From the Editor'sDesk

T his will be my last editorial. I havenotified the Board of Directors, as wellas the editorial staff of Modern

Aquarium, that, effective July 1, 1998, I amresigning as editor of Modern Aquarium.

Time, or rather, the lack thereof is themain culprit. I find myself with less and lesstime on my hands. The needs of my familyhave, and continue, to come first. I am findingthat as my two children get older they need moreand more of my time. I do not want to be a parttime father, nor do I want to give them theimpression that anything is more important thanthey are. I don't want you to think that I amunhappy about all this. My children are mygreatest treasure.

As my wife completes her studiestowards a Masters degree and begins tocontemplate re-entering the work force, her timeat home lessens. She has basically devoted themajority of the past 8 years of her life to raisingEric and Alison, placing herself last almost allthe time. I support her decision to go back toschool and pursue a course of study that interestsher, and, as she needed, I have tried to always lether school needs come first in my plans.Unfortunately, the work world she is soon tore-enter is not as time flexible as school and willdemand more of her time and effort. This meansmore of my time will be needed at home to helpout. Again, no regrets from this writer. Mymarriage and my family are the corner stones ofmy life.

Within the coming year, 1 anticipate thatI will be spending several months recoveringfrom surgery. 1 an experiencing some healthproblems, that, while not yet life threatening,must be attended to. Not wishing to leave themagazine in the lurch if I need to leave itsuddenly, ! feel that it is best to leave now, andlet others take over in an orderly manner.

This past March I started a new job thatwill also be placing more and more demands onmy time. Since time is a finite matter, limited in

the amount there is. something must give. Thistime it's Modern Aquarium!

I leave with nothing out fona memoriesand a sense of having learned much anaaccomplished more. We have been able toresurrect a magazine that many thought was longgone and once again turn it into a majorpublication within the hobby. The results as wellas the rewards have made the time and effortspent well worth it. Through the magazine Ihave been able to write about the fabulous hobbythat we all share, and all of the wonderful aspectsthat make it so much fun. More than that, I havebeen able to share my experiences and feelingswith all of you month after month. ! will missthat. Being Editor has enabled me to credit anathank those who have worked together with meto make Modern Aquarium the wonder that it is.Let me mention and thank them again, one lasttime: Joe Ferdenzi, Al Priest, Susan Priest, JasonKerner, Bernie Harrigan, Mark Soberman,Stephan Zander and Pat Piccione. Without themthe magazine you see before you would not bepossible.

I do not know what the future holds forModern Aquarium. I do know that the editorialstaff is a dedicated and talented bunch, wellcapable of going forward with the magazine. Iwill help however I can and do what I can. Iexpect my name will continue to appear withinthese pages as I plan to keep writing.

In closing, let me say that I have beenextremely privileged to serve as Editor of ModernAquarium these past 4 years. It has been a timeof much success and reward. In leaving, Isincerely hope others will step forward to ensurethe continuea success of Modern Aquarium.

Warren Feuer

^

iii ^

President'sMessage

VINCENT SILEO

Microsoft™ recently started an adcampaign with the question "Where doyou want to go today?" insinuating, Ithink, that they can take you where

ever you want to go. "Where do you want to gotoday?" It's a good question, and one which caneasily be applied to Greater City. Where do you,the members, want to see Greater City next year?In five years? or ten?

Greater City has been through a lot ofchanges during its 75 years. When I first startedwith Greater City some years ago, it appeared tobe a very easy going, amiable society whose focuswas still on many of the traditional aquariumsociety functions and aquarium hobby basics. Itwas very appealing to me. My introduction to thehobby was through the retail and wholesale trade.Everything was gadgets and quick fix remedies.I learned a lot from Greater City.

As I continued to explore the "organized"hobby (as opposed to all those hobbyists that go italone), I learned about some of the well known,expert speakers who were willing to speak atsociety meetings. I saw how some societiesconducted their Board of Governors meetings atthe beginning of every general meeting. I had theopportunity to read a number of very wellproduced society news-letters. And I had thepleasure to attend some of the grander fish shows,conventions and auctions.

I was inspired. I wanted to enlighten themembers of Greater City and make them aware ofthe accomplishments of these other societies. Butwithout a concise plan of action my dreams for theperfect, all encompassing, not-to-be-out-done,aquarium society were just that, dreams.

A number of members who had beenwith the society longer than I were already puttingtogether their plan of action while I was stillexploring the hobby. So just when I was about tosuggest that we try to emulate other societies'newsletters, I learned that Greater City was aboutto produce a publication to bring back some of itsprevious grandeur. The newsletter, of course, isModern Aquarium. Most of those members whoseplan of action made Modern Aquarium possibleare still on its editorial board, making certain thatit stays true to their dream.

This brings me back to "Where do youwant to go?" I really would like to know what themembership's expectations are for the Society.

Some have suggested bringing in big namespeakers from out of town and others havesuggested running a newsletter specific to theimmediate happenings of Greater City along withModern Aquarium. So "Where do you want togo?" I'd like to know.

Once you have decided upon what youwould like to see in Greater City's future, stop andthink. It's not just enough to know where youwant to go. As I stated earlier, without a conciseplan of action, dreams will never become reality.If left to someone else, they will become distortedat best, and totally forgotten at worst.

Now, I'm not saying that you have tohave all of the answers; heck you probably don'teven need to have most of the answers. You justhave to bring up the idea and provide aframe-work upon which those with the know-howcan build upon it. For instance, let's look at thebig name, out-of-town, speakers. At face value, itis a great idea, but in practice there are a numberof obstacles, mainly financial. First of all, manybig name speakers MUST be flown in. Have youever compared airfare rates for weekday tickets asopposed to those which include a Saturday nightstay over? If you haven't, you'll be in for a bigsurprise. They are very often four to ten times asmuch, no exaggeration. So our options are:

1) Change our meeting day to Friday, or2) Pay for a hotel and meals for four nights

(which can cost more than the airfare!), or3) Find a member who would be willing to put

up the speaker for four nights, or4) Find a way to raise the funds necessary to

fuel this dream.(NOTE: #'s 2 & 3 are predicated on the

speaker having the ability and desire to spendthree days in NYC alone! #3 is predicated on thespeaker being willing to stay at someone's home.)

So as you can see, many ideas may seemlike obvious genius until you try to put them intoaction. This is not to say that they are impossible.We are currently working to develop a budget fornext year's speakers' program along with a budgetfor all of our GCAS expenditures. We would alsolike to ask you, the membership, to help with anyideas you might have for fund raising for thisdream.

Looking again at what was done withGreater City's newsletter, "Network," and what itresulted in (Modern Aquarium), you can see whatcan be accomplished if you are not afraid to askfor help and have the desire to really see itthrough.

So let me know where you want GreaterCity to go. Tell me that you're willing to helpmake it happen and see it through to completion,so your dream remains true. And finally, proposea plan of action to make that dream a reality. Ihope to hear from you soon!

Black Butterflies in the AquariumPoecilocharax weitzmani

JOSEPH FERDENZI

I t has been said by some knowledgeableaquarists that hobbyists don't breed fish,the fish breed themselves. This truism is

certainly exemplified by the story of the "BlackMorpho" tetra, Poecilocharax weitzmani.

Before I begin my tale, a littlebackground about the fish is in order.Poecilocharax weitzmani was discovered andintroduced to the hobby by Dr. Herbert Axelrod.In the March, 1983 issue of Tropical Fish

indeed a shame, because its beauty deserves awider audience.

Generally speaking, the fish has anappearance similar to the more familiar, butlarger, Sailfin Tetra, Crenuchus spilurus. Myfull grown male weitzmani is only two inches inlength, whereas an adult male spilurus can easilyexceed three inches. However, in both species,the male is easy to distinguish from the female.The male is larger and the colors are more

The Author's Tank Photo by J. Ferdenzi

Hobbyist, Dr. Axelrod vividly recounts the storyof its discovery. It is a delightful andinformative recounting. The Black Morpho wasdiscovered in the "black water" regions of Brazilin the same waters as the fabled Neon Tetra,Paracheirodon innesi. When Dr. Axelrod firstcaught weitzmani in his net, he thought he hadaccidentally caught a Morpho butterfly that hadbeen hovering on the water. Morpho butterfliesare known for their bright, metallic-like colors.Indeed, anyone who sees an adult weitzmaniwould readily understand Dr. Axelrod'scomparison and, hence, the "common" name ofBlack Morpho Tetra. Regretfully, this fish isanything but common, being seen only as asporadic importation from the wild. This is

intense. However, what really stands outbetween males and females is the finnage. Thedorsal and anal fins of the male are markedlylonger and more colorful. This makes it possibleto tell a male from a female even before they arefully mature.

Although weitzmani is smaller thanspilurus, it more than makes up for this by itsmore peaceful nature and its distinctly brightercolors. As the cover photo reveals, the BlackMorpho Tetra has a striking color pattern.Along the entire length of its body run threehorizontal stripes; the bottom one being black (itis the widest), followed by a yellow one, andthen a red one. Indeed, I have often remarked tomy friends that the pattern is virtually the same

4

as that of the flag of Germany! The black stripehas an especially metallic sheen to it. Theunpaired fins of the male are also suffused, at theedges, in red. Trust me when I say that you willnot see a more striking tetra than a maleweitzmani.

Fortunately for me, these uncommonfish do not look especially good in the less-than-perfect environment of most retailer's tanks. Isay "fortunately" somewhat ironically. The factthat they are small and not at their best in a fishstore means that they don't usually sell well.This gives people like me (people whovoraciously read as many aquarium books andmagazines as they can) a chance to buy thembefore the casual customer does. Of course, thisalso has the downside that lack of demand causesmost retailers not to carry them often.

However, some time ago, in theSummer of 1993, I got lucky. I was talking toa hobbyist friend of mine who also has aninterest in tetras. He happened to mention thathe had seen some weitzmani in a pet shop nearhis home. When he informed me that they wereselling for less than a dollar, I asked him to buythe whole tankful (yes, that is how we fish nutsoperate). He did so. My little treasure troveconsisted of about 30 fish. These I dividedbetween myself and another friend who prizesweitzmani.

Now, where to put my 15 weitzmanilThe aquarium I chose undoubtedly played a largerole in their prolonged survival. Let me describeits contents. It is an antique tank from the1930's that holds approximately 14 gallons. Thebottom consists of a substrate of about 1 Vi" of #2size "Red River" gravel. The tank also containstwo small pieces of "Malaysian" driftwood.

The slow release of tannic acids fromthe wood imparts a slight amber tint to the water.The tank has a heater which keeps the tank atbetween 78 °F and 80°F year-round. It isfiltered by a small canister filter containing inertmaterial (polyester floss and ceramic rings), andalso has an airstone to further agitate the water.Undoubtedly, though, the most singular aspect ofthis aquarium is its dense growth of Hygrophilapolysperma. There are also a few Anubias nanaplants in the tank, but the Hygrophila literallycovers the entire tank (see accompanying photo).The tank is lit by an overhead fluorescent fixturesuspended approximately two feet above thetank, which has a plexiglass cover. The fixturehas two 40W cool white bulbs, and is on anautomatic timer that turns the lights on for aboutfifteen hours a day.

When I placed the weitzmani in the

aquarium, it did contain other fishes. Theseconsisted of a dozen Neon Tetras, six Pencilfish(Nannostomus harrisoni\r Corydoraspaleatus, one Bristle-nose Pleco (Ancistrusspecies), and one Charicidium fasciatum (a smalldarter-like tetra). These co-inhabitants have afew things in common besides geography (SouthAmerica). They are small and peaceful(although the Charicidium fasciatum can be quiteaggressive against its own species). The latterattribute was important because the weitzmaniwere somewhat thin and weak when they arrivedat my home.

However, on a diet of newly-hatchedbrine shrimp and vitamin-enriched flake food, theweitzmani started to fill out. Fortunately, I didnot lose a single one. As time passed, I worriedless about them, and began to pay them lessattention (of course, when you have 80aquariums, you cannot long concentrate on anyone aquarium). Nevertheless, it appeared thefish were prospering.

One day, about a year after I hadobtained the weitzmani, I decided to do avigorous pruning of the Hygrophila. Afterremoving the cuttings, there was, at last, an openarea in the aquarium which gave a partialunobstructed view of the tank. I then decided tofeed the fish to get a good look at them. Isprinkled some flake food on the surface over theopen area. As the fish proceeded into it to feed,I noticed two magnificent males. My, how theyhad grown; their elongated fmnage wasexceptionally noteworthy.

I performed a pH test, which showedthe water to be approximately 6.0. This acidicpH comports with their native waters. The tanktemperature, at the 78° to 80° F range, wasrather on the warm side. However, theweitzmani do not seem bothered by that. Indeed,many of the original 15 specimens are still aliveat this writing (December 1997).

Weitzmani are not fussy eaters. Flakefood, pellets, etc., suit them just fine.

Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, noone has ever bred weitzmani in the aquarium. Ihave never seen a spawning report in anyAmerican magazine. They are not a schoolingfish like so many of the smaller tetras. Nor arethey constantly on the move. Their behavior ismore reminiscent of an Apistogramma cichlid, ora killifish — slow, deliberate movement,undertaken as a solitary unit. Perhaps somedaysoon, some enterprising (or lucky) aquarist willuncover the secret of weitzmani breeding. Fornow, it is just a beautiful wild "butterfly" for theaquarium.

BEST LAID PLANSWARREN FEUER

O nce I make up my mind to dosomething, it usually gets done. Withmost decisions I make, I take action on

that decision pretty quickly. However, just likeeveryone else, there are occasions where Iprocrastinate and don't do what I decided to do,or take my time in getting something done.Sometimes, I regret delaying and, sometimes, itworks out for the best.

I had decided to get rid of my daffodils.No, I'm not talking about those pretty yellowflowers. I mean the Lake Tanganyika cichlidNeolamprologus sp. "daffodil". 1 had beenkeeping them for about 3 years, and although Istill found them to be great looking fish andperfect aquarium residents, quite frankly I was alittle bored with them. Living in an apartment, Ihave limited space for fish tanks and try tomaximize my resources. This means sometimesgetting rid of some fish to get others. To keepthe "daffodils" I had gotten rid of my breedingcolony of Pseudotropheus acii, a Lake Malawimbuna that I been keeping with great success.However, I really wanted to keep something elseand decided to let the acii go. I had intended tokeep the "daffodils" in a species tank, that is, atank with onetype of fish in it. In myexperience, this is the best way to keep these fishas they seem to do best and also breed muchmore readily and with greater success.

Due to a donation from a friend as wellas some fish from a store that was closing, thetank (a 30 long) ended up being a "community"of Lake Tankanyika cichlids which also containedNeolamprologus caudopunctatus as well asEnantiopus melanogenys. Not an ideal breedingsituation. Despite the conditions, the "daffodils"had managed to spawn successfully, and, despitepredation about 7 fry survived. For our club,there must be at least 10 fry in order to getbreeders award points for the fish, so I was alittle shy in that category. Then, the fish stoppedspawning. 1 can't say why. Nothing reallychanged in the tank other than the fact that Ireplaced the fluorescent light that sat atop thetank. I had originally been using a 24 inch longlight and replaced it with a 36 inch fixture. Didthat cause the fish to stop spawning? One wouldtend to think not, but it is possible.

About 18 months after the last spawningin the tank, I began to think about gettingsomething else for the tank. Of the originalgroup of 5 caudopunctatus, there were now only2. The quartet of Enantiopus melanogenys wasnow one fish. And the "daffodils" were notspawning at all. Why not try something else? Ihad developed an interest in keepingAltolamprologus calvus, another Tanganyikancichlid and figured the "daffodil" tank, onceemptied of other fish would be the perfect placefor them to go.

Somehow, I never found the time toempty the tank. I had been really busy at work,and the little leisure time I had reserved for myfish was mostly spent doing water changes andgeneral tank maintenance. So the "daffodils"stayed in their home. Finally, I got tired ofdelaying the inevitable and decided that whiledoing my weekly water changes on the comingweekend I would take all the fish out of the tankand trade them for the calvus I wanted. I hadlocated the calvus in a store I sometimes went to,and had set the deal up.

That Thursday, when I returned homefrom work I was greeted at the door by my sonEric. "Dad", he said, "we have babies in thetank!" I had no idea which tank he meant (Ihave 9 tanks in all), so I had him lead me to thesite of his excitement. As you've probablyguessed by now, it was the "daffodils" that hadspawned. There were about 20 to 25 baby fishswimming about, the parents and other adult"daffodils" fervently guarding them. The otherspecies in the tank were huddled in the oppositecorner of the tank, well away from the babies.Based upon my previous experiences with thespawnings in the tank I expected most of the fryto disappear over the next few days.

Despite the relative lack of success the"daffodils" had in protecting their fry (mostended up getting eaten by the other fish in thetank), I am constantly amazed and impressed atthe protection these fish provide to their fry. Notonly do the parents guard the fry, but the otherjuvenile and adult fish also get involved, helpingto guard the fry. If the tank were larger, I'msure more fry would survive.

This time, however, that did not happen.The adults continued to provide a constant vigilover the babies and most of them survived. Allthoughts of getting rid of the fish were gone. Iwould have to find another tank for the calvus, ifI still wanted them. To increase the number ofsurviving fry, I decided to keep only the"daffodils" in the tank. Without totallydestroying the rock work in the tank, I managedto get the other fish out. Within a day, thechange in behavior in the tank was dramatic.Where the babies had previously hid most of thetime, they now came out more often, carefulhowever to always be near a hiding space. Theadults appeared to be less nervous, and loosenedup their guarding of the fry. The babies grew,slowly but surely.

In the midst of all this, a family vacationmeant one week away from the fish. There wasno way I wasn't going ("Sorry, honey I have tobaby sit some fry" just doesn't cut it in myhouse). I had left fish without food for a weekbefore, but never fry. There was nothing 1 coulddo. If I lost the fry, I'd have to hope that thefish would spawn again.

Upon returning from vacation, the"daffodil" tank was the first one 1 checked. Notonly were all the fry there, but they had grown!There seemed to be more babies then there werebefore i left. My gamble had paid off.

To compensate for their extended fast,and ease my guilt I fed the fish twice for the nextfew days. In general, I try to feed once a day.Most weeks I use one day as a fast day, notfeeding the fish at all. From everything I've readand seen, fish do better when they are slightlyunder-fed, rather than over-fed. (As I was oncetold, "There is no flake food fairy in the wild.")

Several days after returning fromvacation, I noticed that the apparent breeding pairof "daffodils" seemed nervous. Had theyspawned again? My guess was correct. Thistime they spawned on the back wall of the tank,and I watched as the eggs developed. The adultsprovided a constant vigil over their eggs, fanningthem to keep the water flowing around them, andnervously keeping an eye out for intruders. Asthe days passed, the eggs disappeared off thewall. Had they hatched, or just fungused andbeen removed? Several days after the last of theeggs were gone, I happened to be looking at thetank in search of any new fry. As I looked intoone of the crevices formed by pieces of slatepiled on top of each other I noticed somemovement. Several very small, barely noticeable,fry moved in the tank's current, surrounded byolder siblings. I had read about juveniles eatingthe younger fish, but that did not seem to be thecase. Another generation had been started.

Sometimes, it pays to wait.

lfllllCHUCK DAVIS

Unscramble the letters below to form words used in the tropical fishhobby. Then, use the circled letters to find the answer to this quiz.

#1. What the aquarist thought he had finally found (in his tank).

Q_QQR E A L PQ_QT A G I N

L A N G 0 L

S K E I R S

QQQ

R A D F W i } Q_#2. You would think this fish could cut a piece of driftwood.

Q QQQ Q(_) (_) T A F L O (_)H Y C R E R

O M T H U QQ R P M H S IQQH A A D N I P Q_Q_Q

Q

#3. This fish could lead you to a pot of gold.

Q ___ QQ __ QN (J) _ __ (J) _ _I L S A

W P S N A

D H R A Y

F I U X T E B

QQQQQ

M A D T O I QQQ

#4. Now, take the circled letters in the answers to 1, 2, and 3, andtell us what makes aquarists happy.

(ANSWER ON PAGE 2)

Tnrougfn The Eyes or a Hobbyist

On The RoaA To The NEC!CLAUDIA DICKINSON

I'm so excited, I can barely stand it! No, Ican't write that ~ it's so unprofessional.Well I'll throw all caution to the wind!I'm off to the Northeast Council of Aquarium

Societies' annual convention, which is always thehighlight of the year's fishy travels and not to bemissed! From the very first NEC convention Iattended, I've had such a fabulous time and learnedso much, that I am "hooked!" This year the mainfocus will be on catfish, with many other subjectsbeing discussed, so there will be plenty to peakevery individual's interests.

A parting glance over our Ivy RoseCottage to be certain all is in order before pullingthe picket gate latch closed behind me. A briefnote of appreciation of the tiny new leaves ofspring on the roses, as they push their way forwardto greet the promise of a beautiful sunny day. Thetanks have all had their final water change,parameters checked, and each inhabitant's overallcondition accounted for. (Yes Warren, I pause andthink to myself, it's true ~ there is a most "specialfish" in my life ~ and someday I may just spill itall and tell the world of this wondrous being!)There is the contented sound of crunching biscuitscoming from under the kitchen table, while a fewwide eyes are felt, pleading with me to reconsidermy journey. Parsley and greens are heard delicate-ly torn away by little beaks. After words of loveand reassurance, Cie Cie, my cockatoo, has gone tothe birdsitter's where he sits in a "gruffled" (yes,I've even been known to make up my own wordsto suit the occasion!) state, awaiting my return. A"bah" from the backyard sends a calming messagefrom my lips to Bentley, Asher, and Franklin.

As I jump in my car on this glorious,brisk, March day, a note from my most specialhusband, who will be caring for all of this while Iam away, greets me, and floods my heart withwarmth, and fuels my soul with the confidence andencouragement to continue on my "fishy" ventures.

Moving briskly now, winding alongcountry roads, and two short ferry rides to onel!/2 hour ferry. Here I have a moment to reflectinto the depths of the rich, green sea and ponderall of the creatures ~ gliding, darting, crawling,burrowing, and swaying through the daily rituals oftheir sub-sea existence.

Before I knew it, I was swept up in theexcitement of the NEC! For those of you whohave heard of the Northeast Council of AquariumSocieties and wondered what it is all about, if youare reading this ~ YOU are more than likelyalready a member! Anyone who belongs to theG.C.A.S. or any of the "sister" societies in the

Northeast is automatically a member of the NEC.It's YOUR organization ~ isn't that GREAT! TheNEC is a large and unified force for all of thegoals of the member societies. These include ourendeavors to educate the public, showing begin-ners, as well as those who have given up as aresult of failed attempts, that aquariums can be fun~ once the basic concepts are understood. Mostimportantly, the conservation of endangered speciesthrough our working with the public, as well asmaintaining, breeding and distributing these fish.

The individuals who put this event toget-her do such a splendid job at making an action-packed weekend, full of opportunities to soak in awealth of knowledge, meet wonderful people, andcreate a most unforgettable experience! All ishandled in such a cheerful, inviting, easygoingmanner, which makes the event most enjoyable!

The registration room on Friday eveningis filled with arrivals meeting and greeting oneanother. Lee and Aline Finley had a largeselection of Lee's books to be poured over, withLee always on hand with an educated book review.Now was the time to treat oneself to that special"wish-list" title! What would an NEC event bewithout Ray Lucas' shining face amongst his vastarray of products, never ceasing to educate thehobbyist on the importance of our avocation andthe manner in which we conduct it?! Tom andPeggy Neal were showing Tom's very reasonableand nutritious line of gourmet fish foods fromflake earthworms to all varieties conceivable.Tom, in his gentle unassuming manner, has thatoneness with aquatic life to have raised and bredmore species of fish than most of us couldimagine. With Tom's quiet, modest demeanor, onewould never know ~ he is THE Tom Neal who,through his wonderfully informative articles inTFH, has introduced us to many new varieties offish and their habits. Tom also dedicates muchtime and effort towards the breeding andconservation of freshwater as well as saltwater fish.Several other vendors, all of whom were openthroughout the convention, included Uncle Ned'sFish Factory, with a large collection of fish forsale, Aquarium Fish Magazine, Waterlife Imports,and Marineland Aquarium Products.

At 7:30 P.M. came the first of theunsurpassed speaker line-up, with HarroHieronimus from Germany on Mollies, and DaveGrzanka giving us many pointers through his greatsuccessful experiences in breeding Corydoras.Dave believes in keeping your Corys in a colonyand removing the eggs into a jar with an airstonefor 3-5 days until hatched. He feeds with green

water for three days, and then live brine shrimp.Dave recommends keeping tanks small to containfood within the fry's access, and lots of waterchanges are a must.

At 9:00 P.M., the convention kicked offwith introductions and an auctioneer contest of drygoods donations. All budding auctioneers did asplendid job - each with their own personal flair.Socializing then continued into the wee hours forsome of the "hardiest" attendees!

Saturday morning we woke up to anunexpected magical, beautiful snow that fell allday! Beginning at 9:15 A.M., many difficultdecisions had to be made as so many greatspeakers were giving their presentationssimultaneously. The day began with Lee Finley onAuchenipterid and Ageneiosid Catfishes, and NeilFrank on plants. Afterwards Harro Hieronimusspoke on Corydoras and Mike Hellweg, who I hadthe great fortune to hostess for the weekend, alongwith his lovely wife Angela, told us all aboutculturing live foods. I was so excited aboutlearning first-hand how to grow and harvest myfishes' meals, and I came home, brimming(literally-Mike so generously sent me off with myvery own Whiteworm and Grindalworm cultures{Brad is really thrilled now!}) with new ideas!

I was so privileged at lunchtime to beable to eavesdrop on one of those intenselyeducated and interesting conversations betweenMike Hellweg and Al Castro, who were so kind asto allow me this opportunity, and let me feel atease. I thank them both for the knowledge gained.

At 1:30 P.M., Shane Linder told us allabout Bagrid Catfishes, and Paul Loiselle gaveanother rising performance on the conservation ofthe endemic inhabitants of Lake Victoria. AlCastro gave his ever-knowledgeable approach toraising and breeding Killifish, and Dave Ball gavea very impressive talk on Synodontis Catfish.

On Saturday evening all convened forwonderful conversation and a delicious banquetmeal, followed by catfish expert Ginny Eckstein asMaster of Ceremonies. Ginny gave a hilariousperformance, and had the room roaring withlaughter! Many prestigious awards were presentedto accomplished breeders, writers andphotographers, with the G.C.A.S. making a mostimpressive showing, winning a total of fiveawards! First place in the Open Class for BestArticle was awarded to our most eloquent JoeFerdenzi for "Breeding African Rift Lake Cichlidsby the Complete Divider Method" In her delight-fully refreshing style, Susan Priest took first placein the Best Article-Advanced Class for "WelcomeTo Our Community." First place for Best Columnwent to Charley Sabatino for his wonderful andmuch-missed "Catfish Chronicles" Second Placein this category went to Al Priest, with his terrificintellect, for "Surfing the Pubs" A huge round ofapplause for the Best Overall Magazine - "Modern

Aquariumr To all of you who put countless hoursof time, effort, and energy into this magazine ~you make us very proud! The other recipients ofawards from our sister societies are to becongratulated as well, as there were many highlytalented individuals in the competition.

Afterwards, the crowd poured over thenewly posted auction lot listing for the next day.For those very hardy souls, more fishy discussionscontinued into the night.

Sunday morning is always looked forwardto with anticipation and amazement at the vastmaze-like viewing line of bags of fish! Onecannot imagine such an array! The GrandBallroom filled with people, milling about andfinding the perfect seat, eager for the GiantAuction to begin! Begin it did, with Ray Lucasgiving his lively presentation with the auctioningof an extraordinary and generous assortment of drygoods. One could bid on anything from pumps tofilters to fish food, and even boxes of fabulousrocks for African Rift Lake tanks! When the lastdry good lot was sold, Ray took a moment tofirmly remind us of how very important it is for usto support our small local aquarium shops. It isthese independent stores who spend their timesupplying us with information, answer ourquestions, and give us lessons on how to use theequipment, as well as go out of their way tospecial order hard to locate fish. It is up to us, thehobbyist, to purchase our goods from these stores,or soon we will hop in our cars to run down to thelocal pet shop and be stunned by the fact that thereis no longer one to go to! No place to SEE fish,to LOOK at goods, and to TALK about fish! Aswe all reflected on our favorite aquarium store, oncame the first round of the Grande Fish Auction!Bag after bag of all varieties of fish fromSynodontis to Corydoras, Lamprologus toJulidochromis, Tilapia to Tropheus, Angelfish toDiscus, Tetras to Guppies, interspersed with plants,snails, and live food cultures.

As the day drew to a close, good-byeswere said, e-mail addresses and fax numbers wereexchanged (I still had only the old-fashionedtelephone number!), quips were made and partingwords were spoken, to treasure until the next fishyaffair. There were planes to catch and miles to betraveled as we reluctantly captured one lastmoment to savor the everlasting experience. Withnew additions to the fishy family safely packed inStyrofoam coolers, the journey home held apeaceful contentment, rich with thoughts of friends,fish, moments, and memories to be cherished for-ever. Animals would be eager for attention, Bradwould be there to listen to my chatter, fish wouldbe wriggling for their meal, and I would return toour Ivy Rose Cottage with another depth added tothe wonderfully insatiable fulfillment of life!

Happy Fishkeeping!

10

A REVIEW OF THE THREE MAJORAMERICAN AQUARIUM MAGAZINES

JOSEPH FERDENZI

There are three major American aquariummagazines: Tropical Fish Hobbyist(TFH), Freshwater And Marine

Aquarium (FAMA), and Aquarium FishMagazine (AFM). I thought it might be useful ifI offered a review of these magazines. Before Ido that, however, a little preface is in order.

First, you should know that I amthoroughly familiar with these magazines. I havebeen reading TFH since 1967, but, in addition, Iown and have read every prior issue, with theexception of about a dozen from 1952 to 1967.I have also read every issue of FAMA and AFMsince their inception. I have, naturally,subscriptions to all three. Second, you shouldknow that, inasmuch as I've been keeping tropicalfish since 1967, I can't claim to be thrilled whenI see the "umpteenth" version of "How To BreedThe Convict Cichlid." However, having servedas the long-time President of an aquarium societyand as an Editor for aquarium publications, I amfully aware that a certain amount of repetitionand "beginner's" topics are necessary for the sakeof new hobbyists.

TFH has been around the longest. Itbegan publication in September of 1952, under itsfounder, Herbert Axelrod. The early issues wererather modest bi-monthly affairs — 34 pages, inan 8!/2 x 5l/2 inch format, with black and whiteillustrations (save for the cover). In the mid1950s it became a monthly, and it began to useextensive color photography inside. This use ofcolor, combined with Axelrod's penchant forreporting on new fish discoveries (many from hisown expeditions), catapulted TFH into thepremier spot in aquarium publishing, surpassingInnes' The Aquarium (which ceased publishing inthe early '70s). TFH still has the bestphotography around. They also probably havethe biggest collection of photographs. TFH isnow published in an 11 x 8 inch format, onglossy pages that do credit to the photos. TFHpublishes a greater proportion of articles ontopics that appeal to veteran hobbyists — newfish discoveries, newly bred fish, habitatexploration. They also, to my delight, translatearticles from foreign magazines (primarilyGerman and Japanese) more often than theothers. These foreign articles are uniformlyexceptional, and expose the average American

reader to an otherwise largely unaccessiblebreadth of information. TFH also has some verygood columnists and their ever-popular "MailCall" feature (where they answer reader's lettersthat are of general interest).

FAMA is the next oldest, havingpublished its first monthly issue in January of1978. When it did, it revolutionized theAmerican aquarium magazine scene. It was thefirst national magazine to be published in thelarge 1 1 x 8 inch format, which has since becomethe standard. It also became the first to publishfull page ads (with prices) from mail-order stores.This endeared it to the average hobbyist, butcaused it to be banned from many a pet shop.However, Don Dewey, the publisher, was obvi-ously gearing his magazine toward the averagehobbyist who was in need of practical infor-mation (see his comments in his first editorial inthe January '78 issue); here is a sample:

"This is a magazine written by hobbyists, forhobbyists. It is a monthly publication wherethe 'how-to's' of the hobby will beemphasized. There are no "experts" on thestaff of FAMA . . . we want to know whatyou want to see in this magazine—it is yourpublication."

At first, FAMA was very successful atthis. It published many "How To" articles andproduct reviews that were extremely useful. Fora time, its circulation eclipsed that of TFH.However, in recent years, sad to say, it has begunto falter. And, contrary to some of Dewey'scomments in his first editorial, the magazine hasnot achieved the popularity (in circulation) thathe implied was possible, even when circulationwas at its height.

Several factors may account for thefailure to achieve those optimistic goals. Forone, most of the articles are poorly illustrated incomparison to TFH. (Take a look at theApistogramma article in the April 1998 issue —not one photo.) There are fewer color photos perpage, and they tend to be of lesser quality. Thereare now very few in-depth "How To" articles —although they continue to run their "For What It'sWorth" column that features reader's mail-insuggestions. (This is one of the columns I enjoymost.)

11

The FAAS Breeders AwardProgram and You!

ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

T he Federation of American AquariumSocieties, consists of aquarium societiesin the U.S., Canada, Central and South

America. FAAS helps aquarium societies grow;fosters communication among societies; promotesthe hobby and aquatic life forms; and lobbies inthe interest of the hobbyist. By now, mostGCAS members know that Greater City'smagazine, Modern Aquarium has done very wellin the FAAS Publication Award Program.

FAAS also has a Breeders AwardProgram (BAP), and after discussions withGreater City's own BAP Chairpersons, GregWuest and Carlotti DeJager, I am happy toannounce that GCAS members can alsoparticipate in the FAAS BAP, earning additionalindividual awards for themselves and, perhaps,contributing towards Society awards for GCAS.

This article includes a brief unofficialoutline of the FAAS BAP program. (The entireprogram is currently on 12 single spaced pages.)It also tells you what you need to do if you wantprior GCAS BAP credited spawnings submittedon your behalf to FAAS. But, before that, a fewthings should be noted:

1) Credit is given by FAAS only once.So, any spawn for which you received BAPcredit from a sister society, which submitted thatspawn to FAAS, cannot be submitted again byGCAS.

2) While there is a special award forbreeding hard to breed, or rarely bred, fish, thereis no difference in point values for all other fish.

3) All spawnings recognized by theGCAS BAP after 9/1/98 will also automaticallybe submitted to FAAS (unless that spawning waspreviously submitted to another FAAS membersociety and, if so, please let us know). You canget FAAS credit for all spawnings recognized bythe GCAS BAP before 9/1/98, by completing theappropriate form, as will be explained later.

4) "Year'5 in the FAAS BAP meansDecember through November. (The 1998 "year"is December 1997 through November 1998.)

5) The date the spawns are credited bythe GCAS BAP, and not the actual spawningdate, is the date used by FAAS.

6) For "undescribed" species, only onespawning a year per breeder will be recognizedfor all purposes from any genus or supergenus(e.g., Haplochromis sp., Aulonocara sp., etc.).

The FAAS BAP — An Unofficial Outline

As FAAS Delegate, and with the O.K.of our Board, I submitted documentation toFAAS that shows that the GCAS BAP meets thecriteria of the FAAS BAP. I will update FAASon any changes and will serve as liaison betweenthe FAAS BAP and the GCAS BAP.

Our members get credit for spawnsunder the FAAS BAP when GCAS submits an"authentication form" on their behalf, signed bythe FAAS Delegate and our BAP Chair. Thereare two forms a society can use to request FAASBAP credit. If you want to get credit for spawnscredited by GCAS before 9/1/98, you must fillout an "Individual" authentication form.

Spawnings credited by the GCAS BAPon and after 9/1/98 will automatically besubmitted to FAAS on a "Society" authenticationform. This form lets us submit all newspawnings as they are given credit by GCAS,without our members having to do anything else.

Now, a description of the FAAS BAP:A "General Breeding" award is given

for every 10 spawns credited. These are awardedby FAAS as earned, throughout the year.

A "Specialty Breeding" award is givenannually for the most species bred in eachspecialty category in a given year. (There are 15Specialty categories. Refer to the box on thenext page.) Specialty Breeding credits are givenon the basis of one spawn per species perindividual. A spawn credited towards a GeneralBreeding Certificate will automatically be enteredinto the appropriate Specialty Breeding category.

A "Special Achievement" award is forbreeding difficult or rarely bred species. (Someexamples given: Butterflyfishes, Scats, Monos,Archerfish, Anableps, Hatchetfishes. SilverDollars, Knifefishes, Synodontis Catfish, TinfoilBarbs, Congo Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, HarlequinRasbora, Uaru, Saberfin Killifish, and Sharks,Eels, Loaches or Marine Fishes.) This award

13

How To 15 PetrificationSUSAN PRIEST

I In last month's issue of Modern Aquarium(May 1998), our Executive Editor, JoeFerdenzi, issued himself a literary license

before writing the article entitled "Is The ClubMagazine Dead?" I don't pretend to haveanswers to all of the questions he raised, or agreewith everything he said. I would, however, liketo suggest a response to one of his questions,slightly paraphrased to read "Where are all theauthors?"

All of the authors are in the sixth grade.Once you hit the seventh grade, everythingchanges. Your teacher issues a writing"assignment." It is sure to be on a hot topic likeThomas Jefferson. You are told how manywords to write, when to write it, and that it willbe graded. Then comes the icing on the cake;you will have to read italoud in front of a "juryof your peers." It doesn'thelp knowing that theywill all have to do thesame thing. No matterwhat you write, the jurywill find one phrase totease you with. It willfollow you until everyonewho remembers it hasgraduated. Again, youwill be teasing them withsomething they wrote, butthat will not ease your agony. By the time youhave completed this assignment, a full layer ofyour brain cells has become petrified. With eachwriting assignment thereafter, a new layer of rockwill be added to your brain. By the time yougraduate, you will need the aid of a jackhammerjust to pay your bills or write out a shopping list.The author part of your brain has been firmlyencased in granite!

Fast-forward 30 years: you are straddlingthe fence of middle age. You are successful atwriting as long as it doesn't require putting morethan two words together, like writing a note toyour mechanic that says "brakes squeak," orsigning your tax return. You manage to do alittle better than this at work, because it is an"assignment" and because you are being"graded" with a pay check.

Then one day someone suggests that youmight enjoy putting your experiences with

fishkeeping on paper. Your Response is "Huh?"(When you can only put one word together, yourcondition is critical.) Your brain has beenpetrified. It is not your fault. The situation,however, is not hopeless. Here is what I suggest.

I would like you to try having animaginary conversation with a real or un-realfriend. Let's say there is someone you haverecently met who is, or would like to be, keepingone of the same fish you are. What would yousay to them? What questions would they ask?Take the phone off of the hook and start talking.You can unplug it so you don't have to listen tothe dial tone. We all have experience talking tosomeone who isn't really there because we haveto leave a message on an answering machine atleast once a day.

If your sixthgrader comes along andasks you what you aredoing, tell them the truth.They will say "cool," andhead for the nearestextension to give it a try.If your eighth gradercomes along, tell themthat you were talking toyour mechanic when thephone a c c i d e n t a l l ybecame unplugged. Ifyou tell them the truth,

they will roll their eyes up in their head, and takeoff for the mall.

So, you just start talking about this fish.You are sharing successes, failures, and yourfavorite fish tips. We all have experience withthis because we do it at every meeting ofG.C.A.S. You might want to make a few notesas you talk, but write them on anything otherthan a spiral notebook. I won't presume to guesswhat you might say, but I am pretty sure thatthey haven't named a fish after Thomas Jeffersonyet.

By the time you hang up the phone, acouple of layers of petrified brain cells will havebeen peeled away. As you look over your notes,you might find yourself inserting a few verbs andsome punctuation. NOW do you know theanswer to the question: "Where are all theauthors?"

15

To All G.C.A.S. Members.A Special "Thank You!"

As we come to our last meeting of the season, I look back upon it, and think of all of theremarkable events of the past year in the Greater City Aquarium Society. I cannot tell each and everyone of you what it has meant to me to be a part of such an organization, and such a most wonderfulgroup of people, who have cared and shared ~ ideas, talents, and ~ FISH! As I think of each and everyone of you (I may not yet know you all by name, but I will!), each one of you stands out in your ownspecial way. You have enriched my life (as well as my fishkeeping abilities) more than words can eversay, and I look forward with great eagerness to serving you as membership chairperson in the comingseason! I must also thank my most caring and supportive husband, who has seen me off, and lookedafter the animals while I follow my fishy dreams! I wish you all a beautiful Summer, and hope for allof you that life will be as extraordinary for you, as you have made it for me! I THANK YOU! Happy

Flshmg! With Warmest Regards,

Editor's Note: The Greater City Aquarium Society does not meet in the months of July orAugust. (Exchange Editors, please take note that the next exchanges you will see from usafter this issue will be in October, when we send you our September and October issues.)Greater City's next meeting will be Wednesday, September 2, 1998. Mark your calendars.

"In a remote stream in Afghanistan, a strange catfish wasjust found, the Glyptosternongarfieldi. It feeds on lasagna."

16

WET LEAVES

A Series On Books For The Hobbyist

SUSAN PRIEST

W hen I came across these books as Iwas browsing through BordersBookstore, I thought to myself "more

of the same." I wasn't even going to give thema first look, never mind bring them home. (Mysomewhat "mixed" review of Nature AquariumWorld Book 1 appeared exactly three years ago,in the June 1995 issue of Modern Aquarium.)The warning "be careful what you ask for,because you might get it" usually implies that wemight not want it after all. In this case, I wastreated to the unique experience of feeling as ifthe author had read andresponded to my earliercomments. I realizethat it is not onlybeyond the boundaries of probability, butdownright impossible when the publication datesare taken into consideration. Maybe some otherastute reviewer caught the author's attention.

Book 2 (pages 1 through 180) focuseson "small to medium size aquariums" (1 quart to50 gallons), and Book 3 (pages 181 to 300) isdedicated to "medium to large size aquariums"(50 to 5,000 gallons). These two books can bethought of as one large volume, and, indeed, theoriginal Japanese version was published withinone cover.

The photography defies description.What I find most noteworthy about it is thatevery element, each fish and plant, is a differentdistance from the camera, and yet all are inperfect focus. I have a hard time getting all theparts of just one fish in focus at the same time.It makes me wonder how many photographs wererejected for each one that was published.

I needed plenty of time to "read" thesebooks. After a few pages, I was reaching for anatlas of fishes. I was familiar with both theappearance as well as the scientific names ofsome of the fish, such as Cardinal Tetras orDiscus, but the common names were not givenand I had to look up many of them. As for theplants, the scientific names were there. (One ofmy main complaints from Book 1 was that theplants had not been identified.) Even though thenames of the plants were listed, each photocontained several. Rather than looking them upin a separate book, I found myself comparing the

^

names from previous photos. By a process ofassociation and elimination, i was soonidentifying them for myself. As I turned eacnpage, I had the satisfaction of being greeted withsomething I had just learned, as well as thechallenge of assimilating some new detail of finor frond. I know, this sounds a little bit likework. I won't go so far as to call it a labor oflove; more like an enjoyable effort.

Here is a hint from Book 2 which youmay find useful: "In order to make an aquariumdisplay appear bigger than it actually is, it isimportant to use bushy plants that have smallleaves."

I would like to give special mention totwo unique "panoramas." The first, "Hill Rug"(pp. 257 - 265), is a series of photographs takenof a 95 inch long tank. They were taken at 3, 5,7, 9, and 12 month intervals in the life of thisaquascape. The second, called "Watercolor

Panorama" (pp. 275 -281), is a series ofphotos of an 18 footlong aquarium. At itsinception, it was the

largest nature aquarium display in the world.As remarkable as ail of this is, I return

over and over to the beauty of "AquariumMinimum World" (pp. 285 - 295); a collection ofmicroscopic photographs. I think I am intriguedby the vivid colors of things that I look at everyday, but never really see.

Something else on my wish list fromBook 1 was photos taken in nature followed byphotos of Mr. Amano's aquarium rendering of thescene. "The Nature of Marshes" is my favoriteof the several examples of just such apresentation.

The chart of equivalent measuresinforms the reader that degrees Celsius equals5/9ths F° minus 32, and that degrees Fahrenheitequals 9/5ths C° plus 32. I still needed to keepmy calculator nearby. The Contents for Book 3is found on the very last page (300). I wonder,is this typical of publishing style in Japan?

Having three years more experience, andbeing familiar with a wider variety of fish andplants than I was at the time of my originalreview, could be a contributing factor in myenhanced enjoyment of these books. In hisepilogue, Mr. Amano says "always, it is naturethat is my teacher." See for yourself how wellhe has learned.

17

G.C.A.S. HAPPENINGSObituary

It is with a deep sadness that we notice the death of Kathy Oliva (April 26,1998). Kathy wasmarried to long-time member and former President Jack Oliva. Kathy was a frequent hostessfor various board of directors meetings. In this role and in support of her husband's hobby,Kathy always had an amiable disposition and a ready smile.She was a truly delightful person who will be missed by all of us.

Last Month's Bowl Show Results:

May '98

1 st Place - Jeff George - Red Delta Guppy2nd Place - Francis Lee - Betta Splendens3rd Place - Jeff George - Corydorus Trilineatus

Lct^s welcome our newest GCAS members:Bunthid Lex TumnontigoonGordon Bastian

YTD Standings

Steve SagonaJeff GeorgeFrancis LeeMikeLowethCarlotti DeJagerKen HooperEllen HalliganClaudia Dickinson

And welcome back:Steve BermanSeth Kolker

pts

- 25- 13- 9- 5- 5- 4- 1- 1

\

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

GREATER C3TY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: Wednesday, Sept 2nd.Have a Safe and Happy Summer!

Meetings: 8PM - 1st Wednesday of eachmonth at the Queens Botanical Garden.Contact: VicentSileo- (718) 846-6984E-Mail: GreaterCity@compuserve.com

East Coast Guppy Association

Meets: 8:00 PM - 1st Thursday of eachmonth at the Queens Botanical Garden.Contact: Jeff George / Gene BaudierTelephone: (718)428-7190 (516)345-6399

Long Island Aquarium Society

Meets: 8:00 PM - 3rd Friday of eachmonth at Holtsville Park and Zoo,249 Bukley Rd. Holtsville, NY 11801Contact: Mr. Vinny KreylingTelephone: (516) 938-4066

North Jersey Aquarium Society

Meets: 8:00 PM - 3rd Thursday of eachmonth at the American Legion Post Hall,Nutley, NJ

Contact: Mr. Dore CarloTelephone: (201) 332-4415

Brooklyn Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: June 12th, featuring: Bob StarkSuecesful Strategies for Reef Aquaria.

Meetings: 8PM Education Hall, Aquariumfor Wildlife Conservation (NY Aquarium)Contact: BAS Events HotlineTelephone: (718) 837-4455

Big Apple Guppy Club

Meets: 8:00 PM - 3rd Thursday of eachmonth at the Queens Botanical Garden.Contact: Mr. Donald CurtinTelephone: (718) 631-0538

Nassau County Aquarium Society

Meets: 8:00 PM - 2nd Tuesday of eachmonth at the William M. Grouse Post 3211VIEW., Rte. 107, Hicksville, NY

Contact: Mr. Ken SmithTelephone: (516) 589-0913

Norwalk Aquarium Society

Meets: 8:00 PM - 3rd Thursday of eachmonth at the Nature Center forEnvironmental Activities, Westport, CT

Contact: Mrs. Anne Stone BroadmeyerTelephone: (203) 834-2253

21

Fin FunTriple Header

Elsewhere in this issue, Joe Ferdenzi makes a few waves with his "Review of the Three MajorAmerican Aquarium Magazines." If you are not familiar with them, you should be. How many ofthese questions can you answer without looking them up? (Hint: at least one answer can be found inJoe's article.) Once again, the three titles are - Tropical Fish Hobbyist (TFH), Freshwater and MarineAquarium (FAMA), and Aquarium Fish Magazine (AFM).

1) The editor of which magazine opens their editorial witha Bible reference; Book, Chapter, and Verse?

2) Which magazine has these monthly columns: "SocietyNews," "Aquarist's Library," and "Cichlid Forum?"

3) Which of these magazines has been around the longest?

4) David E. Boruchowitz is the editor of this magazine.

5) Which magazine has these monthly columns: "CatfishCorner," "Wayne's New World," and "Mail Call?"

6) Which of these magazines dedicates itself to"Fishkeeping-The Art And Science?"

7) Which magazine has these monthly columns: "AquaticMaestro," "Reef Notes," and "The Fishy Quiz?"

8) Which of the three is "The Magazine Dedicated to theTropical Fish Enthusiast?"

9) Which magazine has a regular feature on ponds?

10) Which magazine pays a monthly tribute to the"Newsletter of the Month," which recognizes thecontributions of amateur aquarium publications?

1 AFM FAMA TFH

Solution to Last Month's Puzzle: Geography 201: South America

1) Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, French Guiana, Bolivia

2) Poecilocharax weitzmani, Corydoras duplicareus, Aequidens portalegrensis,Apistogramma caucatoides, Chilodus punctatus

3) a) True b) False c) False

4) Brasilia

5) None