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2007 recount that when an
eminent Thai fish exporter first
shared photos of this fish on the
internet in 2006, some aquarists
were skeptical and thought the
photos to be Photoshopped
jokes. The beauty of this so-
called “galaxy rasbora” seemed
too good to be true.
But the joke was on the skeptics
when within weeks, live speci-
mens became available for sale.
Eventually, a shipment of speci-
mens was sent to Tyson Rob-
erts, a research associate of the
Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute.
cont’d on page 4
new species.
I was stunned to see this
luxurious combination of colors
— gold spots upon dark teal, fins
trimmed with bright strawberry-
red. And this bombastic name —
galaxy rasbora — seemed so au-
dacious for a tiny fish that could
barely stretch across a U.S. nickel
coin (0.8 inches/2.1 cm).
It was an unbelievably beautiful
fish. And as it turns out, many
people did not believe it was a
real fish either, at first.
A Practical Fishkeeping article
from 2010 and a Tropical Fish
M a g a z i n e a r t i c l e f r o m
Volume 58, Issue 9 November 11, 2014
A Representative from Northfin
Fish foods, will be at this
months meeting.
Celestial Pearl Danio
(Danio margaritatus)
2013.06.07 · by younglandis ·
in Actinopterygii, Cyprinifor-
mes, Freshwater Fish. ·
Danio margaritatus, the
celestial pearl danio, is a small
cyprinid from Burma. (Image
Credit: TropicalFiskKeep-
ing.com)
Sometimes, a fish can
simply leave you speech-
less. Leaving you to simply
mutter, “Wow.” That was my
reaction when I saw the photo
above.
While I was writing the
recent post on hitch (Lavinia
exilicauda), I searched Google
to look up the smallest mem-
bers of the Family Cyprinidae.
This photo and the words
“galaxy rasbora” popped up in
one of my search returns.
I had been out of the aquarium
fish hobby for quite a few years,
and apparently, I have been
missing out on some incredible
London Aquaria Society
www.londonaquariasociety.com
President
Ron Bishop….……………........519-457-7907
Vice-President
Dorothy Reimer………….…....519-438-7682
Treasurer/C.A.R.E.S. Rep.
Annette Bishop...……...….......519-457-7907
Member at Large
Derek Tucker………….…...…....519-639-1183
Jennifer McNaughton……...…..519-719-8546
Nancy Egelton…………..……..519-666-2778
Secretary / Correspondence
Sharon MacDonald…………....519-453-0094
sharonmacdonald62@gmailcom
Membership Chair
Nancy Drummond………....….519-644-2753
Library
James & Margaret Kelly…….....519-681-0717
B.A.P./H.A.P.
Stephen Gregson………...…..…519-649-5019
Newsletter Editor
Lorraine Gregson…..................519-649-5019
Monthly Jar Show
Sarah Lee………………….…....519-686-3473
Advertising
Bob Steele……………....……...519-473-5648
Auction Chair
Jennifer McNaughton……...…..519-719-8546
C.A.O.A.C. Representative
London Aquaria Society
November 11, 2014: A Representative from Northfin
Fish foods, will be at this months meeting.
Table of Contents
Our Unsung Hero’s……………..…………………………….…...2
President’s Message……..….…...…………….......………….…..3
Celestial Pearl Danio………….…………………………………...4
Green Laser Cory...…………………………………………….….7
Breeding the Sailfin Goodeid……...……………………………..9
November Puzzle………………………………………………….11
Jar Show Results…………………………………………………..12
Monthly Jar Show Categories……………………………………13
Aquariums Beautiful...…………………………………………….13
October C.A.O.A.C. Report……………………………………..15
September C.A.O.A.C. Report……………………………….....18
C.A.O.A.C. Events Calendar…………………………………….19
Page 2 London Aquaria Society
President
Ron Bishop….…..…........519-457-7907
Vice-President
Nancy Egelton……….….519-666-2775
Treasurer/C.A.R.E.S. Rep.
Annette Bishop.....….......519-457-7907
Members at Large
Derek Tucker………..…....519-639-1183
Jennifer McNaughton…..519-719-8546
Nancy Egelton…………..519-666-2778
Secretary / Correspondence
Sharon MacDonald……..519-453-0094
sharonmacdonald62@gmailcom
Membership Chair
Nancy Drummond……..519-644-2753
Library
James & Margaret Kelly…519-681-0717
B.A.P./H.A.P.
Stephen Gregson……...…519-649-5019
Newsletter Editor
Lorraine Gregson….........519-649-5019
Monthly Jar Show
Sarah Lee…………..….....519-686-3473
Advertising
Bob Steele……....……....519-473-5648
Auction Chair
Jennifer McNaughton…..519-719-8546
C.A.O.A.C. Representative
Annette Bishop…............519-457-7907
Website
Eric Geissinger……...…….519-672-9168
Unsung Hero’s of the
London Aquaria Society
Over the years there have been so many Members who
have given up some of their time to help run our club, never
asking for anything in return. This year, I hope to mention
some of those Members to tell them how much we appreciate
what they do for us.
I’m not sure how long Dave has been with the club but
I’m sure he’s been around at lease since Stephen and I got back
into the hobby.
All I know is that when it comes to our General and
Yearly Auctions, he’s always there to help the club out.
Thanks Dave
The London Aquaria Society is a non-profit
organization, established in June 1956. Its main ob-
jective is to promote interest in breeding and raising
tropical fish and also to provide a means through
which hobbyists may exchange ideas, gain informa-
tion and display their fish, sharing them in the public
in the London Area.
Advertising Rates
Business Card……………….……$25.00
1/4 page…………………….…….$40.00
1/2 page…………….…………….$75.00
Full Page…………………..……..$125.00
Rates apply for a year coverage totaling 10
issues of our Newsletter. Articles in this publication
may be reprinted provided full credit is given to the
Author, the London Aquaria Society and 2 copies of
the published bulletin or magazine in which the article
appears, is to be mailed to:
London Aquaria Society
P.O. Box 45010, RPO Fairmont
London, Ontario N5W 1A3
London Aquaria Society Page 3
Please Support
Southwestern Pet Centre
1641 Dundas Street
London, Ontario
They support us!!!
519-451-7279
Mon-Wed: 10am-8pm
Thurs & Fri: 10am-9pm
Sat: 10am-6pm
Sun:10am-5pm
Presidents Message
Stewart Groenveld May he Rest in Peace
A member of the London Aquaria Society passed away on October 28th,
with friends by his side. Not only was
he a hobbyist, he always had a great smile and a deep compassion for all of his loves. He was a friend to many and he
will be greatly missed by all he touched during his time on earth. His funeral service will be on the 8th of November at
Forest Lawn Cemetery, with Visitation from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. with the service starting at 2:00. Come out and
share your thoughts about Stewart with the rest of us. His battle is over now and he can Rest in Peace. Our prayers are
with him and his family.
A special thanks to John Swick for a wonderful talk he did on building an aquarium and about the different re-
quirements needed to do the proper job and the different glass that is out there. Very interesting and I think he has
stirred more interest in that part of the hobby. He had a few people worried about his gentle handling of the glass. A
great job, thanks again John.
We have Northfin Fish Foods coming to do a talk for us on meeting night. They seem to be all over the place
getting their new product on the shelves in a lot of our favourite fish stores. I trust this will be very educational for all of
us. They also donate to our Auctions and Fish show in the spring and fall.
The Jar Show this month will be Cichlids (substrate spawners like angels, kribensis and mouth brooding cichlids)
as well as our open and plant class. We also have a Novice Egg layers Fish Class for the November meeting. This is for
the newer people to the club to try their hand at showing fish.
As always, we will have the auction. Please bring out your extra fish and plants, Who knows, you may pick up a
bargain or two. Remember November 11th.
Ron Bishop
President
London Aquaria Society
Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus)
cont’d from front page
The specimens came from small pools near the town of Hopong, in the Shan State of
Myanmar (Burma), about 3,420 feet (1,040 m) in elevation.
Roberts would describe the fish as a new genus and species, Celestichthys margaritatus — which
means “a heavenly fish adorned with pearls” (Roberts
2007).
Roberts also suggested that “celestial pearl danio” be
used as the English name, owing to his analysis that the
new fish was more closely related to danios, a known
group of cyprinid species, rather than rasboras, another
group of cyprinid species.
The stunning colors of Danio margaritatus, whose
specific name translates as “adorned with pearls”. (Image
Cred i t : unknown; sou rced f rom h t tp : / /
www.myfishtank.net)
A 21.2 mm mature male (ZRC 50706) that
served as the holotype specimen used to describe
the new species Celestichthys margaritatus, later
renamed Danio margaritatus.
(Image Credit: Kamphol Udomritthiruj,
published in Roberts 2007)
A 20.5 mm mature female (ZRC 50707) used as
the paratype specimen used to describe
Celesichthys margaritatus, later renamed Danio
margaritatus. (Image Credit: Kamphol
Udomritthiruj, published in Roberts 2007)
London Aquaria Society Page 4
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Thanks Jack
Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus)
cont’d from page 4
The specimens came from small pools near the town of Hopong, in the Shan State of
Myanmar (Burma), about 3,420 feet (1,040 m) in elevation.
Roberts would describe the fish as a new genus and species, Celestichthys margaritatus — which
means “a heavenly fish adorned with pearls” (Roberts 2007). Roberts also suggested that “celestial
pearl danio” be used as the English name, owing to his
analysis that the new fish was more closely related to
danios, a known group of cyprinid species, rather than
rasboras, another group of cyprinid species.
The locale near Hopong, Myanmar, where the type
specimen of Danio margaritatus was collected. (Image
Credit: Kamphol Udomrittthiruj, published in Roberts
2007)
Roberts’ danio diagnosis proved to be more
accurate than he thought. In 2008, researchers at St.
Louis University in Missouri, United States, would
conduct additional analysis on the body structure and genetics of the celestial pearl danio. They found
it to be similar enough to known fish species in the genus Danio and not different enough to warrant
its own, unique genus, so they revised its name and classification to Danio margaritatus (Conway et
al. 2008). This name-change trivia finally gives me an example with which to explain a little detail
from the world of zoological taxonomy…
In each Better Know a Fish profile, I list the scientific name of the species at the end. But you
may have wondered why there is always a person’s name and year attached to that name. For
example, in this post you will find: Danio margaritatus (Roberts, 2007) Here, Roberts’ name is in
parentheses. But compare that to this: Acanthurus achilles Shaw, 1803 No parentheses around
Shaw’s name — which isn’t a typing error. So what do these names and parentheses mean?
When researchers come across a potentially new animal species, some measure of research has to be
done to declare it to be new. The new animal has to be examined and compared against specimens
of similar, known species, in order to determine where this species fits into human classifications of
known living things.
It is difficult work — imagine comparing the jaw bone shapes of these tiny danios. Once the
analysis is complete, the researchers will present the evidence in an article for publication in a
scientific journal. In the article, the researchers also have the privilege of proposing a two-part
scientific name (like Celestichthys margaritatus), and optionally, an English common name.
London Aquaria Society Page 5
London Aquaria Society Page 6
Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus)
cont’d from page 5
With that article, the species becomes officially “described” to the world of professional sci-
ence. The authors of that article also receive credit for describing and naming the new species, and by
taxonomic etiquette, whenever that species is mentioned in any future research articles for the first
time, the describing author and the year of description is written alongside its scientific name. Of
course, science is not static — it is a process through which evidence can always reexamined and new
findings determined. With any species, additional research may reveal evidence to suggest changes to
the original classification.
Here, researchers Kevin Conway, Wei-Jen Chen and Richard Mayden reexamined Celestichthys
margaritatus and determined that it really doesn’t warrant a new genus, and reclassified the species
as Danio margaritatus — and this has since become widely accepted as the appropriate designation.
But under zoological taxonomy rules, Roberts’ name will always be attached to the celestial pearl
danio, even if the species is reclassified yet again by another team. And to signify that the currently
accepted scientific name was the work of researchers after Roberts, Roberts’ name is now put in pa-
rentheses.
Keeping the original authors with each species helps future researchers look up the original de-
scription research, should they ever need to. Of course, the continued recognition of the original au-
thors isn’t so bad — describing a new species is
a big deal, and a handsome feather in any bi-
ologist’s cap.
Now compare this to Acanthurus achil-
les Shaw, 1803. No parentheses. This means
that no one has challenged (at least success-
fully) Shaw’s original assignment that the
Achilles tang belongs in the genus Acanthurus,
and that the name has never been changed
since Shaw’s original mention.
I should note that I have greatly
simplified the species description process here.
The official code of conduct — there is one —
has far more regalia and almost court-like pro-
cedures, steered by the International Commis-
sion on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) and
the International Union of Biological Sciences
(IUBS).
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Page 7 London Aquaria Society
Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus)
cont’d from page 6
One last t idbi t: There are no such etiquette or procedures for establishing English common names.
An aquarium store can choose to advertise Danio margaritatus as the “galaxy rasbora” or
“fireworks rasbora” or “celestial pearl danio” — which ever one sells better, I suppose, although
eventually, a name will stick in the public mindset or among professional enthusiasts.
Which name do I like? For me, I’ll probably just stick with “Wow” and keep on admiring….
Danio margaritatus (Roberts, 2007) Celestial Pearl Danio Click for name etymology (ETYFish Pro-
ject) Click for names in other languages (FishBase)
Class Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes) Order Cypriniformes (Carp-like Fishes)
Family Cyprinidae (Carps and Minnows) Fish Base Page: http://www.fishbase.org/summary/63298
Corydoras sp. "Green laser" - Green laser cory - cw009
By: Discus Eden http://www.aquariumlife.com
Published on 21-09-13-04:38 p.m.
Name: Scientific name: Corydoras sp. "Green laser" - Green laser cory Common name: green laser
Cory, green laser AKA: cw009
Country of origin: South America pH: 6.0 - 8.0 Temperature: 21 - 27c Hardness: 36 - 268 ppm
Water flow: low - standard Oxygenation: standard Maximum size: 7.5 cm
Diet: Live, frozen, flake & (sinking) pellet foods - they are omnivorous. They will eat leftover food
from other fish - earning their reputation as a clean-up crew - however they cannot live on this alone,
and will need their own sinking food. They also require clean substrate, so they cannot be left to
clean this themselves. Equally, they are not algae eaters.
Breeding: females - larger & rounder males
- slimmer & smaller
They breed best with a higher ratio
of males to females. The female will lay
about 4 eggs, then attach them, often to
glass in a high-flow area. They are egg eat-
ers, so either the adults or eggs should be
removed to another tank. The eggs are
prone to fungus, so can either be removed
if they fungus, treated to prevent it begin-
ning, or shrimp in the tank should remove
eggs affected with fungus.
Page 8 London Aquaria Society
Corydoras sp. "Green laser" - Green laser cory - cw009
cont’d from page 7
Tank companions: It will eat shrimplets, and probably adult shrimp. It is NOT recommended
to keep with shrimp. It goes well in most community tanks, with other peaceful tetras, cardinals,
hatchetfish, other species of corys and/or apistos. As with other fish, it will eat anything it can fit in its
mouth and equally it will be eaten by other fish much larger than it. This should be taken into ac-
count when choosing tankmates.
Tank size: A 2.5 ft tank is enough for a small group of 6.
Position in tank: It lives at the bottom of the tank. Although it is capable of swimming, it spends the
majority of its time skimming over the substrate. Because of this it should not be kept in tanks with
rough or sharp substrates (such as the AquaOne gravel range, which is made from crushed glass). It
will occasionally shoot to the surface to gulp air - this is not a matter for concern unless the water
quality/ oxygenation level is deteriorating, which will result in more frequent visits to the surface and
need to be addressed immediately. It will do well in either a heavily planted tank or a biotype - sand,
driftwood, lots of tannins. It could alternatively be kept in a tank with very large, round rocks. It re-
quires good water quality (achieved through frequent & regular water changes) & clean substrate. It is
a shoaling fish, and should be kept in a group of 6 or more.
It does not have scales, but 2 rows of bony plates instead. Medications should be adjusted accord-
ingly. They also have spiney pectoral fins, which can be caught in nets or sting if they pierce the flesh.
Take care when handling them. There are popular varieties available: albino - these may be difficult
to breed due to sterility issues. They may be almost blind due to in-breeding. red line black venezuela
- an adult which has taken the juvenile's colour due to stress from poor water quality/ light, etc These
species have been argued to be varieties of C. aeneus, but then have also been argues to be a (one)
separate species with varieties: gold laser green laser red laser/ neon red laser
There are some people who claim they
are albino C. aeneus which have been injected
with dye, however as they breed true to type
(see the links below), this does not appear to
be possible. This fish has an extremely large
range, and has previously been classified as a
number of different species, however appears
to be one. Due to its one range, there is some
variability in the phenotype, and it is some-
times sold according to its region - although
there are rarely wild-caught fish in the trade.
Page 9 London Aquaria Society
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4683 Sunset Road Phone: 519-782-4052
Port Stanley, Ontario N5L 1J4 Fax: 519-782-3139
www.moorewatergardens.com
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“Everything for the Water Gardening Enthusiast
10% Discount to all Club Members
Corydoras sp. "Green laser" - Green laser cory - cw009
cont’d from page 8
It is often confused with other corys - of the
180+ known, named & described species, plus the addi-
tional "C number" corys which have not been described.
A list of the more likely suspects for confusion is above.
All Corydoras spp. are legal imports to Australia as of
23/09/2013:h t tp : / /www.env i ronment .gov.au /
biodiv...mport-list.pdf The IUCN Red List reports C. sp.
"Green laser" as a species which has not been assessed yet,
at 19/10/2013:http://www.iucnredlist.org/search It is very
important not to release any aquarium specimens into our waterways. Any that are not sold or re-
homed/ given away, can often be re-sold to aquarium stores. If they are homed in ponds, care should
be taken that they cannot escape in run-off into our waterways. Even if fish are native & local they
should not be moved from one waterway to another, as this can transfer disease. If they are not local
fish, they can both spread disease and either out-compete or eat local fish, shrimp & plants, causing
their demise. It is a good fish for beginners.
Breeding the Sailfin Goodeid - Girardinichthis viviparous
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/mix/salifingoodeid.php
If you have well-kept, healthy Sailfin Goodeids, you should definitely consider breeding them
because this fish is critically endangered in the wild and should not be caught for the aquarium mar-
ket.
London Aquaria Society Page 10
When the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species classifies an animal as
Critically Endangered, it means that it is
facing an extremely high risk of extinction
in the wild in the immediate future. The
Giant Panda is for instance only listed as
Endangered, not Critically Endangered.
Sailfin Goodeid description: The female
Sailfin Goodeid can grow up to 2 ½
inches in length while the male stays
around 2 inches. The female Sailfin
Goodeid can easily be mistaken for sev-
eral other goodeid species since she has
no explicit characteristics that distinguish
her from them. The males have black
dorsal, caudal and anal fins, and sport a
dark longitudinal line through the body.
Sailfin Goodeid habitat and range: The
Sailfin Goodeids lives in canals, ponds,
pools and small lakes in Mexico. Its habi-
tats are located on the high plateau of
central Mexico and this fish can for in-
stance be found in ponds around Mexico
City. The temperature of these small bodies of
water can vary from nearly freezing tem-
peratures to over 30 degrees C.
Pairing Sailfin Goodeid: The
easiest method is to keep a group
of young Sailfin Goodeid to-
gether and let them form their
own pairs.
Breeding Sailfin Goodeid: The
aquarium should be well planted
with many suitable hiding spots.
Ideally include some floating
plants that will dim the light.
cont’d on page 12
London Aquaria Society Page 11
Aeneus
Albino
Ancistrus
Armored
Aspido-
ras
Banjo
Blue Eye
Botia
Bristle-
nose
Bronze
Bumble-
bee
Bushynose
Catfish
Clown
Coridoras
Dojo
Dotted
Elegans
Hillstream
Hoplo
Horseface
Jaguar
Kuhli
Matae
Panda
Pimelodella
Plecostomus
Pygmy
Royal
Sailfin
Sanchez
Sterbai
Synodontis
Vampire
Weather
Yoyo
Zebra
Zygatus
November Puzzle
London Aquaria Society Page 12
Name Month Fish Name Gift Certificate Sponsor
BEST IN SHOW
Bob Steele October L-205 Pleco Pet Paradise
Name Month Adult Fish Competition Ribbon
Jared Harris October Cyprinids Rasbora Red
Annette & Ron Bishop October Family Pygmaeus Corydora (Corydoras pygmaeus) Southwestern Pet Centre
Linda Chapman October Cyprinids White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) Blue
Bob Steele October Cyprinids Snakeskin Barb (Desmopuntius rhomboocellatus) White
Bob Steele October Cyprinids White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys albonubes)
Bob Steele October Cyprinids Hengeli Rasbora (Trigonostigma hengeli)
Bob Steele October open L-205 Pleco Red
Bob Steele October open Zebra Loach (Botia striata) Blue
Fred Cromb October open Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) White
Jennifer McNaughton October open Tequila Goodeid (Zoogoneticus tequila)
Jennifer McNaughton October open Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius)
Jennifer McNaughton October open Boesemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani)
Blake Gowenlock October open Discus (Symphysodon sp.)
Jared Harris October open Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara sp.)
Ron & Annette Bishop October Family Pygmaeus Corydora (Corydoras pygmaeus) Red
Ron & Annette Bishop October Family Spotted Dwarf Danio (Danio nigrofasciatus) Rlue
Bob Steele October Family Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) White
Adult Plant Competition
James Kelly October open Unknown - possibly Nesaea? Red
Fred Cromb October open Anubius lanceolata Blue
Breeding the Sailfin Goodeid - Girardinichthis viviparous
cont’d from page 10
A key element in coaxing the Sailfin Goodeid into spawning seems to be its diet.
Refrain from flake food and give your fish a lot of live meaty food instead, such
as brine shrimp and daphnia. Frozen brine shrimp has also been used successfully
in the past. Since Sailfin Goodeid live in ponds and pools in the wild, it can actually be a good idea to turn the
aquarium into a green water pool and cultivating large numbers of daphnia or similar directly in it.
Giving your Sailfin Goodeids their own aquarium without any other fish might also be beneficial, but more
research is necessary before we can know for sure whether or not this is the case. If you decide to set up a sepa-
rate fry raising aquarium, it should be filled with green water. Feed your fry daphnia and newly hatched brine
shrimp.
London Aquaria Society Page 13
Month Plant Aquatic Fish Categories Class
Category Animals
September open open fish Loaches, Suckers & Catfish (e.g. Corydoras, Brochis, Plecos ) My Favourite Fish
October open open fish Cyprinids (e.g. Goldfish, Koi, Barbs, Danios, Sharks, Rasboras,
White Clouds….)
November open open fish Cichlids-substrate spawning (e.g. Angels, Kribs, Rams….
- mouth-brooding (e.g., Aulonocara…)
December none none None - Due to Christmas Pot Luck -
January open open fish Guppies, (Fancy, Trinadadian...) Non-Fish
February open open fish Anabantids (e.g. Bettas, Gouramis, Paradise Bowl Beautiful
March open open fish Mollies, Platies, Swordtails Novelty Tank
April open open fish Characoids (Tetras, Hatchetfish, Silver Dollars...) Novice Livebearer
May open open fish My Favourite Fish (any type of fish) Pairs
June none none None due to Awards Night -
Family
Novice
Egglayer
AQUARIUM BEAUTIFUL
By: Dorothy Reimer, London Aquaria Society, June 2001
A beautifully planted aquarium is a fascinating eye-catcher
of beauty and movement. Plants present underwater pictures to
complement the fish. They serve as hiding places for small fry or
fish eggs and provide shelter for infusoria and important food for
fish in the early stages of growth.
When the aquarium is lit, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen as they photosynthesize. In the dark,
respiration accounts for the absorption of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide. So you see, lighting for twelve to
fourteen hours a day is important, as in nature, for good plant growth and colouration. Plants clean the water of some
of the waste materials from fish and fish food and convert this mulm to fertilizer, which is absorbed through the leaves
and the roots.
Water changes are also a very important factor in plant growth as well as fish growth and health. At least a
third of the water should be drained from the bottom of the tank weekly for it is the bottom of the tank where the re-
mains of food, excrement and mulm build up the heaviest.
When refilling the tank, be sure the water temperature is within a couple of degrees of the water in the aquar-
ium. Great variations in temperature tend to discourage plant growth to the point of disintegration. Should this occur,
leave the roots planted and new growth will probably appear in a month or so. You may or may not lose them. De-
bris should be siphoned off to discourage bacterial growth.
With the use of fluorescent lighting over the aquarium, you can control the amount and kind of light you re-
quire. I use two, 4 foot tubes over three 55 gallon tanks. One Gro-Lux or wide spectrum tube, accompanied by a cool
white bulb, suspended twelve to fourteen inches above the water seems best suited to my needs. Plants requiring more
light are planted in the middle of the aquarium, with those requiring less being planted in either of the side tanks.
Should you find an algae build up on your tanks, it is probably due to too much light.
Page 14 London Aquaria Society
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AQUARIUM BEAUTIFUL
cont’d from page 13
This can be controlled by raising the lights or by using floating plants to cut down on the light. A piece of Java
Moss anchored in the corner of the tank will also aide in algae control. Java Moss tends to grow quickly so
cutting it back may be necessary.
Most plants enjoy a 72 to 78 degree water temperature, although a few are more suited to cooler wa-
ter environments. The majority of aquarium plants do well in a pH of 6.8 - 7.8. In softer or harder water,
plants may not die but will not achieve proper growth.
Snails are rather important to plants. Mystery snails slither over leaves and clean them of food particles
and small algae and are an asset to a planted tank. Ramshorn, pond and many other varieties of snails, devour
leaves, especially the more delicate species of plants. Unwanted snails can be easily removed by scrunching
lettuce leaves and placing them on top of the water. A few hours later, you will find the snails congregated on
the leaves. They are easily removed and disposed of with a net.
When bringing new plants into your aquarium, they should be rinsed well in lukewarm water. To
eliminate unwanted snails, the plants may be dipped in a solution of 1 teaspoon of alum to a gallon of water
and left submerged for two minutes, then rinsed well in clear water before planting. When purchasing plants,
look for good white roots and firm leave structure as well. They should smell clean, as an off coloured smell-
ing plant rarely produces a good specimen. This is especially true when purchasing bulbs where no growth is
evident. Young plants adjust better to new conditions. All plants go through a shock in transporting them and
may lose a portion of their leaves. This is normal and these leaves should be removed as new growth appears.
Plants purchased in a pot or container should be removed from the container before planting in the aquarium.
This should be done carefully so as not to break any of the healthy roots. This is a good way to buy them as
their roots are protected. Uprooted or bunch plants must have the lead weights remove and about 1 inch of
the bottom stock cut off. The plants are now ready to plant, singly but they can be planted fairly close to-
gether but not as a bunch.
Plants such as Echinodorus and Cryptocoryne have crowns. This is the part where leaves join the roots.
Care must be taken to leave this exposed when planting. Make a depression in the gravel, like a well and
plant fairly deep, cover the roots with gravel, then gently ease up the plant until the crown is exposed.
Page 15 London Aquaria Society
Betta Breeders: Preparing for their second FACEBOOK silent auction. Bids
start at $3500. Delivery is available within a reasonable area, there will
be a cost, or, if shipping is required, it must also be paid by the buyer.
Calgary: Recently held their fall auction with 450 items. They made
approx $1400.00.
They have 75 members and their next auction will be in March, 2015. Anne-Marie will be speaking
next month on the Aquatic Experience in Chicago.
Chatham-Kent: Not in attendance, no report sent
Durham: Will have an auction on their regular meeting night, November 11th. There will be no
speaker. In October, they had a young man named Kirk Gibson come and do a talk about plants. He
calls himself the Toronto Plant Man. He gave a very in-depth talk about soil, lights, etc. We will try
to get his contact information for a talk some time. Durham has also been approached by the Cana-
dian Pet Expo regarding their annual show which will be on April 3, 2015 at the International Centre.
Their will be a tank beautiful set up, no word yet on if there will be prizes.
Hamilton: In November, Zenin is doing his talk on photography for beginners.
In December, they are doing their food drive for the community.
Kitchener: Oktoberfish is on Sunday, October 26th. Show has 37 classes and tabling can take place
between 8:00 - 10:00. The auction starts tabling at 8:00 and starts auctioning at 11.00. Still looking
for sponsors, LAS sponsored family livebearers. The cheque will be taken to the Oktoberfish event.
The KWAS website was hacked and had to be shut down. Please refer to their FACEBOOK page for
any information and forms.
London: At the September meeting, one of our members, John Swick, did a talk about how to build
tanks from scratch. John explained about the different types of glass and the drawbacks of using cer-
tain ones. He also built one in front of us. Great talk John! Many years ago, our club built the tanks
that were used in their shows and they were stored for use later. We had our first 50/50 draw at a
general meeting. Linda Chapman won $20.50. For our October meeting, someone from Northfin
foods will be coming in to talk about their company and products.
Ottawa: No report
Peel: Not in attendance. Auction is on November 2nd, using their newly established procedures. (last
years system)
Sarnia: Nancy Egelton from LAS did a talk on Guppies, well-received. Someone from the St. Clair
conservation Authority will be doing a talk this month. In November, members of the club will be
doing talks about breeding fish, in lieu of writing articles. Their spring auction will be April 18, 2015.
C.A.O.A.C. Club Reports
October 19, 2014
London Aquaria Society Page 16
St Catherines: Catherine Salmon did a talk on Bettas. In November they will
be using a CAOAC program on Lake Malawi cichlids. Their auction is Sun-
day, November 9.
Toronto: Ron is awaiting a response from the president of the club, regarding their status.
Windsor: Not in attendance, no report
AHD: No report
Awards: Please see the website for awards and guidelines, deadlines are approaching.
Binder/Guidelines: Website links have been updated, and a disclaimer added. Convention 2015 infor-
mation including Paypal have been added.
Breeders: Not in attendance, no report.
FAAS: Not in attendance, no report.
Fish Rescue: Tom Mason has a large number of fish available for adoption. He will forward a list to
Ron, who will pass it on to any interested club members.
Futures: No committee head at this time
Judges: Not in attendance, no report.
Membership: Paperwork will be mailed out soon. Forms have been updated.
Just a reminder, that any late payments will be charged $50.00.
Newsletter: New format started which includes FAQ’s
Open Show: Barb is still waiting for show results from some of the clubs.
Programs: Not in attendance, no report
Steering: Not in attendance, no report
Ways & Means: Ed Bosker kindly donated his meatball soup today. It was delicious and helped us
raise $13.20. We also raised $14.00 from our 50/50 (which was won by Ann Stevens) and $19.00
from our raffle.
Webmaster: See binder/guidelines and newsletter
*NOTE* regarding NO SALES
There was some discussion regarding no sales at the big auctions.
It seems that people are putting things in the auction that are not worthy of a two dollar bid and
therefore end up holding up the auction and leaving lots of “stuff” after the auction is finished.
C.A.O.A.C. Club Reports
October 19, 2014
Committee Reports
London Aquaria Society Page 17
Some clubs restrict how many items each seller can bring but the LAS feels
that this may hinder some of our out of town sellers.
Some clubs charge a dollar per bag to put items into their auction. *It has
been recommended that if there are any “no sale” items that the seller be charged a dollar for each
unsold item, thereby, hindering people from bringing unsellable items. If the item is left behind after
the auction, the club hosting the event can dispose of it in the manner they find fitting.
*This stems from the over 150 items that came up as no sales in Hamilton.
That would have held up the auction for approximately 2 hours.
Zoomed has agreed to make some donations for the convention.
Albert has set up our budget around the CAOAC convention. To follow later.
10 raffle tickets have been sold toward the free convention ticket. Only 10 more to sell so we can
make the first draw. The first full convention ticket has been sold!
Ron and Annette have some tickets for sale if anyone is interested in getting their full convention
ticket. There are also speaker only and dinner only tickets available on request.
C.A.O.A.C. Club Reports
October 19, 2014
Convention 2015
AQUARIUM BEAUTIFUL
cont’d from page 14
When planting bulbs, make sure the eye (where
the leaves are grown from) are top side up or they
will not grow. Rhizomes have only the roots
planted and the rhizome exposed. This may have
to be held down with a rock or other object.
Plants suitable for the aquarium (that is,
submersed plants) are found mostly in the tropic zones, although some are found in the temperate zone.
Plants are now becoming more readily available in the aquarium hobby and man new and hard to find species
are starting to show up too. Many aquarium societies have introduced horticultural programs and are encour-
aging hobbyists to plant aquariums and enhance the aesthetics of their tank and improve the quality of their
fish.
We, as hobbyists, must also recognize the impact we can have on the environment. Careless disposal
of some plants and fish have caused problems in some areas. We should be aware of the problems in our area
and be willing to help others understand the consequences. In the past, waterways have been clogged with
plants not native to that area. They were carelessly thrown into a stream. We now have a list of banned
plants in Canada. I hope this is good food for thought.
London Aquaria Society Page 18
Betta Breeders of Canada: Catherine attended an Eastern IBC International
Show in Pennsylvania, to learn how to run an IBC show, so she will be able
to assist at the CAOAC 2015 Convention.
Calgary: Has 70 members and is holding their auction on Sunday, October 5, 2014
Chatham-Kent: No report
Durham: Had a speaker on Rainbowfish.
Kitchener: September talk was Brian on food. They broke just about even on their Spencer Jack talk.
They had 60 guests attend it. Sunday, October 26, 2014 is Oktoberfish. They will have a show and
auction.
Hamilton: Ron did a talk at the September meeting on showing and judging fish. Larry will be talk-
ing in October about his recent trip to Africa. Saturday, October 4, is the auction. Al will be talking
in November. In December they are doing a food drive. January is elections. Their spring show and
auction is on Saturday, March 21, 2015.
London: For our September meeting we had Peter Desouza do a talk about his passion for Killifish.
We had a good turn out and a few younger members joined the club. We are preparing for our fall
show and auction, which is Sunday, September 28th. It will be held at our regular location in Dor-
chester. Our guest speaker for October will be announced.
Peel: N/A
Sarnia: Auction was held on September 13th, and was poorly attended. InSeptember, they have
Nancy doing a talk about guppies and the Michigan Guppy Breeders club. October they will have
someone from the St Clair conservation authority.
St Catherine’s: In September, Ron did his talk on showing and judging. In October, Catherine will be
doing a talk on Bettas. They will be holding an auction on Sunday, November 9.
Toronto: N/A
Windsor: Peter Desouza did a talk on Killifish.
Awards: Reminder to send in paperwork for awards ASAP. Deadline is February, 2015. Forms can
be found on the CAOAC site and should be downloadable.
Item number 7, has been amended. The committee can make nominations if no clubs nominate any-
one for a service award or hobbyist of the year, if they feel there is someone deserving.
C.A.O.A.C. Club Reports
September, 2014
Committee Reports
Page 19 London Aquaria Society
Binder:
VERY IMPORTANT: especially for newsletter editors - see the
“copyright guidelines” on the CAOAC website. They are very
strict. You need to request permission to use articles, not just give
the writer credit. Please read this if you write, or are involved in
newsletter editing, or are just interested in the new legislation.
Fish Rescue: Tom is overrun with large Plecos. Please contact Ron if you are interested in giving any
of them a home. There will be more information in regards to homes for fish coming soon.
If you are attending the Convention and book your room prior to March 14th, you will be able to
put your name in a draw to win an original piece of artwork done by Ken McKeigen.
There will also be a draw to win a free Convention ticket if you buy your Convention ticket prior to
March 14th (maybe you could use it to take your spouse, or sell it to someone else).
Catherine Salmon will be attending shows and auctions and will be selling raffle tickets for $5.00
each to win a Convention ticket. When she has sold 20 raffle tickets, we will make a draw for one
free convention ticket. Just a reminder that if you do not have
a full Convention ticket, you will not receive the special room
rate that CAOAC has set up. If you are only attending for
speakers or meals but not both, there will be separate prices.
Please see Catherine at upcoming events for a card with the in-
formation on it, or visit the CAOAC website for more informa-
tion.
I’m looking forward to this event.
C.A.O.A.C. Club Reports
September, 2014
Convention 2015
November
16 - 11:00 AM - CAOAC Executive Meeting Waterdown ON
16 - 12:00 PM - CAOAC General Meeting, Waterdown ON
December
14 - 11:00 AM - CAOAC Executive Meeting, Waterdown ON
14 - 12:00 PM - CAOAC General Meeting, Waterdown ON
C.A.O.A.C. Events Calendar - 2013/2014
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London Aquaria Society Page 20
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