1911~ 2012 101 Years of Educating Aquarists AQUATICAQU THE JOURNAL OF THE BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY VOL XXVI JANUARY FEBRUARY 2012 No. 3 JANUARY 13TH EVENT JOE YAIULLO PRESENTS - 11 YEARS OF FEEDING L.I. AQUARIUM & EXHIBITION CENTER’S 20,000 GALLON REEF Photo: Joe Graffagnino 1 1911~2012 101 Years of Educating Aquarists AQUATICA VOL. XXVI JANUARY- FEBRUARY 2012 NO.3 C O N T E N T S 2 Calendar of Events ~ 2011/2012 19 Callochromis macrops 3 In Memorial - Frank Albert Policastro 21 Exchange Editor’s Report 10 The Practical Plant 23 We Need a Few Good Members. Propagatng Cryptocoryne walkeri 24 Why Do Fish Do What They Do? 11 A Cure For the Heartbreak of Duckweed 32 Support Our Sponsors. They Support 13 The Practical Plant Chapter 1 Us. We Must Support Them! 15 A Disappearing Underwater World 33 Membership Renewal Application 18 Black King Kong Shrimp AQUATICA STAFF Editor: John Todaro Illustrations: J. Todaro, C. Giam Copy Editor: Kay Martin Exchange Editor: Stuart Hershkowitz Freshwater Shrimp Editor: Dan Hagan Contributing Writers: Dan Hagan, Mark Hay, Marine Editor: Open Joe Graffagnino, Stuart Hershkowitz, John Todaro, Plant Editor: Izzy Zwerin Izzy Zwerin. Note: The Editor takes full responsibility for misspellings and punctuation errors. Aquatica is published bi-monthly (except July/August) by BAS. Original articles may be reprinted by other non-profit organizations, provided proper credit is given to the author and Aquatica , and two copies are sent to the Exchange Editor. Transcriptions of lectures may not be reprinted without written permission of both Editor and the Speaker. Distribution of articles on any online electronic service is prohibited without written permission from the Editor and Author. A notice of where approved articles have been posted should be sent to the BAS Exchange Editor. Aquatica will exchange publications with all interested societies. If we do not receive your publications for three consecutive months, we will assume you no longer wish to ex- change and your club will be removed from our mailing list. ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE SENT TO : • Editor: John Todaro, 247 Middletown Road, S. Londonderry VT, 05155 Home: 802 824-3743 Fax: Same Please submit all articles to the Editor by mail, fax, or E-mail [email protected]. • Exchange Editor: Stu Hershkowitz, P.O. Box 290610, Bklyn, NY 11229-0111 Phone: 718 837-4455 • Membership: Christna Cingari, P.O. Box 290610, Bklyn, NY 11229-0111 Phone: 718 837-4455 OFFICERS BOARD MEMBERS President: Joseph Graffagnino 1st Vice President: Steve Matassa Bill Amely Dr. Robert Price 2nd Vice President: Marie Licciardello Intakab Dawood Mike Roman Treasurer: Denise Hershkowitz Robert DeBonis Charles Stein Corresponding Secretary: Open Gennady (Gene) Kogan Exchange Editor: Stuart Hershkowitz Membership Chairperson: Christina Cingari PAST PRESIDENTS Sergeant-at-Arms: Lita Goldberg (In good standing) Recording Secretary: Kay Martin Seth Kolker Web Master: Bernard Deren John Todaro Editor: John Todaro Al DiSpigna The Brooklyn Aquarium Society Inc. is a non-profit organization 501(c) (3) for people interested in the aquarium hobby and the study of 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 14. Send inquiries or membership checks payable to: Brooklyn Aquarium Society, c/o Membership Chairperson, P.O. Box 290610, Brooklyn, NY 11229-0011. All articles in Aquatica are the opinion and experiences of the author or authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editors or staff of Aquatica or the Brooklyn Aquarium Society Inc. On occasion, the Brooklyn Aquarium Society uses its mailing list to send notices of interest other than society business to our members. If you do not wish to have your name used in this manner call the Hotline 718 837- 4455 and leave a message. 2 BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS ~ 2012 1911 ~ 101 Years of Educating Aquarists ~ 2012 Happy New Year 2 0 1 2 JAN 13 Joe Yaiullo ~11 Years of Feeding L.I. Aquarium & Exhibition Center’s 20,000 Gallon Reef Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auc- tion FEB 10 Peter Warny ~ Visits to Various City & State Aquaria ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction MAR 9 Tony Vargas ~ Successful Reef Aquariums from A round the World and How They Got There ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction APR 13 TBA (freshwater) MAY 11 Giant Spring Auction ~ Freshwater fish, plants, marine fish, aqua-cultured corals & dry goods, including a 55 gal. tank & stand JUN 8 Todd Gardner ~ Getting Started in Marine Aquaculture ~ Marine fish, aqua-cul- tured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction JULY/AUGUST ~ NO MEETINGS SEPT 14 Mike Hellwig ~ Fish Breeding Contest with Ted Judy ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction OCT 12 Giant Fall Auction ~ Freshwater fish, plants, marine fish, aqua-cultured corals & dry goods, including a 55 gal. tank & stand NOV 9 Gene Ritter ~ Reef Diving ~ Marine fish, aqua-cultured corals, freshwater fish, plants & dry goods auction DEC 14 Holiday Party ~ Members, their families and friends, all you can eat sit-down dinner • Fish Bingo & Prizes • BAS Awards presentations. The Brooklyn Aquarium Society Inc. is a non-profit organization 501(C) (3) for people interested in the aquarium hobby and the study of aquatic life. The Society meets the 2nd Friday of each month except July and August at the Educational Hall of the N.Y. Aquarium at Coney Island, Surf Ave. at West 8th St., at 7:30 PM. Meetings are open to visitors. Membership is $25 per year family, $20 individual, $15 for students under 14. Send inquires or membership checks to Brooklyn Aquarium Society, c/o Membership Chairperson, P.O. Box 290610, Brooklyn, NY 11229-0011 . 3 In Memorial Frank Albert Policastro 2/11/1943 ~ 11/11/2011 he world, the Policastro family, the lected aquarium society publications and hobby, North Jersey Aquarium Society memorabilia. A few years ago, he donated T and the Brooklyn Aquarium Society lost copies of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s a wonderful human being, Frank Policastro. publications that he had collected from 1911 Frank, who was 68, died Friday morning, to 1970 to John Todaro for our 100th Anniver- November 11th at 8:30 a.m. of pancreatic sary Journal, plus an audio recording of some cancer at Robert Wood Johnson University of his memories of the Society in the 1960’s Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ. His wife Chris- and 70’s. tine was at his side when he passed. The viewing was at Barlow & Zimmer Frank had been a continuous BAS Funeral Home in Hightstown, NJ from Satur- member for 47 years, since 1964. He became a day November 12th to Sunday November Board member and served as our treasurer in 13th. A mass was held on Monday the 14th at 1977. He and his family moved to New Jersey St David The King RC Church in Princeton, where he joined North Jersey Aquarium Soci- NJ. Frank was buried in Holy Cross Burial ety and took on the job of treasurer for them. Park in South Brunswick, NJ. In the following years, Frank also be- Frank will be greatly missed by us all. came the treasurer for The Northeast Council John T of Aquarium Societies (NEC). Along with fish keeping, Frank col- 4 Remembering Frank Policastro ! y remembrances of Frank go back to the late 1970’s when I joined the Brooklyn Aquarium Society. Frank was an officer then and I just attended Mmeetings sporadically. Frank told me that he became interested in raising fish and joined Brooklyn Aquarium Society mainly through former BAS presi- dent Fred Samuelson (1962-1963). Frank related to me how he beat Fred at a fish show with his own guppies. Back then, Fred Samuelson [1962-63] owned a wholesale chemical business on 65th Street, selling floor wax and cleaning stuff for a living. Fred was a champion guppy breeder who had won over 20 trophies showing guppies and first place in an International Guppy Show in Berlin.These guppies were extraordinarily beautiful; in fact, they were featured on the cover of the 1964 August issue of TFH. Fred invited Frank to his store and since he was still just a kid, his dad, who always liked guppies, drove him to Fred’s place of business. When they got there Fred took them to the back room of the store where there were nearly 80 tanks filled with, as Frank said, “phenomenal guppies.” Frank’s father bought him 2 or 3 trios at about $13 each. Fred told him how to care for and breed them. Well, Frank took good care of the fish and then bred them and entered the fry in a fish show in New Jersey, in the guppies’ classes which were large back then, with lots of entries. Frank won first prize in the red guppy class, beating out Fred, with fry born from the fish his dad bought him. He also won second and third place. Frank told me that Fred came over to him and looked at him and said. “Congratulations, nice work kid.” Frank was thrilled at beating Fred with his own fish! In time, Frank became an officer and BAS Treasurer, and went on to join the North Jersey Aquarium Society and was a founding member of the Jersey Shore Aquarium Society. He and his wife Christine were also officers in the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies.