THE ON-LINE JOURNAL OF THE BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY QVOL. 31UATI MAY ~ JUNE 2018 No.CA 5 BUTTERFLYA FISH - 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 GOURAMI. 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 FRESHWATER AQUARIUM 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 freshwater fish, 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. ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE SENT TO • 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 substrate 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 insects. Use a 20-gallon long with Butterfly will jump right out of the net while you’re floating water sprite and an airstone 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.