Tank Topics January/February 2018

The Greater Akron Aquarium Society Tank Topics January/February 2018

Inside this issue:

President’s Message 3 Bud White Editor’s Message 3 Dave Williamson Speaker Bio 3 Joe Doyle BAP/HAP 4 Wayne Toven Bowl Show 5 David Girard Exchange Review 6 Wayne Toven Membership Report 7 Mike Swanson And the results are in. . . Classroom Tank 9 The winner of the 2017 growth program is Steve Brunn Misty White Coming Events 10

Meeting Notice 10 2017 GAAS Board of Directors President ...... Bud White ...... (330) 571-0394/[email protected] Vice President ...... Jeff Plazak ...... (330) 854-5257/[email protected] Treasurer ...... Rich Serva ...... (330) 650-4613/[email protected] Important Dates Secretary ...... Misty White ...... (330) 706-9258/[email protected] for 2018 Editor...... Dave Williamson ...... [email protected] Special Activities ...... Dave Girard ...... [email protected] March 4 BAP/HAP ...... Wayne Toven ...... (330) 256-7836/[email protected] Spring auction Membership ...... Mike Swanson ...... [email protected] Raffle...... Phil & Tiffany Hypes ...... (330) 327-6316/[email protected] June 9 & 10 Program/Historian ...... Steve Brunn ...... (330) 524-3096/[email protected] Ultra Aqua 2018 FAAS Rep...... Ken McGill ...... (419) 677-3405/[email protected] Refreshments ...... Elsie Swanson ..... (440) 466-1799/[email protected]

November 4 Web Master/Publicity .... Will White ...... (330) 706-9258/[email protected] Fall auction Check out our website: www.gaas-fish.net P a g e 2 Tank Topics THE GREATER AKRON AQUARIUM SOCIETY

WHO ARE WE? We are a local group of aquatic enthusiasts. Formed in 1952, the Greater Akron Aquarium Society is a non-profit, non- commercial organization. Our membership ranges from the beginning hobbyist to the advanced aquarist with many years of experience. The goals of our club are to promote the care, study, breeding and exhibition of aquarium related aquatic life and to promote interest in the aquarium hobby.

MEETINGS: Our meetings are held on the second Friday of each month at 8:00 p.m. at the Ritchie Memorial Shelter House, 109 West Ave- nue, Tallmadge, OH 44278. It is located West of Tallmadge Circle with access from Sperry Ave., behind Vet Clinic and across from the Chev- rolet dealer. Visitors are always welcome, it costs absolutely nothing to attend a meeting and look us over.

MEMBERSHIP: The cost is only $10 for adults, a couple or a family (includes children under 10 years of age) and $5.00 for a junior membership (10 to 17 years) Membership provides an opportunity to socialize with others that share your interests, a subscription to our bi-monthly magazine and more.

AGENDA: Our meeting agenda is simple and informal. The meeting will begin at 8:00 p.m. with a short business meeting. Immediately following is the program for the evening which usually lasts about 45 minutes. Our programs consist of a speaker, slide program, movie or perhaps a panel discussion always on a particular subject related to the hobby or various species of fish. Following the program is a short refreshment break. After which the winners of the Bowl Show are announced, the Breeder’s Award Program fish are auctioned and tickets are drawn for the raffle.

THE BOWL SHOW: Each month members can bring in fish for specific classes to compete for first, second and third place awards. The charge for each entry is only $.25. Members also compete for annual awards by accumulating wins throughout the year.

BREEDER’S AWARD and HORTICULTURE AWARD PROGRAMS: members can receive recognition for spawning species of fish or prop- agating aquatic plants. All that is required is to turn in a minimum of six fry from the spawn that are between 30 and 90 days old. Members earn certificates for each species and can work towards plaques in different categories.

EQUIPMENT RAFFLE: The raffle table has such items as tanks, fish food and aquarium accessories that are donated by national manufac- turers, area dealers or purchased by the Society. Tickets may be purchased by anyone attending the meeting. Save your losing tickets for the Christmas Party raffle.

ANNUAL SHOW: The Ultra-Aqua show is held during the summer at the Tallmadge community Center. This has become one of the largest all-species tropical fish shows in North America. It is an international gathering of hobbyists to display their fish in class competition, talk fish and to learn about the hobby from each other.

TANK TOPICS: is published on a bi-monthly basis for the members of the Greater Akron Aquarium Society. Articles and comments for this publication are welcome and encouraged. Such articles are to be submitted no later than the board meeting prior to publication. All articles may be reprinted as long as the author(s) and GAAS are given proper credit. Please send any correspondence regarding this publication to:

Editor/Tank Topics, P.O. Box 494, Akron, OH 44309 -0494 or email to [email protected]

The Greater Akron Aquarium Society Membership Form

Name ______Age ______Dues are for 1 year or 2 years if

Address ______email publications are chosen New Renewal City ______State ______Zip ______

Phone ______email ______Electronic Mail

How did you find out about GAAS? ______Adult (18 years and older) & Family (includes children under 10) $10.00 Memberships are due one year from the date of joining. Completed membership forms can be turned in at a meeting or mailed to the membership Junior (10-17 years) $5.00 chairman at this address:

GAAS Membership Chairman, P.O. Box 494, Akron, OH 44309-0494 Dues Collected ______Date Received ______January Speaker Bio President’s Message P a g e 3

The Christmas party was a great success and Began my interest in keeping & breeding fish a lot of fun, if you missed it , you missed a very when at the age of 12 my neighbor gave me good time with fellow fish nuts and friends, we a slate bottom metal frame and lid, 29 gallon had several raffles, everyone got something to fish tank. Tropical Fish Hobbyist (TFH) mag- take home, Santa was good to us. azine frequently featured betta splendens in an array of spawning setups. It wasn't long Steve Brunn has got some great programs before I had 100 baby food jars each con- lined up for us next year and we have several taining a baby betta. Breeding fish came club activities in mind, so join us more often natural to me. This was when I first started this coming year and see what you were miss- feeding live foods to baby fish. Put the hob- ing. by on hold to attend college, returning 18 years later when given a 29 gallon fish tank. Nothing more for now, JUST HAVE HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS, Bud. In 2005, joined the Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society Inc (GPASI). Began par- ticipating in the Breeders Award Program (BAP) in 2008. BAP really sparked my inter- Editor’s Message est, and in 2011, turned in 33 spawns top- Dave Williamson ping my competition having only 12 tanks and setting an all-time high record for the club. From an administrative perspective, I Well here we go again, starting another served the Pittsburgh club as president, year. Thank you all yet again for putting treasurer, and currently membership secre- your trust in me as your editor. Another tary. Am also Web Master, managing the way of wording that would be “nobody two turtles pet center GPASI.ORG web site. wanted the job so nobody ran against me.” I’ll leave that to you to decide for highland square That being said, BAP has thus far been the your selves. I’ve got some plans that will 760 w.market most influential and driving force of my hob- hopefully keep up the quality and interest akron, ohio 44303 by. It has evolved into a consistency of look- level in this publication for our members. ing for that next fish to spawn. I originally First up in this issue you’ll notice an arti- mon-fri 10-7 thought after spawning all the bread and cle from a new author, Steve Brunn. He sat. 10-6 butter fish there would be nothing left to went above and beyond and supplied pic- sun 12-5 (330) 374-6765 spawn, but the opposite was true. tures and everything to support it. So

Most of the fish in my tanks were brought much in fact due to the limitations on the home from conventions and fish rooms and size of our publication I had to split it up am always on the lookout for that next rare into a couple of installments. Thanks Ste- fish to spawn. Frequently, I find myself mak- ve for picking up the ball and running with ing community tanks out of multiple species it (far better than the Browns did this sea- because I see something I just have to have son!) But anyway, as you probably and I don't have enough room to spawn fish. guessed by this point, this all leads to the It takes a long time to back out of this sce- perennial request for articles. If someone nario in order to have enough room to spawn can jump in for a first attempt and basical- and dump fish for BAP. ly fill the article section of two issues with an interesting subject why can’t you? Se- In my talk, "Getting ahead in BAP", I will re- riously, all it takes is a subject that you view how to spawn several species of diffi- know something about and go with it. cult fish, the species I'm currently working We’d all like to know what it is that you do with, discuss challenges faced, and the re- and how it works for your hobby. turn of species to my bucket list of fish to successfully spawn and raise. I guess in the not too distant future we’ll come up the subject for yet another Discussion will include: themed issue. If you’ve got any ideas, Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai Cardinalfish) Hippocampus Erectus (Sea Horse) Betta please share it, you may just have that macrostoma (The holy grail of bettas) Lori- great idea that everyone will want to hear caria sp "Atabapo, Colombia" Crying Whip- about. . . you never know. . . tails Nothobranchius palmqvisti "Pangani, TZ 94-7" Notholebias minimus "Campo Grande One last thing about the beginning of the CGRJ 01-12" Aspidoras cf taurus (2" Aspi- year is that the Spring Auction season is doras) Garra rufa (Pedicure fish) Brachygo- just around the corner. Hopefully it will be bius doriae (Bumblebee Goby) Hemiloricaria warm by then! Lanceolata Pterophyllum leopoldi and more.. I’ll see you at the meeting! P a g e 4 Tank Topics

October 2017 BAP BAP/HAP Species Common name Class Points Mike & Elsie Swanson Corydoras aeneus Green Cory Catfish 15 Report Dave Williamson Xenotoca doadrioi Livebearer 10 Wayne Toven November 2017 BAP Bill Bilski Here we are at the end of another year, Aulonocara jacobfriebergi Lemon Jakes Cichlid m.b. 15 almost, so far winter has been almost non- Wayne Toven existent. But the BAP / HAP year ended in Xenotoca doadrioi Livebearer 10 November, so the awards were given out Neolamprologus leluepi Lemon cichlid Cichlid s.s. 15 at the December meeting / Christmas par- Thorichthys helleri Yellow cichlid Cichlid s.s. 5 ty. In the Breeder Award Program we had Dave Williamson a total of only 10 members participate this Aulonocara stuartgranti Lawanda peacock Cichlid m.b. 15 year, with a grand total of 47 spawns HAP turned in, which is down from the 67 Wayne Toven spawns last year. The Breeder of the Year Cryptocoryne pontederifolia C – vegetative 15 for 2017 is………. wait for it, Wayne Toven December 2017 with a total of only 14 spawns, the same as BAP last year, there should have been an im- Mike & Elsie Swanson provement. Come on people, any current Cyprichromis leptosoma Tri – color Cichlid m.b. 10 active club member is eligible to participate Poecilia zonata Livebearer 5 in these programs, let’s see if we can do Xiphophorus helleri swordtail Livebearer 5 better next year. On to the Horticultural Poecilia wingei Bumble bee endler Livebearer 5 Award Program, there were only two mem- Bud White bers that participated this year for a total of Haplochromis obliquidens Cichlid m.b. 10 21 submissions, consisting of vegetative propagations, flowerings, and sexual prop- 2017 Totals BAP Points HAP Points agations. The Horticulturist of the Year for Wayne Toven 14 130 11 125 2017 with a total of 11 propagations is (not Mike & Elsie Swanson 11 105 - - him again) Wayne Toven. You would think Dave Williamson 7 65 - - with all of the different live plants available Jeffrey Swanson 6 55 10 100 and the improvements in the lighting indus- Bud White 3 35 - - try more people would be keeping live Phil Hypes 2 20 - - plants. Not only do they look more natural Dan McMonigle 2 20 - - than plastic plants but they provide benefits Rich Serva 2 15 - - for the fish, they use up fish waste as ferti- Bill Bilski 1 15 - - lizer, take up carbon dioxide, and give off Joe Reich 1 5 - oxygen. I know there have been an abun- dance of live plants at many of the local 2018 Totals BAP Points HAP Points fish club auctions throughout the year, it’s Mike & Elsie Swanson 4 25 - - not that hard to propagate live plants, Bud White 1 10 - - some people actually have the problem that they can’t get rid of excess plant growth.

There was also a Master Breeder plaque awarded for spawning Characins & Tetras to Wayne Toven. The BAP / HAP year for 2018 started in December with a bang, there were 5 spawns turned in at the meeting. These were added to the fish, plant, food, tanks, and other items in the giveaway, a big THANK YOU goes out to everyone that ALL ODDBALL AQUATICS donated or obtained items for this event. SALES@ALLODDBALL AQUATICS.COM This is the club’s way of showing it’s appre- ciation to the active members. www.alloddballaquatics.com Tank Topics P a g e 5

Bowl Show & 2018 Bowl Show Special Activities David Girard Schedule

Congratulations to Dave Williamson for winning the bowl show in 2017. We had 11 people enter into the bowl show in 2017. Let's see if we can improve on that in 2018!

November results: January: Male Guppies AO Livebearers Goldfish Minnows, Danios & Rasboras

1st Dave Williamson Limia garneri February: Domestic Swordtails, 2nd Dave Williamson Xiphophorous continens Betta splendens, Characins (Tetras & relatives)

3rd Dave Williamson Jenensyia onca March: Mollies AO Egglayers Suckermouth Catfish Barbs

No entries April: Female Guppies Annual Point Totals Corydoras, Aspidoras & AO Catfish Brochis 1-Dave Williamson-119 Photography 1st Dave Williamson Tatia intermedia 2-Wayne Toven-81 May: Rift Lake Cichlids From the Christmas Party. . . KEN’S FISH 3-Jeff Plazak-59 Sharks & Loaches HOME OF QUALITY TROPICAL 4-Mike & Elsie Swanson-31 Aquatic Invertebrates FISH FOOD AND SUPPLIES June: no bowl show 5-Don Youngkin-22 July 6-Misty White-21 Native Fish Angelfish & Discus 7-Bill Bilski-10 Aquatic Plants 8-Jeff Swanson-6 August: 9-Todd Zettler-4 Platies KEN MENARD (508) 823-4043 10-Violet Borger-2 Rainbowfish 32 4TH Ave. Taunton, MA 02780 Amphibians 11-Emilie Myatt-1 www.kensfish.com September: What is up with this! [email protected] Goodeids AO New World Cichlids Since 1981 Pairs (male/female)

October: Gouramis &Anabantoids TROPICAL FISH, FRESHWATER & MARINE SUPPLIES and PREMIUM FISH FOODS AO Old World Cichlids Arts & Crafts

Jim November:

AO Livebearers 745-3059 Mon-Sat 11-8 Laco Large Selection of: Sunday 11-6 AO Egglayers TROPICAL FISH BIRDS AO Catfish

SMALL ANIMALS 6629 Engle Rd. 6777 Engle Rd. Suite J REPTILES AMPHIBIANS DOG & PET SUPPLIES Unit 108 Cleveland OH 44130 Tues-Fri 12-7 Sat: 10-6 Middleburg Hts., OH (216) 215-1639 196 2nd St., NW (Downtown Barberton) (216) 433-1340 email: [email protected] www.shop.riftlakeaquatics.net P a g e 6 Tank Topics

Spotted Sunfish Lepomis miniatus, Exchange by James E. Wetzel The Three Moemas: a Successful Report Wayne Toven Breeding Program, by Jack Heller Breeding the U. S. Native Dwarf Banded Pygmy Sunfish – Elas- Hey if anyone, I mean anyone is Apistogramma cacatuoides, by somacf. zonatum, by Mike Hell- interested in reading one of the Chris Eichrodt weg articles mentioned below please let me know and I will get a copy Kitchener – Waterloo Aquarium Snails in the Aquarium, by Rick emailed to you or a hard copy at a Society, Fins & Tales: Nov. 2017 Renfro meeting. In the many years I have Belle Isle Aquarium, by Zenin been doing this review column I Are We There Yet? The State of Skomorowski can probably count on one hand Volume Aquarium Lighting, by all of the requests I have had for Spawning Cardinal Tetras Par- Chuck Bremer an article. I have read many inter- acheirodon axelrodi – Growing esting and informative articles Dario Dario – the Scarlet Badis, by Food For Newly – Hatched Baby Mike Hellweg over the years. Cardinals, by Robert Channen First we had a couple of our mem- Greater Detroit Aquarium Socie- Hamilton & District Aquarium ty, Tropic Tank Talk: Nov 2017 bers articles reprinted in the Erie Society: Nov. 2017 Aquarium Society’s December is- Petronotropis a Family Forgotten sue of their publication, these Riding the Wave of Biotope Aquar- From the Early Years of Our Hob- were Elsie Swanson’s article on ia & Design, byDave Holland by, by Bob Muller Jack Dempseys, and Jeffrey Swanson’s article Labidochromis Aquarium Club of Lancaster Spawning the Emperor – Tetra sp. “Hongi” – Super Red Top County, Tank Tales: Dec. 2017 That is, by Peter Melady Breeding in the Aquarium. My New Found Cory Experience, Kitchener – Waterloo Aquarium Aquarium Club of Lancaster by Dan Taylor Society, Fins & Tales: Dec 2017 County, Tank Tales: Nov. 2017 Alan & Karen’s Not So Excellent The Lowly Lemna, by Jelle Faber My Fish Room Story, by Dan Tay- Adventure Part 4 – Fish Room lor Racks & Doodads, by Karen Haas A Comprehensive Guide to Hatch- ing Small Batch Brine Shrimp, by Alan & Karen’s Not So Excellent BBS Aka Baby Brine Shrimp, by Karen Murray Adventures: Part 3 – Bones of the Paul Tangredi Fish Room, by Karen Haas Motor City Aquarium Society, Missouri Aquarium Society Inc. Tropiquarium: Dec 2017 Circle City Aquarium Club, Fan- The Darter: Nov / Dec 2017 cy Fins: Nov. 2017 The Paradise Fish, by Melissa Bu- Breeding the Missouri Native Red kowski

AQUARIUM GALLERY aquaticsuperstore.com 330.866.0559 6653 GRAFTON ROAD, VALLEY CITY, OHIO 44280 Tank Topics P a g e 7

Membership Report

Mike Swanson

Hi Everyone, We had a great turnout at the Christmas party, 41 in attendance. The weather was good, food was great and the company was awesome. Hope everyone had a good time, and went home with a lot of raffle prizes. Hope to see you all at the next meeting.

We would like to Welcome our newest member Selene Shores to the club, and would like to thank the recent renewals:

Phil Hypes, Curtis Ramsey, Jeffrey Swanson, Mike & Elsie Swanson, and Don Youngkin.

Just a reminder, the following memberships expire in January or February.

Sebastion Smith, Jeffrey Yadlovski, and Ray Hunziker

You can easily renew at a meeting or online at our new website akronfishclub.com $10 for 2 years (electronic subscription-BEST VALUE) or $10 a year for paper subscription. If you want to check on your membership status email me, or ask me at a meeting or the auction.

Thank You, Mike Swanson [email protected]

GAAS Spring Auction 2018

Tallmadge Community Center 80 Community Rd. Tallmadge, Ohio 44278

Registration opens 10 am Auction begins at 11 am

For more information: Be here or you’ll Bud White (330) 571-0394 [email protected] never know what you missed! Wayne Toven (330) 256-7836 [email protected] Rich Serva (330) 650-4613 [email protected] Full rules available at: www.gaas-fish.net P a g e 8 Tank Topics

A Classroom Tank Made Easy as 1, 2, 3! (part one)

by Steve Brunn

Our schools' classrooms are places school hours and would net the fish municating with the school's princi- of excellence in inquiry, imagination, into bags and take them to my pal, I extended an offer to help the and learning. When teachers add an home. In August, prior to school new middle school science teacher animal to their classroom—even an starting, I would bring the fish back get the tank up and running. The insect—they add an additional layer to school, plus I would add in some new teacher, Ms. M, admitted that of imagination and inquiry to their purchased schooling fish, like giant she knew nothing about fish or fish students' experiences. When tanks, but she was willing to learn my daughter was a student in and was good at following instruc- middle school, she was lucky to tions. Working with Ms. M's sched- have a science teacher who ule, the goal would be to setup and kept an attractive 75-gallon stock the tank over a weekend and a tropical freshwater tank in the Monday morning (3 days), so that science classroom. It was students would see a welcoming stocked with a mishmash of aquarium on that Monday evening active and colorful tropical fish when they were to bring in their that the students brought in for school supplies. extra credit. The tropical "community" of fish species On Day 1, the Saturday before the varied from year to year, but students' arrival, I was dedicated to was a mix from the Amazon filling the tank with water and taking river basin and Indian/Asian steps to get the biological filtration waters. The tank had an efficient but danios, and some benign cichlid jumpstarted. On that Saturday, the dated hanging heater, a hood with species, like angel fish, to bring the school was open to teachers and two florescent lights, an external population of fish up to what the staff, and I was able to enter the double-cartridge power filter, and tank would reasonably hold. school to inspect the tank and pre- artificial plants that looked realistic. pare to fill it. Fortunately for me, over The science teacher, Mr. I, had a Unfortunately, my cycle of fish sitting the summer, Mr. I had completely saltwater tank at his home, and he for the summer came to halt in June cleaned the inside of the tank. He knew the value that the large fresh- 2017. In May, two of the students had also washed the bigger than pea water tank brought to his classroom had accidently spilled a full can of -sized gravel that was about 1.5 environment. He was an experienced flake food into the tank on a Friday, inches deep. This made my Day 1 teacher, and he knew how to main- and by that following Monday, most job much easier than I expected—I tain the tank and how to protect such of the fish had perished. Only one had anticipated a complete cleanup a tank from the abuse that might be albino Corydoras aeneus and a of the tank. Using a medium sized offered from the middle school stu- three-spot gourami, Trichopodus (30 gallon) garbage can on wheels, dents. Mr. I had this large tropical trichopterus, had survived the result- one that I have dedicated to fish pro- community fish tank up and running ing pollution of the over feeding. On jects, I transported tap water from a for the past 15 years. top of that, Mr. I was moving to a janitor's closet to the science class- new school. Fortunately, he was room. I did add appropriate amounts Over the past 7 years—during and leaving the 75-gallon aquarium be- of water conditioner to the collected after my daughter's passage through hind in the classroom for the next water before adding it to the tank. I middle school—I developed a volun- teacher. I did take home the two then used a 5-gallon bucket to take teer fish-sitting service with Mr. I's surviving fish, and I vowed to myself water out of the garbage can and classroom fish. That is, in the sum- to help the next science teacher set carefully poured it into the tank. mer months, when the school would up the tank to carry on the tradition When the tank was about half full, I be closed, I volunteered to house the of having an aquarium in the class- stopped filling to give myself a mo- surviving fish for 3 months. In June, I room. ment to add plants and pay attention would arrange to come in after to the filters. In early August 2017, by first com- Tank Topics P a g e 9

Because I had suspected that the where it is usually very warm in the ation. I would then take the entire tub power filter was dry and not biologi- summer but where winter tempera- with the fish to the school the next cally active, I had brought with me a tures drop to freezing only temporari- day. box filter that was taken from one of ly or rarely. Florida and Arizona in my existing home tanks. This is an the US, northern Mexico, southern On Day 3, opening-day Monday, I aquarist's shortcut to provide biologi- China, and the northern highlands of arrived to the school around 8:15 am cal filtration to the new tank and to India all come to mind as examples with the fish being transported in the seed the tank with mature, function- of subtropical environments. Sub- tub that housed them over night. ing bacteria. I also added some new tropical fish do well in these areas of Because I was not going to float filter floss to the box filter. The box mild temperatures rather than hot them in bags to slowly acclimate filter and a large disk air stone would ones, and they do not seem to mind them to the new tank, I instead slow- be driven by an air pump. When the fluctuations in temperature as long ly added some tank water into their water level was raised to near the as they are not too extreme or too tub to eliminate the shock of any top, I plugged in the existing power long in duration (Monks 2007). A temperature difference and to begin filter, and it worked fine. Additionally, good example of a subtropical fish is the acclimation process in the tub. I added aquatic plants that I hoped the rosy barb (Puntius conchonius), After I determined that they were in would retard the nitrogen levels of which comes from northern India. no danger of being harmed if I added the fishes' waste. I added several This summer I kept a trio of rosy them into the tank, I simply netted stands of Najas grass (Najas guada- barbs in a 25-gallon half-barrel tub, them and released them into the lupensis), 1 Anubias plant (Anubias and they endured several days tank. They all survived the three diffi- barteri), 2 Java ferns (Microsorum where the air temperature reached cult temperature and water chemis- pteropus), clumps of Java moss 90°F and a few October nights with try changes from (1) the retail store (Taxiphyllum barbieri), and 2 to 3 the air temperature dipping below to (2) my home and now to (3) an portions of the filamentous green 40°F—and they were fine. When I unheated subtropical tank. This was algae known as "Marimo moss brought them inside late in October, a real testament to the hardiness of ball" (Aegagropila linnaei). I also the water temperature was 54°F and these subtropical fish. With the addi- added some algae that I scraped off they showed no ill effects. tion of the fish and snails, the goal of the sides of a mature tank from setting up the tank in 3 days was home in hopes that it would populate For the subtropical tank I obtained met. the tank on a microscopic level. All of the following species (with a general Over that weekend, I had also pur- this plant material and filtration prep- geographical location given to show chased a 54-inch LED lamp that was aration was now in place to give the their subtropical heritage): 3 variatus timer compatible to replace the old fish a fighting chance to flourish. platys (Xiphophorus variatus— Mexico), 9 bloodfin tetras florescent lights. This addition made On Day 2, the Sunday before open- (Aphyocharax anisitsi—Argentina), 9 the tank emit a beautiful glow, as if it ing day, I went shopping for fish and white cloud mountain minnows was a dose of sunlight to the class- invertebrate livestock. I ultimately (Tanichthys albonubes—Guangdong room. This bright light would also targeted 4 aquarium stores in the Province, South China), 2 zebra dan- promote the plant and algae growth Cleveland/Akron, Ohio, area, and in ios (Danio rerio—India), 3 rosy barbs that would assist the biological filtra- those stores I went on a focused (Puntius conchonius—India), 4 pep- tion of the tank. Additionally, be- shopping spree. I had made a wish per corys (Corydoras paleatus— cause the LED lighting ran on a tim- list of subtropical fish, not tropical Uruguay/Argentina), 2 weather er, the aquarium would be lighted fish. Unlike Mr. I's tank that was loaches (Misgurnus anguillicauda- consistently every school day and on heated and had silk plants, I was tus—Asia), and 1 golden algae eater weekends and holidays. I set the planning a tank "makeover" to a sub- (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri—Cambodia timer for 10 hours of "daylight" so tropical aquarium. That is, I was [not subtropical]). I also obtained 2 that the aquarium would be lighted at planning an aquarium that was to apple snails (Pomacea sp.—Florida) 7 am and would go off at 5 pm. With have no heater, high oxygen levels and a gold mystery snail (Pomacea activity in the building before and produced by live plants and in- sp.). All the fish appeared to be after school, the fish would most like- creased aeration, and fish species healthy and without any obvious dis- ly experience twilight external to the that could handle extremes in tem- ease. I brought all of these fish to my tank before and after the 10-hour perature—especially the cooler tem- home where I housed them overnight period of intense light from the peratures of an unheated tank. Sub- in a plastic shoebox container with LEDs. tropical climates exist in the world an air-driven box filter to provide aer- . . . to be continued The Greater Akron Aquarium Society

P.O. Box 494 Akron, OH 44309-0494

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Meeting Notice - Do Not Delay Meeting Notice

Friday, January 12 Friday, February 9 Program: The achievement of breeding a variety of different aquatic ani- Program: "Protecting and Feeding Fry." Brian Shrimpton, an mals and sharing that knowledge and experience with others is a valuable active member of the Northeast Ohio Fish Club (NEOfish), will part of the hobby and is rewarded through the Breeders Award Program (BAP). In his talk "Getting Ahead in BAP," Mr. Joe Doyle will review how to once again present his experiences in the hobby to GAAS. spawn several species of difficult fish, discuss challenges faced, and pre- For our February program, Brian will be speaking on how he sent his bucket list of fish to successfully spawn and raise. The discussion provides food and protection to fry that allows them to get to a will include breeding Betta macrostoma, whiptails, bumblebee goby, and safe size. If you have fish that are spawning, then don't miss others, including saltwater fish species. Since 2005, Joe has been an active member of the Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society, Inc, and he has served this program for the important next steps that will allow the fry as President and has held other executive positions with GPASI. Please to thrive. make plans to attend the January 2018 program and learn from Joe's BAP experience. Bowl Show: Domestic Swordtails, Male Betta splendens, Bowl Show: Male Guppies, Goldfish, Minnows, Danios & Rasboras Characins (Tetras & relatives)

General meetings begin at 8:00 p.m. at the Ritchie Memorial Shelter House

Coming Events

Feb. 10 - 2018 Saturday Feb. 17 – 2018 Saturday Feb. 25, 2018 – Sunday Mar. 11 – 2018 Sunday - starts at 11 am – starts at 10:30 am – starts at 11 am – starts at 11 am Ohio Cichlid Associa- Motor City Aquarium Youngstown Area tion - OCA winter auc- Society – MCAS spring SCALES - Spring Auc- Tropical Fish Society – tion auction tion YATFS spring auction Perry Grange, 6300 Holiday Inn – 15471 876 Horace Brown Dr. Richville Dr. SW, J.V. Johnson Community Royalton Rd. Strongs- Madison Heights, Mi. Massillon, Ohio Center – 800 Gillmer ville, Oh 44136 48071 Rd. Leavittsburg, www.ohiocichlid.com www.motorcityaquarium http:// Oh 44430 society.com www.scalesclub.com www.yatfs.com