March 2011 Shoreline - Jersey Shore Aquarium Society

March, 2011 Volume 22, No 3 See Page 8 for Details
The Official Publication of the Jersey Shore Aquarium Society www.jerseyshoreas.org MARCH 20
THIS IS YOUR
LAST ISSUE
OF THE
SHORELINE!
Unless you’ve paid your 2011 membership dues.
Just a reminder that membership dues for 2011
are now past due.
Checks may be made out to Jersey Shore Aquarium Society. Dues are $20 for a single and $30 for
a family. You can also mail membership dues to:
Nancy Villars/Hallgring
214 Wilson Ave
Port Monmouth NJ 07758
We are updating our files so please include all
your contact info (Name, address, phone #'s,
Email). You can also update your information &
pay your dues at the membership table at our next
meeting on March 14, 2011. Thank you!
The Shoreline Page 2 Matthew Siegel
JSAS members are encouraged to submit
stories about their fish-keeping experiences
along with photos, anecdotes and jokes to
the editor of The Shoreline via email. Submissions are published as space permits.
Please be mindful of our monthly deadline
which is always the last Friday of each
month for the following month’s edition.
M
O.CO
O
H
A
71@Y
MWS
Please be sure you’ve paid your 2011 membership dues or this will be
your last issue of The Shoreline. See page 2 for details. Also, be sure
that Nancy has your current email
address for delivery.
Now go feed your fish,
Matty O’Siegel
Happy
St. Patrick’s
Day
The Shoreline Page 3 JSAS Meeting Notice:
Monday
March 14
8:00 PM
Check our web site for details:
Www.jerseyshoreas.org
All About Pets goes viral on YouTube!
Check it out online…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Edcfvne0bA
The Shoreline Page 4 Coming
Events
March 14—JSAS Meeting
March 20—JSAS Spring Auction
Visit www.jerseyshoreas.org for additional information.
Check Out Our Area Aquarium Clubs…
March 11—Brooklyn Aquarium Society—Meeting: Richard Ross, “Cephalopods”
March 12—NJAS Swap Meet & Vendor Expo. Visit www.njas.net for information.
March 19—Aquarium Club of Lancaster County—Richard O’Leary, “Freshwater Invertebrates: Myths & Misconceptions”
April 8-10—American Livebearer National Convention, Cleveland, OH. Visit
www.ALA2011.com for information.
April 10—NJAS Spring Auction. Visit www.njas.net for information.
April 24—BAS Swap Meet
May 22—Aquarium Club of Lancaster—Spring Auction 2011 at the Harrisburg Holiday
Inn Hotel & Conference Center. Doors open at 8:30 am for viewing and registration.
June 5—NEC General Meeting
October 13-16—GuppyCon 2011. Contact Bill Gill for information at
[email protected]
Send your upcoming events and meetings information for publication by email to: [email protected]. The Shoreline prints upcoming events and meetings for other or‐
ganizations as space permits. The Shoreline Page 5 membership
REWARDS
Your JSAS Membership Card entitles you to valuable discounts at
these fine retailers. Be sure to show your membership card at
checkout for your discount. Membership has its privileges…
Restrictions may apply. See retailer for details.
Absolutely Fish, Clifton
15% Discount (excludes sale items)
Red Sand Aquarium, Dunellen
10% Discount—Marine
Adam’s Pet Safari, Warren & Chester
15% Discount
Reef to Reptiles, Ocean
10% Discount
Air Water & Ice
Shark Aquarium, Hillside
www.airwaterice.com
15% Discount
10% Discount—Use JSAS code # 39769
+ Free Shipping over $150—Use code # 99090 Tropiquarium, Ocean
10% Discount—Fish Only
All About Pets, Sea Girt (JSAS Member)
20% Discount—Fish & Fish Drygoods
Vladiscus, Feasterville, PA
10% discount
Allquatics, Hamilton
15% Discount
Your Fish Stuff
www.yourfishstuff.com
Aquarium Center, Blackwood
10% Discount—Use JSAS code “jsas”
10% Discount
Fins Feathers & Furs, Brick
Ocean Gallery Aquatics, N. Plainfield
10% Discount—Drygoods
15% Discount
Buy 1 Fish, 2nd Fish Half-price
Pets Pets Pets, Somerset
40% Discount—Freshwater Fish
30% Discount—Aquarium Drygoods
20% Discount—Saltwater Fish
Buy 2, Get 1 Free on Corals
Jim Straughn’s Aquarium, Feasterville,PA
15% Discount
Pet Shanty, Scotch Plains
10% Discount—Fish & Fish Drygoods
The Shoreline Page 6 Submitted by… STEVE HALLGRING
NAME- Australoheros sp. Red Ceibal
COMMON NAME- Chanchito - Red Ceibal
FAMILY- Cichlidae
See the Photo Gallery
on Page 15...
ORIGIN- Uruaguay – the Arroyo Ceibal in Centurian which flows into the Rio Yaguaron at the
Brazilian border
TYPICAL SIZE/COLOR- A medium sized cichlid the males grow to 7” and the females to 5”.
They have primarily gold bodies with black irregular vertical bars. During spawning
their colors intensify to a bright red-orange with green vertical bars and bright blue spots
on their dorsal fins. They have brilliant red eyes.
TANK TYPE/SIZE- These fish should be kept in a heavily stocked large tank (125 gal. or larger). It should contain a sand substrate (their habitat contains dark red sand), plants and
some caves for spawning to resemble their natural habitat.
DIET- These fish are omnivores in nature, and as such, will accept all sorts of foods from frozen
foods to flakes and pellets in an aquarium
WATER PARAMETERS- Being from northern Uruaguay, they are not a tropical fish they appreciate temps from 60 to 75 degrees. Most aquarists keep them at room temperature.
They do well with a ph close to neutral ( 7 ) and water that is not very hard.
TEMPERMENT- This is a fairly aggressive cichlid. The level of aggression can be tempered by
including a number of fish also native to their natural habitat (Crennicichla lepidota and
punctata also Gymnogeophagus labiatus and rhabdotus
SEXING- The males and females are similarly colored and shaped and aside from the difference
in size as adults they are hard to distinguish. The best bet is to buy 6 or more juveniles
and let them figure it out in time.
BREEDING- These flashy cichlids can spawn at sizes much smaller than their full adult stature.
They will spawn in a cave if it is provided or a hollow log. As is the case with many other
Chanchito’s both the male and the female defend the eggs and fry. Provide the fry with
baby brine shrimp or high protein micro pellets until they can accept flake food.
These flashy fish are fairly new to the hobby but they can be found at fish clubs that have
active BAP members. (Nancy Villars just had a spawn) There is something magical
about a tank with territorial fish.
The Shoreline Page 7 For more information, contact the JSAS
president, Shelly Kirschenbaum at
(732) 415-8137 or by email:
[email protected]
The Shoreline Page 8 Painted Fish
from AquaticCommunity.com
Vibrantly coloured fish is very popular among aquarists, and there exists a wide range of naturally colourful fish
species. Even if you are a beginner aquarist, you can find striking fish species that will look great and add colour to
your aquarium. If you make sure to keep the water quality at optimal levels, provide your fish with a stress free environment, and feed your fish suitable foods they will display their best colours.
Unfortunately for many fishes, artificially coloured fish have become increasingly popular in the aquarium trade. As
mentioned above, the natural way of enhancing the coloration of a fish is to provide it with ideal conditions. Many
fish producers have instead started to create colourful fish by injecting them with artificial colour or dipping them in
dye. The so called Painted Glassfish that is commonly found in pet shops is for instance an almost colourless fish
species named Indian Glassfish (Chanda ranga) that have been injected with brilliant colours.
Problems with dyed fish
So, why is painted fish a problem? Well, it is cruel to the fish and to the unsuspecting aquarist. The fish will of
course suffer during the various treatments (you can read more about the details further down in this article) and
also become much more susceptible to illness, which greatly reduces its lifespan. Some dyeing methods cause up
to 80 percent of the treated fishes to die during or right afterwards, but since 20 percent survive long enough to be
sold to aquarists the treatment is still profitable. In addition to being hurt and stressed, dyeing can cause young fish
to be stunted and never reach their full size. The aquarist will purchase a stunningly looking fish that gradually
looses its coloration as the dye metabolize. Estimations show that roughly 90 percent of these painted fishes loose
their colours within a few months, but this is actually not the biggest problem. The main thing to worry about is instead the increased risk of infections and the drastically reduced life span of dyed fish. Since the dye makes the
painted fishes susceptible to various health problems, they will usually die young and force you to purchase new
fish.
Introducing a very sensitive fish to the aquarium is also unfair to the other inhabitants, since the weakened fish can
function as a breeding ground for a colony of malicious micro organisms that eventually grows large enough to start
infecting the other fish. Fish death is of course something unavoidable in the aquarium as well as in the wild, but
introducing a fish that you know might die very soon is still not a very good idea. If you do not notice the dead fish it
will start to decompose and seriously pollute the water. If this happens when you are away during the weekend, you
might come back to a very lifeless aquarium. Always selecting healthy and strong looking fish is therefore very important even when it comes to non-painted fish.
Painted fish are often sold to less experienced fish keepers that are attracted to the vibrant colours without realising
that they are unnatural. When the fish turns belly up in the aquarium, the novice aquarist thinks that it is his or her
own fault and never complains to the seller. Chances are, the aquarist will even go back to the same store and purchase even more painted fish, hoping that he or she will manage to take better care of it this time.
Painted fish are also known as juiced fish, artificially coloured fish, or dyed fish. Fish can be coloured using several
different methods. The three most common methods are dye injections, dipping and coloured food.
Dye injection
During a dye injection, a needle is used to inject dye under the skin of the fish. Just like when a human is tattooed,
only a small area of skin will be dyed from each puncture. A large amount of punctures is therefore necessary before the desired coloration is achieved. This is of course very stressful for the fish, and the punctures can easily
become infected. As mentioned above, the Indian Glassfish (Chanda ranga) is one example of a fish that is commonly dyed using dye injections. A dye-injected Indian Glassfish is much more susceptible to cotton fungus than a
non-dyed Indian Glassfish. In this fish, the common forms of dye will metabolize within 4 to 20 months. How long
the fish will stay colourful will depend on the particular fish, which type of dye that was used and how concentrated
the dye was.
Continued on Page 11...
The Shoreline The Auction Committee is seeking help from vol‐
unteers on March 20. If you’re interested, please contact Bill Loesch at (732) 223‐4530. Our Annual Auction is the biggest fundraiser of the year and allows us to fund club operations. Your service is appreciated—and earns you MAP points! Getting a new tank?
Tell us about it, along with a photo,
to the editor: [email protected]
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LOCAL FISH STORE?
SEND US AN EMAIL WITH THE NAME AND
TOWN OF YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER AND
TELL US WHY YOU LIKE THEM SO MUCH.
WE’LL FEATURE YOUR FAVORITE STORE IN AN
UPCOMING ISSUE OF THE SHORELINE. YOU
CAN EMAIL YOUR ACCOLADES TO:
[email protected]
Do you have an idea for an article or maybe an
anecdote about your own hobby experiences
to share? The Shoreline accepts contributions
from members and non-members alike.
E-mail to: [email protected]
The Shoreline Page 10 Continued from Page 9...
Dipping
Many fish species rely on an outer slime to protect them from injury and infections. During dipping, the fish is placed
in a caustic solution that removes this mucus from the body. The fish is then dipped in dye, or injected using the
needle method described above. When the dying process is over, the fish is dipped in yet another solution. This
solution consists of chemicals that are known to irritate the skin of fishes, since the irritation will stimulate the fish to
produce a new slime coating. Anyone can understand how
stressful these various treatments are for the fish.
Colored food
It is perfectly natural for many fish species to develop new
or enhanced colors when they consume colorful food. In the
wild, many fish species will happily gulp down colorful
shrimps, red algae, plankton and krill. Using this naturally
colorful food types to enhance the coloration of your aquarium fishes is usually not a problem. Even if krill can not be
found in the native waters of your particular fish species,
they may very well do great on a diet that contains krill since many fish species are opportunistic omnivores that
can eat a wide range of different foods. Today you can even purchase prepared fish food that will enhance the color
of fish. Many of these foods have been specially made to suit a particular fish species, and will therefore not only
contain colored food particles (such as shrimps, red algae, plankton or krill) but also be balanced in order to satisfy
the nutritional needs of that particular species.
So, using food to change or enhance the coloration of a fish does not necessary have to cause health problems for
the fish. The problem occurs when fish producers start feeding their fish food that contains unhealthy and unnatural
dye. Unsuitable dye will weaken the fish and make it less resilient towards disease. Unsuitable dye can also affect
the growth and development of a fish, which is especially problematic since it is usually young fish that is fed this
type of dyed food.
If you purchase a fish that has been dyed using food,
you should be aware that the beautiful colors will vanish
as soon as you start feeding the fish normal fish food.
This is true regardless of whether the food is comprised
of natural color enhancers like krill or consists of unnatural and dangerous artificial dye.
How to avoid getting dyed fish in the pet store
Many different fish species are dyed. If you do not wish
to purchase dyed fish, the best way of preventing it is to
research the species you are interested in before you
make any purchase. Visit the library or look up the fish
on the Internet. This way, you will find out if those neon
green streaks are a natural part of the fish's coloration or
if they must have been created using some form of dye. The word “painted” in the name of a fish that you find in the
pet store is naturally also a warning. If you wish to avoid dyed fish, you should be extra suspicious when you are
offered to purchase fish with names like “Painted Glassfish” or “Painted Corys”. Dyed fish are however sold under
many other names as well, including the common name for the un-dyed fish.
Continued on Page 12...
The Shoreline Page 11 Continued from Page 11...
Examples of fish that is commonly dyed:
 Bubblegum Parrot or Jelly Bean
Fish sold under these names are dyed versions of the
Bloody Parrot fish. The Bloody Parrot does not exist in
the wild; it is a human made hybrid that has been created by crossbreeding several different colorful cichlids.
The Bloody Parrot cichlid is not a red color variation of
the Parrot cichlid (Hoplarchus Psittacus). Bubblegum
Parrots and Jelly Beans are dyed using bright colors like
purple, green, red and blue. Their immune system is
often damaged by the dyeing.
 Blueberry Oscars
Sometimes albino versions of the Oscar fish (Astronotus ocellatus) occur, and it is these pale fishes that are injected with blue dye and sold as Blueberry Oscars. The Oscar fish comes in several natural color variants, but brilliant blue is not one of them. The albino version can naturally be injected with other colors as well, so before you
purchase a colorful Oscar it is a good idea to find out whether it has been dyed or not. By purchasing a healthy
Oscar instead of a dyed one, you can get a fish that stays with you for 15 years or even longer.
 Fruit tetras
Fruit tetras are White Skirt tetras that have been dyed using the dipping-method described above. The White Skirt
tetra is an albino version of the Black Skirt tetra. Fruit tetras can usually be obtained in a wide range of pastel colors. Many pet stores give the fishes names after similarly colored fruits, hence the name Fruit tetras. You can for
instance find Grape tetra, Blueberry tetra and Strawberry tetra. During recent years it has even been possible to
obtain Holiday tetras that have been dyed to fit the upcoming holiday, e.g. red Christmas tetras and blue and red
4th of July tetras.
 Painted Cory
Dying the tail of the Cory is the most popular variant, but some fish producers dye other parts of the fish as well.
 Painted Botia
Blue Botias can be found in the wild, but fish stores have instead retorted to selling dyed blue Botias. A natural Blue
Botia can also be dyed to enhance the color.
 Painted Glassfish
As mentioned earlier in this article, the Indian Glassfish (Chanda ranga) is
frequently dyed using brilliant colors. Since these fishes are quite colorless is their natural form, the dye will produce a sharp contrast and stand
out very clearly. Fluorescent glassfish is very popular, but the artificial
colors will of course gradually
fade until they have vanished
completely. A high percentage
of the painted Indian Glassfishes die when they are being painted, or right afterwards, and those
who manage to survive become highly sensitive and prone to infections.
JSAS
Submitted by… JAKE BLATT, Exchange Editor
The Shoreline Page 12 Check out these unbeatable prices for JSAS members.
Stop by the shop or call Bill at (732) 223-4530 and he’ll
deliver any of these quality products to our next meeting. Quantities are limited.
Emperor 400 Filter
Reg. $89.99
Now $45.00
BioWheel 100 Filter
29.99
20.00
BioWheel 150 Filter
39.99
25.00
BioWheel 200 Filter
49.99
30.00
BioWheel 350 Filter
59.99
35.00
Eclipse System 2
39.99
20.00
Eclipse System 3
59.99
35.00
Eclipse System 6
79.99
50.00
Eclipse System Hex 5
59.99
40.00
Eclipse System Corner 5
59.99
40.00
129.99
85.00
99.99
70.00
Eclipse System 12
10 gallon 1/2 Moon Kit
Sea Girt Mall, Sea Girt
Tel. (732) 223-4530 Ask for Bill
The Shoreline Page 13 Please support the March of Dimes and their
mission for healthy babies. You can join Team
Hannah by walking with us on April 30 on
the boardwalk in Asbury Park or making
your tax-deductible donation today.
Visit www.TeamHannah.org or call (732) 859
-5595 for more information. Thank you!
The Shoreline Page 14 Submitted by… STEVE HALLGRING
Australoheros sp Red Ceibal
The Shoreline Page 15 South Central Cichlids LLC
South Central Cichlids LLC
South Central Cichlids LLC
South Central Cichlids LLC
[email protected]
www.SouthCentralCichlids.com
J.S.A.S.
Members
* All made from food grade stoneware clay in our Port Monmouth facility.
* Natural looking wood grain style finish.
* Thick walled construction to last a lifetime.
* Three colors to choose from: Brick, Buff and Walnut.
Handmade Ceramic Spawning Caves, Logs and Discus Cones
All caves are handmade by us in our Port Monmouth facility. Our caves are made
with natural stoneware clay and fired to 2208-2291 degrees rendering them fully vitrified. Our caves will not leach chemicals into the water or break down with time. It
is our goal to bring you the best quality breeding caves and hides available. All
caves are sanded before firing to ensure there are no rough edges to damage your
fish. We hope you enjoy our caves as much as we enjoy making them. Contact
Nancy & Steve today!
The Shoreline Page 16 MONTHLY AUCTION RULES
All auction items will have a minimum bid as follows:
Fish & Drygoods
Minimum Bid
Live Plants
Minimum Bid
$
5
3
$
$
The JSAS split will be just 1. We give everything
else to the consignor of the lot.
Do you have successful spawns in your fishroom? Do you have good
quality drygoods collecting dust on your shelves?
Try the JSAS monthly auction!
A message from the JSAS Board of Directors:
We meet each month—on the 3rd Monday—to discuss
club functions and work towards a better experience for all members. If
you’d like to become involved, please
contact any member of the board!
JSAS is pleased to support East Coast Cichlids
We encourage you to check out The Future of Fish Forums at
www.EastCoastCichlids.org
The Shoreline Page 17 JSAS is pleased to support our sister clubs!
The Shoreline Page 18 An Introduction to Freshwater Stingrays
By David Webber (www.freshwaterstingray.com)
In the last few years freshwater rays have become increasingly available and popular and tanks have become larger and cheaper, making
them a reasonable pet for the dedicated home aquarist. Although some
other major rivers around the world have ray populations, most freshwater ray species are found in Amazonia, and as with its other flora and
fauna, the Amazon system has an abundance of ray variants found all
along the river and in many of its tributaries, from Peru and Colombia in
the West to the mouth of the Amazon in North Eastern Brazil. Some ray
species are also found in other tropical South American rivers with no direct connection to the Amazon. Stingrays
are very ancient species, tracing their evolutionary history as far back as 300 million years.
Evolutionary History
The most commonly found species in South American rivers are Potamotrygon. There are also rays known as
China or Coly rays, about which little is known at this time.
It is thought that all of these Amazon rays are most closely related to Pacific Marine rays. Their isolation would have
occurred when the Andes Mountains rapidly rose up about 15 million years ago, blocking the Westward flow of the
river as it then was and forcing it to flow east all the way to the Atlantic, trapping many rays in the new system. This
isolation and the Amazon’s tropical climate and seasonal massive changes in water levels created ideal circumstances and great pressure for evolutionary changes, as represented by the huge variety of stingrays found in just
the one system. Even individual species that are found along the whole river, such as Motoros and Histrix, are polymorphic, each exhibiting their own wide range of colors and patterns as habitat and available diet change subtly
between regions.
A word of warning about a stingray's stinger
Stingrays are so-called for their serrated, dagger-like stinger located on the top of and lying flat towards the end of
the tail. Usually sheathed in a layer of skin and not always easy to see, this effective defense weapon is made of a
protein complex , and is accompanied by a nasty venom usually released when the skin sheath of the stinger is
ruptured. If the stinger cuts you it can cause large local blisters and intense burning throbbing pain. The immediate
treatment for this is to immerse the wound in water as hot as can be tolerated, which helps to neutralize the toxins.
This is not always possible, especially on the river. The traditional first aid treatment there is to urinate on the
wound which works because urine is both hot , sterile and slightly acidic. Amazon folklore says that it must be a
virgin who pees on the wound, leading to the joke 'there is good news and bad news......there are no virgins in Brazil'. Although extremely painful the ‘sting’ is rarely fatal unless by some bizarre accident it is in the chest near the
heart, a tragic event which has been recorded as a fisherman was pulling a caught ray onto his boat. Fortunately for
the aquarist even the feistiest ray is not normally aggressive with its stinger, though rays can be very accurate with
their aim, either slashing or stabbing with their powerful tails. In Amazonia most casualties happen when a ray is
stepped on as it hides under the sand basking and snoozing during the day and so most stings are on the feet or
lower leg. Rays would much prefer to move than be stepped on so locals know to shuffle their feet or poke the sand
ahead of them with a stick when in the water, so that a ray can sense the motion and move out of the way without
incident. For hobbyists it is the opposite, most people get hit on the hand or arm as they mess around in the aquarium while cleaning the tank or moving the ray. Sometimes it is a pure accident, others it is from carelessness handling the ray. Even on a dead ray the stinger is still toxic and very sharp.
Continued on Page 20...
The Shoreline Page 19 ...Continued from Page 19
Types of rays kept by hobbyists
The majority of rays kept by hobbyists these days , and
the main focus here, are Potamotrygonidae, species of
Elasmobranchs which are found exclusively in freshwater
and includes more than 22 distinct varieties. At this time
there is a lot to be learned about the relationship between these different varieties, whether they are subspecies or how closely they are related to each other.
There is a dramatic and beautiful range of size , patterns
and colors between them . Black rays with striking polkadot patterns, such as the Leopoldi, Henlii and the less
common small spot Itaituba Black rays are found in Brazilian Southern Amazonian clear water rivers. Two of the
more dramatically patterned types are Tiger rays, named
for their striking patterns and the markings on their tails,
found in Peruvian Amazonia and the similarly patterned
Flower rays, found in Northern Amazonia in some of the Colombia/Venezuela/Brazil border region rivers. There are
many other local ray variants that are not as beautifully patterned but still are interesting. Castexi rays, one of the
most polymorphic rays, with large array of distinctly different body patterns, are mostly found in the Western regions
of Amazonia, with morphs such as Otorongo
(translated: Jaguar), Motello ( tortoise), Hawaiian, Tigrinus and others, all named for their beautiful patterns.
The debate on species differentiation
There is some debate concerning the different variants within species like Castexi and also the Black rays about
how closely related to each other they may be. Whether they are truly separate species or are simply color morphs
from slightly different habitats that would be expected to produce slightly different characteristics. Leopoldi, Henlii
and Itaituba Black rays are prime examples often invoked in this debate, and their ability to easily interbreed throws
more confusion on the whole subject. They are normally found in, and separated by, different Amazon tributaries.
Leopoldi are found in the clear waters of the Xingu and Henlii are found in the waters of the Tocantins, clearly separate habitats according to the maps, but when the high water season is there it is impossible to know how different
species are moved around by the massive inundation of
floodwaters or if & how they migrate into different systems when water levels permit, only to become isolated
again when the seasonal floods recede to lower levels.
So it may be possible to find a species that may normally
be only found in Peru or Colombia all the way down river
in Brazil. It may also be that many of the species are in
the middle of an evolutionary spurt, developing into new
species. ‘Hybridization’ ( if they are actually separate sub
-species) also seems to be a regular occurrence when
natural circumstances permit and viable offspring suggests that Potamotrygon are not separate species.
Continued on Page 21...
The Shoreline Page 20 ...Continued from Page 20
Stingrays - a pest to some, a beauty to others
"In the Amazon all things are possible". During the low water season, when fish are concentrated in small areas and
main river and Igarape channels, it is relatively safe to travel to remote areas to investigate ray population distributions; but this season is relatively short, often as little as 4 or 5 months only before the new rains start and the water
levels rapidly and dramatically rise again. Much of Amazonia is still unexplored, and river courses change making it
impossible to be absolute when it comes to discussing Amazonian fish populations and distributions. Some ray
populations are booming to the point where they are considered a pest on the sandy beaches of the river. People
are employed on popular river beaches in Brazil to keep the beaches clear of the rays, which tend to congregate in
‘dormitories’ to bask just under the sand in shallow water during the day, just the place where bathers walk . Basically those rays are killed as a pest and left to rot and feed the scavengers. There is a certain irony in this as those
same rays could be sold alive to the aquarium trade instead and generate income. Some ray varieties are only
found in limited areas and are not common, such as ‘Pearl’ rays. Rays are also an important local food fish . These
are both contributing reasons for annual stingray quotas out of Brazil. However, these quotas often produce paradoxical facts. As a food fish many rays are worth much more alive to the aquarium trade than they are as food. One
Henlii , Leopoldi, or Pearl ray, sold alive, is usually worth more on the aquarium market than a meat animal that
might feed a whole village for a week or give milk for a few years. With a few exceptions, most ray species are plentiful in their native habitats and are considered pests, which contributes to an attitude that it is OK to smuggle rays
out during the off-season or when all the quotas for aquarium export have already been filled. The laws of supply
and demand fuel this market, with the final retail price for them adding incentive. Smuggled rays are often more
expensive and usually less healthy than those that are exported through legal channels because of the extra ordeal
those smuggled rays have to endure when exported this way. There are many tales of rays (and other smuggled
flora and fauna) being hidden inside adapted gasoline cans or under floorboards aboard fishing boats. Luckily they
don’t fit into people’s pockets.
Tank size, tank mates, and feeding
One of the attractions for keeping rays in the aquarium is their behavior and intelligence. A healthy ray can learn
very quickly how to recognize and hand feed from its owner. Hand feeding a large ray is a rewarding interactive
experience for all those who do it. Of course, their ‘other-worldly’ appearance and their obvious beauty and character add to the pleasure. Most rays grow fast and if properly cared for will quickly grow to a size that is not suitable
for a small tank . They require a large tank even at the beginning of their residency. Ideally they are kept as a single
species, in other words they should be kept alone. Mixing other species can be precarious. One of the more popular
tankmates are Arowanas, but if they are not matched for size with the rays then there can be problems. As a general rule of thumb when it comes to companion species ,"if a ray can fit it in its’ mouth then sooner or later it will eat
it". If the Arowana is too big then it might attack the ray and will certainly beat the ray to food. On the other hand if
the Arowana is not big enough then there is a good chance that eventually the ray will eat it. A friend of mine found
this out the hard way when his 22" disc Tiger ray ate his 10" long $2000 red Asian Arowana. Plecos can present a
similar problem, either they will be eaten by the ray or they will take free meals from the rays upper body slime coat,
causing stress and possible secondary infections in the wounds and eventual death for the ray. Rays when healthy
have voracious appetites and enjoy a range of foods. The easiest are live foods. California blackworms and earthworms are greedily sucked down. Ghost shrimp are a favorite food that often sends my smaller rays literally spinning with joy. Once used to it, most rays will also devour fresh frozen shrimp and other similar foods. Smelt ,
Salmon pieces, various shellfish and other kinds of seafood are often accepted, but some can be very messy and
should be tested first or only fed just before a large water change. Rays can also be adapted to homemade recipes
and prepared sinking commercial foods. Hand feeding your ray is one of the most rewarding experiences guaranteed to get a "WOW" from even the most jaded person. A ray is not inclined to sting, but can thrash about with happiness when being fed so when hand feeding it is important to be aware of where the rays tail is at all times and that
the ray also be aware of you so that it won’t be startled. After a while rays can become very tame, allowing petting
and actively investigating your hand for possible food.
Continued on Page 22...
The Shoreline Page 21 ...Continued from Page 21
Water parameters
Amazonian rivers are all very soft water, with few minerals at all. Only the massive volumes of rainfall prevents the
pH from falling sharply. Most of their habitat is around the pH 6.5 mark. When properly acclimated most rays can
thrive in our tap water and do not require extensive chemistry to maintain them. However, they eat a lot and consequently excrete a lot so good husbandry is important in order to keep the water clean and the filters clear from
sludge buildup. I recommend at least 2 water changes each week of at least 25%, using aged water. More if the
tank is the least bit crowded. Rays are susceptible to organ damage from Ammonia and Nitrates poisoning so
it is essential to monitor those levels and maintain them at constant zero through regular water changes
and good biological filtration. Ammonia poisoning is one of the main causes of the ‘silent death’ as spoken of by
Dr. Ross in his books. The damage is often done in original transit, which is often more than 36 hours in a box . A
ray may take up to a couple of weeks to die from this, as it refuses food and either wastes away or dies from the
internal toxins, and so it is sometimes hard to understand the linkage between shipping in bad water and the eventual death.
Acclimating your new rays, tank decoration
Some rays are more sensitive than others, the Paratrygon and China (small eyed) species are notoriously more
difficult to keep than the Potamotrygons. Common popular species that are endemic to the Amazon are Histrix and
Motoros and Reticulated. Many arrive under the catch-all name of ‘Teacup’ but this really only refers to their juvenile
size and has no significance for knowing their species. These are often a first introduction to keeping rays as they
are inexpensive compared to the more exotic rays. Some of those more exotic looking species, such as the Leopoldi, are very hardy and very active and aggressive in their behavior, others , like the Menchacai (Tiger) rays are
thought of as being more shy, but this can be deceptive as most species are very active once they are properly
acclimated and in a comfortable environment. Most people will never have to worry acclimating rays direct from
import. If you are happy that the ray you are acquiring is healthy then acclimation to your tank or pool is not difficult.
A few feet of airline tubing to siphon water slowly from the tank into the box/bag with your new ray are all that is
needed. As the bag fills remove water until the ray is in tank water and all the original bag water has been diluted
out. This takes from 30 minutes to an hour. The greater the differences in
parameters between the tank water and the bag water the slower you should
make the change. Once this is done remove as much of the water in the bag
as possible and gently put the bag and ray into the tank and allow the ray to
swim out of the bag into its new home. I keep my pools bare-bottomed but
most hobbyists prefer a biotopical look and want substrate. It is important to
avoid using anything sharp, such as sand that contains silicates, as this will
tend to shred the rays underbody, allowing an infection to creep in, often
leading to death of the ray. Estes is a brand name sand that is coated to
make it smooth and is available in a variety of colors and is very suitable.
The few times I have used a substrate I have chosen something to compliment my ray. For Black rays I use a black sand. Rays will tend to adjust their
body color tone to blend in with their background, tending to get either noticeably lighter or darker over a period of a few days to a few weeks. Rays
have relatively large brains and are one of the most intelligent of aquatic
animals. A ‘dressed’ aquarium can help keep it amused, Driftwood and rocks
to search around for food provides plenty of entertainment.
Continued on Page 25...
The Shoreline Page 22 NEC Convention March 25-27, 2011
36th Annual NEC Convention
www.northeastcouncil.org/convention
Speakers confirmed so far are:
Wolfgang Staeck – Berlin, Germany. Speaking on Angelfish and South American Dwarf Cichlids
David Burochowitz – Editor in Chief of TFH Magazine will referee our Friday night program on
the Breeder’s Competition and be our keynote speaker at the Saturday morning breakfast, speaking
on the state of the hobby, past, present and future.
Kris Weinhold – From GWAPA, he will share his easy plan for setting up a hobbyist’s planted tank
Ad Konings – Riftlake Cichlids
Mike Hellweg – The TFH Breeder’s Competition and the Joy of keeping Goldfish
Ted Judy – The TFH Breeder’s Competition and another program TBD. Sponsored in part by the
ACA Speaker’s Program and ZooMed.
Eric Bodrock – Breeding Oddball Catfish
Andy Rhyne – The cutting edge of Marine Aquaculture
And there are more speakers to be announced!
Free Registrations:
Each club whose NEC Delegate has attended 3 of 4 NEC General Meetings in 2010 will receive a
Free Convention Registration! Your club can choose to make this a raffle prize, award it to a noteworthy member, auction it off, give it to the NEC Delegate as a thank you for their efforts attending
NEC meetings, someone who would not normally attend the convention or whatever they see fit.
Look for this free registration to be sent to the club in early January.
Volunteers:
If anyone wants to volunteer their expertise, their ideas and creative thoughts, their time, their
hands, legs, or whatever, please let me know! All thoughts and ideas are especially appreciated and
will be addressed! ([email protected])
A Meeting of the convention committee was held last weekend and we made many decisions and
plans for the 36th. We are looking for Sponsorships for the convention – contact Nancy Villars if
you are interested! [email protected] or call her at (732)207-6540. Watch for changes in the
Vendor Room this year! And in the auction! We have lots of things in the works, so keep checking
the website for information…
The Vendor Room and Sponsors:
If you are interested in becoming a Vendor or want to be a Sponsor for the convention, please contact Nancy Villars for vendor space availability/ details. [email protected] or call her at (732)207
-6540.
Thank you, and remember, your best source of convention information is at
www.northeastcouncil.org/convention! See you there!
Janine Banks
NEC 36th Annual Convention Co-chair
Leslie Dick – Co-chair, Registration Chair
Nancy Villars – Vendor Room and Sponsor Chairs
As a member of JSAS, you are Joe Masi – Auction Chair
automatically a member of the Douglas Patac – Website Chair
David Banks – Everything Else Chair
Northeast Council of Aquarium Did You Know… Societies. The Shoreline Page 23 The Shoreline Page 24 ...Continued from Page 22
Breeding
Gender identification is simple.
Just like their relatives Sharks and
marine Rays, male freshwater
stingrays have claspers, one on
either side of the base of the tail
and slightly underneath. In sexually mature males these are easily
visible from above and with immature young they can be easily
seen from their underside. Females do not have claspers. When
mature enough to breed rays reproduce by internal fertilization
and give birth to live young after a
gestation period of approximately
3 months. ‘Pups’ are usually born
in litters of from 2 to 8, depending
upon the age and size of the rays
involved. While still not a common
event in the home aquarium several stingray enthusiasts and
many large public aquariums around the world are now successfully breeding many varieties.
As with all animals, breeding is a biological imperative for rays that only requires enough space
and plenty of good food along with reasonable aquarium conditions and good husbandry to
make your pets comfortable . This also makes the aquarium more enjoyable to watch and interact with for the already entranced aquarist. JSAS
Submitted by… JAKE BLATT, Exchange Editor
The Shoreline Page 25 Sunday, March 20, 2011
More details online… www.JerseyShoreAS.org
JSAS Supports our Area Clubs
North Jersey Aquarium Society—Meets at 7:45 pm every 3rd Thursday each month (except August—Picnic; December—Holiday Party) at the Lyndhurst Elks Club, 251 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst,
NJ. www.njas.net
Bucks County Aquarium Society—Meets at 7:30 pm on the 1st Thursday each month (except
August) at the Churchville Nature Center, 501 Churchville Lane, Churchville, PA.
www.bcasonline.com
Delaware County Aquarium Society—Meets at 8:00 pm on the 1st Friday each month (except
July and August) at the Springfield Township Building, 50 Powell Road, Springfield, PA.
www.dcas.us
Garden State Betta Association—Meets the 2nd Sunday each month at Frank Siracusa’s house.
Contact him for details: [email protected]
Aquarium Club of Lancaster County—Meets at 1:00 pm on the 3rd Saturday each month at That
Fish Place, 237 Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA. http://aclcpa.org
_________________________________________________________________
Do you have a club you’d like listed here?
Send the meeting info and web site to the editor by email at: [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________
Did you know that 50/50 Raffle Ticket sales helps JSAS keep you annual membership dues low. We have lots of expenses such as meeting space, printing, postage, insurance premiums, and board salaries (I wish!!). Just like our monthly auctions, tickets sold means money raised to support our club and our hobby. Thanks for your support & good luck! The Shoreline Page 26 JSAS Breeder’s Award Report—March, 2011

Current Standings
1
Larry Jinks
2970
2
Mike Palmese
1290
3
Dean Majorino
1245
4
Richard Janssen
5
19
Charles Smith
90
Jim Costello
90
21
Rory Lay
70
825
22
Gary Wong
55
Frank Nell
660
23
Tony Gallirio
40
6
Dave Leshinsky
360
24
Herb Frietsch
30
7
John Wares
325
Klaus Huenecke
30
8
Anthony Metta
290
Barbara & Dan DeCross
30
9
Robert Janssen
270
25
10
Bill Arndt
265
Gary Silver & Cindy HmeloSilver
Bob & Lauren Hicks
11
Bill Loesch
260
29
Frank Policastro
20
12
Leonard Reback
225
30
Frank Brown
10
13
Jim Sorge
200
Dave Maxwell
10
14
Lothar Koenigstein
190
Tony Angso
10
15
Luis Morales
165
James Golazeski
10
16
Shelly Kirschenbaum
135
Adam Gwizdz
10
17
Nancy Villars
120
18
Dave Salkin
100
27
35
25
David Cohen
5
Bill Guest
5
Stephen Morgan
5
Submitted by… LEN REBACK, BAP Co-Chair
The Shoreline Page 27 JSAS Breeder’s Award Report—March, 2011

Articles Pending:
Jim Costello
Richard Janssen
Richard Janssen
Richard Janssen
Robert Janssen
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Larry Jinks
Shelley Kirschenbaum
Dean Majorino
Dean Majorino
Luis Morales
Stephen Morgan
Frank Nell
Frank Nell
Frank Nell
Frank Nell
Frank Nell
Frank Nell
Leonard Reback
Nancy Villars
Nandopsis salvini
Tateurndina ocellicauda
Nematobrycon palmeri
Gymnogeophagus meridionalis
Nematobrycon palmeri
Skiffia multipunctata
Limnochromis auritus
Nomorhamphus liemi
Crenicichla dorsocellatus
Characodon audax
Iliatherina werneri
Crencichla regani
Amphilophus labiatus
Amphilophus longimanus
Astatotilapia latifaciatus
Paracheirodon innesi
Macrobrachium sp.
Cyphotilapia frontosa
Pseudotropheus elongatus
Synodontis petricola
Zoogeneticus tequila
Crencichla dorisiocellata
Amphilophus longimanus
Skiffia multipunctata
Characodon lateralis
Chromidotilapia guentheri
Gymnogeophagus meridionalis
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
20
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
Submitted by… LEN REBACK, BAP Co-Chair
The Shoreline Page 28 JSAS is pleased to support our sister clubs!
The Shoreline Page 29 JSAS Membership Award Program (MAP)
The “Fish Bucks” program was created to encourage members to participate in Club activities.
Members can “earn” Fish Bucks throughout the year by participating in various club activities.
In December during our Holiday Party we have a Fish Bucks only auction. Fish Bucks earned in
that year must be used at the holiday party auction and cannot be rolled over to the following
year. Points are nontransferable. Each member starts out with $100.00 in January when dues
are paid.
Pay dues early (before January 1st)
50
General Meeting
Speaker / Presenter
Set-up or clean-up
Mini auction runner
Recruit a new member
100
10 per meeting
10 per meeting
50
Spring Auction
Auction Chairperson
Attendee
Volunteer (incl. set-up/runners/scribes/etc.)
Bonus points given for special time given
100
10
50 full day or 5 per hour
5 per hour
Shoreline
Articles submitted & published (excluding BAP) 30
Monthly column (11 issues)
100
Photography submitted & published
10
Positions held
If a position is vacated, amount will be prorated per month and split between incumbent and their replacement; or if shared, the total will
be split between members.
President
Vice-president
Treasurer
Corresponding secretary
Recording secretary
Member at Large
Shoreline Editor
BAP Chair
MAP Chair
Membership Chair
Program Chair
Web Master
NEC Liaison
Recruit a new paid member
200
100
150
100
100
100
300 or 400 if split by 2 members
100
100
100
100
150
100
50
Submitted by… NANCY VILLARS/HALLGRING, MAP Chair
The Shoreline Page 30 LED Aquarium Lighting
from Aqua-Fish.net
Over recent years there has been a lot of research carried out to help keen aquarists maintain their aquariums to
the highest standard and as a result of this, there is now a lot more equipment available for us to use giving us
more control on the daily running of the aquarium and therefore less mortalities in the tank and a wider diversity if
fish and other aquatic creatures that we are now able to keep at home.
One area that has not been left behind is aquarium lighting, originally the only choice we had for the aquariums
were bulky fluorescent tubes that required a separate ballast box for transforming the power source to the correct
output and inevitably this lead to a bulk of wires trailing from the back of the tank. As the lighting systems evolved to
meet demand from the customer, the fluorescent tubes became slimmer and more compact also giving out a
greater output which still meets the requirements of most fish keepers today. There are certain set ups that still
need more efficient systems that do not cost a fortune to run and emit powerful lighting for the aquarium, this is especially true in the case of the saltwater aquariums, mostly the reef aquariums where the corals are dependant on a
strong light source for their health.
The next major development was the MH (Metal Halide) lighting system which proved to be extremely expensive to
purchase and to run as they use a large amount of watts to produce the required lighting levels, this has resulted in
the latest technology being researched, the LED lighting system.
LED lighting has been with us for many years, originally in the aquarium hobby, LED lights were added to the
aquariums to produce lunar lighting as they cast a blue glow over the tank once the main lighting had switched off
for the day, these small units use small lights in strips, often only containing 12 – 24 small bulbs for illumination.
Ornaments for the aquarium can also be illuminated by small LED units but what was required was a LED unit that
was as powerful as Metal Halides and cost a fraction of the price to run.
These units are now available and are already starting to prove to be very popular and reliable, many reef keepers
have commented on the corals opening up more and displaying brighter colours when housed underneath LED
lighting units.
As expected with all new technology, these units do not come cheap, they compare in purchase price to the MH
units but they offer long life
with the bulbs and they are a
lot cheaper to run over a period of time. As more manufacturers start to sell these
units, prices should drop, the
competition will help with this
but with all new products, a
lot of money has to be invested in research and development and this has to be
repaid with the initial costs of
the units.
Continued on Page 34...
The Shoreline Page 31 JSAS is pleased to support our sister clubs!
The Shoreline Page 32 Open
Open
The Shoreline Page 33 ...Continued from Page 31
One such supplier of the LED aquarium lighting units is OC Reef, one of their featured units is the CREE 60 watt
model which houses 20 bulbs, all rated at 3 watts apiece. Each of these bulbs has a 50,000 hours working life, bear
in mind that standard T5 tubes need replacing every 9 months maximum. This unit is compatible with soft and hard
corals, and the unit can be controlled by means of the standard on/off switch plus it has the built in feature of being
able to dim the lighting and allow you to run the blue and white LED’s separately.
Digital timers are also built into the unit which can be crucial for reef aquariums as the corals and inhabitants do
require a controlled daylight period everyday, more so than tropical tanks, and each unit is guaranteed for 3 years.
This particular unit is rated to reach depths of 48 inches in the aquarium, that is very impressive to say the least and
the bulbs are rated at 10,000K for the white bulbs. This rating will supply adequate lighting for all corals and with
using the dimmer switch you can reduce the lighting for fish only set ups and tropical setups if algae become s a
problem.
One key point that I do like is that the LED lighting units run at cooler temperatures, this has to be a great safety
feature, heat sinks and fans are built into the unit, these are placed at the rear so that they are out of view and the
fan can be turned off when not required.
The aesthetics of this unit includes a choice of colours, namely black, silver and white, all of the units are powder
coated to eliminate corrosion. The coating is finished with an easy to clean gloss coating.
As with most modern lighting units, the above LED lighting unit can be bracket mounted or it can be hung with the
supplied heavy gauge wiring kit, always make sure that the unit is secured safe fully secured and that the supporting joists can take the weight of the unit.
Full details on the featured unit can be found at www.ocreef.com.
Advantages of using LED lighting
 The units run at a very low heat compared to other forms of aquarium lighting, they have built in heat sinks and
fans to disperse the heat, this also has the benefit of evaporation in the aquarium being at a lower rate.
 The LED lighting units have the capacity to be dimmed to a level that suits you or your fish, this feature is not
commonplace with other forms of lighting and makes each LED unit very versatile in their use.
 The units do not emit any UV radiation, MH units and T5 lighting units do emit UV radiation.
 The depth that the lighting can reach in the aquariums is at a higher ratio compared to other units.
 Cheap running costs, the bulbs run at a very low wattage but still have the same power with their illumination.
Disadvantages of using LED lighting
 The initial outlay can be expensive; the LED lighting units are a fairly recent innovation and still are not being
mass produced to the same extent as other forms of lighting. Over a period of time, the low running costs
counter balance the initial cost but you still need the purchase money available when ready to buy.
 The units can still be hard to get hold off, most suppliers are selling their stock as fast as they receive it, this
often means that you may have to pre order and be patient while the new stock is delivered. JSAS
Submitted by… JAKE BLATT, Exchange Editor
The Shoreline Page 34 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE JERSEY SHORE AQUARIUM SOCIETY www.jerseyshoreas.org Editor: Exchange Editor: Matthew Siegel [email protected] Jake Blatt [email protected] Any material reprinted from The Shoreline for noncommercial use, unless previously copyrighted by the au‐
thor, credit must be bestowed to the author and The Shoreline. One copy shall be forwarded to the Editor. The Shoreline accepts contributions from members and non‐members and prints submissions as space per‐
mits. We are always seeking articles about keeping or breeding fish, maintaining a fishroom, photos, anec‐
dotes, etc. If you’re interested in seeing your submission published, please send via email to [email protected]. The Shoreline is published monthly (except August) and distributed via email and online at www.jerseyshoreas.org. For those without computer access, we also maintain a small supply of black & white printed copies at the membership table at each monthly meeting. MEMBER’S Photo
The SEND US YOUR FISH AND AQUARIUM PICTURES!
Email your fishy photos to
[email protected] along with your name
and any relevant info.
Shoreline Page 35