Modern Aquarium November 2010

November 2010volume XVIInumber 9

ON THE COVEROur cover photo subject this month is a male Xiphophorus montezumae, the Montezuma swordtail. For more information on, and photos of this striking livebearer, see Jules Birnbaum’s “A Wild Original from Mexico,” on page 16. Photo by Joseph Ferdenzi

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Mark SobermanTreasurer Jules BirnbaumCorresponding Secretary Warren Feuer Recording Secretary Edward Vukich

MeMBers at Large

Claudia Dickinson Pete D’OrioArtie Friedman Al GrusellBen Haus Emma HausLeonard Ramroop

CoMMittee Chairs

A.C.A. Delegate Claudia DickinsonBowl Show Leonard RamroopBreeder Award Warren Feuer Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate Alexander A. PriestMembers/Programs Claudia DickinsonN.E.C. Delegate Claudia DickinsonTechnology Coordinator Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM

Editor in Chief Dan RadebaughCopy Editors Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. PriestExchange Editors Stephen Sica Donna Sosna SicaAdvertising Mgr. Mark Soberman

In This IssueFrom the Editor

2G.C.A.S. 2010 Program Schedule

3 Our Generous Members

3 President’s Message

4Photos from Last Month’s Meeting

6Photos by Alexander A. Priest

Fish Bytes 7by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

Something Simple 9by Susan Priest

How Not to Breed Corydoras sterbai 11by Joseph Ferdenzi

Adopt a Pet! 13by Warren Feuer

G.C.A.S. Sponsors and Advertisers 15

A Wild Original from Mexico 16by Jules Birnbaum

Member Classifieds 17

MA Classics 18Hobby Builder: John Cillo

by Dan Carson (Introduction by Linda Cillo Suppa)

G.C.A.S. Happenings 22

The Undergravel Reporter 23The More the Merrier

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 24Sweet and Sour

Series III Vol. XVII, No. 9 November, 2010

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 November 2010

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

I received an unexpected email the other day from someone I didn’t know. It contained not only a note of introduction, but a copy of an

article from an old issue of Modern Aquarium as well. As soon as I read the note, I knew I had to include it in the magazine. The writer is the daughter of a former member of Greater City back in the 1960s and ’70s. The story is of a strange and wonderful confluence of lives, and their connection to Greater City and to Modern Aquarium. I won’t spoil it by telling the story here, but be sure and see “MA Classics.”

For those of us who breed fish, or attempt to breed fish, sometimes it seems that there are just too many arcane details to fret over. Occasionally of course, a new (to us) species can present some real challenges. However, as Sue Priest points out in “Something Simple,” sometimes we just need to simplify our thought processes, and get back to basics. Then, moving on from breeding “how-to’s,” Joe Ferdenzi further illuminates us with a “how not to” guide. We cover things from all angles around here! So much so that when I saw the title of Jules Birnbaum’s article, “My Experiences with a Wild Original from Mexico,” I was actually a bit disappointed to find that it was indeed about fish. Oh, well. Bob Guccione may be gone, but he isn’t forgotten.

Warren Feuer’s article, “Adopt a Pet,” struck a personal chord for a couple of reasons. First, like Warren, Marsha and I recently adopted a young, apparently abandoned kitten who, as I type this, is sleeping just to my left. I―we―can totally relate to Warren’s delight with his new charge. The process of capturing this desperate but distrustful young being also brought us into contact with a whole network of neighborhood dog, cat, and bird rescuers that I had no idea existed. These kind people’s devotion goes a long way toward easing the lives of many of our outcast pets, an appalling number of which are killed each year. Warren’s story also reminded me that helping rescue a carnival goldfish was what pulled me back into the hobby about fifteen years ago.

Fish Bytes returns this issue, reviewing what’s been going on in other society publications. The Undergravel Reporter shows us some interesting, but improbable aquarium designs, and the issue finishes, as always, with our puzzle, Fin Fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember, we need more articles! Modern Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry – that’s why there are editors.

If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to [email protected], or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) November 2010 3

GCASPrograms

2010-11

It is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent

guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here! Enjoy!

Claudia

November Joseph FerdenziMy Fishroom: Adventures in Fishkeeping

December Holiday Party!

January Winter Break

February Winter Break

March La Monte BrownNative Fishes

Our Generous MembersEach month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was:

Bill AmelyTommy ChangCarlotti de JagerPete D’Orio

Harry Faustmann Michael MachtDan PuleoEd Vukich


President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

Last month our guest speaker, Rusty Wessel, wowed us with his underwater videos, and with photos of his fish

house. I know my envy was well stimulated by the number and size of his tanks, and by his automatic water changing system. This month another renowned aquarist, our own Joe Ferdenzi, will be the featured speaker. I have mentioned this in previous columns, but I am reminded again how fortunate we are to have so many true experts in our own ranks. I always look forward to Joe’s presentations. There’s always something new, and usually a new slant on looking at something that might have seemed old.

Don’t forget―next month’s meeting is our annual Holiday Party/Awards Banquet. It will be held once again at the Palace Diner, at a cost of $16 per person. If you haven’t signed up yet, please sign up tonight! As you pay Jules for your reservation, show your receipt to the person handing out Modern Aquarium, and your reservation will be noted.

At our meeting last month we distributed nominating sheets to fill vacancies on our Board of Governors. We did secure some nominations, and this evening, as you receive your issues of Modern Aquarium you will also be given a list of the nominees. The final vote will be taken by secret ballot next month at the Holiday Party/Awards Banquet on December 8. If by any chance you cannot attend the banquet, Please indicate your “yes” votes by checking the appropriate box(es), and return the sheets to us for tabulation. You can mail the voting sheet to me at:

Dan Radebaugh 7910 34th Ave Apt 1C Jackson Heights, NY 11372

If it’s easier you may fax it to (877) 299-0522. Needless to say, you don’t need to put a return address on the envelope. If you will be at the banquet, we’ll take your vote there.

Dan

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to [email protected]. Copyright 2010 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com


The G.C.A.S.

Proudly extends a most Warm Welcometo

Our Guest Speaker

Joseph FerdenziSpeaking on

Adventures in Fishkeeping

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)6 November 201012 November 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Last month’s winner of ourDoor Prize, a book on Catfish,

was Steve Sica.

Last month’s speaker, Rusty Wessel (center) with GCAS President Dan Radebaugh (left) and

former GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi (right).

1st Place Winner: Harry Faustmann 2nd Place Winner: Bill Amely

3rd Place Winner: Al Priest

Last Month’s Meeting

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners


An occasional column for society exchanges, guest appearances, articles, and items of general interest. We try not to bite off more than we can swallow. If you wish to offer comments, suggestions, or any information that you would like to see in this column, the authors encourage you to contact us through the Editor ([email protected]), or at a monthly meeting.

by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

sitting and eating generates no body heat. But there’s one thing about Florida that would keep me from ever moving there. If it isn’t hot, it’s raining!

One of my tanks houses a few purple danios, so I was thinking of writing a brief “My Favorite Fish” article but then I found Joe Graffaganino’s article, “Purple Passion Danios,” in the November/December 2009 Brooklyn Society’s Aquatica, that was reprinted in March 2010 in North Jersey’s Reporter. I hope Joe doesn’t get writer’s cramp, because April’s Reporter has his article, “Hyphessobrycon columbianus, Colombian Tetra” in which he reports his successful attempt to breed a friend’s school of these tetras even though Joe has scant experience in breeding tetras. This brief item was both interesting and a fast read.

Here’s my usual plant plug. This Aquatica issue contains Izzy Zwerin’s “The Practical Plant” column. It profiles the propagating of Anubias coffeefolia and Bolbitis heudelotii. Although I enjoy live plants, I especially enjoy Izzy’s columns, because he makes it sound so easy. Aquatica’s “Exchange Editor’s Report,” by Stu Hershkowitz, was kind enough to mention 2009 articles by Joseph Ferdenzi, Alexander Priest, Marsha and Dan Radebaugh, and myself.

In its March issue, the LIAS’ Paradise Press “President’s Message” mentions Joe Ferdenzi’s February lecture about setting up his new fish room upon his relocation from Whitestone, Queens to Greenvale, Nassau. Photos of Joe in his maroon GCAS sweatshirt grace page two and the centerfold! I have the same shirt, but it never got me a centerfold. The prior February issue gave Joe’s illustrious biography and credentials prefatory to his lecture.

I have lately noticed quite a few articles about angelfish by local and national aquarium societies. Back to Izzy; he writes that plants of the Ludwigia genus are not too difficult to grow, but if you like a challenge, Ludwigia peruensis is it. I have a question: what does “not too difficult” mean? I seem to always

It was a hot summer, but now it has become a rainy autumn. After squelching my ambition to begin this column for the past two months, I decided to

give it a go today―a rainy Monday morning. Here’s a “lite” column, as in concise.

Okay, let’s get started. North Jersey Aquarium Society’s July Reporter has a Chuck Davis article, “Some Notes on Heaters.” Chuck likes to place his submersible heaters flat on the tank bottom or substrate. He believes that it looks better and warms the water more efficiently. I never saw a heater lying on the bottom, or even thought to place one there. In the earlier June issue, Chuck writes about weather loaches, Misgrunus anguillicaudatus. Would you believe it? The weather loach happens to be one of my favorite fish―I even own one! Since they have lived in rice paddies and mud holes throughout Southeast Asia, they have developed the ability to breathe air above the surface. Chuck once received a shipment wrapped in wet newspapers. They can grow to at least ten inches and are often eaten as food in their native lands. Chuck claims that some states have banned these fish. Why?

Here’s a first (I think): The January/February issue of The Darter by the Missouri Aquarium Society has reprinted Modern Aquarium’s October 2009 column, “One Man’s Weed, Another’s Feed,” by “The Undergravel Reporter.” If the “Reporter” would like to quietly identify him/herself to me, I can transfer the publication in question to that person. It’s probably already a collectible. I can keep a secret.

The May Pisces Press ran a headline stating that the Florida tropical fish farming industry had been devastated by last winter’s abnormal cold. I can vouch for the cold. I was in Clearwater last January for a family function, and the outdoor temperature never broke forty degrees. Restaurants don’t know what heat is. We had to dine with either many layers of clothing, or keep our winter coats on. Believe me; just


have difficulty. I read that most of Izzy’s plants “are not fussy as long as it receives lots of light,” such as a native North American plant, Hemianthus micranthemoides, or Baby’s Tears, also known as Japanese pearlgrass. My problem is that “lots of light” usually equates to lots and lots of algae!

Now I have to begin reviewing all those internet publications that I have been sending to my saved mail folder. Somebody, please remind me―maybe next year. But for now it’s the first week in October; outdoor temperatures have been in the fifties both day and night. I guess it’s about time to break down my outdoor aquarium. I’ve just let it be for the past few weeks, so now it’s time to find out what’s in the tank.

This sergeant major refused to talk fish gossip, and just bubbled through its lips a serial number. But Donna saw its stripes; she knows a sergeant from a major.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) November 2010 9Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2010 17

Seven hour old mollie fry

by SUSAN PRIEST

Photos by the author

How long have you been waiting andwatching for that group of six shelldwellers to bloom to sixty, for your

favorite angelfish to lay row after row of goldeneggs as her mate dusts them with milt, and for yourmollie mom to put on the soul stirring spectacle ofgiving birth to her young. Long enough! So whatare they waiting for anyway, a total eclipse ofJupiter?

I’m sure that a celestial anomaly is the lastthing on their minds. In fact, I’m quite sure thatthey are not thinking at all. Perhaps they aren’teven waiting. Most likely they are reacting totheir surroundings; what’s there, and what’s not;what they like about it, and what they don’t.

You have done all the tough stuff. Your fishare conditioned to perfection! You have adjustedthe pH to preciselywhat your fish ofc h o i c e w o u l dexperience in theirnative habitat, butperhaps they wereborn in New YorkCity tap water and arebetter acclimated tothat. They have beenfed live food whichhas also been fed livefood, but are you sureyour fish are eating it?Maybe you areworking too hard. So,what are they waitingfor? Perhaps they arewaiting for you to do something simple,something even they don’t expect. Let’s take acloser look.

A good place to start is with the fishthemselves. Are they sexually mature, or past theirsexual peak? How old are they? Are the femalesmuch older than the males, or vice-versa? Arethey approximately the same size? Do they havethe correct ratio of males to females, such as atleast one of each? (Sometimes it is impossible tobe sure!) Maybe they simply need a change ofpartners.

Are the fish eating a variety of foods? Havethey grown while in your care? Are they active,curious, peaceful, or aggressive, as is typical of

their species? These are all indicators of theirhealth. What about tankmates? (You might wantto consider putting the shell dwellers and themollies into separate tanks!) When it comes tobreeding, one species per tank is usually best.

How closely have you looked at the water?Do your fish have enough water, or maybe eventoo much? (They could actually lose sight of oneanother.) What does it smell like? I can’t think ofany circumstances when it should smell likeanything at all. If it does, then you need to find outwhy. Is it moving when it should be still, or stillwhen it should be moving?

There are only two types of filters suitablefor use in a breeding tank; sponge filters andsponge filters. Even though they are not a naturalpart of freshwater landscapes, for whatever reason,

v i r t u a l l y a l lfreshwater fish seemto ignore the presenceof a sponge in theirtank. These filters do,of course, supply thesame benefits in abreeding tank as theydo in all aquariums.These benefits includean excellent source ofbiological filtration,as well as a supply ofmicroorganisms forfish of all sizes, butmost especially fry, tofeed on. In a breedingtank, the velocity of

water circulation can have an effect on the parent’sbehavior, and even more of an effect on the eggsand/or fry. You wouldn’t want to delete filtrationcompletely, but in a breeding situation, less isprobably more, so a simple thing to try might be toclose the valve from the air pump just a tad.

What about the temperature of the water?I have read enough books on tropical fish topics toconfidently offer the opinion that this is the singlemost influential element of the breedingenvironment. But don’t take your book’s word forwhat temperature is best for the species you areworking with; experiment a little bit! A fewdegrees up or down might make all the difference.What could be simpler than that?

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)10 November 201018 November 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

It must be a full moon!

Some books say that when the atmosphericpressure drops, as it does during a storm, manyfish feel the urge to reproduce. Perhaps you haveobserved this phenomenon yourself. Other bookssay that some fish are waiting for the “rainyseason.” What time of year does the rainy seasonarrive in your fishroom? Sooner or later thepressure will drop, and you might even be home atthe time. If you are, you can combine the two“stimuli.” You could try pouring aged water (no“acid rain” allowed) on the surface of your tank(s)while the thunder is booming, using a watering canwith a sprinklerhead. Natureknows best!

H a v e y o ucons ide red theinfluences of thesubstrate on yourbreeders? Gravel;fine or course, darkor light. It couldturn out to be asimple matter ofp e r s o n a lpreference, and notduplicating the colorof the bottom of thatstream bed in SriLanka where your fish were spawned, which putsthem in the mood. Perhaps a change of colorscheme is worth a try.

A lot of aquarists prefer a bare floor in theirbreeding tanks. They make this choice because itis easier to see the eggs and/or fry. Thisarrangement also makes it easier to keep the tankclean. All of that is fine for us people, but the fishcould be freaked out by this, especially if they areused to a substrate in their “home” tank. How so?The last thing a fish expects to see when it looksdown is the pale abdomen of another fish (theydon’t know that they are looking at a reflection ofthemselves). That is the usual view they have ofanother fish when they look up at it from beneath.(What effect would vertigo have on your spawningactivities?) If you do opt for a bare floor, you maywant to consider obstructing the view of the tankbelow, if there is one.

How about plants? Have you chosen themto your liking, or in the likelihood that they willsuit the preferences of the fish? Hmmm! If youhave included plants, then once again, less mayactually be more when it comes to light, as innature many fish spawn at dawn or dusk. Takingthis into consideration, you may want to chooseplants with low light requirements. Floating plantswith dangling roots, such as Salvinia, may set justthe right atmosphere of privacy and subdued light.If there are no plants in the breeding tank, then youmay not need to provide any lighting at all.

These are just afew ideas for simplechanges you mightwant to try when yourfish aren’t as interestedin earning BAP pointsas you are. Whatspecies of fish you arekeeping, what materialsyou have available toyou, and most of all,what your experienceshave already taughtyou, will be your bestguide. Being thec r e a t i v e a n da d v e n t u r e s o m e

aquarists that you are, I’m sure that each of youwill find the winning combination!

I would suggest that you try one simplechange at a time. This way if a spawning followssoon thereafter, you will know what the triggerwas, and you will be able to duplicate thecircumstances in the future. So, you have switched partners, tweaked thetemperature, added some dark gravel, and fedtreats to your fish, as well as applied a couple ofsecret techniques of your own divination, all to noavail. When nothing else has worked, then try thesimplest thing of all. Do the biggest water changethat you dare, and I suppose it couldn’t hurt if youtried it on the night of a full moon. Good luck!


How Not to BreedCorydoras sterbai

by Joseph Ferdenzi

No, our esteemed Editor did not make a typo in the title of this article. This story is indeed about how not to breed this particular fish.

You are always reading articles about how to breed fish, and they are valuable, but this article also has a valuable lesson that I’d like to pass on to you.

Once upon a time, I received a group of six Corydoras sterbai. This is one of the prettiest in the Corydoras genus, and therefore a very desirable fish. Corydoras are very peaceful and small. Hence, they are ideal aquarium fish. So when you have a species as pretty as sterbai, they become very sought-after.

My group began to spawn in 2007, and did so repeatedly. I had them in a 15 gallon tank all by themselves. The only thing I seemingly had to do was feed them well, and in a day or two I would find eggs, singly or in pairs, attached to various places on the glass (sometimes a few could be found on the leaves of the Anubias barteri plants in the tank). The temperature was in the steady 75°F range, and my water changes did not coincide with the spawnings.

They spawned fairly regularly from 2007 through 2008; sometime in 2009 they began to go into a hiatus. Why this happened I’m not sure, because I changed nothing in the tank (except for the normal water changes). This did not alarm me, because they had previously produced so many eggs that I just figured they needed a rest.

In the latter part of 2009, at a meeting of the Long Island Killifish Association, I bought a pair of magnificent Berlin swordtails (a variety of Xiphophorus helleri) that had been donated to the auction by Anton Vukich (brother of Ed, and also a member of Greater City). For those of you who are not familiar with the fish, I can best describe it as an almost metallic all-black swordtail with blue highlights on top, and saffron colored fins. Most interestingly, they produce two differently colored fry: all-black and all-red (and I mean vivid red). Bred and raised by a master hobbyist like Anton, these specimens were spectacular! The only problem after I acquired them was where to house them in my fishroom.

Corydoras sterbai nibbling on tablet food in their 15 gallon tank.


I decided that the 15 gallon tank with the sterbai was most suitable, and so in they went. They got along fine with the catfish. After awhile, I started to get some fry from the swordtails, but not enough, to my mind. I reasoned that I wasn’t finding more fry because they didn’t have enough places to hide (the swordtail parents are large, aggressive feeders, and unfortunately that includes eating their own fry). So, after awhile, I made the decision to move them to a 20 gallon (long) tank that was full of Java moss (perfect for providing hiding places for fry), but that contained no other fish.

Well, within a week of moving the swordtails, I spotted eggs on the glass of the sterbai tank. I collected about thirty eggs. About a week later (while I’m writing this), I found another dozen. Other than

removing the swordtails, I had not done anything special to promote the catfish to spawn. So, the only conclusion I could draw from this was that it was not a good idea to have large (three to four inch), aggressive fish like swordtails in the Corydoras tank if I want to find eggs. Therefore, the lesson to be learned is that, if you do not want to spawn sterbai, keep them in the same aquarium with fish that will eat their eggs!

Humor aside, this lesson could actually be applied to many fish. While community aquariums are delightful visually (and I have several), they are not ideal if your intent is to spawn fish. My experiences have convinced me that it is best to keep most species by themselves if you want to succeed in having (and raising) fry.

Photos by the author.

A pair of Xiphophorus helleri (Berlin strain), male at bottom, in their 20 gallon long tank with much Java Moss.

Another view of C. Sterbai feeding on algae wafers.


Adopt a Pet!by Warren Feuer

It is very much in vogue these days to bring home a rescue pet. These pitiful, mostly abused and abandoned creatures have been taken from the

beasts in puppy mills and dog fight clubs, or collected by the good souls that pick up strays from the various places that they have been found. We are constantly being presented with pictures, articles, and news stories featuring adorable puppies, kittens, dogs, and cats that need homes before they (gasp!!) have to be euthanized because we can’t provide homes and support enough to feed and care for them. And these are the mostly healthy ones; the saddest of all are the physically abused creatures that have been maimed and otherwise tortured, and are missing eyes, ears, legs, tails, and so on.

While I am not going to get on a soapbox or preach on these issues, I consider the people who do this to helpless animals to be criminals, who should be punished to the fullest measure possible.

I guess to some extent we have the football player Michael Vick to thank for this media attention; his actions and behavior were, in my opinion, a disgrace. I don’t really care to hear about how he grew up with this all around him. The way he treated those animals was abominable, and he was not punished enough, though he now seems to have been forgiven by most. Sorry, not by me. Anyway, as I stated, I am not here to preach.

I can tell you that we in the Feuer family have recently adopted a rescue kitten, one who was born in a car repair shop in Queens, New York, and who has, in very short time, become a beloved and precious part of our family.

But this is a fish magazine, right? So where, you may well ask, am I going with this? Well, there are creatures in our hobby that need to be rescued as well.

Have you ever considered the fate of the unfortunate carnival goldfish? Those little gems that are presented in small bowls that daddies, older siblings, and boyfriends try to win by tossing ping pong balls into their bowls so that they can be placed in a plastic bag and brought home? Yes, they are essentially feeders, the most unfortunate, doomed and most meaningless sacrifice of all. But forget feeders; that’s not what I am here to write about. They do not have a chance.

But what about those carnival goldfish? Once brought home, they usually end up in a bowl, vase, small tank, or sometimes they go right into the toilet bowl. Well, I am here to tell you a story about one

such fish, and how she was rescued. I am not sure if the subject of this article is actually a he or a she, but since my daughter named her “Juliet” I will refer to the fish as she.

In September of 2009, my daughter brought home a fish that her boyfriend had won for her at a local carnival (truth is, they are no longer called carnivals, but instead festivals; however, there are the same rides, booths, food vendors and other items that were the elements of a carnival.) My daughter proudly showed me her prize, which I of course knew was doomed. When I asked what she was going to keep the fish in, my wife, who I did not know was a fish expert, enlightened me to the fact that the fish could be kept in a bowl, as her sister had done, and that it would be fine. Of course, as we shall soon see, I knew differently, and attempted to identify the necessary actions to keep the fish alive. I donated a 5 ½ gallon tank, and told my daughter that the water would have to be changed several times a week, and the fish fed sparingly.

At first that worked. Goldfish are amazingly hardy, and can survive a great degree of abuse and neglect, and actually grow in those meager conditions. Then, the inevitable outcome when one adds a pet to a teenager’s life began to occur; the water changes became less frequent, the feedings less often and the general neglect and ignoring increased. Once the fish outgrew the 5 ½ gallon tank and needed a bigger home, the lack of a filter and the need to change water several times a week caused the effort to become too great.

One day, I found the fish tank on the counter in the bathroom. When I asked why, I was told by the “fish expert” (my wife, as you may recall) that both she and my daughter attributed the “smell” in my daughter’s room to the fish. Not the clothes that were lying on the floor for two weeks, or the dishes of half-eaten food that were strewn about the room. It had to be the fish. As my daughter prepared to head out for the day, Mr. Meanie (yours truly, of course), let her know in no uncertain terms that she could not leave the house until Juliet’s tank was cleaned. Well, at least she was using Stress Coat when she changed the water. That much I insisted upon. The truth is, I refused to play much of a role in this adventure, especially after my wife notified me that I did not know what I was talking about when it came to goldfish care. Who knew I was that ignorant?

Juliet’s care improved a bit for a short while (at any rate, there were no more abandonments on the bathroom counter!) until Thanksgiving weekend, when


I found Juliet and her tank on the dining room table. I was notified that once again, the odor in my daughter’s room had been blamed on the fish tank. “What is going to happen to the fish now?” I asked, after it was left there for several days. My wife just shrugged and said that it could stay there for all she cared. In other words, my daughter had accepted responsibility for the care of the fish and then gotten tired of doing it, and now, if the fish languished there until all the water evaporated, neither one of them cared.

Well, I have to tell you that I rarely get to say “I told you so” in my house, but I could not resist the opportunity this time! Especially since my wife had let me know that she knew how to care for a goldfish, and that my guidelines were above and beyond what was required. I think the term she used was “anal.”

Fortunately for Juliet, there was an empty 10 gallon tank in my fishroom. It had been functioning as a quarantine tank, but, I knew that without it this poor creature was doomed to a long, slow death, and I could not stand by and watch that happen. By now the poor fish was almost entirely white, with none of its original gold coloring anywhere to be seen. I have since been told that the poor water conditions caused this to occur.

Well, like my wonder rescue kittie, Juliet is doing just fine now, thank you. Though she will never be gold again, there are red highlights throughout her

body and fins. She is about five or six inches long, and swims happily about in her home. In fact, she is a great help to me in that, because I have one tank that has a rather healthy population of duckweed, every several months I harvest the duckweed, and Juliet gets a treat that she makes very short work of. I don’t know if she will need a bigger home, but, if she does, I will find room for her in my fishroom once again.

So, the next time you find yourself at a fair, carnival, or whatever it may be called, and see a bunch of goldfish in cups or bowls, why not rescue one and take it home with you? They really are quite easy to take care of, and you will be doing something that will make you feel good about yourself.

The Editor’s rescue carnival goldfish, “Jaws.”Photo by Marsha Radebaugh.


GCASThanks You!

our generous sponsors and advertisersThe Greater City Aquarium Society extends our heartfelt thanks to the following manufacturers for their generous donations. Thanks also to our advertisers, whose contributions to our success as a Society are deeply appreciated. Please patronize our supporters.

Rena Rolf C. Hagen San Francisco Bay BrandSeachemZoo Med Laboratories Inc.Cameo Pet Shop Coral AquariumNassau DiscusWorld Class AquariumZoo Rama Aquarium

Aquarium PharmaceuticalsAquarium Technology Inc Ecological Laboratories HBH Pet ProductsKoller-CraftKordon, LLCMarinelandMicrobe LiftOcean Nutrition AmericaOmega SeaRed Sea


My Experiences with A Wild Original From Mexico

by Jules Birnbaum

No, it’s not a woman. I’m too old for that. It’s a swordtail. The Montezuma swordtail’s scientific name is Xiphophorus (translation:

bearing a sword―but it refers to the gonopodium, not the caudal fin) montezumae. The family is Poecillidae, which are live-bearing tooth carps.

Native to the Rio Panuco in Mexico, this fish is described by Dr. Herbert Axelrod in his 1971 edition of the Handbook of Tropical Aquarium Fish, as “the dull little creature,” and he goes on to describe it as “drab, olive-green”. He also stated that there are not too many around. The fish is also described elsewhere as the true wild swordtail. In his Tropical Fish as a Hobby, Dr. Axelrod asserts that the swordtail has another feature that adds to its popularity, that is, it’s desirability to be used in hybridization experiments.

Dr. Myron Gordon (1899-1959), an expert on the Xiphophorus, used them extensively in cancer research as well as hybridization. He wrote many articles and booklets for TFH Publications. During the research for this article I found out how important the pure Xiphophorus is to cancer research in 2010. To find out more about this interesting subject go to the web site, xiphophorus.txstate.edu.

These livebearers make good community fish, but keep in mind that they are good jumpers, so cover your tank. This true wild fish is where many of today’s swordtails came from. The Montezuma sword is considered by many experts to be where it all began. The fish you see being sold today are many generations removed from this original.

In 2009 I picked up four juvenile Montezuma swordtails from Joe Ferdenzi, who acquired his from the famous rainbow fish expert, Gary Lange. The true X. montezumae is not commonly seen at our auctions or in local pet shops. I took a look at Aquabid (on the internet) to see what kind of prices they bring, but did not see any for sale. My feeling is that the pure montezumae is a rare fish.

These fish were a welcome addition to my new fishroom, which has approximately 20 tanks,

ranging in size from 5 to 45 gallons. The only other livebearers in the room are black guppies and Endler’s livebearers.

After growing these four fish out, I learned that what I unfortunately had were four females. Breeders report that some of these fish can develop male characteristics (the gonopodium and the sword) when they seem to be mature adults. However, no sword appeared on any of my four fish.

I asked Joe if he had a young male available, and I was able to acquire one of his. A wonderful feature

of the male is the very long sword tail, which can be even longer than the body of the male.

Now I had what I needed to work with these fish. The four females and the male were placed in a 20 gallon high, with plenty of najas, Java moss, and Java fern to give any fry the cover they needed to survive.

Filtration was provided by a large round box filter, and water changes of 25% were performed once per week, at which time I also cleaned the bottom of the tank. The gravel was only a one inch layer. The plants I used did not need more than that, and it made cleaning the bottom easier. In fact, the way the tank was set up I did not need any substrate. Whenever possible, aged water was used for the changes.

The temperature was kept at 76 degrees F. The pH was on the acid side (6.2), and the general hardness on the high side. I did nothing special to the water to achieve these parameters. This is interesting because some authorities say the pH should be slightly alkaline, at 7.0 to 7.4. Neither did I use salt as some suggest. I must report that there is certain amount of misinformation out there on the internet, so be careful. I don’t trust the authority who insists that it’s his or her way or it’s wrong.

Starting about a month before the first fry appeared, I fed the parents each day―dry food in the morning and black worms in the evening. There was one large albino bristlenose catfish in the tank that handled the cleanup. This is not a catfish article, but a few corys or a bristlenose in a livebearer’s tank can’t

NY Strain from Capuchin collecting area.Photo by Gary Lange


hurt anything, and might help clean up after all the heavy feeding you are doing to encourage the parents to breed. Snails also can help.

About three weeks ago I noticed approximately ten fry, and decided to leave the fry and parents together. The fry congregated near the surface, while the parents stayed below in the heavy plants. Last week I noticed another 20 or so smaller fry, which indicated to me that the male was servicing more than one female.

I fed the fry fine dry food in the morning and brine shrimp in the afternoon. (Afternoon? What do you expect? I’m retired!) They are growing fast, and my plan is to let some grow out in another 20 gallon tank populated with young Aspidoras catfish, while

the rest will stay for now with the parents. I have the feeling there is going to be a greater ratio of females to males; at least this is what some local swordtail breeders report.

In writing this article I have tried to tell a little of my personal experiences with this fish. If you decide to acquire some, I encourage you to supplement your knowledge by reading other available material as well.

It’s a wonderful fish! Why take a substitute when you can have one of the swordtails that started it all?

Rio Tamosopo, blue strain.Photo by Gary Lange.

From Capuchin area.Photo by Gary Lange.

Member Classifieds

EQUIPMENT:

1 Eheim 2217 Canister filter $1251 Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel HOB Power Filter $301 Coralife Turb Twist 18 watt with 3 extra (never used) UV bulbs $501 Coralife Superskimmer 125w/ pump $1002 Solarmax 36” HO double-T5Lighting System w/Moonlight $159 ea (new)All nearly new, in original boxes. Call (631) 563-1404------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------155 gallon All-Glass Tank setup for sale. Asking $60.00. Includes dual 2’ canopies, aqueon heater, emperor 400 biowheel filter, penn plax metal stand, stick-on thermometer. Setup is less than a year old. Must pick up in Bayside, Queens. Call Tommy 718-423-8995 cell: 516-672-0176------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Filters:Eheim 2076 (for tanks up to 90 gallons) $200Marineland C-160 (tanks up to 30 gallons) $50Call Temes: 718-468-1569

18 November 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

MA ClAssiCsA few days ago I received an email from the daughter of one of our former members, containing a very hearwarming story—one of both tragedy and inspiration, and ultimately of thanksgiving. It also contained this article, which I am delighted to include in our series showcasing articles from past issues of Modern Aquarium. I’ll begin with the email itself; the article follows on the following pages.

My father, John Cillo, was a member of your society back in the late 60s and early 70s, until his death in 1975. In the April, 1973 issue of Modern Aquarium there was a story written about my dad (see attachment). Fast-forward 37 years; I work in the

corporate office of Barnes & Noble. I have worked for this company for 20 years in various positions, starting in the Corporate Office, moving out of the Corporate Office to a District Office, and just four years ago returning to the Corporate Office.

During the past four years Terri Kenny, a co-worker who sits only a stone’s throw away from me, brought up the fact that her mom had written a book about her sister, who was hit by a truck some 40 years ago. I told her I wanted to read the book, so she brought it in. Reading the jacket of the book, I noticed that it mentioned that her mom (the author) had contributed to articles in Modern Aquarium.

I never thought it could be the same publication, but I mentioned that I had come across an issue of Modern Aquarium at my brother’s house after he had recently passed away. She told me that her dad had over 100 fish tanks in their basement when she was growing up. With my mouth hanging open I said, “So did my dad!” After comparing many details we realized our fathers had belonged to the same society, attended many of the same meetings, and were both even judges at many shows.

Talk about a small world! Well, that night as soon as I got home I ran to get the issue of Modern Aquarium in which the write-up about my dad had appeared. I immediately looked to see if either of her parents names were listed, and sure enough―there on the first page it listed her parents as Staff Members. But it didn’t end there; when I opened the page to my father’s article, whom do you think I found had written and photographed my dad’s story? Well, sure enough, it was Terri’s dad, Dan Carson!

Who would believe that we probably had met 40-some odd years ago, and that we would end up working together? But more than that, I find that God works in mysterious ways. When my dad passed away I vividly remember exactly what Terri’s mom wrote in a sympathy card to my mom, and I remember not only because it was so touching, but also because I have often used those same words to comfort others who have suffered a loss. Well, here it is 40 years later, and my brother and his wife and mother-in-law were recently killed in an accident, and Terri is now comforting me in my loss.

I just had to share this story with you and I hope you too are inspired by it as I was.

Linda (Cillo) Suppa


20 November 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)



GCAS Happenings November

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:

GREATER CITY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: december 8, 2010Speaker: NoneEvent: Annual Holiday PartyMeets: First Wednesday of the month (except January &

February) at 7:30pm: the december meeting will be at the Palace diner 6015 Main street - Flushing, NY Contact: dan radebaugh (718) 458-8437E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

BIG APPLE GUPPY CLUBMeets: Last tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July,

and august) at 7:30-10:00pm. alley Pond environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

BROOkLYN AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: November 12, 2010Speaker: Pat donstonTopic: Reef Care Conflicts - Who is Right?Meets the 2nd Friday of the month (except July and august)

at 7:30pm: NY aquarium - education hall, Brooklyn, NYCall: Bas events hotline: (718) 837-4455Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

LONG ISLAND AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: November 19, 2010Speaker: Kathy CardineauTopic: Reefer MadnessMeets: 3rd Fridays (except July and august) 8:00pm. greenhouse Meeting room, holtsville ecology Center,

Buckley road, holtsville, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]: http://liasonline.org/

EAST COAST GUPPY ASSOCIATIONMeets: 2nd tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm. alley Pond environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

NASSAU COUNTY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: November 9, 2010Speaker: Jeff BollbachTopic: Selling Fish on AquabidMeets: 2nd tuesday of the month (except July and august)

at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg hall ~1000 hempstead ave -

rockville Centre, NYContact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

NORTH JERSEY AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: November 18, 2010Speaker: dr Joy hey Topic: Cichlids of Lake MalawiMeets: 7:30 PM Lyndhurst elks Club, 251 Park avenue,

Lyndhurst, NJ 07071Contact: NJas hotline at (732) 332-1392e-mail: [email protected]: http://www.njas.net/

NORWALk AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: November 18, 2010Speaker: eric Cline Topic: Poison Dart FrogsMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd thursday of each month at:

earthplace - the Nature discovery Center - Westport, CtContact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NasE-mail: [email protected]: http://norwalkas.org/

Last Month’s Bowl show Winners:1 Harry Faustmann Fundulopanchax gardneri

2 William amely Orange gOld Betta

3 al Priest Female WHite Betta splendens

unOFFicial 2010 BOWl sHOW tOtals tO date:al Priest 22 mariO BengciOn 18 rOBert Hamje 10 Harry Faustmann 6

William amely 6 ricHard Waizman 1

A speciAl wArm welcome to new member intAkAb DAwooD!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) November 2010 23Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2010 17

In spite of popular demand to thecontrary, this humor and informationcolumn continues. As usual, it doesNOT necessarily represent theopinions of the Editor, or of theGreater City Aquarium Society.

Figure 2: Think about trying to net out oneparticular fish from these connected globes!

Figure 4: if you work in an office cubicle, youalready know it often feels like a fish tank.

Someone just removed the cubical walls andthe sides of all those desk aquariums to make

one big long desk and one big long tank!Figure 1: A fish double bowl “racetrack.”

Figure 3: This is not an optical illusion.It’s called an “infinity aquarium.”

The More theMerrier

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Acommon question aquarium hobbyists areasked (and ask each other) is “how manyaquariums do you have?” That question

used to be easy to answer. Not necessarily anymore, now that tanks are merging together. What,you haven’t heard about this? Well, look at thesephotos and you’ll see what I mean.

Photos:

Figure 1http://www.thisnext.com/item/E3F04B85/7DF4BCA8/Macef-Award-Winning-Fishbowl

Figure 2http://www.thisnext.com/item/87429328/A429A992/Luxury-Aquariums

Figure 3http://www.thisnext.com/item/EB504CDE/EFA26379/INFINITY-AQUARIUM

Figure 4http://www.urlesque.com/2010/06/03/29-crazy-unique-fish-tanks/


24 November 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Fin FunMany species of fish can be acclimated to survive in water conditions differing from those in their placesof origin. But, to see them in their best colors and to maximize the chances they will spawn in youraquarium, matching the water parameters of their native habitat is your best course of action. One of themost important factors is pH. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, a lower pH is acidic (“sour”), and a higher pH isalkaline (“sweet”). See if you can identify the pH range of the native waters for the fish listed below.

Fish Acid Neutral Alkaline

Cardinal Tetra

Firemouth Cichlid

Marbled Hatchetfish

Black Molly

Celebes Rainbowfish

Dubois Tropheus

Lemon Cichlid

Madagascar Rainbowfish

Clown Loach

Dwarf GouramiSource: Tullock, John - Freshwater Aquarium Models

Answer to our last puzzle:

Common name Scientific name Nationality

Amazon Swordplant Echinodorus amazonicus SA

Hornwort Ceratophyllum demersum WW

Banana Plant Nymphoides aquatica NA

Dwarf Anubias Anubias nana AF

Giant Bacopa Bacopa caroliniana NA

Dwarf Bacopa Bacopa monnieri WW

Duckweed Lemna minor WW

Java Moss Vesicularia dubyana AS

Water Fern Bolbitis heudelotii AF

Salvinia Salvinia auriculata WW

Red Cabomba Cabomba furcata SA

Documents

Modern Aquarium November 2010