THE ON-LINE JOURNAL OF THE BROOKLYN SOCIETY QVOL. 31UATI MAY ~ JUNE 2018 No.CA 5 BUTTERFLYA - Pantodon buchholzi

PHOTO: JOHN TODARO 1 107 Y EARSOF E DUCATING A QUARISTS AQUATICA VOL. 31 MAY-JUNE 2 0 1 8 N O . 5

PAGE 2 THE AQUATICA STAFF PAGE 20 STARFISH SEE PRETTY ONTENT WELL IN THE DEEP OCEAN. An C Sarticle on how Starfish see with all of PAGE 3 CALENDAR OF EVENTS. BAS Events for the year 2018. their eyes in the dark ocean. JOANNA KLEIN - NYT TRILOBITES PAGE 4 WHAT KIND OF BUTTERFLY IS THAT?. A look at the African Butterfly, PAGE 22 FROZEN SEAFOOD Pantodon buchoizi and its breeding. CHOWDER. Areyourmarinefishcosting ANTHONY P. KROEGER - BAS you a fortune to feed? If so here’s a recipe by the well known marine speakers, PAGE 6 BUG BITES. A review of Bug Anthony Calfo and Steve Pro. Bites, a new fish food by Fluval. JOHN TODARO - BAS MIKE ZAJAC - MAS PAGE 23 XIPHOPHORUS PAGE 7 WHAT I FEED MY MAYAE. Breeding of the largest and PLECOSTOMUS. Eric tells us about the most full-bodied fish in this species, foods he feeds his Plecostomus catfish. the Mayae swordtail JOE GRAFFAGNINO - BAS ERIC BODROCK - GPASI PAGE 24 THE PRACTICAL PLANT. This month PAGE 8 SUMMER TUBBING 2017. The breeding of Izzy discusses the care and propagation of the silver tip tetra in outdoor tubs. Najas quadlapensis.. RICH BRESSLER - ACLC Izzy Zwerin - BAS

PAGE 10 THE BLUE PIN TAIL . PAGE 25 5 TIPS FOR SELECTING POOL Account of breeding this beautiful gourami, PLANTS. How do you select plants that will do Malpulutta kretseri. well in your pool? Tony gives you some tips to MIKE HELLWEG - MAS follow and things to look for. ANTHONY P. KROEGER - BAS PAGE 12 NOTABLE NATIVES: THE SHEEPSHEAD PUPFISH. A native fish worth acquiring PAGE 26 IDEAL the Sheepshead Pupfish, Cyprinodon variegatus. PLANTS FOR YOUR SHRIMP. A look at some of TONY KROEGER - BAS the most common freshwater aquarium plants that will make your shrimp feel right at home. PAGE 14 THE BEST TYPES OF FISH FOR RYAN CURTIS - BAS YOUR SHRIMP AQUARIUM. With the magnitude of available types of , it can be quite PAGE 28 CANDY CANE TETRA. A look at the difficult to know which ones are suitable for keeping HY511, Hyphessobrycon Species, its care and breeding. with shrimp. DON KINYON - ACLC RYAN CURTIS - BAS PAGE 31 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS. THEY PAGE 16 DWARF EGYPTIAN MOUTHBROODER. SUPPORT US. WE MUST SUPPORT THEM. Caring for and breeding an old time favorite, the Egyptian Mouthbrooder. PAGE 33 SPONSORS ADS. MIKE HELLWEG - MAS PAGE 36 BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER OF PAGE 18 FISH DISEASE TIPS: THE QUARANTINE THE BAS. TANK. How to set up a quarantine tank and how to use it for your fish. PAGE 37 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION. ANTHONY P. KROEGER - BAS 2 A QUATICA STAFF

Editor: Contributing writers Don Kinyon Associate Designer: John Todaro Eric Bodrock Joanna Klein Copy Editor: Ginny Cahill Rich Bressier Anthony P. Kroeger Freshwater Shrimp Editor:Kay Martin Ryan Curtis John Todaro Marine Editor: Ryan Curtis Joseph Graffagnino Mike Zajac Plant Editor: Open Mike Hellweg Izzy Zwerin Catfish Editor: Izzy Zwerin Illustrations: Sy Angelicus Norman Doughty Chris Giam Julia Noonan Shelly Sacks Exchange Editor: JohnTodaro Bill Amely Note: The Editor takes full responsibility for misspellings and punctuation errors. is published on line bi-monthly (except July/August) by BAS. may be reprinted by other non-profit organi- zations,AQUATICA provided proper credit is given to the author and , andOriginal two copies articles are sent to the Exchange Editor. Transcriptions of lectures may not be reprinted without written permission ofAQUATICA both Editor and the Speaker. A notice of where original articles have been published should be sent to the P.O. Box 290610, Brooklyn, NY 11229-0111. AQUATICA will exchange publicationsBAS with Exchange all interested Editor; societies. If we do not receive your publications for three consecutive months,AQUATICA we will assume you no longer wish to exchange and your club may be removed from our mailing list.

ALLCORRESPONDENCECONCERNINGTHISPUBLICATIONSHOULDBESENTTO • Editor: : John Todaro, 247 Middletown Road, South Londonderry VT, 05155 - Phone: 802 824-3743 Fax: Same. You can submit articles to the Editor by mail, fax, or E-mail to: [email protected]. The is a non-profit organization 501(c) (3) for people interested in the aquarium hobby and the study of Brooklyn Aquarium Society Inc. aquatic life. The Society meets the 2nd Friday of each month except July and August at the Education Hall of the New York Aquarium at Coney Island, Surf Avenue at west 8th St., at 7:30 PM. Meetings are open to visitors. Refreshments are served. Membership is $25 per year family/$20 individual/$15 for students under 18. Send inquiries or membership checks payable to:

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

BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Exchange Editor: OFFICERS BOARD MEMBERS President: Bill Amely Membership Chairperson: Robert Kolsky Steve Matassa 1st Vice President: David Manuel Denver Lettman Gennady (Gene) Kogan Sergeant-at-Arms: Nick Martinez, 2nd Vice President: Lita Goldberg Leon Perry Recording Secretary: Jose Sanchez, Marie Licciardello Treasurer: Kay Martin Wayne Sinckler web Master: Alfred Turrisi Bob Strazzulla Corresponding Secretary: Larry Whitfield Editor:Bernard Deren Dan Smith Ronald Wiesenfield John Todaro 3 B R O O K LY N A Q UA R I U M S OCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS ~ 2018 No meetings in July and August

We’re off on vacation... see you all in September for a great new season of Educating Aquarists.

Marine fish, aqua-culturedcorals,freshwaterfish, plants & dry goods. MAY 11 Giant Spring Auction ~ Followed by an auction JUN 8 James Perrenod, President of Discus R Us - Discus Keeping Q & A Session ~ of marine fish, aqua-culturedcorals,freshwaterfish, plants & dry goods.

NO MEETING JULY & AUGUST

- Followed by an auction of marine fish, SEPT 14 Justin Spall, H2OPlants.com Setting Up a Plant Room. ~ aqua-culturedcorals,freshwaterfish, plants & dry goods. Marine fish, aqua-culturedcorals,freshwaterfish, plants & dry goods.. OCT 12 Giant Fall Auction ~ - Followed by an auction of marine fish, aqua-culturedcorals, NOV 9 Greg Sage - Selective breeding freshwaterfish, plants & dry goods.. Fish Bingo & Prizes • BAS awards presentations. DEC 14 Holiday Party ~Members, their families & friends• 4 TONY KROEGER - BAS

What Kind of Butterfly is that? The African Butterfly - Pantodon bucholzi

That describes the African The center of the caudal fin is greatly extended weird!butterfly fish. ala Congo Tetra style. This is a twilight active fish. Big head and mouth, big eyes and pectoral All specimens offered are wild caught and fins, weird shape. A true oddball fish and interesting usually imported from Nigeria. Price is usually to keep in your aquarium. reasonable and most stores offer this fish, or can Native to Nigeria, the African Butterfly obtain it for you. grows to 4” inches. It is milk chocolate in color African Butterflies are surface fish. They with a dark chocolate never feed or rest on the band eye to jaw and bottom unless they are sick. irregular dark chocolate They feed only at or very marbling on the body. near the surface. All the fins have irregular A long, shallow tank rows of dark chocolate is best for these fish. A spots. 20-gallon long or a 55-gallon And those fins! tank is fine well, they’re odd too. African Butterflies do not The dorsal is very small and set far back on the like strong currents. Use a small power filter with body. Pectoral fins are large, long and broad. Seen a sponge filter. Dark and background is from above when extended (most of the time), a must, as are floating plants. I highly suggest the they do look like a butterfly’s wings. Pelvic fins use of watersprite with this fish. The Butterflies are small but have huge filamentous exten- will hide under the floating leaves all day and the sions of the fin rays. The anal fin is broad and plants also block the Butterflies from bright light long and notched in the male. which they do not like. They also love their own 5

“floating cave.” I cut styrofoam throw them onto the surface so coffee cups in half and float them. they appear to have fallen off a Your Butterflies will happily leaf. Any food which sinks call them home! Of all the below the surface will be ignored. aquarium fish species I’ve I feed mine daddy long legs imported, this fish jumps the as a special treat which they go very best! I once opened a bag completely crazy over. of 100 from Nigeria to transfer Breeding African Butterflies into a tank. By the time I had is not too hard, but raising the the cover off the tank all 100 fry is difficult. Certainly good Butterflies were out of the bag for BAP points. and flopping around on the floor, in less than a Adults are sexed by looking at the anal minute. fins. Males are notched. Females are straight. when you use a net to move this fish, always Condition the adults heavily on live and cover the net with your hand. If you don’t the fresh swatted . Use a 20-gallon long with Butterfly will jump right out of the net while you’re floating water sprite and an for one pair. holding it. Always be sure this fish is covered No substrate. Cover the external bottom and all immediately and completely! If you don’t, you’ll sides (except for the top 1/3rd of the front glass) find your butterfly dried up on the floor. with black construction paper. Use peat moss extract. African Butterflies are peaceful with fish Butterflies at the surface. An average they cannot swallow and not surface inhabiting fish. spawn is from 80 to 200 eggs. Remove adults after Never keep this fish with Danios, which it spawning.Always make sure you’ve covered the tank! will eat or fight with. Likewise, no fin nippers such Eggs float among the watersprite. They’re as Tiger Barbs or Serapes which will shred the transparent when first spawned, but soon turn brown Butterfly’s fins. They do fine with midwater fish then black as they develop. Eggs will hatch in like Angels and substrate fish like Corys and Rams. about 36 hours. For water, use low to medium hardness Now comes the hard part; raising the fry. slighty acidic water that should be kept warm 78 The fry are not all the same size at hatching and - 84˚F is good. I change 30% weekly Keep your accept only live food. Try live cyclops and newly water quality high. They do tolerate poor water hatched baby brine shrimp at first. Keep the quality in shipping, but don’t push your luck. lighting dim; you can use a flashlight to draw the Feeding should be live food only, although cyclops and baby brine shrimp to a concentrated some specimens will learn to take large flakes surface area near the plants. The baby Butterflies eventually. Feed your Butterflies small feeder will eat them this way. Larger baby Butterflies guppies, mealworms (use a tweezer to hold them readily cannibalize their smaller brethren so you at the surface), and crickets which they love and must sort them frequently to keep similar sizes will gorge themselves on. They also love ants of together. Given good water quality, they grow fast. all kinds (except fire ants) and spiders. African Butterflies are very unusual and Many specimens will learn to eat freshly worth the effort. Try some. swatted houseflies, moths and mosquitoes if you Happy . Tony 6 Mike Zajac - MAS Reprinted from TropiQuarium - Official publication of the Motor City AS December 2017

BUG BITES A reveiw

few months ago, Jeff was are pellets small or large. Their idea able to get me some samples is to try to create a fish “super food.” of , so I could give Bug Bites are created by Fluval by Bug Bites A using black soldier fly larva. The larva them a try. Bugs have always been an are fed human-quality fruits and important food for fish. In Michigan, vegetables. They are harvested and most people are familiar with the ground up. They are then processed Giant Michigan Mayfly, using other ingredients, amino Hexagenia . The fishfly is one of the acids, and other additives. I would limbate most important foods in the food recommend you check out Fluval’s chain. In Lake St. Clair and Lake website at www.fluvalaquatics.com. Erie, the fishflies can be a problem They have an excellent video when the wind blows them on land. The hatches posted to explain the process. can be so large that the Nation weather Service I have found that my fish do aggressively has tracked some of the hatches on Doppler hunt down and eat this food. when I first got the radar. Most of their life cycle, they are found on product, I tossed some floating pellets into a the bottom of the lake. Old-time perch fishermen Cory grow-out tank. I figured that the food will anchor their boats and use mudders to stir would eventually sink. Instead, my Cory went up up the bottom so perch can find the larva of the to the surface and fed on the food. Mayfly. In the winter, ice fishermen can some- Bug Bites are a product that I would use times find larva as bait. again. I would hope that Fluval will make larger The idea of Bug Bites is that fish are used sizes of Bug Bites for aquarists with large num- to eating bugs in the wild, and they will hunt bers of fish and . them down. In the package, you will not find anything that looks like bugs. what you will find 7 Eric Bodrock - GPASI Reprinted from Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society publication Finformation, August 2017

What I Feed my Plecostomus

robably the most often asked question I Shrimp, Carnivore, Blackworm and Spirulina pellets. get is “what do you feed your plecos?” with dry foods, my thinking is that each PAs varied a diet, the better and this type is made with different ingredients and may holds true for as well. provide a slightly different nutritional value than Regardlessplecostomus of or species, I always the next, so occasional feedings, even if it is only keep wood in the tank with them. As fry, even once every couple of weeks, gives your fish a lit- with full egg sacs, I believe it is vital for success tle better balanced diet. Foods that I have that fit in raising them to have some seasoned wood into this category include, in no particular order: available for them to graze on. By seasoned, I mean an assortment of New Life Specrum pellets, wood taken from an established tank which is Plecocaine, Hikari wafers, Xtreme Cat Scrapers & already soaked, soft, and has a biofilm (a thin Catfish Peewee, Trout Chow, and anything I receive film of bacteria) covering it, not a dry piece off in a raffle or as a door prize....all you hobbyist, the shelf. In addition, for fry, seasoned leaves also who attend shows, conventions or club meetings provide this vital biofilm and works as well as wood. I know about those! with all of that said, another personally use oak leaf litter in quite a few of my factor to look at is that in every tank of plecos I tanks so there is always some available if needed maintain, I keep active, open water fish with them. when fry are on hand. The types of wood I use This keeps them relaxed as they know some large are Beech and Alder, but there are a good many predator isn’t lurking above them ready to cause types that are safe to use. Some quick research problems! The bottom feeders will have the online will assist with what is acceptable to use opportunity to feed on what those fish are being and which are not, such as Pine. feed as well. That would mostly be a wide selection Now as you read on, please keep in mind, of about a dozen types of specialty and commonly species that eat/require more meaty foods in the used flake foods and often live baby brine shrimp, wild get more of the meaty type of foods. live blackworms, canned green beans, and sea- get more of the wood diet with some vegetableAncistrus sonal live daphnia and mosquito larvae. based foods and omnivores get a good mix of it All too often I see hobbyists spending good all. This all boils down to knowing what your money on nice fish and have disastrous results, fish should be eating. Frozen foods are some of or at best minimal success just maintaining them, the better types of the foods I offer. The ones I use because they feed one or two of the cheapest foods regularly include: Bloodworms, Shrimp (what we they can find, with a “special treat” of something eat!), most of the Repashy gel types and earthworms. decent once a week! All fish need to have a good, The sinking dry foods that I use most often include: proper diet to thrive and reproduce. Sera Catfish Chips & VipaChips, Earthworm, Krill, 8 Rich Bressler - ACLC Reprinted from Tank Tails, January 2018 Vol. 47. Issue 1 The publication of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County

SUMMER TUBBING 2017 Breeding of the Silver Tip Tetra

Silver Tip tetra - Hasermania nana

My interest in summer tubbing was peaked after a great presentation by Rachel O’Leary at one of our ACLC meetings. She describes the process and which types of fish would be good candidates for outside tubs. Then after a visit to her fish room to purchase some of her fish, she showed me her outside tubbing operation. It was quite impressive!

In the summer of 2016, I set up my own because of evaporation. The two smaller tubs looked backyard tubbing operation. I acquired a 30-gallon great, plants were growing well, and the water plastic tub and a 100-gallon plastic tub. I also had had a nice clear amber color. The 150-gallon a 150-gallon galvanized steel tub which I had for galvanized tub, however, was not doing well. The years. A Tetra whisper 60 air pump with a gang water seemed brown and plants were kind of valve was used to power Hydro sponge filters. dwindling away. Each tub received some floating water sprite, Early in September it was time to har- Hornwort, and some potted vest the fish along with what we water lilies. Then after about a hoped would be a new crop of week, 8 Chili Rasboras went babies. All the adult Chili and into the 30-gallon tub. Eight w e r e went into the recovered,Microdevario but no babies.nana The 100-gallonMicrodevario tub nana and 8 galvanized tub contained no were addedDanio to the adults or babies. The tub with choprae150-gallon tub. All the fish were the Chili Rasboras also produced new purchases and were added some turquoise rainbow babies. right into the tubs. Apparently, the adult rainbows The fish were fed very lightly about once or in my aquarium had laid eggs in the plants before twice a week. Some water was added occasionally I moved them outside. So, summer 2016 was pretty 9

much a failure, but some The Silver Tip Tetras had lessons were learned. produced a nice crop of when spring of 2017 fry and again we got some rolled around, I scrapped rainbowfish, this time Red the galvanized tub. and Rainbows ( bought another 100-gallon fry as a bonus.Glossolepis No fry incisus), plastic tub. This time I set were recovered from the the tubs up in May with just Black Neon Tetras or the the plants. I also tried Brilliant Rasboras. The Red adding Guppy Grass ( wag Platies had pretty ). A moreNajas much over populated the powerfulguadolupensis air pump, the pond. I would call the super Luft pump, was also Summer of 2017 a half installed. This time I went Guppy Grass, Najas guadolupensis success. Again, some with Silver Tipped Tetras in valuable lessons were the 30-gallon tub, Black Neon Tetras in one of the learned. 100-gallon tubs and Brilliant Rasboras in the other. I believe if you want to spawn egg scatterer, I also added Red wag Platies to my 40-gallon in you should go with the guppy grass and no float- ground pond. All fish were conditioned in my ing plants. If you are going to have lots of float- aquariums and then moved outside near the end ing plants, you might want to try some type of Anabantid.

Red Rainbows, Glossolepis incisus Red Wag Tail Platies I am now looking forward to the summer of June, giving the water almost two months to of 2018. Hopefully with everything I have cycle and allow for microscopic life to grow. learned from my previous failures, it will be a By the end of July, the guppy grass had complete success. I hope this article will inspire grown very thick in the 30-gallon tub and we others to give it a try and possibly learn from my started seeing baby Silver Tip Tetras swimming mistakes. Outdoor tubbing is really fun and not near the surface. The two 100-gallon tanks were a that expensive. different story. The water lilies and surface plants had taken over and shaded out the guppy grass. This probably gave the adults less breeding spots and the fry nowhere to hide. Meanwhile the pond was loaded with Red wag Platy fry. we emptied the tubs and the pond at the end of August. we recovered all of the adult fish. 10 Mike Hellweg, CFN (Certifiable Fish Nut) - MAS Reprinted from the Darter May/June 2017 Vol. 43 No. 3 The publication of the Missouri Aquarium Society The Blue Pin Tail Gourami Malpulutta kretseri A C.A.R.E.S. Species

iding among the leaf litter on have made their way to Europe and from there to small Sri Lankan streams, and the US. Prices reflect their scarcity in the trade, and paying $150 for a pair is not unusual. Once a few even among the leaves and plants more specialized breeders bite the bullet and start working growing in some family water with them, I see that price coming down quickly. collectionH and storage tanks on the island The fish are remarkably undemanding for is the gorgeous, yet little known dwarf such a rumored "delicate" fish. In my experience, gourami - Malpulutta kretseri. I've been they are remarkably hardy and prolific. The biggest told local boys collect them and gave them disappointment is that these gorgeous fish are extremely shy. This could lead to being thought the name that translates to Blue Pin Tail. more rare in the wild than they actually are because Males are among the most stunning of they hide all the time. freshwater . They are a pale tan color, covered Males prefer caves, and females seem to with metallic blue dots. The unpaired fins are prefer hiding in plants. Most of the time even with bright metallic blue. The can extend small dither fish you don't see them and the tank well past the caudal base and the central rays of looks empty. Sometimes a week or more will go the caudal form a pin tail that is sometimes as by without ever seeing them, especially the females. long as the rest of the fish! Not even food can bring them out, though Grindal For many years, this fish was been rumored worms will sometimes coax the male out into the open. to be extinct, nearly extinct, endangered, or Oddly, young fish are just the opposite, threatened, depending on the source you read. gregarious to the point of not letting other Due to the recently ended long and brutal civil non-kretseri in the tank even get something to war in Sri Lanka, actual data is hard to come by, eat. Upon reaching maturity, however, they also even today. They disappeared from the hobby in take on the secretive ways of their parents. the late 1980's, leading hobbyists to fear the A tank setup is simple. I kept a single pair worst. But in the last few years, numbers of them in a 10-gallon tank, filtered by a sponge filter 11

(before my Mattenfilter phase). newly hatched brine shrimp, The tank was tightly covered; small Daphnia and Moina. They as with many other small Ana- also enjoyed smaller worms like bantoids, they are excellent Grindals and young black jumpers. The tank was full of worms. The fry ate microworms, caves and plants, and the sur- 'walter worms', Cyclopeeze, face of the tank was completely Golden Pearls and APR, along covered with water Sprite (this with grazing microfauna from was back when it grew like a the large number of plants in weed for me; I can't keep it the tank. alive now!). I kept them at a pH of The species was kept alone. My around 7.0 - 7.2 with a total hardness interest is mainly in breeding and of 125 ppm, mostly from carbonates studying fish, not in keeping a (about 70 ppm). Temperatures were in "community," though I do have a few the low to mid 70's. They appeared to of those. Most of the folks that received stop spawning when it gets close to fry from me reported a similar 80˚F in nature; they are also a hidden shyness when the juveniles reach nest spawner. My males have preferred spawning age. Thinking Pygmy Rasboras to spawn in caves made of inverted would act as dithers and make the flower pot saucers with a notch in the kretseri feel comfortable enough to side. You'll know something is up spend time in the open, at least one when the male doesn't even come out person tried to keep adult fish with for a nice, juicy worm, or if he does, it's this diminutive fish. His kretseri a quick dash and back to the cave. It nearly starved to death! Judging by seems that almost magically one day their shyness, they probably won't do you are presented with a well with a lot of other group of 25 to 40 fry when fish. they become free swimming. If you come across I remove the fry to these rare gems, don't another tank as I see them, hesitate to give them a try. though I've missed some Provide them with their and they've grown up in own tank set up in a the tank with the adults, so simple manner as outlined they don't seem to be seri- above, keep them cool, ous fry predators. This is and they'll provide you similar to their cousins, with more fry than you and neither of know what to do with! whichPseudosphromenus are fry predators cupanis to a greatP. dayi, degree. Over the last year or two that I kept them, I noted a couple of nests that were made by young males Photos from www.seriouslyfish.com in caves up against the front glass. They are (c) Choy Heng wah, Colin small, barely larger than a dime. Spawns are like- Dunlap & Kohr Harn Sheng wise small. I've had some spawns as large as 60, but some of the first were only a dozen or so. I fed the adults and juveniles a variety of foods - live and freeze dried. Rehydrate freeze dried foods for 10 - 20 minutes, then feed to the fish with a baster like brine shrimp. They loved 12 Tony Kroeger - BAS NOTABLE NATIVES

Once again we begin our survey of native aquarium fish well worth acquring.

The Sheepshead Pupfish Cyprinodon variegatus

Usually you can obtain these fish very cheaply. Of course you can collect yours in any brackish marsh type environment too. It is native from Cape to the Texas/Mexico border and along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast. All pupfish are pretty! Sheepsheads have a squat thick body that is metallic silver, covered in wavy black marbled stripes. In the males, add a neon tetra blue nape from snout to dorsal fin and extending down the sides. The fins on the male are pink or yellow and usually are edged in We’ll start with a killifish - black. The ventral and anal fin have metallic orange or blue edges in males. the Sheepshead Pupfish. Growing to less than 2 inches, you can The best place to find this easily keep a trio in a 5-gallon aquarium. beautiful killie is in a local pet They do not need a heater, but do need an store’s ghost shrimp and sales aquarium cover, they jump very well! tank. Many times this fish is mixed I keep mine in 25% salt water and changes 20% three times a week. This fish loves water in with ghost shrimp accidentally. change and just glows after them. water changes Both occur in brackish to also spur and trigger breeding displays and a fresh marsh environmrnt. Ghost activity. shrimp collectors always catch A sponge filter with sand and a breeding them together and seldom segregate mop is all these fish need. I like to add a bit of the pupfish out. hornwort and water sprite or duckweed for some cover too. 13

They do seem to nibble on plants just a bit. These killies breed easily. They lay their Pupfish are very easy to feed. They love all foods eggs in a mop after a very vigorous and colorful flake, frozen, pellets. They especially love mysis display by the male. A male Sheepshead in full and brine shrimp, and of course blackworms too! breeding display is an electric neon blue, metallic Sheepsheads are peaceful with other fish. silver and flashing pink and yellow. It is a sight They do very well with gobies, especially dragon not soon forgotten. gobies, blennies, and other killies. About 150 eggs is a normal spawn which This fish easily tolerates full salt water if sometimes extends over a few days. That’s okay given time to adjust and makes a good companion though; the breeders do not eat their own eggs. for seahorses and too! If you remove the eggs and rigorously Do not, however, put 2 males together. aerate them, your percentage of healthy hatched They can and will fight, sometimes to the point of fry increases. Eggs left in unaerated water pro- one killing the other. Pupfish must have hard al- duce more belly sliders...so aerate those eggs! kaline water. Do not use soft or acidic water with The eggs hatch in a week. The babies take newly these killies; soft water will kill them. Added salt hatched brine shrimp upon becoming free swim- is optional. I add enough salt to bring my specific ming and are easy to raise. They do grow slowly, gravity to 1.005 - 1.010. But you can also just add however, so be patient. 3 teaspoons to a 5-gallon tank too. when you make Both fry and adults easily handle wide a water change remember to add some salt back. changes in salt if acclimated over time. These are hardy long lived killies, often Always check to be sure that keeping living for years. They seldom fall ill. This killie is native fishNote: is legal in your area. used for toxicology studies of sewage plants, so Check out those ghost shrimp feeder tanks you know it’s tough. and get some Sheepshead pupfish. You’ll be glad you did. Ton y 14 Ryan Curtis - BAS TheShrimpFarm.com is the place to go for freshwater shrimp. The new owner is Ryan Curtis, with a new mailing address: The Shrimp Farm USA, 2401 East Washington St, STE 200 A2, Bloomimgton, Il 61704 and has set up an Aquarium Shrimp Forum http://theshrimpfarm.com/forum/index.php. You can go to this forum and ask questions, talk to other shrimp nuts and discuss anything and everything related to Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp.

The Best Types Of Fish For Your Shrimp Aquarium It’s very important that often look like a beacon you get the right types of Types of Fish for predatory types of freshwater fish for your Keeping different types of is a freshwater fish. shrimp tank – choose the great hobby, and it’s an ideal one for anyone The point of all wrong types of tropical who keeps shrimp, because there are so many this is not to deter you fish and you could end up types that go well with them. But with the from keeping types of unleashing an Armaged- sheer magnitude of available types of freshwater tropical fish with your don for your poor little fish, it can be quite difficult to know which shrimp. Rather, we just shrimp! There have been ones are suitable for keeping with shrimp. want to enlighten you so dozens of stories re- that you don’t make any ported to us of people re- mistakes. Some shrimp leasing their new shrimp into Environment can be very expensive and if their aquarium, only to see One more thing to consider, they get eaten, you will not be them instantly be gulped down while we are on this subject, is very happy about it. by who think it’s whether or not your shrimp are So which types of fish are Christmas time! able to hide. In nature, shrimp suitable for our shrimp? Luckily, The problem with spend most of their lives hiding there are a few fish you can shrimp and different types of out from types of freshwater fish. keep with them safely. But, it fish is that for many of them, Indeed, some have a natural would always be a good idea to shrimp are the natural food for coloration that helps them to have plenty of plants and bits many types of freshwater fish. mimic their surroundings and and pieces in your tank for the Many types of tropical fish see help them to evade predators. shrimp to hide from the different shrimp as delicious snacks, or Shrimp breeders have completely types of freshwater fish. As even a part of their staple diet, removed this line of defense for well, you should remember the and so if you go putting predatory your shrimp, with selective golden rule: fish into your shrimp tank, or breeding to make them look “ If a shrimp looks like it can vice versa, then you are almost more beautiful. Many shrimp fit in a fish’s mouth, then certainly going to see a feast of have colors that are rarely, if ever, the fish will probably eat it.” shrimp, in which your beloved seen in the wild – for example; So, with this in mind, shrimp are on the menu. solid reds, whites, blues etc. are let’s take a look at some of the never normally seen. Therefore, best types of tropical fish for your brightly colored shrimp our shrimp aquariums: 15

body shape. These types of fish Neon Tetras Harlequin Rasboras are not actually tropical fish, although they are often labeled as such, due to the way they do so well in tropical aquariums. These types of freshwater fish are ideal for keeping with shrimp – they are peaceful, These little fish are actually some happy enough to eat flake food of the best types of freshwater These small, intensely colorful and leave your shrimp well fish for keeping in large fish are great types of tropical alone. communities, as they don’t seem fish for your shrimp tank. They to harm anything. On top of that, can be kept alone, or in shoals, Glassfish the spectacle of these little guys or even with groups of other swimming around together in a peaceful fish. Harlequin Rasboras school of 7 or 8 can be an generally prefer water that is awesome sight. Peaceful and small slightly acidic and soft, but they fish, they are highly unlikely to can be kept in neutral or ever so bother your shrimp, and they slightly alkaline water without are very adaptable as well, being too many health problems. Note able to live in a pH range from that they do like to eat live food, A delightful and incredibly 5.0 to 7.0 quite comfortably. as well as flakes, and so if you unique type of tropical fish, the These types of fish are a beauti- are trying to breed shrimp then glassfish gets its name from its ful addition to any shrimp tank keeping them together is not distinctive translucent flesh. and come well recommended. such a good idea when the babies You can see right through them, start popping out. making out their bone structure, internal organs and more. Glow-light Tetras There are several different White Clouds types of glassfish, but most of them act and look similar enough. They are usually quite shy fish, and will spend a lot of time hiding out. Non-aggressive, Much like their neon cousins, they are unlikely to bother your the glow-light tetras are ideal shrimp too much, and usually types of tropical fish to keep Extremely beautiful types of they never grow to a large with your shrimp because they freshwater fish, don’t go making enough size to be much threat are small and peaceable. They the mistake of assuming it looks to them. act in much the same way as like the white clouds that you Don’t be put off by their their cousins as well, though see up in the shy. They take their false reputation for being difficult they are perhaps a little bit name not from the clouds in the to keep alive. It’s said that these more shy, and will take time to sky, but rather the mountain in types of tropical fish need adjust to a new tank. During China in which they were first brackish water to survive, but this time, you can expect them discovered – the white Cloud in the wild they are actually to be hiding out with your Mountain. estuaries. So long as you keep shrimp. They used to be known them in true freshwater, you as a “poor man’s tetra” due to should have no trouble with the coppery stripe that runs them. lengthwise along its body and the fact they have a similar 16 Mike Hellweg CFN (Certifiable Fish Nut) - MASI Reprinted from the Darter March/April 2017 Vol. 43, No. 2 The publication of the Missouri Aquarium Society The Dwarf Egyptian Mouthbrooder

Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor

t may seem hard a planted community hard to believe, tank. The more but before the East plants you add, the IAfrican happier they will be invasion of the 60's and and the more often 70's, when the multitude you will see them. of Malawian mouthbrooders Dwarf Egyptian entered the hobby, mouthbrooders are mainstream belief was not picky in regard that mouthbrooding was an unusual method of to water parameters. Our local St. Louis water breeding. In fact, it was considered so unique that seems to be fine for them with no modifications. when the diminutive cichlid Just be sure to keep up on those water changes! entered the hobby about aPseudocrenilabrus century ago, "mouth- multicolor They are happy with temperatures in the midup- brooder" was strange enough that it became per 70s F. They can be a bit domineering with part of its common name. other fish around spawning time, but usually only How times have changed! Today, for many to the point of chasing them away from the lower folks the word "cichlid" is synonymous with part of the tank. A small group of one or two males mouthbrooding! But back before the 1960's, when a and several females would be perfect in a planted hobbyist mentioned "mouthbrooder," the diminutive community tank of 30-gallons or more where Egyptian mouthbrooder ( ) they will happily go about their business without likely was THE fish theyPseudocrenilabrus were talking about. multicolor The damaging their tankmates or the tank décor. dwarf Egyptian mouthbrooder is a dwarf cichlid They have no special food requirements. Both that comes to us from the rivers and lakes of Eastern adults and youngsters will eat most commercial Africa. It is found from Egypt all the way down foods without problems. It is best to occasionally to Tanzania, though some of these locations will give them some meaty foods. You should also likely wind up being described as separate species give fry newly hatched brine shrimp daily for the as time goes along. They are found living among first several weeks to get them off to a good start. the stems and leaves of aquatic plants in shallow, At a maximum size of just over three inches, slow flowing or even stagnant waters. Since they this fish certainly qualifies as a dwarf cichlid. The are small, they are not comfortable out in the open; colors of the male dwarf Egyptian mouthbrooders keep this in mind when setting up an aquarium. are vivid and have helped made this fish popular They make excellent additions to the lower regions of for many decades, but it is the tiny female that 17

has laid the claim to brooding female by gently fame for the dwarf dipping her into a bowl Egyptian mouthbrooder. or catch cup and moving During spawning, she her to a small tank takes the eggs into her where she can brood on buccal pouch and holds her own without inter- them until they hatch. ference. I put a couple Today a hobbyist Zoomed floating logs in might yawn and say the tank and when I see that's not so special, a female or females in- but unlike most of side the log, I use that as the more popular a cue to move the female mouthbrooders, by gently dipping a plas- mama Dwarf Egypt- tic shoebox around the ian Mouthbrooder also provides a hiding place floating log and moving the whole thing to an- for her fry for several days after release. As the re- other tank. A small, slowly bubbling sponge filter lease day gets close, the fry actually become large and a small cave to hide in are all that she needs enough that you can make out the individual fry. in the brooding tank. She will not eat at all while It's pretty cool to see a hundred tiny eyes peeking brooding. from her throat in the days before she releases After release, like most other cichlid moms, them. Another nice thing is that you don't need she guides the fry around the tank hunting for to set up a special spawning tank for them. If food. Like many mouthbrooding cichlid dads, the they are well fed and happy in the main tank, male is nowhere around. She provides them shelter they will spawn regularly without having to do in her buccal pouch at night and whenever danger anything else. The males seek out an area of open threatens. It is comical to see the pile of juveniles gravel or sand about four inches in diameter, so it's all try to dash back to their mother's mouth when a good idea to give them a couple of secluded spots "danger" threatens. I've seen juveniles that had like this around the tank. Here they construct a outgrown their mother's mouth still try to get in, shallow round courting and spawning pit. and even the ones that do get in there have tails The male will put on his best and brightest sticking out her mouth and heads protruding colors and swim out to a group of females trying from her gills! to entice one of them back to his pit. If his little At this time it is a good idea to move the dance impresses a female, she follows him. He mother to a separate tank for a few days to give begins circling around the pit almost laying on her time to eat and recuperate from brooding his side, shaking and dragging his anal fin on the since she may have gone almost three weeks bottom. He's trying to catch the light and show off without a meal. If you don't have a separate tank, his suitability as a mate. He's likely also releasing one of those Marina Hang-On Tank brooders pheromones into the water to signal his readiness works well. Just add a small cave or clump of to mate. In many fish species, these pheromones plants so she can feel secure. when returned to also stimulate ovulation in the female the main tank, it's not unusual to find a female A ripe female will enter the pit and follow holding again within a day or two. in the circling behavior, nipping at the male's If you get a chance to pick up a group of flank near his anal fin. Soon she begins laying , it is worthwhile giving them a try. eggs a few at a time, picking them up in her TheyP. multicolor are peaceful, active and attractive and you mouth and continuing to nip at the male's anal will get a chance to see what captivated aquarists fin. This is when he fertilizes the eggs. The circling three or four generations ago when these then dance is repeated several times until about 80 - mysterious fish first arrived in the tanks of 100 or so eggs are laid. The female then swims off hobbyists in the USA. and the male goes in search of another mate. After a day or two, it is best to remove the 18 Tony Kroeger - BAS

IS MY FISH SICK Fish Disease Tips

The Quarantine Tank QUARANTINE!

spots on the I CANNOT STRESS QUARANTINE! fish. Do not use THIS POINT ENOUGH! substrate; you want to keep IT IS THE BEST WAY TO this tank as clean and sterile as possi- PREVENT DISEASES IN . ble. I add a few sterilized PVC tubes for the fish YOUR ButHOME how AQUARIUM do you do QUARANTINE!to hide in. it? And why is it necessary? Heat the water to 86˚.F This temperature Quarantine is necessary because fish will kill ick and greatly diminish other disease’s diseases, like many other diseases, have initial ability to replicate and multiple. 86˚F is not harm- time frames where an infected shows no ful to most fish once they are acclimated to it. sign of being ill. Even fish like white clouds will tolerate it even For some diseases, this may be as short as though they clearly do not like it. Use an airstone 24 hours. But for other fish diseases, this it could to provide extra oxygen to the water. For most fish, take 2 weeks or more for the initial symptoms to I add 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water as a appear. preventive. Do not add any salt to a quarantine I think of quarantine as preventive medicine tank containing catfish or loaches...it will kill them. and I approach it as such. I also add formalin or copper at one half For quarantine, I use a 10 or 20-gallon tank the recommended dose to the quarantine tank. with a sponge filter. I tape black construction Unless your fish appear ill, do not use paper around 3 sides of the tank and the bottom. medications in full dose. By using half a dose you This helps me see any small white or yellow minimize stress on the quarantined fish. 19

Cover all quarantine tanks completely. If a disease becomes visible during a Fish with minimal decor as in a quarantine tank fishe’s quarantine, then follow the manufac- will jump from the tank. turer’s dosing instructions for both amount of Feed fish in quarantine 2 small meals a doses or number of times (duration of treatment) day, siphon out any leftover food immediately. exactly. You want to maintain a sterile environment. I Skipping doses or shortening the treatment change 25% of the water in my quarantine tanks time risks having the disease involved be daily. Nothing helps a fish to recover faster than knocked back but not killed by the medication. fresh water. Be sure, however, that the temperature This results in the pathogen developing resistance of the water you add as replacement exceeds the to the medication you are using. Once this happens, 86˚ F in your tank by a degree or two. You do not it will come back with a vengeance and the want to ever chill a fish in a quarantine tank medication you are using to treat it will be useless. because this can open it to potential diseases. Also note medication has properties in Observe your fish closely during its time water too! in quarantine. If it has a disease or does not feel Heavy medicines like copper will “settle” well, you’ll be able to see it. Keep all new fish (or to the bottom. You may have a desired amount at sick fish recovering from a disease) in quarantine the surface and a toxic and lethal amount at the for at least 14 days for freshwater and 21 days for substrate level. Fish such as corys, gobies, saltwater. loaches, catfish and all bottom dwellers are The progression of common saltwater especially susceptible to this. Always follow diseases such as ick and oodinium is slower in manufacture’s suggested dosing amounts. saltwater, hence the need for a longer minimum Quarantine is an essential tool for keeping quarantine time. your aquarium fish healthy. Use it! every time! Realistically though, if you add another week to Happy fishkeeping. each of the times listed you will be safer yet. Tony QUARANTINE! QUARANTINE! QUARANTINE! 20 Joanna Klein - NYT Trilobites - February 7 2018 Starfish See Pretty Well in the Deep Ocean By the Way Starfish Have Eyes. .

Look at a starfish in a tidal pool and you may think: ah, there’s one of those pretty, multi-armed sea worms that crawl around and don’t do much. But look deeper and your views might change.

undreds of “Even in places feet below where the sun Hthe ocean’s doesn’t shine, it’s far surface, some starfish from dark,” said make their own light. , a Anders Garm And they can look marine biologist right back at you too, at the University of with a teeny eye on Copenhagen who led the tip of each bendy the study published starfish arm. wednesday in Scientists, who Proceedings of the didn’t even know if Royal Society B. deep sea starfish had “There are eyes, did not expect to there making their find this. own lanterns and They collected The Tremaster mirabilis starfish, one of several species of sea star finding their way.” starfish from Arctic living in deep waters off Greenland’s coast that have surprisingly In deep sea , waters off Greenland’s complex eyes. life-forms acquire Credit Olga Zimina,Greenland Institute of Natural Resources coast to determine at the structures of their eyes, bizarre adaptations which species had eyes, and for their behavior in a simulated to living under high pressures those who did, how well they environment, whether they and without light. By the time could see. The researchers glowed in the dark and what you get to the bottom, most fish found that some starfish are far tasks in the wild would make and crustaceans lose their eyes more biologically complex than eyesight useful. and rely on other senses. Or previously thought, after looking they modify them, sacrificing a 21

sharp picture, for a bigger one their arms completely back- In the deep sea, starfish — kind of like what we see ward, as if looking up to gauge may make light for a few tasks. when our eyes adjust to a dark day or night. Starfish often find mates room. But why go through the using pheromones. But in the Scientists thought deep trouble of making light and cre- deep sea, a starfish even just a sea starfish would also be eyeless, ating better eyes for detecting it few inches upstream from a or at the most have very simple when most starfish navigate potential mate won’t know it’s eyes. But as they examined using their sense of smell. there. So they may light up to specimens they retrieved, Different tasks place dif- signal to each other, while they found that remaining invisible many starfish had to scent-detecting unexpected visual predators. tools. Seeing light They sampled could also help 13 species of them locate glowing starfish, which food sources or hide were representative from bioluminescent of the diverse predators. ec o l o g i e s o f In order to better underwater life. capture this light, They found that just as you would all but one species widen a camera’s that burrows in the aperture to take a ocean’s sediments photograph of a The Novodinia americana’s entire body lights up when stimulated, and its had eyes. Two from eyes have bigger pupils with better vision than starfish in shallower, dark place, the deep glowed in brighter waters. starfish species the dark. One, Credit Olga Zimina,Greenland Institute of Natural Resources. deeper down have , had a ferent demands on the eye, said larger pupils to collect light Novodinia americana whole body that lit up when Dr. Garm. And tuning eyes for from a larger space. stimulated, and its eyes, with only what matters in an envi- while they appear to be bigger pupils, were capable of ronment saves energy. communicating with light, detecting even sharper images In shallow water, the “who knows what they’re saying,” than their shallow water relatives. Crown-of-Thorns Starfish uses said Dr. Garm. To find that out, Because their eyes are on vision alone to travel short he plans to observe deep sea the underside of their arms, distances to the coral they eat. starfish in the wild with cam- starfishes must do some aquatic But its sight is slower than any eras on a remote operated vehi- yoga to direct their gazes, the other observed in the animal cle. “If we can show that they researchers found. Some starfish kingdom and lacks detail. Shutter communicate with light in the bent their arms like a periscope speed doesn’t really matter deep sea, that would be pretty at a 90-degree angle. Others, when it’s trying to locate a astonishing.” from the twilight zone, bent stationary reef. 22 John Todaro - BAS From the Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s publication SCRUMPTIOUS MEALS&LIVE FOOD TREATS Compiled, Edited & Written by John Todaro

Frozenre your marine fish Seafood costing you (if you bought Chowder that many 4 to 8 ounce small fortune to feed? If your frozen food packages). answer is yes, here’s a recipe For all you marine fish keepers, Adeveloped by the well known here’s a way to save money and feed your marine authors and speakers, marine fish a hearty and economical Anthony Calfo and Steve Pro. meal. They recommend this recipe to keep you from going broke. Thirty minutes in the kitchen is all you need to whip up this meal that makes about 2 pounds of nutritious food at a cost of about $3 to $5 per pound. Pound for pound this is much more economical than commercially prepared frozen foods that can run anywhere from $12 to $18 per pound

RECIPE INGREDIENTS: PREPARATION: 14 oz. raw seafood; shrimp, haddock, DIssolve gelatin in 10 ozs. of boiling crab, squid, etc. water then let cool down a bit. Mix Dry food (extruded like Vibra-Gro. Fish the other ingredients in a blender to food pellets or other good choices the consistency of puree. Slowly, add include: Spirulina, freeze dried food the dissolved gelatin water to the w/color bits) mixture until it is all added. 1/2 tsp. Garlic If you want the food to float longer, 1/8 tsp. Paprika (natural color enhancer) blend until you get many air bubbles in the 1 small Orange mixture, then quickly pour it into Ziploc® 1 small Apple freezer bags. Put on baking pan with raised 1tsp. Vanilla sides and press flat to 1/4 inch thick, 1 tbsp. Carrots (natural color enhancer) or into plastic ice cube trays. 1 tbsp. Peas If you want the food to sink more easily, 1 tbsp. Spinach stop the blender and let mixture sit a while 1/4 cup Gerbers™ Oatmeal to let the air escape and the mixture settle 1/2 Banana for a few minutes. 10 oz. Water FEEDING: 3 pkg. Knox® unflavored gelatin Break off enough pieces to feed your fish all they can eat in 5 or 10 minutes. Clean up left overs. 23 Joe Graffagnino - BAS

XXiipphhoopphhoorruuss mmaayyaaee

he Mayae swordtail is the largest and babies into a 10-gallon tank. In a few days, none most full-bodied fish in this species. survived… was it not enough acclamation time This beauty hails from Central America, or was the water not hard enough for them? specifically Guatemala and Honduras. Two months later, I found 17 babies hiding The males can grow 6 - 7 inches with in the floating grass. I had a 10-gallon waiting for Tthe sword, while the females grow to 4 ½ inches. them with the same water as in the tank they They love hard water on the cool side with a were born in and I had coral pieces in the temperature range of 70 – 77˚ degrees Fahrenheit. 10-gallon tank to maintain hardness. The fry did They have a pale green body with orange lateral well, eating a varied diet of crushed flake, baby lines throughout and spotted orange dots in their brine shrimp, and frozen mosquito larvae. They dorsal fins. The male’s sword is gorgeous with its grew fast. colors of green, blue and yellow. I highly recommend this species as a I was given a trio of these beautiful hardy and beautiful addition to any aquarium. swordtails during a meeting at the North Jersey The females do not do well in breeder traps due Aquarium Society by a good friend and fellow to their large size. I suggest keeping them in a 10 fish breeder, . 11 days after I placed to 20-gallon tank that is filled with plants and Frank Nell them in a heavy planted 15-gallon tank, one of check it daily for any fry. You will find the babies the two females dropped 20 fry into the tank. It is near the top of the water. Net them out and have hard to tell if the female is holding because they a tank ready for them or simply remove the always appear to be pregnant; however, the dark adults to another aquarium you have prepared in spot on their lower abdomen never gets darker or advance. I know that you will enjoy them very larger, so it is difficult to identify when they will much. release their young. Five days later, I moved the 24 Izzy Zwerin ~ BAS The Practical Plant Propagating Najas quadalapensis recently acquired a specimen of this plant at necessary to reset the system. Then on Saturday, a club auction. I’m always game for trying Monday and wednesday I dose the macronutrients, out a new plant that I haven’t kept before. and on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday I dose the The plant is a dark olive green in color. This is a micronutrient. Friday I take the day off. The Iplant native to the Americas. It lighting is timer controlled is a stem plant which can reach and is on for 12 hours a day. a length of 1 meter. The leaves Under these conditions are slender and blade shaped the exhibited explosive Najas with a slight downward curve. growth. It grows at a rate According to my reading, this that I have to consider a plant will flower easily in the nuisance. This fast growth aquarium, although mine has and heavy feeding habits not done so. make it a great plant for I planted this new newly established systems to acquisition in my Guppy tank. combat algae. To propagate This set up is a 25 gallon tank this plant, just take a cutting where I keep all the males. The and insert into the substrate. pH is about 6.8 to 7.0, temperature It’s that easy. The plant will is kept at 78˚ and the GH runs also work as a floating about 60. This aquarium has plant, and a cutting just left 130 watt Compact Fluorescent lighting (Coralife to float in the water will grow as well. This plant “Aqualight” double strip) and CO2 enrichment. has an annoying trait in that it is extremely brittle A Fluval canister filter (model #204) with the output and tends to fragment easily at the nodes. being directed through a submerged spray bar is Because this plant grows so fast, and branches doing my filtration. I use the Estimated Index prolifically, it is really not a suitable choice for a system of fertilizer dosing. This means that once planted display tank. Although I can’t recommend a week I perform a large water change (50-75%). for a planted display tank, it Najas Quadalapensis This is usually done on Saturday. Don’t worry would be a great choice for a breeding set up. about the large volume of water being replaced, your fish will love it. This large water change is Izzy 25 Tony Kroeger - BAS

TIPS FOR SELECTING POOL PLANTS

Mid-winter is here as I write this, but Spring is just around the corner. With Spring comes another pool season!5 Hooray! Time to add new and more plants to our pools. But how do you select plants that will do well in your pools? Here’s some tips to follow and things to look for.

. 1COLOR Pool plant leaves come in many shades of green 4NEW GROWTH Look for new growth on the plants you buy. The and even some other colors. But one color that more vigorous and extensive the new growth, the usually indicates a problem is brown. This stronger the root system of the plant, the faster the indicates dead or dying vegetation or injury. plant will adjust to and resume growing in your Avoid buying any pool plant with brown on it. pool. In the case of plants like lilies and lotus, a larger stronger rhizome also indicates the plant will have a greater likelihood to overwinter 2 FEEL successfully next fall if it is a hardy species of lily Feel the leaves of the plant you are buying. The to begin with. leaves should feel firm and not mushy. Rub your fingers over the leaves; your fingers should slide easily over the leaves. The leaves should not feel stickly, nor should the leaves feel slimy. There is 5 PLANT STRUCTURE Just like tomatoes and plants we put in our gardens, one exception to feeling slimy, that is water lilies water plants can become spindly and straggly if ( species). water lilies should not feel Nymphaea conditions are not right. slimy but rather slippery instead. water beads off It is always best to buy a more compact plant a healthy water lily leaf. water lily leaves are covered compared to a leggy one. Even if the compact in a natural protective coating. This coating is plant is smaller, it will grow and adjust better. very slippery and your fingers will certainly notice this. But it is not slimy, rather just very slippery. Follow these five tips for healthy new plants this season. Happy pool planting. 3 ALGAE Always inspect every plant you buy for algae growing on it.You don’t want to introduce hair algae and other undesirable, hard to get rid of algaes to your pool thru the plants you buy. Tony 26 Ryan Curtis - BAS TheShrimpFarm.com is the place to go for freshwater shrimp. The new owner is Ryan Curtis, with a new mailing address: The Shrimp Farm USA, 2401 East Washington St, STE 200 A2, Bloomimgton, Il 61704 and has set up an Aquarium Shrimp Forum http://theshrimpfarm.com/forum/index.php. You can go to this forum and ask questions, talk to other shrimp nuts and discuss anything and everything related to Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp. Ideal Freshwater Aquarium Plants For Your Shrimp For all aquarists, freshwater aquarium plants are an essential part of your tank, and not Java Fern just because they make it look nice and give Similar to Java moss, the Java fern is another your shrimp and fish a good place to hide. Live freshwater aquarium plant that is popular with aquarium plants also do some very important shrimp. These plants also prefer low light, and work – they keep the tank clean, oxygenate they grow best of all when their rhizome (green the water, and maintain the correct pH stems which the leaves grow from) are tied balance in the water. around the rock or ornament they are attached to. You need plants in your aquarium, but If you have larger size Java Fern, then you can which live aquarium plants do you choose? Some plants can be very difficult to care for, instead bury its roots underneath the gravel, but requiring the right degree of light and special you have to be careful when you do this that the care to stay alive, while others can be very rhizomes are not buried. easy to look after. Simply plant them in the Java fern are easy live aquarium plants to tank and forget all about them. grow, as they release spores from the tips of their So let’s take a look at some of the leaves when ready to propagate. These spores will most common freshwater aquarium plants and simply float around until they find something to see what we need to do to care for them. attach themselves to, and then they will grow Java Moss very rapidly. These are very popular freshwater aquarium plants, and are also a firm favorite of shrimp Anubias Anubias Nana lovers as they provide great places for them to These freshwater &aquarium plants are probably hide in. Java moss is best attached to ornaments the most common plants for aquarists, because they in your tank, such as driftwood or rocks. To do so, are so easy to keep, cheap to buy and extremely you’ll need to use rubber bands or something abundant. The most popular variety is the Dwarf , or , although the most in- similar to give the live aquarium plant a hand Anubias Anubias nana while they slowly root themselves to the ornament. teresting are amongst the number of larger varieties. Java moss plants like slightly dimmed Anubias are similar to Java fern – their light. Indeed, they will absolutely flourish in habits and method of planting themselves are lower light, but beware if the light is too strong or very similar. One of the key differences though, is the opposite effect will happen. Bright light will that it’s possible to take cuttings from rhizome of stunt the growth of Java Moss and could see it these live aquarium plants when they begin to being plagued by green algae. propagate. Extremely popular, Anubias freshwater aquarium plants are almost invincible to being eaten by the creatures in your tank, thanks to its large, rubber-like leaves that even the most hostile of aquarium inhabitants can’t stomach. 27

Cryptocorynes develops at the head of these freshwater aquarium Generally referred to as Crypts for short, these plants. live aquarium plants can vary wildly in shape, Note that Vals can be quite difficult to look size and color. Crypts come in all different kinds after, because they are so tall. Their leaves are not of varieties, from scruffy looking to the easy to trim, simply because cutting their long pink-shaded , yet no matterWendtii, how they leaves will harm them, and so they cannot be look, they arePetchiis all very popular with our shrimp. recommended for smaller aquariums, except for These live aquarium plants are considered the smallest variety known as the Corkscrew Val, by experienced aquarists to be the “next step up” which are very intriguing live aquarium plants. from Anubias and Java fern. They still prefer Certainly, unless you have a very large tank, you dimmed light, but they need a little more care should stay well away from Jungle Val, which are due to their complex roots – they need to be known to grow in excess of 20 inches tall. buried at a depth of 2 inches deep on the gravel, though you must take care to ensure that the Water Wisteria crown (where the leaves are), is kept well above These live aquatic plants are known as “bunch the gravel. plants” and are very common with shrimp keep- You need to be careful with Crypts as they ing aquarists because they root into the gravel of are quite vulnerable freshwater aquarium plants. your tank and make nice interesting places for They can experience what is known as the “Crypt our shrimp to explore. water wisteria is especially Melt” condition, which usually occurs when you well loved for the shape of their leaves, which are first introduce them into your aquarium. what most intriguing. water wisteria has very loose happens is the sudden parameter change of the lighting requirements and will thrive in almost water often shocks the Crypts, and the result is any condition so long as they have plenty of that they often lose all of their leaves. Try not to oxygen and they root well. worry though; this is very common and almost water wisteria is also one of the easiest never fatal for the plant. freshwater aquatic plants to propagate, as all that you need to do is snip off a nice long stem and Dwarf Lilies bury it in around 3 to 4 inches of gravel, and the These are very fragile plants, and very slow-growing. plant will do the rest for you, quickly taking root Although shrimp seem to like them, they can easily by itself. be damaged so it may not be a good idea to plant these if you have too many shrimp running around. Dwarf lilies look like small arrowheads, and their thin stems can break very easily. If you do want dwarf lilies in your tank, you would be n better off buying older ones that have had time to grow. This way, they will be less likely to break ya and you’ll also avoid buying any freshwater R aquarium plants that are sterile. Vallisnera Simply known as “Vals”, these are very tall, grass-like live aquarium plants. It can be good for your shrimp if you have a whole bunch of these, as it provides a great place for them to hide in. when fully grown, Vals are often much likened to green onions, due to the bulb like crown which 28 Don Kinyon - ACLC, PVAS, CCA, JRAS, RAS Reprinted from Tank Tails June 2017 The publication of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County

The HY511 Tetra Hyphessobrycon Species CCaannddyy CCaannee TTeettrraa

ne of my favorite pet shops is a very The fish were relatively cheap, so I took small independent store that stocks ten of them home and put them into a 40-gallon Omostly the tank that had recently bread-and-butter held some Female varieties of aquarium species. The water was fish, but every once in set up for Amazon re- a while will have some gion fish, so it was soft, more unusual stock for acidic, and brown: sale. As I was wandering around 100 PPM TDS, through the place one 6.0 pH, and 76° F. Filtration weekend I found some for the tank was an outside fish that I’d never seen HOT filter with a foam before. There was a block on the intake to tank full of tetras, similar in body shape to a keep small fish from entering. Most of the tank bleeding heart or a rosy tetra, but more colorful bottom was covered with java moss with some and very eye-catching. Most of the bodies of the java fern mixed in. fish were a pinkish-white, while their bellies and These fish would eat anything offered and heads were more gold. Their pectoral fins were it seems that they were always hungry. Most almost clear, the tails were clear with bright red mornings they would get flake food and some ovals on the upper and lower lobes. The anal, newly hatched brine shrimp, and in the evening pelvic and dorsal fins were bright red near the they’d have either live or frozen food: black worms, body, turning white towards the tips. There was a white worms, daphnia, mosquito larva, blood worms, splash of black on the dorsal fin as well. These or glass worms. The type of food didn’t seem to were really good-looking fish! matter; as once it hit the water it was history! 29

My HY511 tetras were fairly young when I from a group of tetras. when they were mature first got them and the sexes were hard to tell apart, enough, I removed them to another tank and so there was not much to do but feed them and picked out two males and one female from the watch. Once the newness wore off, they were pretty original adult fish to go back into the breeding much forgotten for a while. what got them back into tank. By now, the adults are very easy to tell male the forefront of my attention was quite accidental. from female: the males have an extended dorsal I often “spotlight” the fish after the lights go out and get larger than the females. They also tend to for the evening to see what’s going on with them. be more brightly colored. The females keep an It’s especially useful with Corydoras or other oval-shaped dorsal fin, same as the young fish semi-nocturnal fish and shows behavior that the and the dorsal tends to have more white on it. fishkeeper may not see during the daylight. They don’t grow as large as the males, but are when I was using this technique one evening, I thicker-bodied. happened to look into the HY511 tank and saw The breeders were fed at least twice a day what looked like some with live foods and soon tiny shards of glass in the the females were robust java moss near the bottom and all the fish were very of the tank. Once I put my active. One day during reading glasses on, I could the evening feeding I no- tell they were young fish: ticed the female was no probably half a dozen or longer as stout as she was so, and very small. that morning; she’d lost a The next day I lot of weight! Immedi- prepared another tank for ately the breeders were the adult fish and moved MALE removed and joined the them, trying to disturb the rest of their group in an- rest of the tank and the fry as little as possible. Of other tank. Then the waiting started. It was five course, that never works and I made a complete days before any trace of young could be found, mess of the aquarium. That night I spotlighted and there were only a few…. at first. the tank once again and By the next day there found that about a dozen were more fry, and the fol- youngsters could be seen dart- lowing day; many more. ing around in the moss. Soon there were far too The young fish many to count. when I felt grew fairly quickly and the young fish were mature soon would take the same enough to stand the stress I foods as the adults, though started daily water changes in smaller sized pieces. in their tank; first with rain There turned out to be water, then a mixture, then about twenty, not really as with well water. It did not many as one would expect seem to harm the fish at all; 30 they grew faster with the constant fresh water. when the tetras were around four weeks Soon fish from two other tanks were evicted from old and one half inch in length, I started selling there homes in order to find more space for the them at aquarium society auctions, labeling them young tetras and before it was over, the original as “10 juveniles”, but putting 15 or 16 in the bags. 40-gallon, a second 40, a 55 and a 125 all had This made a lot of bidders happy and gave me HY511 fry growing out in them. Even at that, some breathing room in my tanks. Once they there was some crowding. The fish room was being were down to occupying only two tanks (one of overrun! It’s only a guess, but I’d estimate there them a 125-gallon), I slowed the sales to a more were easily over 400 of them. moderate pace. Pet shops won’t give too much for when no more than a few days old, the most tetras, but I found that most local shops young HY511 would eat newly hatched brine shrimp were happy to trade HY511 for at least some store until their bellies bulged a bright orange. They credit. Finally, months and months later, things are ravenous even at this age. Growth was fairly have calmed to normal and only one tank holds rapid and at 10 days the fry had grown into the the now-adult remnant of the HY511 brood. This same ovate body shape of the adults. Finely crushed morning I set up two pairs in a 40-gallon tank flake food was added to their diet about this time with some java moss. and they ate it with almost as much vigor. 31 GET TO KNOW OUR SPONSORS.

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You’ll find up-to-date information about our Your Membership Card is your Passport Don’t lose monthly events, links to other aquarium societies to Becoming an it. Put it in your “Educatedwallet or purse. Aquarist.” You’ll need it to in the US and stores, manufacturers and related attend Monthly Events and get discounts at aquarium sites. we have an on-line library with participating pet stores. downloadable articles. we have our own BAS forum, where you can interact with other freshwater, YOUR MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE: to all general meetings, marine or reef members and post free Free Admission held on the 2nd Friday of the month (except July hobby-related classifieds where members sell and & August) at 7:30 pm at the Education Hall of the trade fish, corals, plants and equipment. New York Aquarium, Coney Island, Surf Avenue For the latest information at west 8th Street , Brooklyn , N.Y. The Society presents call theBAS BAS Hotline: 24 hour Hotline 718 837-4455 for expert speakers on all aspects of the hobby, from event and inclement weather information. If you freshwater fish to marine aquatic life. Door prizes need advice on fish keeping, breeding or where and raffles at every meeting. Breeder Awards Pro- you can find rare or hard to find fish, you can gram (BAP) – Certificates and trophies awarded. often get help calling the Hotline. Help from the General meetings are open to the public Hotline is always free. (a $5 donation is requested for non-members, good The Brooklyn Aquarium Society towards membership that evening). Free parking and is an organizationVolunteer: run by volunteers. without free refreshments. them there would be no BAS. Volunteers help set (SIGs) hold meetings, up events, write articles, coordinate projects, assist Special Interest Groups free at members' homes, for members only. Here’s and work on committees, help at auctions and your chance to network with members with the meetings. Join in, help, learn and have fun doing same interests. Discuss, ask questions, learn, it. Call , President (718) 238-1792. teach and develop your expertise in freshwater Steven Matassa we have a video tape and/or keeping. library Videoon different Tape aspects Library: of fish care and breeding plus past BAS Speaker Events. These video tapes Aquatica The ourJournal bi-monthly of the Brooklyn (5 issues are available for a small fee for members Aquariumexcept July Society, & August) award winning publication (a refundable deposit is required on each tape. A is on our web site. Each issue is filled with articles small mailing and handling fee is deducted from on both marine and freshwater aquaria keeping this fee). You may borrow tapes for 30 days. You Articles can be downloaded. cannot copy them. The All members receive at many BAS . our monthlyBAS (10 Bulletin issues except July & August) participatingDiscounts pet stores for Members when you present your Newsletter, the via email, keeping current BAS membership card. members up to BASdate Bulletinon the latest events at the welcome and we hope you take advantage Society, notices of interest and monthly regional of the many benefits BAS has to offer. society events. All non-commercial members are The Officers & Board of the Brooklyn entitled to a free classified want ad in each issue, Aquarium Society to sell, give away or request fish or dry goods. The BAS is on-line at BASNY.org. Educating Aquarists Since 1911 37 BECOME AN EDUCATED AQUARIST JOIN THE BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY

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