Buckeye

Bulletin September 2012

Our next meeting is September 7th at 8pm

Buckeye Bulletin Staff Jonathan Dietrich Editor Cover photo was taken by Jombie. It is a stunning adult C. spectibilis. This is a South American “basket-mouth” . Notice the [email protected] Eric Sorensen iridescence throughout the body. The green, yellow, and red make this Cichlid extremely attractive to hobbyists. Although a tough one Exchange Editor to find, keep your eyes out at OCA auctions for the possibility to raise

[email protected] this spectacular species. The Ohio Cichlid Associations Buckeye Bulletin is produced monthly by the Ohio Cichlid In this Issue of the Buckeye Bulletin… Association. All articles and photographs contained within this publication are being used with Monthly Features consent of the authors. President’s Message Page 4 If you have an article, photograph, or ad to submit for publication, Editor’s Message Page 6 please send it to Cichlid BAP Results Pages 8-9 [email protected]. Catfish BAP Results Page 10 When submitting articles for publication in this bulletin, please Program Preview – Kyle May Page 14 remember to include any Bowl Show Results Pages 17-20 photographs or art for the This Month in OCA History Page 26 article. The Ohio Cichlid Association Gears & Gadgets Page 27-30 is not responsible for any fact checking or spelling correction in Fish Market Page 35-36 submitted material. Articles will be edited for space and September Specials content. All information in this bulletin is for Breeding Shell Dwellers Pages 23-24 the sole use of The Ohio Cichlid 2012 Extravaganza Information Pages 7, 13, 21, Association and the personal use of 22, 25, 33, 34, 39- its members. 41 Articles, photographs, illustrations, and any other printed material may not be used in any way without the written consent of The Ohio Cichlid Association. For membership info please contact Kyle May: [email protected]

OCA Mission The OCA is an organization dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of information relating to all aspects of the biology of and related aquatic life. Our purpose is to promote the interest, keeping, study, breeding, and the educational exhibition of Cichlids. Additionally, the exchange of ideas, meeting new people, and distribution of information concerning Cichlids is of primary interest. Ohio Cichlid Association Board Members 2012 President – Don Danko Vice-President – Dan Woodland Treasurer- Rhonda Sorenson Secretary – Steve Heinbaugh Bowl Show Chairman- Gary Mendez Cichlid BAP Chairman- Mark Chaloupka Catfish BAP Chairman- Dave Ayres Speaker Chairman – Lew Carbone Bulletin Editor – Jonathan Dietrich Beverages – Bob Tillman Librarian – Hilary LaCerda Raffle- Marc DeWerth Membership Chairman – Kyle May Board Member At Large (Board Appt) – Marilyn Danko Board Member At Large (Board Appt) – Eric Sorenson Board Member At Large (Elected) – Andrew Subotnik Board Member At Large (Elected) – Mark Huntington President’s

Message A Word from Don Danko

Welcome back from the summer break! Hope you have enjoyed your summer and got the majority of your outdoor projects done, as it’s time to start talking fish again. Marilyn and I have made nice progress on the pond and now have something resembling a waterfall. Thinking of putting some Cichlids out in the pond for the balance of the season… Some Red Bay Snooks would look fantastic!

Our fish related summer highlight was attending the American Cichlid Association convention in Indianapolis. The speakers were great and the hotel spacious and cool. This convention was our 32nd ACA, so it was great to catch up with numerous Cichlid friends. As in most years, many OCA members attended.

Thanks to Kyle for preparing an Extravaganza flyer in advance of the ACA show and thanks to Lew for bringing them to the show and making sure they were available for attendees.

Be sure to have the OCA Extravaganza on your calendars for November 16-18. We’re planning another outstanding event!

In keeping with last month, I’m keeping this short and sweet. See you on September 7th.

Regards,

Don

One of the reasons that The Ohio Cichlid Association is such a great fish club is due in large part to the excellence of our supporters.

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Support those who support The Ohio Cichlid Association. Make sure that you let them know that you saw their ad in the Buckeye Bulletin.

Happiness Has Fins

From the Editor’s Desk

Hello OCA friend!

There is nothing like the OCA Extravaganza. The amount of excitement surrounding this year’s convention is remarkable. It is going to an awesome weekend. One people will be talking about all over the world. Book your rooms early to ensure you won’t have to miss a moment of the action. The price for a room is ridiculously low, a deal you can’t pass up. Book early, plan ahead, and get excited. We have world class speakers, Cichlids everywhere, an enormous show, top venders, and more. There is nothing more a hobbyist could ask for. You don’t want to miss anything! September is going to be a big adventure for me this year. I just bought a house in Brunswick with the plans to move out of the parents’ house mid-month. I’ve been packing and planning like a mad-man. I have babysitters for all of my fish during the move thanks to fellow members of the OCA. There is going to be a lot of planning going into my future fish room. The clean slate keeps my mind active. I’m looking for an efficient, aesthetic, and impressive room. I’m going to take my time to create something I will look forward to using for years to come. The process will be slow, but I’ll give you updates along the way. Start planning for Extravaganza 2012. It will be here before you know it.

Send me a picture,

Jonathan “Jombie” Dietrich

It’s coming…

It’s bigger than ever…

You don’t want to miss out on all the action.

BAP Results

Sept. 2012

By Mark Chaloupka

Bob Blazek Astatotilapia sp. 35 (tomato) 10 Lew Carbone Australoheros oblongum 10 Tim Craig Etroplus maculatus 20 Neolamprologus longicaudatus 15 Neolamprologus multifasciatus 15 Neolamprologus signatus 15 Josh Cunningham Aulonocara sp. “German red” 10 Cyrtocara moorii 10 Labidochromis caeruleus 10 Neolamprologus brichardi 10 Xystichromis sp. “flameback” 10 Bryan Davis Julidochromis dickfeldi “Livua” 15 Julidochromis regani 15 Neolamprologus marunguensis “Kapampa” 15 Dave Esner Ctenochromis horei 10 Tom & Carolyn Evers Julidochromis marlieri 15 Kyle May Neolamprologus multifasciatus 15 Denis Rozmus Aulonocara hansbaenschi 10 Labidochromis caeruleus 10 Eric & Rhonda Sorensen Rocio octofasciatum 10 John Tesar Labidochromis caeruleus “albino” 10 Protomelas kirkii 10 msobo “Magunga red” 10

CURRENT B.A.P. STANDINGS (7/3/12)

BREEDER 2012 TOTAL 200 POINT LEVEL

MASTER BREEDER 1000 POINT LEVEL Paul Collander - 205

Lew Carbone 65 2485 Don Danko 30 2285 100 POINT LEVEL

Dan Woodland - 2050 Marc & Dawn DeWerth - 195 Bill Loudermilk - 1160 Ken & Karen Grimmett - 190 Linda Wallrath - 1130 Ozeal Hunter - 190 Rich & Maggie Schoeffel - 1065 Chuck Carroll - 185 Andrew Subotnik - 180 900 POINT LEVEL James Shakour 95 175

Mark Chaloupka 25 975 Dave Esner 70 170 Dennis Tomazin - 965 Greg Seith - 145 Tom Swiderski - 905 Frank Mueller - 140 David Ayers 10 130 Tom & Carolyn Evers 25 130 800 POINT LEVEL Steve Heinbaugh 15 125 John Tesar 55 865 Ken Walker - 125 Dustin Brummitt - 840 Joe Ring - 120 Bill & Janice Bilski - 115 700 POINT LEVELT Aaron Stevens - 115 Jason Mylnar 25 110 Bryan Davis 95 760 BREEDER LEVEL 600 POINT LEVEL Mark Huntington 15 95 Jeff Natterer - 690 Dan Ogrizek 10 95 Charlie & Cathy Suk - 615 Jonathan Dietrich 15 85 Jeff Yadlovsky 20 610 Bob Evers 80 80 Davis Toth 30 80 500 POINT LEVEL Rick Wood - 75 Bob Tillman - 70 Bill Schwartz - 595 Josh Cunningham 50 50 Hilary & Antonio Lacerda 15 585 Dolores Bacisin - 45 Gary Mendez 30 530 Alex Gorges - 45 Ron Georgeone - 510 Denis Rozmus 40 40 Ethan Wiley - 40 400 POINT LEVEL John Kahl - 35

Christopher Sooy - 35 Rick Hallis - 495 Tom Tansey - 35 Ken Galaska 40 485 Jason Gorges - 30 Phil Hypes 30 435 Paul Hutnyak - 30 Bob Bina - 405 John Kaminski - 25 Bob Blazek 35 400 Fred Roberts - 25

Andy Lacerda - 20

Bill Sensor - 20 300 POINT LEVEL Ron Drungil - 10 Jonathan Strazinsky 35 395 Mike Trader - 10 George Anagnostopoulos 75 375 Kyle May 10 340 David Hale - 335 Tim Craig 100 330 The points list for the Breeders Award Program has been updated Tyler Toncler 10 330 to include only current members. If you are a current member Gary Zalewski - 325 and your name has been omitted, please see the B.A.P. Chairman Eric & Rhonda Sorensen 20 310 at the social meeting so we can correct any errors.

Please remember: You may only turn in a species or strain of fish for B.A.P. points one time. If you need a list of what you have been credited with, see the BAP chairman at the social meeting.

Catfish BAP Results Sept. 2012

By Dave Ayres

Breeder Species Points Steve Heinbaugh Corydoras aeneus 10 Corydoras gossei John Kahl Corydoras aeneus 10 Denis Rozmus Ancistrus sp. “brown bushynose” 10

TOTALS (thru 7/3/12)

NAME 2012 TOTAL

Dan Ogrizek 20 205 Don & Marilyn Danko 10 165 Dave Ayres 10 155 Steve Heinbaugh 80 135 Phil Ayres 60 120 Rick Hallis 15 115 Dan Woodland - 100 Dustin Brummitt - 80 Linda Wallrath - 75 Eric & Rhonda Sorensen 10 65 Charlie & Cathy Suk - 65 Bob Bina - 60 Bryan Davis 10 60 Phil Hypes - 60 Tom & Carolyn Evers - 50 Jeff Natterer - 50 Dennis Tomazin - 50 Ken Galaska 45 45 Tyler Toncler - 45 John Kaminski - 40 Hilary & Antonio Lacerda - 40 Kyle May - 40 John Kahl 10 30 George Anagnostopoulos - 20 Bob Blazek - 20 Lew Carbone - 20 Gary Mendez 10 20 John Tesar 10 20 David Toth 10 20 Chuck Caroll - 10 Mark Chaloupka - 10 Bob Evers 10 10 Jeff Gorbach - 10 Karen & Ken Grimmett - 10 David Hale - 10 Paul Hutnyak - 10 Denis Rozmus 10 10 James Shakour - 10 Kris Sooy - 10 Jonathan Strazinsky - 10 Bob & Jennifer Tillman - 10 Ethan Wiley - 10

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Next Social Meeting – September 7, 2012 Old Oak Church, 7575 Old Oak Blvd, Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Meeting Starts at:

8pm

Directions: From the North take I-71 South Take exit 235 (Bagley Rd.). Turn Right onto Bagley. Turn left onto Old Oak Blvd. Church is about ½ mile on left.

From the South take I-71 North Take exit 234. Turn Right onto Pearl Rd. (42) Turn Left onto Fowles Rd. Turn Right onto Old Oak Blvd. Church is on the right 1/10 mile.

Old Oak Church 7575 Old Oak Blvd. Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Program

Preview By Lew Carbone

Photo courtesy of author

Unfortunately, Klaus Steinhaus, our scheduled speaker for this month, won’t be able to make it. Fortunately, our own Kyle May is ready to step up and fill the spot.

Kyle grew up in western Ohio. After college, he came east in pursuit of his college girl friend, whom he eventually married. Kyle currently lives in Stongsville and works for Summit Motorsports.

During college, Kyle was captivated by a friend’s aquarium, and after graduation, bought a tank of his own. He soon discovered cichlids and a hobby became a passion.

Kyle found out about the OCA in 2006 and joined at that year’s Extravaganza, during which he won a 125-gallon tank and stand in the big raffle. Within months he was showing up at OCA Board meetings, offering help when in was needed, and eventually joined Andrew Subotnik as Membership Co-chair.

In October of 2009, Kyle became editor of the Buckeye Bulletin and facilitated the transition to all-electronic publication. He handed the editorship to Jonathan “Jombie” Dietrich at the beginning of this year and took over the Membership Chair by himself.

Kyle will give a presentation called “The Extravaganza Experience”. He has been giving this talk to other area aquarium clubs, and now, because of the cancellation, we’ll be able to hear it.

Next month: Jim Powers talks about an amazing array of loach species ,backed by outstanding photography. Ohio Cichlid Association 2012/2013 Program Schedule

2012

September 7 March 1 Kyle May John Krepper “The Extravaganza “Tanganyikan Experience” Cichlids

in the Aquarium” October 5

Jim Powers April 5 Loaches Spring Swap Meet

November 2 May 3 Pre-Extravaganza Swap Dan Woodland * Meet (topic TBA)

December 7 June 7 Christmas Party Ed Burress

Pike Cichlids 2013 Aug 2 January 4 Ken Walker * Troy Veltrop Breeding Loracariids + Barombi Mbo species flock + * Date tentative February 1 + Topic tentative Stephanie White Greater Cleveland

Aquarium

• Bowl Show

Gary Mendez

Congratulations to the Hilary Lacerda for winning Best of Show!

Coming up next…

Sept. Classes October Classes

• A. Frontosa • A. Malawi "Haps" • B. Ope Old World - • B Apistos excluding Malawi, • C. Fish Photography Tang. • C. Corys and other Callichthyids

August Winners

A. Old World - exclude rift lakes & Victorian basin B. Open New World C. Open Tanganyika

• No entries •1st: •1st: •Cryptoheros panamensis •Ctenochromis horei (BOS) •2nd: •2nd: •Ctenochromis horei • Cichlasoma •3rd: octofasciatum •Lepidiolamoprologus •3rd: - hecqui 'Mbita'

Prizes!

Best of Show: $20 Cash Quarter Champ: $35 Pet Shop certificate

2012 Champ: TBA

Standings August Quarter 2012 Point System

1stDaveEsner 26 26 163 1st place 10 2rdLacerdas 22 22 47 2nd place 7 3rdKen Grimmett 0 21 21 3rd place 5

4thChris Jaskolka 0 15 15 Non-placing entries 1 5th Dave Kasl 0 12 12 Best of Show* 5

*Only awarded if two or more entries Support the 2012 Bowl Show

Wanted: Fish to Show your fellow OCA members!

Welcome Lacerdas to the 2012 bowl show

Any Questions Please Contact: Gary Mendez [email protected]

Bowl Show 2012 Schedule Meetings 2012 A B C Jan. 6 Tanganyikan Shell- Central Americans Loracariids (Pleco dwellers under 6” types) over 6”

Feb. 3 Victorian Basin Angelfish Synodontis and other Mochokids

Mar. 2 Pseudotropheus, South Americans Catfish—exclude Cynotilapia, under 6”-- exclude Callichthids, Melanochromis Angels, Discus, Loracariids, Apistos Mochokids (see other classes for explanations) Apr. 6 Peacocks Central Americans Freshwater Crusta- over 6” ceans

May. 4 Tanganyikan Mouth- South Americans Loracariids under 6” brooders--exclude over 6” Frontosa June. 1 --exclude Discus, Uaru Open Catfish, limit 3 Pseudo, Cyno, per participant (all Melano Cats eligible) July No meeting

Aug. 3 Old World—exlude Open New World, Open Tanganyika, Rift Lakes and limit 3 limit 3 Victorian Basin Sept. 7 Frontosa Open Old World, ex- Corys and other clude Malawi, Tang. Callichthyids

Oct. 5 Malawi “Haps” Apistos Fish Photography Nov. 2 Female cichlids, limit Telmatochromis, Loaches and Botias 3 Chalinochromis

Dec. 7 Tanganyikan Julidochromis Open Malawi, limit 3 “Lamps”—exclude Shell-dwellers

We had a blast, got some great fish, made new friends and strengthened old friendships. Kudos to all!

Great job OCA folks! Already making plans for next year! As always, you guys did great. It was nice to make new friends and see old ones.

It was a great time as always - Now I need to catch up on my sleep after an 11 hour drive home.

My first one...good job it was everything everyone talked it up to be.

Another great trip talking fish, meeting new friends, and getting to see old friends that you only get to see once a year! You guys put on one HECK of an Extravaganza! Was my 3rd year in a row and already looking towards next year’s!

Great event as always OCA!

Thanks to everyone who made it happen! Had a great time, and everyone was so friendly and What will helpful. YOU say this k f d year? Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaOHIO 2012 CI ExtravaganzaCHLID A2012SS ExtravaganzaOCIAT 2012ION Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaOHIO 2012 CI ExtravaganzaCHLID A2012S SExtravaganzaOCIAT 2012ION Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaEEXX 2012TTRR ExtravaganzaAAVVAAGGAA 2012NNZ ZExtravaganzaAA 2200112 22012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganzath T H2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaN O2012V ExtravaganzaEMBER 2012 16 Extravaganzath- 18T H2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaN O2012V ExtravaganzaEMBER 2012 16 Extravaganza- 18 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaS T2012RO ExtravaganzaNGSV 2012ILL EExtravaganza OHIO 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza 2012 ExtravaganzaS T2012RO ExtravaganzaNGSV 2012ILL ExtravaganzaE OHIO 2012 Extravaganza 2012 Extravaganza

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Small Fish, Big Personality

By Jombie

I can only speak from my experience with Neolamprologus multifasciatus, but I must say that these Cichlids are awesome! I bought a group of these small Tanganyikans at the American Cichlid Association’s annual convention in Cincinnati a few years back. I quickly set up a ten gallon tank on the corner of my bar. I didn’t know much about this species besides the fact that they were small in size and lived in shells. At the time, I saw that bags of these fish were auctioning at a fair price at OCA meetings, so I thought it would be a good investment. It’s always nice to have fish other people want, so dealing with fry is an easy task.

At the time, I was just beginning to convert all of my tanks to sandy bottoms. I’m cheap by nature and once I found that a fifty pound bag of sand only cost $3.50, I was sold! My Shellies would definitely appreciate this bargain. I aquascaped the ten gallon tank with a few shells, a small terra cotta pot, and some fake plants. I wanted to give them as many hiding places as possible, because right away, I could tell these were skittish fish.

I kept these five fish for a year without witnessing any signs of breeding behavior. At first I thought they were all males, and I cursed my bad luck. They all seemed mature enough to breed, and there wasn’t any visible aggression. There were definitely defined territories, but it was if all the fish knew where they were and didn’t mess with each other. I was feeding them small cichlid pellets and veggie flake.

As I have learned from other hobbyists, if whatever you are doing isn’t working, try something else! I really didn’t know anyone selling shells, so I decided I would travel to Home Depot to buy small pvc pieces. These make wonderful hiding places for Shell Dwellers, and are fairly cheap. I scattered them around the tank to create as many hiding spots as possible. My goal was for the fish to have territories, but ones that offered more privacy and security. I also floated fake foliage on the top of the tank.

Within the first few weeks, it was clear my luck was not cursed. There were the smallest Cichlids I’ve ever seen swimming between shells. The size of the fry could be measured by the granules of sand in the background. It was simply amazing to see their movement. From a distance, it always seemed as if the sand was shifting. After a year of no breeding behavior, I never really put a thought into what I would feed something this small. My fish thought was crushing up fish flakes, but I decided to buy de-encapsulated brine shrimp from Dan Woodland. The fry and parents loved this new food.

I’ve been keeping the same Shellies in the same tank since July 2009. I’m still amazed to look at that tank on the corner of my bar. There are so many generations of fish living peacefully in this ten gallon community. I still have the first five that I acquired in Cinci and countless more swimming through the shells, frolicking in the sand, and eagerly waiting for the next feed. I would recommend this fish to anyone based on simplicity and the reward. Set up a tank and see me for fry! You won’t regret it.

Extravaganza 2012 The Bowl Show is a big attraction every year. The more fish we have, the bigger impression we make. We make an impression on outsiders and young ones, all potential members (friends). It is a representation of our club. When an outsider looks at our show, we are showing them the selection of fish we keep. You don’t have to enter a fish into the show to win. That’s a bonus. Enter your fish to show off the wide range of Cichlids and catfish we keep throughout our special club. We all have a fish worthy of entering into the show. It might be a stunning show-stopper. It might be a common fish with incredible finnage or attitude. It might be an ugly fish but super rare. Let’s center this year’s show on Diversity.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to display every species of Thorichthys? This Month

In OCA History By Lew Carbone

1986: At the social meeting, a silent auction of fish donated by members raises $99 for the young OCA. Pete Durkin, from Michigan, is the speaker.

1993: Dave Ayres is appointed by President Marc DeWerth to fill the Vice President’s position after it was vacated by the elected VP because of “personal obligations.”

2002: This month’s Bowl show has 23 entries. The featured classes include a “Single Flaw” class in which the participants could declare a flaw (bad eye, split fin, etc) that would be ignored by the judge. Gary and Ramona Omerzo win Best of Show with a Gold Ocellatus.

HHOOWW DDOO YYOOUU TTRREEAATT YYOOUURR WWAATTEERR??

Sodium Thiosulphate Crystals

Go into any pet store anywhere and you’ll find a plethora of ways to treat your water. Some of us have fish that need soft water with low ph values while others have neutral water that needs a ph boost to keep cichlids happy. One thing that most of us have in common is that our aquarium water comes from a city water source that uses chlorine to keep the water safe for us humans. As aquarists we need to neutralize that chlorine for the benefit of our finned friends. Have you put much thought into your water treatment or do you just grab any old treatment for your tanks? I’ll tell you my choice of water treatment as well as why I do what I do. I’ll also clue you in to how some other folks I’ve met deal with chlorine and tap water. You might change how you think about water treatments. If you take a walk down the aisle of any local fish store you are bound to be impressed by the quantity of products out there for treating water. I’ve tried about 20 different products over the years in my home tanks as well as in the tanks of the fish room of a store I once managed. Here are some of the claims made by various water treatment products:

Product will buffer ph Product will add slime coat to the water for your fish Product has electrolytes for stress reduction Product will render toxic pollutants harmless (lead, copper, zinc, free iodine, iron) Contains Aloe Vera Prevents internal Loss of fluids Protects diseased tissue from external disease causing organisms Instantly Ages Water Has vitamin E

I could find more claims from water conditioners but I’ll stop with these. I’m not going to rail against all of these claims but suffice it to say that most, if not all of these are bunk. If my ph needs buffering, the ten drops of de- chlorinator I use during water changes isn’t really going to have much of an effect on the ph in my 50 gallon tank for example. Putting slime into your water thinking that it’s helping the fish, or thinking that a few drops of any chemical can remove a build-up of heavy metals is ridiculous in my mind. And don’t get me started on “protects diseased tissue”, the electrolytes, or the vitamin E. Normally I would tell you to read labels to make an informed decision on your water treatment of choice, but in this case I think the labels would lead you awry, especially if you are new to the hobby. In this case, use your common sense and analytical thought process and ask yourself some pertinent questions. If an item buffers ph, how does it know which way to buffer? Up or down? Will putting slime into the water make the water better for the fish, or will the fish now be swimming in slimy water? Do any of the fish I keep come from slimy water? Do I need instantly aged water?...and what is instantly aged water? Etc.

What you really need to do is instantly remove whatever chemical your water supplier uses to treat the water. Understand that water is treated to keep it from getting polluted by the water transmission system (the pipes in the ground), while the water is traveling from the water processing facility to your home. Once in your home, your water can pick up copper from your pipes, so you could have some heavy metals in your water, but this unlikely because a film builds up pretty quickly on the inside of your pipes so copper and heavy metals shouldn’t be an issue. Most likely the pipes under the street are steel, or steel lined with concrete. I speak mainly from experience from being a plumber in the Cleveland, Ohio area for 10 yrs. Your local water company can and will educate you as to what chemicals are present in your local water and they would probably educate you as to what type of pipe is typically in their supply system. It’s so easy to go on the net and find out this information too. Trust me…it’s posted on your city’s web site somewhere. Usually your city will get a yearly report detailing how the water is treated and with what chemicals. The report will also detail concentrations of pollutants and heavy metals.

So for us in the Cleveland area, the main chemical in the water that is a problem would be chlorine. The city of Cleveland Water Department makes most of the water in the Cleveland metropolitan area and I’ve been assured that no chloramine is present. If you are not familiar with Chlorine and Chloromine, here is a very simple and digested explanation. Chlorine is added to water by injecting it into the water in a gaseous state prior to pumping that water into the system. The problem with chlorine is that it is a very unstable chemical that, while helping to prevent microbiotic life from flourishing in our water supply during transmission, it also breaks down very quickly. Chloramine however is much more stable and lasts longer. So if you are pumping potable water say 50 miles from where you made it potable, you might consider using chloramines so that your water is still usable at the far reaches of your supply area. In Cleveland our water supplier is very efficient so use of chloramine is unnecessary. This is why it is important that you know what type of water you have so that you know how to effectively treat the water. Chlorine is easy to get rid of due to the instability that I mentioned earlier. Chloramine is slightly harder but no big deal. Usually it means that you just have to change the way you dose your water. Chloramine doesn’t require any special chemicals other than the de-chlorinator that you would use for chlorine. It’s the dosage that changes. Let’s move on to some different ways to treat water and discuss the pro’s and con’s of each.

You could decide not to treat your water at all. This method is employed by some very successful aquarists in my area. These folks have automatic water change systems. Here’s the basic idea behind a fully automated water change system. You drill overflows through the back of your tanks to let water out and then add fresh water right out of the tap into your tanks which overflows the tank spilling the spent water into a drain system connected to the sewer. Aquarists who employ this method typically change less than 10% of the tank water at any given time, but do it on a daily basis. Chlorine is not a problem because of the small amount of water changed and because this system sprays water into the tank which dispels most of the chlorine. This is the most effective way to keep your tank water fresh, but the most expensive system in the short run. You need to drill tanks, hook all your tanks into a main line and then to the sewer, and then pipe water to all of the tanks. You also need a tempering valve to mix the hot and cold water along with a series of valves hooked up to a controller to run the whole thing. It’s complicated to install but worth it. No more hoses! Pros: If you are ambitious this is for you. It is literally maintenance free and you’ll get the highest quality of water possible if you decide to use this system. Cons: Expense, plus you have to be handy enough to engineer the system. Bottom line: Best suited to a multiple tank setup where all the tanks are in one room.

Don’t treat-but age your water. A very large discus wholesaler uses this method and to a limited extent, so do I. I’ve mentioned a couple of times now that chlorine dissipates quickly and this is the basic idea here. I have a 30 gallon vat into which I put tap water and then have a small Marineland Maxi-Jet pump that stirs this vat at a rate of 106 gallons per hour. After a few hours, (usually overnight), the water is ready to use. I use this water primarily for my fry set-up so I know that stirring the water gets rid of the chlorine. Remember, I don’t have chloramine in my water, so this method works very well for me. The discus wholesaler mentioned earlier uses huge volumes of water and ages his water overnight. It works very well for him on some of the most sensitive fresh water fish around, plus you don’t need to do anything but wait. Pro’s: Very cost effective because chemicals are not needed and it’s easy to do. Con’s: Many of us can’t make enough water to use this method, nor do many of us have sufficient spare room to accommodate a vat big enough to water change more than one tank. Also, water must be pumped out of the vat into the tank which means an additional pump and dedicated hoses. Bottom line: This is a cost-effective solution if you have one or two smaller tanks. All in all, avoiding using any chemicals is always the best solution for your aquarium so if you can employ this method you are lucky. It does work well for my fry set-up as the tanks are small and I can water change these little tanks quickly using only a large pitcher. I always have fresh H2O on hand.

Remove the chlorine without using a water conditioner. I saw a well-known breeder of very expensive and sensitive catfish using a system that was a marvel of simplicity. Essentially what he did was tap into the cold water side of his homes water system and run a dedicated line to his fish room. Before the water got to his tanks, it went through a whole house carbon filter which removes the chlorine without using any chemistry. Because he changes less than 50% of the water in any of his tanks at any given time, he doesn’t worry about water temperature and his fish are in perfect health. He had no complicated system, just a water hose with a valve that hung on the sides of his tanks while they filled. Pro’s: No need for chemicals, no need to worry about water temperature, no complicated auto-fill system. System is simple and cheap to install using parts found at your local home center. Con’s: Cost of the whole house filtering system might be a deterrent for some of us. Also those with little working knowledge of plumbing and those who are not handy would have to pay someone to install this system for them. Carbon cartridge cost is in the $80 range and lasts about one year. It might be cheaper to use a chemical water treatment.

Use a water treatment. Most of us will find this works best for us. Personally I know it’s not the best method to handle your water, but it will usually be the most cost effective in the short run, especially for those with one or just a few tanks. If you were awake at the beginning of this article, you’ll remember my criticisms of the water conditioners that have all sorts of slime, vitamins, and other useless chemicals in them. So for this method, I am referring to good old Jungle Dechlor. In my opinion this is the best water treatment money can buy because it has everything you need to treat your water and nothing that you don’t need to add to your tank. This product only removes chlorine and chloramines and that’s all you really need. It is a liquid solution of Sodium thiosulfate . This ingenious stuff is used in when processing photographs, it’s used when tanning leather, it’s added to water before a waste treatment plant exhausts water into a lake or stream, it’s an ingredient in bleach and it’s used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning. The neat thing is that this water conditioner is sold everywhere. Best of all its cheap. If you have 3 tanks or 30 tanks, you can afford to use this stuff because it costs about $4 for 4 ounces and that 4 ounces will treat over 1500 gallons of water. Pro’s: Simple, cheap, easy to find and a sure bet for those of us with water supplies treated with Chlorine or Chloramine. One drop per gallon will do chlorine, two drops per gallon will remove chloramines. Almost impossible to overdose. The 4 ounce bottle will last the average aquarist a long time. Con’s: Those with large fish rooms or very large tanks will go through bottles often. Bottom line: This is absolutely the best option for most aquarists considering benefit vs expense.

If you read my articles consistently, you’ll know that I’m always looking for an even better deal. I have many tanks, many of which are in the 125 gallon range, so I go through a bottle of Dechlor nearly every week. When seeking a more cost-effective size of a Sodium Sulfate water treatment, I checked Kens Fish.com. On his site I found raw Sodium thiosulfte. You can see how it comes from Ken’s in the photo above. The crystals are very large and you have to mix this stuff yourself. Why would you bother? Because for $3.75, you can mix this solution yourself and get a stock solution that will treat 37,850 gallons. Compare that to the 4 ounce Jungle bottle that costs $4. Jungle’s Dechlor is $1 per ounce. Ken’s Sodium thiosulfate stock solution costs 11 cents per ounce. Is that worth opening the crystals and mixing them into hot water yourself? You bet. But what about shipping you say? I beat that charge too. Ken’s fish is a vendor at Extravaganza each year and I can buy directly from his booth and not pay any shipping, so the true cost of this solution is actually $3.75 per gallon that will treat almost 38,000 gallons of water. That’s a no brainer.

In the end you will have to decide for yourself which method you will use. All I ask is that you really think about what you are dumping into your tank and use some common sense. Will the slime magically know to adhere to your fish to help their slime coat? Will water soluble vitamin E find its way into your fish’s body? Will a few drops of a water treatment actually affect the ph in your entire tank? Put some thought into these claims before you plunk your hard-earned fish funds down on the counter at your local fish store for an expensive water treatment. I say forget the claims, buy a basic dechlorinator and spend the extra cash on those fish you’ve been wanting. Your local fish store has tanks filled with possibilities swimming around just waiting for you.

Our Jim Smith Memorial Funds 3rd quarter raffle includes some items that are sure to take your water quality up a notch or two.

This package includes 2- Tetra EX-70 Back filters, 1-Marineland Emperor 280, 2- Tetra HT 10 Heaters, 2-Tetra HT 30 Heaters, 1-Tetra HT55 Heater, 1- Whisper 100 air pump, 2-Cans Tetra Cichlid Flakes, 3-Bags of Tetra Color Cichlid Food. Cash Value is over $200. Tickets can be purchased at any club meeting. Tickets are $1 ea/6-$5. We will sell less than 240 tickets for this raffle and then we'll draw the winner, so get your tickets asap. You don't have to be a member of the club to support the Jim Smith Raffle.

Thanks to Ohio Cichlid Associations Extravaganza Main Sponsor United Pet Group for donating all of the items in our quarterly Jim Smith Fund Raffle. United Pet Group has the brands that most of us have been using in our fish rooms for many years including Tetra, Marineland, Perfecto, and Jungle, just to name a few. Find out more about United Pet Group at: http://www.unitedpetgroup.com/

For more information about the Jim Smith Memorial Fund, visit The Ohio Cichlid Associations web site: www.ohiocichlid.com

Who will win Best of Show? Extravaganza In Perspective James Shakour

Here’s what James thinks about the OCA’s yearly Extravaganza…

The Extravaganza for me, is like Christmas in November. The three day event is jammed packed with everything: Cichlids, Catfish and newest products for your aquarium. It is the ultimate weekend for any fish enthusiast.

It all starts on Friday, when I check in. I run into and meet up with so many people that I have made the acquaintance with over the last 5 Extravaganzas that I have attended, people from all over: Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Canada and everywhere in between. After a couple of hours of socializing, going hotel room to hotel room looking at fish for sale, admiring the species of fish that have been put into the bowl show and looking at the vendors displays, it’s time for the first guest speaker of the event!

Saturday usually starts off with a few guest speakers, a contest for the kids and more browsing the vendor tables and looking for that hard to find species of fish. After that, it’s time for the bowl show awards ceremony. Then it’s on to the pizza party and the hospitality suite to trade fish breeding stories and pick up new techniques and tips for my fish room!

Sunday is the world famous Extravaganza auction. Over 800 bags of Cichlids, Catfish and hard goods! The auction takes about 10+ hours to complete. You are sure to find something that will peak your interest!

About a week after the Extravaganza is over, I am already looking forward to next year! OCA

Fish Market

James Shakour WANTS FISH!

Bi-color 500 Taiwan reef Red peacock Black peacock Calico plecos Yellow Bang Lwanda Peacoc Exochromis anagenys

Please note my new email address... [email protected]

Tricia DeLucia HAS FISH FOR SALE!

Fry currently for sale : Neolamprologus pulcher (daffodil brichardi ) Metrialclima callainos (cobalt blue zebra ) Cynotilapia afra (jalo reef ) Psuedotrophus demasoni Aulonocara Ob peacock Have several other bring set up to breed as we speak. Hopefully, I will have some P. nyererei “mwamba bay” before long. As well as some Aulonocara “otter points,” “super red top hongi,” and a few others. Willing to trade fry for fry or sell them for reasonable offers. Thanks all for looking. Can text or email [email protected] (585) 353-3360

Lew Carbone HAS FISH FOR SALE! 419-681-1628 [email protected]

Australoheros “Oblongus” 1.25” $3 ea Not sure of which true species this is, but it’s very similar to A. minuano and A. angiru, based on photos accompanying Willem Heijns article, Cichlid News, July 2012. Photo of one of my adults below.

Astatotilapia “Tomato” Male 2.5” $20 ea; juveniles 1+” $4 ea Photos available.

Wanted! Looking for approximately six fry of the following fish: Aulonocara Bi-Color 500 Aulonocara Rostratum Aulonocara Turkis Buccochromis Lepturus Chilotilapia Euchilus Hap. Red Bach Scraper Lithochromis Rufus Paralibidochromis Chromogynos Paralibidochromis Chilotes Protomelas Ornatus Stigmatochromis Modestus Hap. Hippo Point Salmon Labeotropheus Trewavasae Red Top Albino Otopharynx Chrysogaster Hap. Nubilus Protomelas Mbenji Thick Lip Protomelas Virgatus Xystichromis (hap.) Phytophagus Cyprichromis Leptosomaus Cyprichromis Microlepiditus

Also looking for an adult male Aulonocara Koningsi

Please send me an email at [email protected] if you have any of these fish available. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

John Tesar

A fine family of products committed to developing technologies and innovative solutions for pet owners and their pets.

Brands you know. Brands you trust.

United We Stand. Book your rooms for the 2012 Extravaganza NOW! Holiday Inn Strongsville Rooms for under $70 per night!!! WOW! You must mention the OCA EXTRAVAGANZA when you make a reservation. www.histrongsville.com 440-238-8800 15471 Royalton Road Strongsville, Oh 44136 Don’t miss a minute!

Aqueon offers a full line of premium aquarium products designed and formulated by hobbyists to benefit the health and well being of aquatic life. www.aqueonproducts.com

This is a Public Service Announcement.

At the 2012 Extravaganza, you will see fish of this quality. If you are not used to seeing fish like this, you may want to take precaution. Light-headedness, excitement, mild perspiration, and Goosebumps are all common symptoms when entering the show room at the 2012 Extravaganza. Please take several deep breathes, allow your vision to clear, and please… enjoy yourself. Thank you.

A Special thanks to Discus Hans for his continued support to the oca.

THE OHIO CICHLID ASSOCIATION PRESENTS

EXTRAVAGANZA 2012 TH TH Cichlids - Catfish NOVEMBER 16 -18 2012

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE

The The Ohio Cichlid Associations Extravaganza is a one of a kind celebration of everything cichlid and it happens the third weekend of every November in Cleveland, Oh. Extravaganza is not only legendary for its world-class speakers, but it’s also re- known for being the best three day party for everyone who loves cichlids and catfish. You’ll meet aquarists from all over the world who love keeping cichlids and catfish as much as you do, plus you’ll get to shop the largest pet store in the world as we turn the Holiday Inn Strongsville Ohio into a four story mega pet store. Imagine room after room of cichlids, catfish, food, filters, plants and more. Add in a monster Saturday afternoon swap meet, the Saturday night pizza party, plus the massive fish auction on Sunday and you’ve got one action packed weekend! The Ohio Cichlid Associations Extravaganza is also the best bang for your buck as hotel rooms are under $70. We’ll have manufacturers on hand to answer your product questions as well has many vendors selling all of the supplies you need for your fish. We’d love to see you there!

Speakers Scheduled to Appear

Ad Konings Hans-Georg Evers Jay Stauffer Michi Tobler

Thanks to United Pet Group for being the Corporate Sponsor of Extravaganza 2012

SHOW INFO: www.ohiocichlid.com

HOTEL INFORMATION – BOOK YOUR ROOM NOW. WE WILL SELL OUT THE HOTEL.

CALL THE HOLIDAY INN DIRECTLY AT: 440-238-8800 ext 283 ASK FOR THE OHIO CICHLID ASSOCIATION ROOM RATE.