KWAS Newsletter working copy

Monthly Newsletter
Serving Kitchener Waterloo
and the surrounding area since 1960
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
FINS &TALES
Speaker of the
Month
Larry Johnson
In this issue:
Breeding Projects
Live Food
Rock ‘scaping
Its breeding se
ason tell your Fish!
Larry Johnson
Larry was first introduced to Lake Malawi cichlids in
the early 70’s and has been keeping and breeding
them since then. The fish room has got bigger over
the years and was consumed by these beautiful
fish. “Tropical Fish are a full time job for me”. He
presently runs almost 100 various size aquariums at
home, and has been importing Cichlids from Lake
Malawi since 2006. In 2009 Larry spent two months
in Malawi installing Anti-Netting Devices around the
Maleris Islands and conducting a Cichlid Survey in
conjunction with the Stuart M Grant Conservation
Fund.
Visit us at
We are always looking for
articles and photos…
www.kwas.ca to join in our forum and to catch up on the latest events!
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEXT MEETING
Presidents Corner
Lake Malawi!
Exchange Editor
with
Get your Rocks On
speaker
Do you have Worms?
Breeding Notes
Larry
Johnson
Tuesday Nov 3, 2015
7:30 pm
Meeting Location:
Adult Recreation Centre 2nd floor
185 King street S. Waterloo, ON
-parking at back of building
-
-
Volume 61 Issue 09
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/185+King+St+S,
+Waterloo,+ON+N2J+1P7/
@43.4603029,-80.5191987,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!
3m1!1s0x882bf46c932092ed:0x28ec68d5d52db1b4
November 2015
1
Presidents Corner
T’was the day after Oktoberfish and all
through my tanks… my body is aching, I
must give some thanks!
To everyone who helped out yesterday, we
would like to say thank you
from the bottom of our
hearts. The weeks and days
leading up to Oktoberfish
are always very stressful.
So many last minute things
that need to be completed,
and always do. Being able
to get into the hotel the
night before to put the
signage up was a big help. Stuart, Karen and
Zenin helped to make sure everything was
set up just right. To all the other club
members who were there and stepped up to
run in our auction, we appreciate the effort
and to everyone who came and showed fish,
bought stuff or came to chat with fishy friends
– YOU ROCK!
Of course to all of the KWASers who put in
an effort, I saw you and thank you for your
commitment. Congrats to Jeff Samson for
taking Best in Show, to Terry Clements for
Best Cichlid and to Shawn O’Halloran Jr for
Best Junior. Congratulations to Walter Luzak
(London) for Best Catfish, to Anne Daniels
(Peel Region) for Best Livebearer and to Bob
Steele (London) for Best Egglayer and
People’s Choice! More information to come
and check out the photos on our Facebook
pages.
Volume 61 Issue 09
One short week and we are back together for our
November general meeting. Larry Johnson, who is
fresh back from yet another Malawi excursion, will
be showing us photos from his many visits to the
lake. Larry always presents a great program so I
hope to see many of you out.
December is our Christmas Social, just a teaser now
and a reminder to start behaving (it does work on a
sliding scale right?) so that Santa brings you some
aquatic related items for Christmas! I mean, who
needs for socks and underwear right? We are also
recognizing some of our members with our annual
awards. Do you have a recommendation? Let me
know before the November business meeting.
I am off to write ‘thank you’ letters and soak my
feet… see you November 3rd! I am so looking
forward to the challenge of navigating the
construction to get to the ARC!
;)
Al
November 2015
2
The Fine Print…
KWAS Mission Statement
The Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium
Society (KWAS) is a non-profit
organization whose primary goals are to:
. Further the hobby and study of tropical
fish and related endeavours
. Inspire the preservation of aquatic life
. Maintain a meeting place for its
members
. Develop and maintain a library on
aquatic life
. Promote fellowship among its
members
. Seek out and establish a kinship with
other clubs with similar objectives
KWAS is a charter member of CAOAC:
The Canadian Association of Aquarium
Clubs
Fins & Tales is published 10 times each year
between the months of September and June for
KWAS members. Opinions expressed in this
publication are those of the authors and not
necessarily those of the Fins & Tales editors or
KWAS. The mention of any product does not
constitute an endorsement by Fins & Tales or
KWAS members.
Reprint Policy — Articles from this publication
may be printed in a not-for-profit publication
provided credit is given to both the author and
KWAS. Copies of the reprint must be sent to
both the author and KWAS. Any other use is
prohibited without the written consent of
KWAS.
Exchange Program — KWAS exchanges
newsletters with other clubs across North
America. If your club is interested in becoming a
part of this program please contact our exchange
editor by mail or e-mail [email protected]
Correspondence — Please send all
correspondence to the Kitchener Waterloo
Aquarium Society, Box 38037 256 King Street
North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2J 4T9.
Volume 61 Issue 09
KWAS Officials 2014- 2015
Executive
[email protected]
President
Al Ridley ([email protected]) 519-571-9093
Vice President Jeff Samson ([email protected])
Treasurer
Terry Clements ([email protected])
Secretary
Brad McClanahan ([email protected])
Past President
Cam Turner ([email protected])
Board of Directors
Editor/Publisher Karen Murray([email protected])
Exchange Editor Zenin Skomorowski ([email protected])
Membership Chair Jayne Glazier ([email protected])
Auction Chair
Executive/BOD
Open
Oktoberfish Chair Al Ridley ([email protected])
Librarian
Dean Crawford
Lunch Counter Jason Glazier
Programs
Al Ridley ([email protected])
Raffle Chair Sean Glazier
B.A.P Chair Terry Clements ([email protected])
H.A.P Chair Karen Murray ([email protected])
CAOAC Rep Al Ridley ([email protected]
C.A.R.E.S Chair David Deleeuw ([email protected])
Name That Fish BOD/Executive
Jar Show
Executive/BOD
Web Team
Al Ridley ([email protected])
Jayne Glazier ([email protected])
Zenin Skomorowski ([email protected])
Pet Store Liaison Zenin Skomorowski ([email protected])
Al Ridley ([email protected])
Advertise in Fins & Tales
As of November 2010 the KWAS BOD has decided to use
newsletter advertising as an incentive for product donations
for our annual Oktoberfish show and auction. If you’re
interested in participating please contact a member of the
BOD who will bring your request to the attention of the
newsletter editors, store liaisons and Oktoberfish chair who
will contact you to discuss a suitable arrangement.
Submission of Articles
Cover images and articles can be submitted for publication in Fins
& Tales by all hobbyists and must be submitted digitally. Priority is
given to KWAS members and to topics that have not been recently
covered. Not all submissions will be printed in the month they are
submitted. The editors of Fins & Tales may be required to edit your
submission for length, spelling, grammar and/or clarity. Please
indicate if you would like to proof read the edited version prior to
official publication.
Submissions are due via email to the editors
([email protected]) by the 15th day of the month for
publication in the upcoming issue of Fins & Tales. Please contact us
if you have any questions or would like suggestions or feedback on
possible article topics.
November 2015
3
Oktoberfish Snapshots
ph
phot
o by
Zeni
n
Skom
orow
oto
by
Ze
n
in
Sk
om
oro
ws
ki
ski
photo by Karen Murray
photo by Al Ridley
pho
to b
eni
yZ
ko
nS
ro
mo
ki
ws
HERO DUO
Albert and Emma hard at work, making sure all the paperwork is in order!
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
4
Oktoberfish Event
con’t
Fish people talking about their favourite subject.
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
Our Vendors
The Auction Stats
A whopping 796 items in the auction
74 lots from 52 sellers
117 Buyers
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
The Show Stats
Show Participants 20
Total Number of Entries
279
That is an average of
about 14 entries per
person.
Way to go!
Many Thanks to our hard working judges!
Brian Glazier & Ron Bishop
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
5
Oktoberfish
con’t
Thanks Zenin for photo-documenting another great KWAS event!
G
I
B
A
U
O
Y
K
N
Aour amazing class
TtoHallsponsors
for your
photo by Al Ridley
Female Betta - Catherine Salmon
AOV Anabantids - BFD RONA Building Centre,
Kitchener
Killifish - Karen Murray Interiors, Kitchener
Rainbowfish - RONA Elora Building Supplies
Goldfish and Koi - Erica's Fish Hut, Brussels
Barbs - E-Ride, Guelph
Freshwater Invertebrates AOV Egglayer - RONA Elora Building Supplies
Aquatic Plants - Brent Lemanski
Aquatic Animals - Jaye Kuntz, City of Waterloo
Aquarium Beautiful (min one aq animal) - CBI
Physiotherapy, Kitchener
Aquarium Novelty (min one aq animal) - John
Ridley, Professional Scribbler
Arts and Crafts - RONA W.Filsinger & Son (Guelph)
Aquatic Photography - Guelph and Area Buy & Sell
Junior Egglayer - Shawn O'Halloran
Junior Livebearer - Stay Fit Health Centre, Guelph
Family Egglayer - Zenin Skomorowski
Family Livebearer - London Aquaria Society
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
Volume 61 Issue 09
support !
GENERAL CLASSES
Angels and Discus - Chris Riedinger King Fish Imports
Dwarf New World Cichlids - Shawn O'Halloran
Large New World Cichlids - Tymer Custom Services, Elmira
Lake Malawi Cichlids -Stroh's Services, Kitchener
Lake Tanganyika Cichlids - Stroh's Services, Kitchener
Dwarf African Cichlids (under 4") - RONA W.Filsinger & Son
(Guelph)
AOV Cichlids - Ducharme Carpentry & Drywall, Seaforth
Mollies - Fantescapes - Escape Room, Guelph
Platies and Swordtails - CBI Physiotherapy, Kitchener
Male Guppy - Brian Laverty
Female Guppy - Jaye Kuntze, City of Waterloo
AOV Livebearer - BFD RONA Building Centre, Kitchener
Corydoras, Aspidoras, and Brochis - Stan Mills
Suckermouth Catfish - Stan Mills
AOV Catfish - Greg Nixon & Erica Crawford, Seaforth
Characins - Tony Howell DFS Investments Inc.
Minnows, Danios, Rasboras - Brent Lemanski
Sharks and Loaches - In Memory of Miecia Burden
Male Betta - Peel Regional Aquaria Society
AWARDS
Best Cichlid - Terry "Fever" Clements
Best Livebearer - Crosby VW Audi, Kitchener
Best Catfish - Zenin Skomorowski
Best Egglayer - Jeff Samson/Century 21 Realty
Best Junior - Martin Mill's Inc
People's Choice - The Tropical Fishroom, Brantford
Best In Show - Guelph And Area Aquatic Buy &
Sell
November 2015
6
June 2015 Exchange Editor Report Zenin Skomorowski KWAS
[email protected]
The newsletters featured in this column, & others are available to you.
Please let me know by email, or at the monthly meeting which ones you would like to read.
Title and Author
Publication
Club
Date
Red-Fin Spilurum Cryptoheros chetumalensis,
Peter Melady
Julidochromis dickfeldi, Bruce Hart
Aqua Antics
Sarnia Aquarium Society
Sep/Oct
2015
Neolamprologus multifasciatus, Tarri Bains
Neolamprologus marunguensis, Chris Eichrodt
Fancy Fins
Danio margaritatus, Bradley Moore
Lepidolamprologus hecqui, Bobby Sutton
Circle City Aquarium Club
Oct 2015
Apistogramma viejita, Mike Zajac
TropiQuarium
Motor City Aquarium Society
Oct 2015
Choosing a Heater, Jason R. Ball
Red Cherry Shrimp, Josh Vito
Some Things Fishy Tropical Fish Club of Erie County
The Fish of Many Morphs Trichogaster
trichopterus, Alexander Priest
The Wonders of a Fishroom, Jules Birnbaum
Modern Aquarium
Greater City Aquarium Society - New
York
Oct 2015
Not All Shipping Bags Are Equal: Some Are
Toxic!, Jeremy Phillips
Michiana Tropical
Times
Michiana Aquarium Society
Oct 2015
Oct 2015
Apistogramma viejita from http://www.aquaticquotient.com
Trichogaster trichopterus from http://nswong.50webs.com
Surf’s up ! Here is this month’s web site to explore:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/results.php?genus=135
Profiles of many fish in the Neolamprologus family
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
7
Some Happy Oktoberfish Winners!
Terry Clements (KWAS) Best Cichlid
Walter Luzak (London) Best Catfish
photo
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
by Kar
en Mu
rray
The Stats:
Best Livebearer - Anne Daniels Pinger guppies (family)
Best Egglayer - Bob Steele
- Gold Gourami
Best Catfish - Walter Luzak
- Sterbai cory
Best Cichlid - Terry Clements
- Chalinchromis brichardi
Best of Show-Jeff Samson - Gold Mickey Mouse Platy
Best Junior- Shawn O'Halloran
Jr. - Black Moscow guppy
High Aggregate clubKWAS
The O’Halloran Boys
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
Bob Steele (London)
Best Egglayer & Peoples Choice
Volume 61 Issue 09
Anne Daniels (PRAC) Best Livebearers
-Pingu Guppies(family)
November 2015
8
Live Food - the short note on worms
by Karen Murray
Do you have worms?
If not I highly recommend you get them! If you had told me even 3 years ago that I would have a
basement full of worms I would have said you were crazy. I actually think I said at one point, “Eww!
Never!”
But for anyone spawning fish they are a necessary evil. Live cultures keep the water cleaner and can
induce spawning. Many are small enough for fry and help them to grow quickly. Some species of fry
can thrive without live food, but many don’t recognize food when they are first born, unless it is
moving. Plus live food is free! So for anyone who never thought they would have worms ask around
in your club and I am sure you will find some cultures to begin your own with.
White Worms are the largest of the ‘white worm’
cultures listed here. Adults and large fry go crazy
over them. I keep them in a soil mixture, very
damp and feed dry cat food, bread, mashed
carrots, fish food. They can get a little stinky so
feed a little at a time until you see how much
they are eating. Scoop them off a piece of
plexiglass placed on top of the soil. I rinse the
dirt off them and siphon them out into the tanks.
I feed weekly or bi-weekly as they are a fatty
food.
Grindal Worms are larger than Banana worms
and not as big as white worms. I use damp soil
to culture and experiment with oatmeal, cat food
and milk soaked bread for feeding. I rinse them
in water and siphon them out to feed. They don’t
last long!
Banana worms in oatmeal
Volume 61 Issue 09
White worms in soil
Banana Worms are easy to culture but don’t
last as long as other cultures. The good news
is a new culture is also easy to start and
produces worms quickly. A margarine
container with water, oatmeal and yeast is all
it takes. Scoop them off the side of the
container and swish it in the tank. Instant live
food.
I keep these on hand just in case I have a
bad baby brine shrimp hatch. I make sure I
clean the bottom of my fry tank well after
feeding these. There are more in a small
scoop than you can imagine. Ramshorn
snails will help clean them up too. But then
be ready for lots of baby ramshorns!
November 2015
9
Live Food
Vinegar Eels are by
far the easiest worm
culture. Water/cider
vinegar and apples in
a pop bottle will keep
you going in live food
for up to a year
(some people say
more!) Harvesting,
however is a little
more complicated. A slim neck bottle is
needed. Pour some of the mixture in, top it
with a wad of filter floss then pour tank water
on top. Within a few hours you will see the
‘cloud’ moving into the water. Siphon it
directly into your tank. The great thing about
vinegar eels is their ability to survive in the
water for long periods. They are the smallest
of worms and are great for fry too small for
baby brine shrimp.
A little *travel tip I tried was making up a
mini bottle of the vinegar with a tube stuffed
with filter floss. I put this directly in the tank
before I go away for a day or two. The
vinegar stays in the bottle and the eels drift
through the floss into the water, feeding my
fry while I am away. This is great for newly
hatched fry which can’t be left that long
without food!
*Be cautious though and make sure you apply this tip
so the vinegar does not escape the bottle.
Maggots & Fruit Flies may infest your
worm cultures and affect the survival rate of
your worms. They are not harmful to the fish,
the fish actually love them.
To prevent cross cultures and infestations,
use a fine mesh to cover the lid holes in your
cultures and use different spatulas or sticks
to harvest each culture type.
Volume 61 Issue 09
con’t by Karen Murray
Invertebrates:
Infusoria can be present in the tank where
there are live plants such as moss. Fry and
small fish will pick at these microscopic
invertebrates. You can culture infusoria with
green algae water.
Daphnia cultures
(often called water
fleas) are fed green
Size Does Matter
water or active
in approx. order of size
bakers yeast. Best
-infusoria
cultured outdoors
-vinegar eels
but can be cultured
-banana worms
indoors. The water
-walter worms
should be cool and
-baby brine shrimp
kept clean. Feed
-grindal worms
enough to cloud the
-daphnia
water for a 24 hrs.
-white worms
When the water
clears they are
ready to be fed
again. I find these
the most difficult to culture. Once wrong
move, the water fouls and the culture is
dead. Do not siphon the mulm from the
bottom of your culture. This can contain food
sources and cysts for new daphnia hatch.
Use a large slow bubbles to aerate the tank.
Baby Brine Shrimp are cultured with a slow
bubbler and a bottle. The water is generally
1.2% salt. Let sit and strain to feed. BBS
should hatch between 24-48 hours
depending on temperature and light. Buy
quality BBS eggs for high hatch rates. Clean
your tank of dead BBS or unhatched eggs
daily. If you overfeed you may get hydra
which will attack your fry, so keep an eye on
the fry tank.
Daphnia Cultures:
http://www.mkka.net/articles/DaphniaCultureMadeSimple.html
See our forum for information on Vinegar Eels and Baby Brine
Shrimp - kwas.ca
November 2015
10
Rockscaping
Type 1 - Rule of 3rds - You can use the below grid
pattern from the front of your aquarium or the top.
Apply the larger grouping of rocks to the high areaand further to back. The smaller grouping of rocks
can be grouped closer to the front.
by Karen Murray
Type 2 - Stacked Flat Stone
You can use many different types of stones for
this but try to keep them visually similar for a more
uniform and organized look. Take an example
from nature. Most aquatic rock formations are of
similar stone.
50 gallon Rift lake flat rocks and black
gravel photo by Zenin Skomorowski
Type 3: The Island
group rocks together either in centre or offset -leaving
the space around empty. Driftwood and plants can be
used to fill in the spaces of your island.
Safely layering flat rocks can provide homes for
many types of fish. always consider the weight and
safety of your tank and fish when rockscaping. One
slip at it could be disastrous for you and your fish!
Angle your rocks in opposing direction for
a more dynamic look.
photo by Karen Murray
Petrified wood looks great and has a nice
variation in colour. It is inert.
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
11
Rocks
con’t
by Karen Murray
photo by Karen Murray
Materials
Your substrate can
match your stones
or contrast them
depending on how
much you want to
feature the colour of
the stones.
photo by Zenin Skomorowski
sand and river rocks
What is Iwagumi?
Texas Holey Rock raises hardness &
A style of rockscaping
3 stones of varying
size inspired by
Japanese gardening.
As long as you are
using an odd number
of stones it is still a
balanced Iwagumi.
Using odd numbers of
stones creates a
natural uneveness to
your aquascape.
photo by Karen Murray
Ph but adds great hiding spots for fry!
photo by Karen Murray
Rocks
Try to get all your rocks to be the
same material, just in different
sizes. Always clean them and
test to see if they are inert.
(vinegar will foam if they are not)
photo by Karen Murray
Dragonstone (Okho stone)
Yamaya stone
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
12
Breeding Season in your Tanks
Breeder Boxes - or fry boxes allow you to
house, feed and monitor your fry until they
get big enough to be transferred to a larger
or main tank.
by Karen Murray
It is thought that a cold water change or a
storm event triggers spawning in Corydoras
Induce Spawning by recreating a natural
environment stimulation. Water temperature,
Ph, hardness all play a part in fish
reproduction. You can mimic seasonal
changes and trigger spawning by altering the
photoperiod, temperature and food.
Killifish fry in 5 gallon grow out tank
Cory fry in breeder box 100% survival rate
Many Killifish eggs require a ‘diapause’ in
order to hatch. The eggs are stored in damp
peat moss to mimic the dry season in their
natural habitat.
Volume 61 Issue 09
Know Your Fish
Research the optimal water and aquarium
conditions to give eggs or fry the best environment
for hatching and growing. Some fish require very
specific perimeters for spawning. Species only
tanks can offer a better survival rate for small fry if
they are not removed from the parent tank.
November 2015
13
Photo Gallery
Send us your photos so we can showcase them!
Breeding group Rivulus Xiphidius in sphagnum moss.
photo by Karen Murray
F. gardneri fry in hang on breeder box with moss
photo by Karen Murray
2015 Membership Fees
Adult
Family
1 Year
$25
$30
2 Years
$48
$58
3 Years
$71
$86
4 Years
$92
$112
5 Years $100
$120
Junior Members (under the age of 18) $10 per year
The Fellowship of Fish
Chatham-Kent
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
14
Lepidiolamprologus hecqui
Al Ridley
Although many books and websites list
this species as Neolamprologus
hecqui, most hobbyists and shops
refer to it as Lepidiolamprologus
hecqui.
One of the largest shell-dwelling species, hecqui have
a build that reflects their power. When this fish bites
your fingertips, protecting its young - you feel it and
you probably bleed! They have a wide mouth with
bass-like jaws, so they can actually grab onto a finger
while their smaller cousins, like the nippy Lamprologus
ocellatus can only snap and fall away. As this biting
behaviour might suggest, hecqui are by no means shy
once they've settled in and you can expect them to be
out and about most of the time. They are clever and
fast too. If a net is coming after them, they will
immediately seek cover in a shell or a cave.
Hecqui are primarily carnivorous. I enjoy grabbing
a couple of ramshorn snails and dropping them in
the tank where they almost immediately get pulled
right out of their shells and eaten. I have read that
they will learn to take food from your hand however
I have had little success with this. One of the best
aspects of the larger shell dwellers like hecqui is
that they can be kept with fish that are generally
considered too aggressive to be shellie-safe.
Volume 61 Issue 09
Hecqui and other Lepidiolamprologus can be kept
with Neolamprologus leleupi and the Julidochromis
species as they are considered fry eaters. The general
rule is that each species has plenty of room to
develop its own territory. A good rule of thumb with
aggressive rock dwellers is to leave at least 15 cm of
empty sand space between the rocks and the shells,
so neither species is inclined to infringe on the other's
territory. A pile of rocks functioning as a "visual
barrier" is unfortunately not the right idea. The rock
dwellers will consider it an extension of their territory
and defend the area around it including the shells
that the hecqui consider theirs! I spawned mine in a
forty gallon breeder however I am now setting up a
custom 39 – ½” x 28” aquarium that they will share
with some Ophthalmotilapia ventralis Gold Tips. The
contrast should be stunning!
At first glance, hecqui is a very drab fish when it
comes to colour and patterning. The mottling patterns
can appear or disappear based on substrate colour,
rank, mood, and breeding condition. A darker
substrate can muddy the patterning but a light
substrate will tend to keep the fish pale, so a
compromise is best - either a mix of black and white
or a shade of brown. The species also has a distinctive
violet iridescence in certain lights. If the fish tilts
toward the light or if a flash is used with a photo, it
will show up. When upset, frightened, or defending
fry, the fish, particularly the male, will develop its
most bold patterning, which is quite stunning. As with
many cichlids, patterns are just the beginning as it is
their behaviour that makes them interesting.
November 2015
15
Lepidiolamprologus hecqui con’t
Hecqui is typically a harem species, though it
can live in pairs - the females tend not to be
happy about sharing, and their territorial needs
are large enough that it's best to let the fish
work out the best arrangement. The female will
protect her shell or shells more directly, but the
male will hover nearby or above, claiming the
entire area. He is very adept at keeping other
species away without (once they understand
him) much force. Indeed, they are effective
enough at guarding their territory that they can
often keep fry safe from very effective fryeaters like Julidochromis species.
Sexing hecqui is not simple. With the youngest,
there's no real way of telling except that the
largest will tend to be males and the smallest
will tend to be females. As they age, the size
difference becomes apparent. Males are big,
hefty fish. Females have size but they do not
exhibit the same bulk or look. At adulthood, size
is the most telling factor but not the only
physical difference. The facial shape will also
tell. Males have massive jaws for their size and
a bump over the nose where the female's profile
is much straighter.
Al Ridley
Breeding them is fairly simple and follows the
standard shell dweller method. Size at maturity,
as mentioned earlier, is larger than the usual
shell dwellers. Females will 3 cm and males 4-5
cm before they will successfully spawn.
Occasionally some energetic pairs may start
younger. Fry are more numerous than with other
species probably because the female is larger
and can hold more eggs. Fry hatch and emerge
from the shell on about the same schedule.
Hatching occurs in one or two days and about
five before they swim well enough to leave the
shell. Within a few days of that they have
developed the same camouflage appearance as
their parents and will blend in extremely well
with the rockwork of your aquarium. They are
great swimmers and as are very competitive at
feeding time.
The best food is precisely what they'd get in the
wild: scraps of anything and everything their
parents are eating. I feed a Northfin or Martin
Mills pellets often and in small amounts. I also
feed decapsulated brine shrimp eggs and frozen
bloodworms.
Water for hecqui is the same as any
Tanganyikan species. Kitchener tap water!
Warm, alkaline, hard, and very clean. The
current can be high and I have experimented
with AquaClear filters and sponge filters with
equal success. They are strong swimmers and
will appreciate the extra oxygen. As a larger
species they need plenty of space. Provide
at least a 30” tank but larger is a good idea.
Height is not important except that it allows
subdominant fish to the upper reaches.
Breeder type tanks that are long and wide
and low are perfect. Hecqui is a much less
common species of shelldweller so keep your
eyes peeled. If you see them, buy them and
wait until you get a pair. Then get rid of the
rest and keep the pair by themselves in a
tank size of 40gal or less.
Al Ridley has been a member of the Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium
Society since 1979. He has written many articles and has received
numerous awards for his writing, both from KWAS and the
Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs. You can find Al on most
hobby related forums as ‘pyro’ which is an indication of his other
hobby. Reprints are allowed provided an electronic copy of the
newsletter is sent to Al and the KWAS Exchange Editor.
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
16
AQUARIUM CLUB EVENTS
November
8 - Peel Region Aquarium Society auction. Click here as details are
confirmed. NOTE New Location.
14 - Hamilton District Aquarium Society speaker dinner with Anton
Lamboj. Details here.
15 - 11:00 AM - CAOAC Executive Meeting Waterdown ON
15 - 12:00 PM - CAOAC General Meeting, Waterdown ON
29 - St. Catharines Aquarium Society fall auction. Details here as
they become available.
KWAS
needs you…
Volunteer to clean the Waterloo Inn tank just
Once A Year!!
speak to Zenin
or any KWAS executive member to volunteer
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
17
Support your Local Business
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
18
Business Meeting - your BOD hard at work!
BUSINESS MEETING October 13, 2015
Meeting at the home of Jeff Samson – 35 Jay Court,
Kitchener
Executive in attendance: Al Ridley, Jeff Samson, Terry
Clements and Brad McClanahan
BOD in attendance: Karen Murray, Lillian Stroh and Dave
De leeuw
Guests:
Regrets: Zenin (speaking to BRASS)
Program (Al):
November: Larry Johnson (Lake Malawi)
December: Christmas Social
Karen will approach Andy at the University of Guelph to see
if he can speak on his research.
School educational program: Brent Lemanski reports the
aquarium in the school is going well but repairs are needed
on the tank. We have spare parts that we will get to Brent.
Exchanges: (Zenin): nothing to report
Motion to approve September business minutes as printed
Motion: Terry Clements
Seconded:
Jeff Samson
C.A.R.E.S. (David): nothing to report
Motion to approve October general minutes as emailed
and amended
Motion: Karen Murray
Seconded:
Dave De leeuw
Membership: One new membership
Future business Meetings: November - Al
Oktoberfish Licence Issue. Al has run into issues trying
to obtain a temporary vendors licence from the city and
due to new policies ran into a brick wall. We will fill out the
temporary vendor on private property licence along with
our Waterloo Inn contract, our caoaoc insurance policy and
a letter of explanation and submit in hopes this will be
satisfactory.
Correspondence: Amazonas magazine subscription due.
It was decided at this time not to renew.
CAOAC: nothing to report
Auction (Jeff): nothing to report
Library: Terry put all the books out. Thank you. Three
books signed out.
Raffle: We don’t have any raffle items Dr. Glenn will look
after this moving forward. Karen will chat with Dr Glenn
about the duties of the raffle table to get him started.
HAP (Karen): nothing to report
BAP (Terry): nothing to report
Name That Fish/Plant (Jeff/Karen): Fish for November
Mini Show: Anabantids, Plants and AOV for November
Treasurer’s Report (Terry):
Oct – money in $334.20 / money out $77.19
Bank $4,476.02 Cash Box -$674.01
Lunch (Lillian): nothing to report
Motion to accept: Brad McClanahan
Seconded: Jeff Samson
Waterloo Inn Aquarium: nothing to report
Committee Reports
NL Editors/Publisher (Karen): Nothing to report.
Pet Store Liaison: (Zenin and Al): Nothing to report.
New Business: Nothing to report
Old Business: Nothing to report
Webmaster: No luck with acquiring help.
Meeting adjourned 9 pm
Oktoberfish: Sunday October 25, 2015
Donations are coming in.
Class sponsorships are coming in.
Motion to adjourn: Lillian Stroh
Clements
Seconded: Terry
Facebook: (Zenin and Al) KWAS page is currently at 627
likes (605 likes at last business meeting).Facebook group
is currently at 284 members (278 at last business
meeting).
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
19
October General Meeting -the scoop..
Oct
6
Our Meeting begins with Announcements
then on to Betta Talk…
AS
KW
October 6, 2015 General
Meeting
Executive present: Al Ridley, Jeff Sampson, Terry Clements
and Brad Mcclanahan
BOD Present: Zenin Skomorowski, Dave De leeuw, Karen
Murray
Called meeting to order at 7:30
People present 21
Guests 0
The Fantastic Five….
OKTOBERFISH – Al reminded everyone that we need
volunteers to make this event a success.
BAP/HAP Shawn Ohalloran received one certificate for spawning
Corydoras sp. Cw009.
NAME THAT PLANT Wisteria won by Jeff Samson
AUCTION Alvin auctioned off this months goods. Thanks Alvin
People’s Choice (mini show)
PROGRAM
• Catherine Salmon on Bettas
NOVEMBER MINI SHOW - Anabantids & Plants
AUCTION final goods were quickly auctioned off by Alvin
Meeting was adjourned at 9:25 pm.
KWAS Members !
Write an Article for Fins & Tales
Your input is Valuable so share with your fellow KWAS’ers.
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
20
General Meeting con’t photos by Zenin Skomorowski
W
SHO
I
N
I
M
lts
Resu
MINI SHOW – LARGE AMERICAN
CICHLIDS
1st - Midas Cichlid - Jeff Samson
2nd - Red Terror - Dave
3rd - Festivum - Zenin
AOV
There were some very nice fish in the Mini
Show this month. Thanks for the great photos
Zenin!
1st - Cynotilapia Afra - Terry
2nd - Male Congo Tetra - Zenin
3rd - Apistogramma Sp. - Al
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Hi Fin Sword – Stuart
Don’t forget to bring your fish out next month!
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
21
Nov Mini Show
Anabantids, Plants & AOV
Join the forum at www.kwas.ca and see us on
Front Cover: Matthew Mannell
Back Cover: Zenin Skomorowski (fish Anne Daniels)
Volume 61 Issue 09
November 2015
22