak.ca
quality if the organic load in the
Fish will hide for many reasons. Some
aquarium is too high. This is true
regardless of the size of tank and even the species however, are nocturnal. They
come out mainly after you have turned
type of filtration you choose. Wishing it
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the lights off. This behavioral pattern is a
direct result of their natural evolution. It
is the way nature made them! Daytime
predatory fish are unable to efficiently
hunt in a dark aquarium. Many species of
fish, especially catfish, have sensitive
barbels to help locate the presence of
food. They have adapted to being active
mainly under the cover of darkness. You
are not going to change their natural
behaviour by eliminating their hiding
places. Doing this will only cause
increased stress levels for the fish, while
preventing you from observing and
appreciating the natural behaviour of
these nocturnal fish.
Nocturnal species.
To prove this, take a small flashlight and
place a small piece of red plastic over the
lens. Turn on the flashlight after dark and
shine it in your tank. Fish will not be able
to see the red light. You might be very
surprised to see those elusive shy fish
active and out having a grand old time.
My friends, the fish are only doing what
is natural for them. Some fish are, by
design, quite timid and will only stay in
view if they feel secure. Again, having
sufficient hiding places is very important.
In this case, it will actually increase the
likelihood of seeing the fish more often.
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Tank with plenty of hiding spots.
If you select aggressive fish for a
community tank, any peaceful species
will hide in order to avoid being
harassed. You can easily avoid such
problems by knowing the general habits
and behaviour patterns of your fish
before you actually purchase them.
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Relaxing in the living room.
Photo from Reid Wilson
Peaceful community tank fish.
Take the time to think the habitat through
well ahead of the actual fish purchase. If
you need more rock add it. If you need
more caves create them now. Doing all of
this beforehand means you won’t be
adding more stress while the fish are
settling into their new home.
I have told numerous new hobbyists that
done properly, fishkeeping does not need
to cause anxiety and can actually become
a real stress reliever. Most of us picked
this hobby as a way to relax. Choose your
fish carefully, do not overstock your tank,
feed small amounts of food a few times
each day. By doing regular water changes
with regular tank maintenance, you will
very soon discover that it isn’t that
difficult and can truly provide you many
years of enjoyment with little effort on
your part. - Phil
Aggressive species.
Small Tales: The Super Neon
Submitted by “Mrs. CB” (forum handle), KWAS
Years ago, as a teenager, my dad and I thought it was a great
idea to have a fish tank. We were given a 20g tank without a
lid, a few decorations and a heater - so we thought we’d fill it.
We went to the LFS and purchased a HOB filter, a light, and
gravel.
When things stabilized, off we went to replace our stock. We
decided not to replace the pleco because we never saw him
anyways. We also didn’t add anymore angel fish because they
were just too sensitive! We picked up some various tetras and
cherry barbs, another goldfish or two, and shark or similar fish
(I don’t remember exactly).
The fish seemed to do alright for a while now that we had
stabilized the temperature, and continued to do our water
changes: every week we stripped the tank down to about an
inch of water in the bottom to keep the fish wet, and replaced
the water with tap water that was reasonably close in
temperature to the water we took out. We scrubbed all the rock
work and cleaned the filter.
After we set it up and filled it with water from the kitchen tap,
and switched the light on (and NEVER turned it off!) we sat
down to decide how many fish and what kind of fish to get.
Then we trotted back down to the store to make our purchases.
We bought several goldfish, a few angelfish, some neons, and of
Over time though, we lost fish after fish. When the last goldfish
course the trusty pleco.
died, we decided that we didn’t want the expense of replacing
Well as you might imagine, the angelfish started dying shortly
fish every week, so we would tear down the tank. As we were
after. When we called the fish store, they told us that the
emptying the tank and removing all decorations, out swam this
temperature wasn’t warm enough. We cranked up the heater.
little neon! I called him our miracle fish. Since we never
The next morning the water in the tank was warmer than my
replaced neons, I knew he was from the original batch. He had
bath water! The fish that were still alive (some goldfish, an
survived everything! We immediately replaced the water we
angel, and 2 neons) were in serious trouble. We emptied half of had taken out, and let him have his very own tank. He didn’t
the tank and topped it up with cooler water from the tap and
live for long (I wonder why?), but I was so proud of this little
then waited.
Super Neon! - Mrs. CB
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Breeding Tateurndina Ocellicauda
BAP Report by Geoff Money, KWAS (gmoney@golden.net). Photos by aquariumpoetry.blogspot.com.
This fish is commonly known as the Peacock Gudgeon and
comes from a family of fish known as Sleeper Gobies. This is a
bit of an “oddball” fish that is not very common in the
aquariums.
The fish comes from low land rivers and ponds of New Guinea,
and is one of the most colourful fresh water fish available. They
are very peaceful and undemanding; they can live with many
types of non-aggressive fish.
These fish tend to live low in the aquarium, but are willing to
come up for food when offered. In my experience their
favourite food is blood worms, although they will take frozen
brine shrimp, but they are not too crazy about dried food, only
eating it if there is nothing else and they are hungry.
The fish love dark tight places in the aquarium, and that is
where they will spawn.
I setup a small 10 gallon aquarium for conditioning and
spawning, I had a sponge filter and a thin layer of gravel on the
bottom, and Java fern for some greenery. The temperature was
around 76°F with a low wattage light on for 12 hours a day.
The breeding aquarium also had three pieces of ½” diameter
plastic PVC pipe, cut about 3” long, this would act as breeding
caves for laying eggs. I placed them in such a way that I could
see inside the pipe.
tank with the same water, and waited. I could see the fry
developing in the eggs, everything looked good, and so I
waited. The next day the eggs hatched (24-48hrs), I could see
little tails sticking out the eggs and the following day all were
gone and the male was swimming around.
I went through the same scenario a few times wondering what I
was doing wrong. Every time the male would eat the fry once
they had hatched. So next time I removed the eggs and pipe but
no male, only to see the eggs fungus.
The secret here is to wait for the eggs to develop, leave the male
to look after the eggs. Just before the eggs hatch remove the
male and use an air stone to fan the eggs until they hatch,
success!!!!!!.
The fry are quite small, I used a mature sponge filter and
“liquidfry” for the first week and then microworms, until they
are able to take baby brine shrimp, from then on it was clear
sailing. As the fry grow they are able to take different types of
food and plenty of it.
A batch of 30-50 fry seems about normal, I’m sure the batches
will get larger as the females grow.
So if you are looking for a bit of a challenge give these fish a try.
- Geoff
Sexing the Gudgeons is quite easy, the male is larger than the
female, he also has a larger head with a bit of a lump, like some
male cichlids, but not as large. The females head and body is
more streamline with a bright yellow colour on the abdominal
area.
I placed six fish in the breeding tank, two males and four
females, I started conditioning by feeding frozen foods every
day, with a 25% water change once a week, in most cases I used
rain water with tap water added to bring it up to the correct
temperature.
Within a few weeks, one of the males really coloured up, and
this is where you see a little aggression. He would do a little
chasing around the tank, but nothing harmful. I next noticed
two fish sitting side by side in one of the pipes just waving fins
at each other, so this looked like a good sign, and sure enough
the next day I saw eggs hanging from the ceiling inside the pipe
and the male fanning the eggs. He will guard and care for the
eggs with constant fanning until they hatch.
This is the tricky part; I lifted the pipe with my finger over one
end and placed the pipe, the male and the eggs into another
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Peacock Gudgeon - Male (top), Female (bottom)
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February Jar Show Standings
Judged by Anthony Mc Aslin
Rift Lake Cichlids
SpeciesPoints
Zenin Skomorowski
Pseudotropheus socolofi
4
Tony Gibbons
Aulonocara stuartgranti
3
Alan Smiley
Protomelus virgatus Gome2
Alan Smiley
Aulonocara stuartgranti Chilumba1
Zenin Skomorowski
Astatilapia latifasciata
1
Geoff Money
Otophenynx lithobattes
1
Junior Rift Lake Cichlids
Johnathan Samson
Synotilapia hara
4
Griffen Quigley
Julidichromis kipli
3
Johnathan Samson Acei2
Griffen Quigley
Hap 441
AOV Adults
Zenin Skomorowski
Neon Dwarf Rainbow4
Geoff Money
Black Lyretail Molly3
Geoff Money
Corydoris anenus2
AOV Juniors
Johnathan Samson
Plakat Betta4
Griffen Quigley
Golden Wonder Killie3
Griffen Quigley
Longfin Albino Cory2
Johnathan Samson
Crowntail Betta1
Peoples Choice
Alan Smiley
Protomelus virgatus Gome2
Adult Totals
Zenin Skomorowski
20
Geoff Money
16
Al Ridley
7
Alan Smiley
5
Tony Gibbons
3
Junior Totals
Griffen Quigley
26
Johnathan Samson
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March’s class is Characins which include all tetras, silver
dollars, headstanders, etc.
For future classes visit: http://www.kwas.ca/jar_show.htm
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Meeting Minutes
General Meeting on Feb 3rd, 2009
Submitted by Lezley Smith, KWAS
Welcome guests. There were 45 people
present including 3 guests.
Announcements
• Welcome guests
• Memberships dues are to be given to
Miecia
• Shop Hop, there will be approx. 10-20
people going. We will meet at the 401
and Homer-Watson carpool lot at 9am
on Feb 21
BAP:
Geoff Money received a certificate for
breeding Tateurndina ocellicanda (Peacock
Gudgeons)
HAP: none to report
Name that Fish:
This month’s “Name That Fish” was a
young pair of Sulphur Crested Lithobates
(Otopharynx lithobates) donated by Geoff
Money. They were guessed by Terry
Clements.
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Business Meeting on Feb 10th 2009
Meeting was held at Geoff Money’s
home.
Regrets: Cam Turner, Brad McClanahan,
Katie McClanahan, Charity Gilmore.
Miecia Burden
Motion to approve January’s business
meeting minutes as published.
Motion: Zenin Skomorowski
Seconded: Phil Maznyk
Voted on and carried
Amendment to the previous minutes:
Under New Business instead of "there
will be a little change in our program
presentation", it should have said that
"there will be a change in our meeting
format."
Motion to approve February’s general
minutes as delivered by email:
Motion: Al Ridley
Seconded: Ed Koerner
Voted on and carried
Future business meeting hosts:
February: Geoff
March: Miecia
April: Cam
This month’s “Name That Non-Fish” was May:
a Glass Scraper (Raschiettus vetri) guessed
June: Zenin
by Kaitlynn Cook.
Program:
Rein Breitmaier spoke about his different
trips with a question and answer period.
Show Jar:
Treasurer’s Report (Brad McClanahan):
Read by Geoff in Brad’s absence
Motioned: Zenin Skomorowski
Seconded: Ed Koerner
Voted on and carried
Six people submitted 18 entries. Detailed
results in newsletter and on website.
Correspondence: None.
Library Draw:
NL Editor/Publisher (Cam): Absent
$14.00 won by Alicia Summer
• Printing receipts submitted to Brad at
the Feb general meeting. Well within
the $0.50/copy budget.
Raffle:
There were two prizes of Goldfish Pond
Food with a container won by Todd
Henry and Cindi Butler.
Committee Reports:
• Thanks to Phil and Zenin for Preediting articles. Makes our job
manageable.
• Emailed many other publications re
advertising rates. Ours are on-par for
B&W ads with the circulation/
membership we have. If our
membership gets over 150 then we
should consider revisiting the rates
otherwise not.
• Will be contacting local LFS stores
(unless the pet store liaisons should do
this instead) to ask about advertising.
Looking for a total of 1.5 pages more
B&W advertising to make up for
aquatech canceling.
• Also seeking two full page, full colour
advertisers to increase the colour space
for member articles that are heavy on
the photos (Phil's, Zenin's and TMA
mostly). Have advertising contact info
for Tropica, Hagen, Seachem and
ZooMed. Will seek others if they aren't
interested.
Webmaster (Phil):
• Going well overall.
• All three forum buy and sell sections
will be changed to "read only" to try
and keep the sellers information clear
and concise.
• Forum marine section expanded to two
sections as it is a very busy section
• Invertebrate forum section added
• Behind the scenes forum challenges and
issues discussed
• Section for KWAS members only, club
news etc. to be discussed at the next
meeting.
• Al and Phil will continue to monitor
with the Executive’s support.
Program (Al):
March: Catharine Salmon on Bettas
April: Setting up a pond
May: Kate Gallagher on Shrimp
June: Pizza party and tank draw
Exchanges (Zenin):
Going well
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CAOAC (Phil):
has volunteered to be the CAOAC
rep, nomination accepted.
• Phil
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Our proceeds from our Library draw
for March will go to the CDAS.
Membership (Miecia): absent
• Reviewed all clubs who are part of
CAOAC that have renewed for 2009
with insurance coverage
Auction (Ed): going well
• Looking for any photos of past
conventions for their 50th this year. E-
• Zenin placed the DVD of Wonderful
World of Fish Keeping in the library.
mail Paul McIntosh
pdmcintosh@rogers.com
• Would like all clubs to help promote
this year’s event on their websites and
forums. They have produced a full
colour post card that Pet Store Liaisons
can distribute.
• There will be a silent auction at this
year’s event. If anyone has something
to contribute they can contact Tony
Bernard namansi@yahoo.com
• Cambridge Aquarium Club is looking
for donations of books for their library.
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Pet Store Liaison (Zenin, Al):
Zenin placed CAOAC convention cards
and flyers in the different stores.
Al is in need of flyers . Zenin will ask
Charity about getting more flyers printed.
Library (David):
• We will review our library for duplicate
books that we can also donate to
Cambridge.
Oktoberfish:
Al Ridley was asked to be the
Oktoberfish Chair and accepted. Miecia
and Geoff will handle the Show Room
and Ed will handle the Auction Room.
Old Business:
Raffle (Charity): absent
HAP (Filipe): progressing well
BAP (Miecia): none to report
NTF (Zenin): going well
Shop Hop in February – Six $40 gas cards
will be given to the drivers.
Motion: Al
Seconded: Zenin
Voted on and Carried
Show Jar (Anthony): going well with lots New Business:
of new people entering
The following constitution changes have
Lunch (Katie): absent
been accepted by the Executive and BOD,
to be voted on at the next meeting.
KWAS Constitution Review & Proposed Changes
The following articles are proposed by the executive and BOD
as replacements for the corresponding articles in our current
constitution. They will be voted on at the next general meeting.
3.
Notice of intent:
• Send a letter to the person involved
• An insert attached to the newsletter or e-mail to the
membership.
Article I
Loss of Membership: Any member, whose actions may be
4. A vote will be taken at a general meeting at which “notice
deemed detrimental to the best interests of KWAS, may be
of intent” has been given. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote
dropped from the membership and mailing lists in an expedient
of the members present is required for dismissal.
manner, by a majority vote at a special closed meeting of the
executive members only. (Subject to article IV- special).
Process - BOD or General Member
Article IV
1.
Closure: Any decision taken at a General or Business meeting
shall not be revisited for (1) full year without a two thirds (2/3)
majority vote of the general membership to reconsider.
A formal written complaint must be presented to the KWAS
Executive by a KWAS member in good standing.
2.
If time allows an Ad Hoc committee made up of two (2)
officers and two (2) senior members-at-large will be created
by the executive to investigate the complaints and report
back to the executive. If time does not allow, Article 1, loss
of membership shall apply.
The executive will decide if an investigation is warranted.
Article VII
Process - Executive member
1.
2.
A formal written complaint must be presented to the KWAS
Executive by a KWAS member in good standing.
3.
If time allows an Ad Hoc committee made up of two (2)
officers and two (2) senior members-at-large will be created
by the executive to investigate the complaints and report
back to the executive. If time does not allow, Article 1, loss
of membership shall apply.
The executive will decide if an investigation is warranted.
Notice of intent:
• Send a letter to the person involved
4.
A vote will be taken at a special closed meeting of the
executive.
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My Recipe for Peppered Catfish
BAP Report by Ed Koerner, KWAS (edkoerner@sympatico.ca). Corydoras Paleatus
Peppered Catfish
1 large, plump, ripe female
2-3 males who are ready to go
Mixed greens & stuffing mix
Fresh cold water or snow
First, place female and males into a prepared tank. In my case I
used a 75G with sand for a substrata. A 20G would be fine, but I
had this 75G plant grow out with nothing else of note except for
a few plecos… whatever works. Take greens and mix well
through out the tank to provide shelter and targets for eggs.
Wide leaves of crypts and swords work best for this as they
have room for the eggs to adhere to. Set temperature to 76-78
degrees F and let sit.
Over the next week or two condition with good foods – I found
that the corys loved black worms and would literally try pulling
them from each other like a scene out of Lady and the Tramp. The
female became huge and bloated and I honestly was concerned
that she would burst. Some frozen brine shrimp and various
flakes supplemented their diet.
After the conditioning stint, all that was needed was a water
change. I did a 20% change and used a 50/50 mixture of tap
water and melting snow that was fresh and cold. This brought
the temperature down to the low 70’s and I added some more
snow a few hours later.
my hands though in a fry tank I had running for a few angels…
soft water (rain/snow) with some mosses and a sponge filter.
I placed them among some moss and waited. After 3 days I
discovered small little black things wiggling around. They had
the appearance of a tadpole with a wide tail and very short
quick bursts of movement. The next day I also found some of
these little gaffers in the original breeding tank. Apparently
eggs had been laid around the tank on plants and I hadn’t seen
these. I did not feed anything as the fry seemed to be finding
more than enough scouring the tank bottom. I did no water
changes during this time either as I had read how sensitive cory
fry are to changes in water parameters.
After two weeks they started looking like miniature corys,
getting fuller in the mid section and the dorsal being more
pronounced. They still moved in very quick sudden movements
and seemed to find more than enough food scraps on the
bottom of the tank. I now did a small water change as there was
a lot of detritus accumulating on the tank bottom. After a month
the fry were about ¾ inch long and looked like the adults. I
found that the fry kept in the 75 gallon tank are growing
noticeably quicker than those in a 25 gallon tank. Conditions are
pretty much the same in both.
The 75 gallon “breeding” tank is set up with about 50% tap
water (and sometimes I even add conditioner) and 50%
rainwater or snow. It runs at 76 F with one AC 500 filter and 176
watts of lighting. The tank has a good inch of white silica sand
and is filled with plants of various varieties. Subsequent spawns
tend to happen within two days of a water change or adding
more snow to bring down the water temperature. - Ed
A day later I found clusters of eggs on the glass about 2 inches
from the top. There were several groupings, with 16-20 eggs per
group. The first few I left and they disappeared over night. The
next afternoon I found more and a BN pleco up right beside one
grouping. He quickly swam off but I saw a guilty look in his
eyes and I felt that he had been responsible for the
disappearance of the first eggs. I took the blade of a utility knife
and carefully attempted to scrape off the eggs. I was afraid that
they would squish and be very soft but was surprised that they
were a very firm gel consistency and they came off quite easily.
They are rather sticky though, so you remove them from the
blade with your fingers, only to have an interesting time
removing them from your fingers. I managed to wash them off
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Peppered Catfish served over fresh mixed greens.
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February Name That Fish
Submitted by Zenin Skomorowski, KWAS (zenin@golden.net). All photos by the author.
Sulphur Crested Lithobates (Otopharynx lithobates)
This month’s “Name That Fish” was a young pair of Sulphur
Crested Lithobates (Otopharynx lithobates) donated by Geoff
Money. They were guessed by Terry Clements.
They originally come from Lake Malawi in East Africa. Their
mostly carnivore diet should include frozen shrimp, krill, live
worms, insects and high protein flakes and pellets to bring out
their colour highlights.
Young males have a blue/yellow/orange body with some dark
blotches, a blue head and an orange tipped dorsal fin. Older
males have all blue bodies with a yellow blaze running from
the dorsal down the forehead. The female is silver-grey with
some dark blotches. She will mouth brood eggs and fry for
several weeks. Try to move her to a brooding tank because the
male will continue harassment to breed.
Glass Scraper (Raschiettus vetri)
A minimum of 30 gallons should be provided to start, and a
larger volume as they grow . They may end up measuring up
to 12.5 cm (5 inches). Hiding places in piles of rocks should be
provided, and a sand substrate is preferred. The water should
contain calcium compounds found in hard water and can be in
a range of pH from 7.8 to 9.0. Temperature can be 24 to 27C (75
to 81F).
This month’s “Name That Non-Fish” was a Glass Scraper
(Raschiettus vetri) guessed by Kaitlynn Cook.
It has a non-slip soft grip and is about 33 cm (13 inches) long.
The stainless steel blade will remove algae from glass. It should
not be used on acrylic or plastic aquariums to avoid causing
scratches. Great care should also be taken not to disturb
silicone seals. The angled head makes it easier to clean in the
lower corners.
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KWAS meets on the first Tuesday of each month from September until June at the Adult Recreation Centre at 185 King Street
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Meeting
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