Proud Member of

November 2012
Volume 40 – Issue 03
Proud Member of:
Durham Region Aquarium Society
ALL ABOUT US
The Durham Region Aquarium Society (DRAS) was established in September 1966.
During that year our first annual fish show was held and a monthly bulletin created. The
Society’s stated aim, "For the advancement and improvement of the aquarium hobbyist",
has benefited hundreds of members in over 40 years of existence. Our Society is also a
charter member, and current member in good standing, of the Canadian Association of
Aquarium Clubs (CAOAC).
MONTHLY MEETINGS:
Our meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday
of every month. (No meetings in July and August)
TIME: 7:30 pm
MEETING LOCATION:
In the cafeteria of:
Anderson Collegiate,
400 Anderson Street
Whitby, Ontario
MEETINGS:
The monthly meetings include an interesting program with guest speakers, slide presentations or demonstrations. There is
also a jar show, door prize draws and an auction which usually includes fish or hobby related items such as aquariums,
books, plants and other equipment. There is always time to talk to fellow hobbyists.
MEMBERSHIP:
An annual membership includes attendance at the monthly meetings, a copy of our monthly newsletter Tank Talk, voting
privileges, use of the club library, participation in our Annual Fish Show and Auction, Breeders Award Program (BAP),
Aquatic Horticultural Award Program (AHAP) and other interesting events during the year. You have the opportunity to
attend annual fish shows and auctions hosted by other clubs and societies around southern Ontario and the northern
United States. The Society can also assist you in obtaining rare and/or exotic fish and aquatic plants that are not usually
found in pet stores.
VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!
MEMBERSHIP DUES:
For further information contact:
Junior $5.00
Joanne Harder at 905 404-8617
Single $20.00
Family $25.00
U
2012 - 2013 Executive & Standing Committees
Executive:
President:
Vice-President:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
Past President:
Joanne Harder
Ivan M. Shaw
Colette McKee
Barry McKee
Klaus Steinhaus
905 404-8617
905 728-3385
289-660-0100
289-660-0100
905-240-1029
Honourary Members: Mr. & Mrs Earl Gatchell
Mr. Peter Naef
Mr. Wayne Rakestrow
Mr. Doug White
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ADVERTISING
IN THIS PUBLICATION, PLEASE E-MAIL:
[email protected]
HU
U
REPRINT POLICY FOR ARTICLES IN TANK TALK:
Unless otherwise stated, any non-profit organization may
reprint from Tank Talk provided that credit is given to the
author, Tank Talk, and the Durham Region Aquarium
Society (DRAS) and that two copies of the reprinting
publication are sent to the Durham Region Aquarium
Society’s mailing address. Any other use is not permitted
unless written consent from the Durham Region Aquarium
Society and/or the author is obtained.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Standing Committees:
Advertising:
Doug Chessell
AHAP Chair:
Paul D. McIntosh
AHAP Chair
Derek Tustin
Annual Show: Tom Mason
BAP Chair:
Tim McCaskie
CAOAC Reps: Barry McKee
Myron Iwanochko
Librarian:
Paul A. McIntosh
Lunch
Convenor:
Maria Topalis
Membership: Mary Hyland
Program Chair: Rick Glencross
Tank Talk
Editor:
Klaus Steinhaus
Exchange
Editor:
Derek Tustin
Webmaster:
Ivan M. Shaw
Forum Admin: Ivan M. Shaw
C.A.R.E.S.
Klaus Steinhaus
Annual Dinner Sonja Hojka
905 683-7119
905 728-1407
905-493-3360
905 839-6764
905 438-9618
289-660-0100
905-427-3307
905 697-7619
905 728-9757
705-357-2672
905-471-1345
905 240-1029
905-493-3360
905 728-3385
905 728-3385
905-240-1029
905-831-4395
Please forward all correspondence to:
DURHAM REGION AQUARIUM SOCIETY
c/o 110 Park Road North, #310
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
L1J 4L3
Page 2
November 2012 Tank Talk
The next general meeting will be Tues, Nov. 13, 2012
Giant Auction Night
A great (and cheap) way to get new fish, plants and equipment
·
Trading Post
page 3
·
From the Editor
page 4
·
October Membership Report
page 4
·
President’s Message
page 5
·
Chocolate Gourami breeding
·
Calendar
page 9
·
The DRAS Volunteers
page 9
·
AHAB & BAP Standings
page 11
·
Marriage and the Aquarist
·
DRAS C.A.R.E.S. Participants
page 14
·
Year of the Cichlid – Maintenance & breeding of the “Red Hump Eartheater”
page 16
by Xema of Spain
by a long suffering wife
page 6
page 12
by Lee Newman
·
June 2012 Executive Meeting Minutes
page 18
·
June 2012 General Meeting Minutes
page 19
·
The Forktail Blue-eye - Pseudomugil furcatus
by Paul McFarlane
page 20
·
Breeding the blue Angel
by Joseph Graffagnino
page 24
The Durham Region Aquarium Society (DRAS) and the editors of Tank Talk do not endorse,
and are not responsible for, the actions of any advertisers or merchants found within or
through Tank Talk. Any dealings between you, the member, and these companies or
individuals, including payment for and delivery of products, services and any other
associated dealings, are solely between you and the relevant advertiser or merchant and are
made at your own risk and by your own choice.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 3
Oct 2012 Membership Report
We currently have 80 active members.
New Members:
No new Members
Member Renewals:
From the Editor
Steve Ginter
Paul McIntosh
Gary Peacock
Mary Hyland
Tom Mason
If I forgot anybody I apologize & let me know.
Thanks for renewing
Respectfully submitted by:
Mary Hyland
If you move or change your phone number,
PLEASE let me know ASAP.
Should any of you have some suggestions about the
content of this bulletin please let me know. Tell me what
you would like to read about. Any particular aquarium
related subject. I understand that there are some “salties”
in our club, so would you like to see articles about the
saltwater hobby?
Better yet, write about your own experiences and help
somebody to avoid making the same mistake you did.
Any suggestions are welcome J
Please submit an article about ANY aquatic subject.
buntbarsch @rogers.com
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 4
Howdy Folks,
I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween, not too ghoulish, but ghoulish enough.
Now I would like to remind everyone of a few events coming up. This month’s general meeting is
our giant 2 hour auction. Hopefully everyone will be able to find a little something to take home.
December’s general meeting is an open house potluck so we can enjoy a few nice vittles as well as
have some extra time to chat with our fellow members. I look forward to seeing everyone.
Next, the New Year will start and that brings us to our Annual Members Dinner in February, a date
will be selected and we will follow up with firm details soon. We also shouldn’t forget “Aquariama”
which is fast approaching and always requires lots of help from our members. Last year was a huge
success and I am sure Tom and his assistants will do just as fabulous a job again.
I hope to see you all at each of these wonderful events which our members work very hard to
organize and arrange for your enjoyment.
Cheers, Joanne
Trading Post
Diatom XL with big bag of powder.
Works well.
Retails for about $240.00
$100.00 obo
George @ 905-686-0632
If you have anything to sell, give away or if you are looking for a particular item, please let
the Editor know.
buntbarsch @rogers.com
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 5
Chocolate Gourami
Breeding
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
by Xema of Spain
Originally published on Xema's website in Spain:
http://acuaforos.net/aquatika/index2.htm
Reprinted by permission Aquarticles
Species fundamental features
Latin Name: Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestri, 1860.
Family: Osphronemidae
Subfamily: Trichogastrinae
This is a small fish, no more than 5 cm long, with a flat-shaped body. It shows the typical
characteristics found in all members of this family: filiform ventral fins, and the labyrinth; a
specialized organ in the use of atmospheric air. Brown colored (it gets its name from that), with
several cream colored stripes, which change according to its mood. It also shows a
characteristic cream, brown and black pattern on the anal and part of the tail fin. The filiform
fins are not easily seen, and most of the time stay folded over the body. It's a mouth brooder.
Sex differences are not very significant in low breeding activity periods, but are outstanding
when breeding. Males show a pronounced cream/white edge mainly on the dorsal fin, and a
more intense reddish body. Females are rounder and acquire a less intense color, showing a
dark spot on the tail fin.
We can choose from two possible breeding set-up’s to try to breed it:
- Keep a more or less crowded bunch in a certain size aquarium, for example 10 fish in 150 to
200L.
- Or have a couple in an only-breeding aquarium.
In both cases, water parameters must be fairly good. The appropriate parameters are: pH 56,5; kH 0-4 and GH 0-5; nitrates, nitrites and phosphates must be kept as low as possible. The
more acidic and purer the water (referring to dissolved salts) the better they will be and the
higher the breeding chances are.
Concerning the aquarium equipment, we must have in mind this fish's shyness and therefore
try to offer an appropriate environment. Plants are a must, as well as tree roots and logs, which
help us to get the right pH. Another option we have is to introduce some dry leaves, which
must be hard or they will disintegrate in a few days. I have had good results with the Platanus
hispanica and Quercus faginea leaves. Other more than appropriate species could include Fagus
sylvatica and any other species of the Quercus genus. The plants we can introduce belong
mainly to the Cryptocorine genus, as well as the Microsorum pteropus and some other fast
growers such as the Cerathophyllum demeresum. As floating plants we can put Limmovium
laeviagatum and Pistia stratoides. As we will see further on, in the fry's aquaria, introducing
Riccia fluitans and Vesicularia daubiana can be a fine solution.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 6
If we set a large tank for a breeding group, powerful filtration is a must. For a breeding pair
aquarium, a corner sponge filter and weekly water changes are more than enough.
Nevertheless I always tend
to oversize all filters when
concerning this particular
fish.
Once the aquarium is fully
set up and all fish are in it,
we should encourage them
to breed. The right
conditions are easily set:
water temperature should
be around 27-28º C, and so
should be air temperature.
If we have open aquariums
and all other parameters
are OK, breeding will only
happen when air
temperature is appropriate.
Water must be kept as soft
and acid as possible, as
well as free of any kind of
nitrogen compounds, easily done by regular water changes with osmosis water in the right
proportions.
We should not forget about feeding, as the fish's health will be directly related. We should
provide live or frozen food such as red or black larvae, water fleas, grindal worms, brine
shrimp, etc.
If all goes well, we will soon see outstandingly beautiful colors in our fish, and we can verify
how males fight among themselves and display beside the females. At this time we must decide
if we will try to breed them in a group, or as a couple in a separate aquarium. Both methods
are equally valid.
The male will court the female inducing her to spawn in an open space. If she is willing, the
male will quickly fertilize the eggs, and right away she will pick them up in her mouth. Having
kept chocolate gouramis for two years, I have not been able to see this particular behavior, as
it takes place in the most hidden parts of the aquaria where it is difficult to see. If we decided
on the "separate couple" method, as soon as the female shows a noticeable swollen throat we
can take out the male, leaving the female by herself, keeping a soft light. It's also
recommendable to cover the aquaria to avoid shocking her. If she is in the aquaria with the rest
of the group, we should not fear for her, just needing to keep an eye on her the few days she
carries the eggs.
When she carries the eggs in her mouth, the symptoms are more than evident, as well as a
swollen throat (noticeable or not) she shows an apathetic behavior, staying out of the way of all
males and refusing to eat. She seems to seek food, but obviously cannot swallow it, just staring
at it. She also moves her mouth often, just like she was chewing something (obviously the
eggs), and when she swims up to breathe loses some bubbles on the way down. (Concerning
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 7
this, some authors mention that she also occasionally loses one or two fry, that are quickly
swallowed again, but I have never seen this).
Breeding
If all goes well, after 8 days she will let all fry out. If during the first 3 to 5 days, all
"pregnancy" symptoms vanish, it means that the eggs were not fertilized and they probably
produced a bad taste causing her to either eat them or spit them out.
Seven days after, if the female has remained with the rest of the group, she should be taken to
a separate spawning aquarium where we have previously placed some dry leaves, twigs, Java
moss, Riccia fluitans and Limmovium laeviagatum. The temperature and water in this aquarium
should be exactly the same as in
the first one.
On the 8th day she will begin to
"give birth", at first just a few fry,
growing in number as the day
goes on, making a total of 40 to
60 (as far as I can tell). It's more
than vital that the birthing
aquarium was set up long before,
therefore having much moss and
riccia, as these plants will provide
food for the fry, since rotifers and
Cyclops grow spontaneously
among them. If this was not our
case, we must have newly hatched
artemia ready to be given to the
gourami fry, because if they do
not eat in the next few hours, they
will starve to death. Once all the
fry have come out of the female we can take her away and re-introduce her in the main
aquarium.
The fry are born totally formed, and are approximately 7 mm long. They show at this very
instance a reddish/brownish color with a cream colored stripe right in the middle of their bodies.
They will eagerly feed on newly hatched brine shrimp, which should be given to them several
times a day. Daily water changes and gravel vacuum cleaning are a must to remove any
unhatched shrimp eggs that could have been accidentally introduced.
Maintain this feeding routine for a month or so, by which time they should have acquired a fully
adult shape, only differing in size (1,5 or 2 cm long). At this time we should vary their feeding,
introducing some type of dry micronized food, or something like small sized mosquito larvae.
After 2 months they will eat just about anything they can get in their mouth. But we should not
stop suddenly providing them brine shrimp, it must be stopped gradually.
I must say that fry mortality in my particular case has not been too high, about 2 to 4 fry per
spawn. It mainly happens in the first few weeks, probably directly related with the growing of
the labyrinth (the special organ used to breathe atmospheric air), or maybe it has something to
do with a few fry not eating well becoming weak and eventually dying. Anyway, if we keep the
feeding and cleaning routines constant, mortality should be low.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 8
CALENDAR
DRAS Meeting Dates for the 2012/2013 Season:
November 13th, 2012
December 11th, 2012
January 8th, 2013
February 12th, 2013
March 19th, 2013
April 9th, 2013
May 14th, 2013
June 11th, 2013
October 28, 2012 Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society
Oktoberfish show & auction. Details can be found here
October 28, 2012 Aquarium Club of Edmonton
Ivan Shaw
Annual fall auction. Details can be found here
November 4, 2012 Peel Regional Aquarium Society
The DRAS Volunteers
Fall auction. Details can be found here
This month’s volunteer is
November 18, 2012 CAOAC Meeting
Ivan Shaw
11:00 AM CAOAC Executive meeting Waterdown, ON
12:00 PM CAOAC General meeting Waterdown, ON
December 9, 2012 CAOAC Meeting & Annual Potluck
Lunch
11:00 AM CAOAC Executive meeting Waterdown, ON
12:00 PM CAOAC General meeting Waterdown, ON
Ivan has been a member of DRAS
for many years and held several
positions during that time. Right
now he is our Vice President,
Webmaster, runs our forum and
does all that while running his own
Computer Consulting Business.
Thanks Ivan J
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 9
fish, reptiles & Pond Supply
Located at 7 Dundas Street West
Napanee, Ontario
Monday to Friday from 10:00AM to 7:00PM
Saturday from 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 10
Aquatic Horticultural Awards Program
(AHAP) – Current Standings
Breeders Award Program
(BAP) – Current Standings
Grand Master Horticulturist
·
Wayne & Sandy Rakestrow
·
Derek Tustin
1760
1750
Master Horticulturist
·
Myron & Sharon Iwanochko
Advanced Award
·
Barry McKee
·
Myron & Sharon Iwanochko
·
Peter Naef
·
Wayne Rakestrow
835
Expert Horticulturist
·
Susan & Jim Mantle
·
George Banavage
·
Bill Dukitsch
615
535
455
Advanced Horticulturist
·
Jim & Carol Taylor
·
Barry McKee
·
Peter Naef
Intermediate Horticulturist
·
Paul McIntosh
·
Geoffrey Daw
·
Richard Clifford
·
Paul Figueroa
·
Dave Morland
Aquatic Horticulturist
·
Dennis Bidon
·
Jenny Fisher
·
Peter Pulman
2675
1310
1405
895
Senior Award
260
220
220
195
125
125
100
60
30
20
5
If anyone requires forms, guidelines or further information
on the Aquatic Horticultural Awards Program (AHAP),
please contact AHAP Chairman Paul D. McIntosh.
Don’t forget that your pond plants are included in this
program!
·
Jim & Carol Taylor
425
Intermediate Award
(No individuals currently in this category)
Junior Award
·
Udo Rohman
·
John Adamson
·
Ivan Shaw
·
Barry Sheppard
·
Tim McCaskie
Novice Award
·
Bill Dukitsch
·
Derek Tustin
·
George Banavage
·
David Fischer
·
Zachery Langille
·
Paul A. McIntosh
·
Jim Greenacre
·
Gary Peakock
·
Larry Shank
·
Patrick Boisvert
·
Eric Man
·
Sonia Hojka
215
160
170
170
210
90
80
65
65
55
45
30
30
20
15
10
5
If anyone requires forms, guidelines or further information
on the Breeders Award Program (BAP), please contact
BAP Chairman Tim McCaskie.
Uaru amphiacanthoides
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 11
MARRIAGE AND THE AQUARIST
Written by a long suffering wife
- From the newsletter of The Ilford and District
Aquarists Society, England
- re-printed from “Aquarticles”
Aquarists should come with the warning,
"marriage to me can damage your sanity".
Unfortunately they don't. And anyway who
reads the small print? To start with love is
blind but when the glitter starts to tarnish
and you are heading for your first nervous
breakdown it's time to look realistically at life
and come to grips with a few basic facts.
1. Fish come first, last and
always.
It might be an occasion you have been
looking forward to for weeks, spent a fortune
on a new dress, suffered agonies at the
hairdressers and got yourself all dolled up to
the nines. Only to find sir is still unshaven
and wearing dirty jeans and T-shirt and his
reason for this state of unreadiness - "but
they are breeding!” or "Arrgh! White Spot",
or some other reason of world shattering
importance. So you beg, plead, cajole,
threaten and eventually he trails along
grumbling every inch of the way and you
arrive half an hour late. From that auspicious
start to the evening things gradually get worse.
He won't dance; he'll ignore all others at the table and answers all questions in monosyllabic
grunts. He will then proceed to get drunk and he will tell one of two people "his wife doesn't
understand him", either the barman or the stunning red-head who is wearing (or nearly
wearing) a dress that she deserves to catch her death of cold in. It is pointless to sulk or start
an argument. He just will not understand why you are upset, (his father has told him all about
women and their funny moods).
2. Do not speak disparagingly of any item in the house.
If you should make this mistake, resign yourself to the fact that you have lost the item for
good. It'll vanish into the fish room never again to see the light of day. No matter what it is a
use will he found! Bread bins are perfect for storing all those fiddly little jars and tins.
Tupperware containers - perfection itself for carrying fish, they're watertight. Saucers can be
used for a variety of things except for use with cups. Cheese grater, if it's only been used for
frozen beef heart you've a chance of re-claiming it, but once it's been used for earthworms you
need a new one. In the modern kitchen with all its gadgets, it's advisable to keep your liquidizer
under lock and key.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 12
3. Develop a thick skin, a sense
of humor, and the ability to
cope when one of your guests
has a fit of hysterics.
The first two seem self-explanatory but
the third may heed some explaining to
the uninitiated. The following are some
examples that have been known to
upset guests. Tubifex worms are all
right in their place, the fish room.
Buckets in the loo are just not on,
regardless of how many water changes
they need. Even worse are those
containers that fit inside the cistern so
there are always dead and dying worms
in the bowl. This is particularly upsetting
to maiden aunts. Sons, normally the
most understanding of creatures, have
been known to get upset when they've
spent all evening and a week's wages
chatting up a girl, managed to get her home on the sofa in the living room fully believing their
luck to be in. Only to find Dad's white worms or maggots have escaped and are crawling all
over the carpets or her feet. This is a known passion killer and girls never seem to accept a
second invitation to come in for a "coffee". And the effect that a six foot tank has when it bursts
on the vicar's wife just has to be seen to be believed.
4. Never accept anything he says at face value.
"You're looking a bit peaky. A day out is what you need" - funny there isn't a lot of daylight or
sunshine in an Aquarium. "Learn to drive, just think of the advantages" - you can take a pair of
fish to so and so or deliver a tank etc. My favorite, romantic that I am: "I'm taking you to
France for a few days" - he's seen all the local fish shops.
5. Have someone whose shoulder you
can cry on.
You've slogged your guts out doing the housework
until the place gleams, but he decides the tank in
the living room needs to be stripped down.
Buckets of dirty water fascinate small kittens, and
ruin carpets. He tries to be helpful, mindful of last
time you screamed at him about the mess, and
decides to Hoover up the wet gravel causing the
Hoover to blow a fuse.
Why do we stay? How do we put up with all this
aggravation? We could say, "They are our
husbands and we love them" - or we could tell the
truth …Valium.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 13
DraS c.a.r.E.S. Participants
Species
Status
George Devries
Paretroplus kieneri
vulnerable
Paratilapia polleni
vulnerable
Ptychochromis oligacanthus
at risk in nature
Paretroplus nourissati
endangered
Tom Mason
Cryptoheros myrnae
endangered
Cryptoheros nanoluteus
vulnerable
Melanotaenia boesemani
endangered
Ameca splendens
critically endangered
Derek Tustin
Melanotaenia boesemani
endangered
Melanotaenia oktediensis
vulnerable
Ivan Shaw
Cryptoheros nanoluteus
vulnerable
Cryptoheros myrnae
endangered
Barry McKee
Xiphophorus couchianus
extinct in the wild
Cryptoheros nanoluteus
vulnerable
Cryptoheros myrnae
endangered
Paretroplus kieneri
vulnerable
Tim McCaskie
Paretroplus menarambo
critically endangered
Ptychochromis grandidieri
at risk in nature
Ptychochromis oligacanthus
at risk in nature
Cryptoheros nanoluteus
vulnerable
Cryptoheros myrnae
endangered
Tilapia snyderae
vulnerable
Pundamilia nyererei
Near Threatened
Paretroplus kieneri
vulnerable
Barry Sheppard
Cryptoheros nanoluteus
vulnerable
Astatotilapia aeneocolor
vulnerable
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 14
Year of the Cichlid
A monthly column about Cichlids
Maintenance and Breeding of the Red
Hump Eartheater, Geophagus steindachneri.
Eigenmann And Hildebrand 1910
By Lee Newman
- Originally published in Cichlid News magazine, Aquatic promotions, Vol. 2. No. 4, Oct 1993
- Aquarticles
The Red Hump Eartheater has an interesting nomenclatural history as evidenced by the varied names the species has
been sold under within the hobby. Although confusion surrounding its name was resolved (Loiselle, 1974), Geophagus
steindachneri can still be found for sale as Geophagus hondae and Geophagus pellegrini. While Geophagus
hondae is a junior synonym of Geophagus steindachneri, Geophagus pellegrini is a distinct species (Leibel, 1993),
though not commonly available in the hobby
at this time.
Geophagus steindachneri comes from the
Rio Magdalena, Rio Sinu, and Rio Cauca
drainages in Colombia, and tributaries of the
Maracaibo basin in Venezuela. The species is
sexually dimorphic; males grow to 13.5 cm in
standard length (SL), are adorned with a
nuchal hump, and are much more colorful
than females, which grow to only ca. 10 cm
SL.
Over a four-year period during which
information was collected on Geophagus
steindachneri, some interesting observations
A young male Geophagus steindachneri.
regarding maintenance and spawning have
been made. The purposes of this article are
Fish & photo Lee Newman
(1) to provide the aquarist with a long-term plan for
successful maintenance of the species; and (2) to describe the mechanics of spawning and fry rearing.
Geophagines in general - and red humps are no exception - suffer health problems in aquaria with poorly managed
nitrogen cycles, a situation accentuated by the "eartheater" habit of constantly sifting the substrate in search of food, and
in the process liberating waste materials from the substrate into the water column. The choice of a filtration system
should therefore be a prime consideration in designing and maintaining an aquarium containing red humps. Although
there are numerous systems that will work, any selected should incorporate the following: an easily (and frequently)
cleaned, efficient mechanical pre-filter; a biological filter protected from clogging; and regular partial water changes as
chemical filtration-media tend to clog long before their capacities are fully exhausted. Red humps are more tolerant with
respect to temperature, pH, and hardness and should thrive as long as extremes are avoided. They are easily fed, eagerly
accepting all standard aquarium foods, particularly frozen bloodworms and chopped earthworms.
One of the more challenging aspects of keeping red humps relates to their reproductive mode. Geophagus
steindachneri is a polygamous species in which males maintain harems of mouthbrooding females. As a result, males
tend to be aggressive toward both conspecifics and other species, while females are usually indifferent except when
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 15
buccally incubating or tending fry. Due to these behavioral attributes, maintenance of more than one aquarium for red
humps greatly simplifies matters. One tank is used to house the male chosen for breeding, kept either alone or in a
community setting with species capable of withstanding his aggressive disposition. In my experience, a male maintained
in a lightly aquascaped 180 gal tank bullied adult groups of G. surinamensis and Satanoperca daemon. On the other
hand, red humps are cowed by most
cichlasomines; therefore, a delicate behavioral
balance is the goal.
A female Geophagus steindachneri with fry.
Fish & photo Lee Newman
A second aquarium placed so that fish in both
tanks can see each other - is used to maintain and
ripen females. It is preferable to have at least two
or three females in order to dilute the persistent
attentions of the male during spawning
interactions. Again this can be accomplished
either by keeping the females alone or in a
community tank containing other non-aggressive
species. Mixing females in a 30-gal tank with
adult Microgeophagus ramirezi and juvenile
Satanoperca leucosticta is a combination that has
worked well for me, but there are numerous
options. Many factors, including size and shape of the
aquarium, aquascaping, and other species present, play
significant roles in developing successful housing
arrangements.
As stated earlier, inducing red humps to spawn presents
few challenges, assuming both sexes are present.
Difficulties may arise, however, in (1) determining
when a female is ready to spawn and (2) deciding on a
management plan for a recently spawned female. If the
maintenance strategy described above is adopted, the
first problem may be eliminated. Assuming adequate
visibility, the male may court the females in the
adjacent tank, which may help to prepare them for
spawning. When a female is ready to spawn, as
evidenced by her interest in and proximity to the male,
he is then transferred to the aquarium containing the
females. The transfer will probably not affect the male
for long; he often will begin courting within minutes of
his introduction to the females' tank. At this point
Microgeophagus ramirezi
careful observation is required. If one or more females
is ready to spawn, courtship proceeds accordingly (as described below). However, if no females are responsive to the
male's overtures, he will chase and nip them to the point of inflicting serious damage and possibly death. Assuming
courtship is observed, non-receptive females should then be removed from the aquarium to prevent injury and allow
further conditioning.
The basic pattern of spawning behavior observed is as follows. A spawning territory - defended primarily by the male
seems to be flexible in location, dependent on the movements of the female and her choice of a site for spawning. In all
spawnings observed, there was no site-preparation. The spawning surface was quite variable, ranging from a standpipe
base to the sandy substrate of the tank. Courtship consists of both lateral and opercular displays by the male, as well as
species-specific head vibrations performed either with the mouth open or with the upper jaw "pursed" over the lower and
held close to the substrate. While the coloration of the female usually remains unchanged, the male develops a sooty
black color over the branchiostegal rays and the leading edges of the ventral and anal fins. Courtship typically continues
for 2-4 hours at which point spawning tubes become evident and spawning begins. After several "dry" passes typical of
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 16
many cichlids, the female begins to press her body against the spawning site and expel eggs. Generally, only one or two
are released during early passes, but as spawning progresses, as many as six can be expelled during a pass. After each
pass the female backs up and take the eggs into her mouth. After several such passes by the female, the male moves in
front of her perpendicularly with his spawning tube directly in front of her mouth. As the male quivers, sperm are
released which fertilize the eggs intrabuccally. Occasionally (but not frequently) the male may leave the female for a few
seconds to chase fish that venture too close to the spawning site. As spawning continues, the female's buccal cavity
gradually expands as it fills with eggs. During this period the female appears to "chew" the eggs as evidenced by
continuous motion of the jaws. Contrary to the situation with substrate-spawning cichlids, Geophagus steindachneri
clutches are quite small. Initial spawns in young females typically number only 12-15 fry, but spawn size increases to 4560 in larger individuals. Spawning lasts ca. 60 minutes at which point the female loses interest in the continuouslycourting male. At the completion of spawning the male should be removed to prevent stress or injury to the incubating
female.
In a few cases, the male was observed to transfer his attentions to a second female shortly after spawning. If several
receptive females are available, the male is capable of servicing them all, after which he should be returned to his tank.
Although several incubating females can be kept together in the same aquarium, they usually show aggression toward
each other in the form of "lateral butting" in which a female swims toward and gently pushes against the side of another.
Such behavior does no damage, but may serve to gain the incubating female space or privacy for when the brood is
released. Females probably delay release of free swimming fry when housed with other females or other species they
consider a threat to newly-released fry. To observe post-release parental behavior and to assure harvest of fry, isolating
brooding females is recommended. Although the incubation period is about twelve days at 28°C, females seem to handle
transfer with no loss to the brood after two days of incubation. Offering food to the female may also trigger release of the
fry, as the female doesn't eat during the incubation period. Upon release, fry will accept newly-hatched Artemia nauplii
or crushed flakes, although growth is much more rapid on the former. Females are excellent parents, continuing to offer
buccal shelter for up to three weeks depending on the growth rate of the fry. As fry get larger, the female eventually
becomes unable to accommodate the entire brood. As a result, the larger fry get left out, and these individuals are then
chased from the immediate brooding area.
At ca. three weeks of age, the young fish begin typical eartheater "sifting"
behavior and can be weaned to other foods such as chopped frozen blood
worms, live adult brine shrimp, and flakes. With generous feedings,
frequent partial water changes, and regular filter cleanings, fry can grow
to lengths of 2.5 cm at eight weeks post-release and 4.5 cm at twelve
weeks. Fry begin to become sexually dimorphic in regard to color at 14
weeks, at which point they can be sold or traded. At 20 weeks spawning
activity can begin but is usually not successful until several attempts are
made.
While the Red Hump Eartheater may not be the most colourful sifter
available, its fascinating behaviour and ease of captive propagation
certainly make it a worthwhile addition to any collection of Neotropical
cichlids. A challenge for advanced aquarists would be to acquire and
propagate the less well known species of the "hump head"
group, Geophagus pellegrini and Geophagus crassilabrus.
References Cited
A female Geophagus
steindachneri brooding. Fish &
photo Lee Newman
* Leibel, W. 1993. Goin' South Cichlids of the Americas Part 9.
Aquarium Fish Magazine 5(4):44-51. * Loiselle, P. V. 1974. The identity
of the red hump Geophagus. Buntbarsche Bulletin 40:9-19.
© Copyright 1993, Lee Newman All rights Reserved
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 17
DRAS Executive Committee Minutes
Date: October 16, 2012
The DRAS Executive Committee meeting was held in Oshawa, Ontario, at The Tartan Tavern.
Meeting called to order at 8:13pm by Joanne.
General Minutes
Ivan motioned to approve general minutes, seconded by Colette. Carried.
Correspondence
None.
Treasurer
Income from the monthly auction was $66.50 and the total income (DRAS Split/DRAS Lots/Donations) from the Canadian Reptile Breeder’s EXPO
Auction on September 16th was $406.90
Advertising
Absent.
AHAP
Nothing to report.
th
Annual Show and Auction – AQUARIAMA – April 7 , 2013
Early discussion is underway and we will be writing to our vendors to thank them and ask if they are interested in participating again in 2013.
Using a video to show the fish with limited access to the fish after the auction begins. Rules for how to “bag” fish needs to be reviewed. We need
to look into a larger venue for 2014.
BAP
Need more participation.
CAOAC
st
th
th
The auctions coming up are: St. Catharines Oct 21 , Erie County & KWAS October 28 and Peel Region November 4 . The CAOAC General
meeting has been cancelled for October. DRAS will let CAOAC know our intentions to hold the 2014 CAOAC Convention. The CAOAC
Convention for 2013 has been awarded to the Edmonton Aquarium Society.
th
The Auction held at the Canadian Reptile Breeders EXPO, International Centre September 16 was small but successful event.
Library
Lots of activity and no issues to report. Paul suggested we look into making Aquarium related videos such as “Under the Sea” that could be
referenced in the Newsletter or Website under “Library News”.
Lunch
Absent.
Membership
80 members
Programs
th
November 13 is “Giant Auction Night”. Special fish will be made available from Wholesale vendors. Everyone is encouraged to buy and sell lots
of stuff – especially if they over-spent at the KWAS Oktoberfish or the Peel Auction.
th
December 11 will be pizza and discussion/chat on a variety of topics. There will be an array of pizzas and some veggie stuff with assorted
beverages.
Annual Social Banquet
Sonia will look into getting the Toronto Zoo Atrium as a venue. Joanne made a motion to decide how to make a donation to the Toronto Zoo and
Tom suggested asking Cindy Lee to speak on the options for a donation to a ZOO program as we have done previously. A special speaker needs
to be established, e.g. Scot Dowd on project Piabo, Ripley’s Toronto Aquarium speaker, Ron Coleman, Chuck Davis.
Tank Talk
Klaus needs articles from DRAS members. Derek suggested that 2013 be the year of the Catfish. Advertising in TankTalk needs to be reviewed
and updated. Tom suggested that DRAS should offer free advertising to vendors who commit to attending 2013 AQUARIAMA, agreed.
Exchange
Derek has posted all exchanges with exception of Atlanta.
Website
All updates made and running well.
Forum
There are 254 members. Last May, Derek brought up a discussion on why the DRAS forum is not attracting more activity and why not have
CAOAC organize a collective forum to cover all Canada. DRAS CAOAC representatives to bring this forward to the November CAOAC general
meeting.
C.A.R.E.S.
Not too much activity in DRAS but here are many more clubs across North America participating.
Old Business
Klaus will be creating a DRAS Facebook page.
Barry to contact AMAZONAS to establish a subscription for the DRAS Library.
Barry will initiate the renewal of our insurance policy through CAOAC and will enquire into insurance that would cover DRAS outings or events at
other locations.
New Business
Paul suggested that we look to Ripley’s for sponsorship, advertising and a speaker.
Tom indicated that AQUAlity has been a generous to DRAS and is open to the club visiting the location.
Derek suggested that DRAS publish international aquarium related conventions and events (e.g. Ohio Cichlid Association Extravaganza,
American Livebearer Association Convention) and when members will be attending to see if other members may wish to attend and share
transportation, lodging etc.
Announcements
Derek will be hosting meetings regarding planning for DRAS hosting the CAOAC 2014 Convention.
November 20 will be the next Exec meeting at the Tartan Tavern.
Ivan made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:35pm. Motion seconded by Klaus. Carried.
Respectfully submitted by: Barry McKee
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 18
DRAS General Meeting Minutes
Date: October 9, 2012
The meeting was held in the cafeteria of the Anderson Collegiate Institute in Whitby, Ontario.
Meeting called to order at 8:03pm by Joanne.
Executive Minutes
Klaus motioned and Rick seconded to approve the September Executive minutes. Carried
Advertising
Absent
AHAP
No Report.
Annual Show & Auction
No Report.
BAP
See Tim if you are breeding fish and wish information on the program.
CAOAC
st
th
th
The auctions coming up are: St. Catharines Oct 21 , Erie County & KWAS October 28 and Peel Region November 4 . The
October CAOAC General meeting has been cancelled.
Library
Books are available.
Lunch
Diet pop is available.
Membership
DRAS has 80 Members. 4 renewals today. Please sign the member and guest books
Programs
November is the GIANT Auction.
Tank Talk
Under Control.
Exchange Editor
Website forums contain lots of great articles.
Jar Show
The Jar Show Program is suspended until further notice.
C.A.R.E.S. program
Program is not growing and it would be great to get some new activity. Many new clubs are getting involved.
Website
Everything is going well.
Forums
Everything is going well.
Announcements
In the general area of the DRAS forum Derek has included some information on the current planning for the
CAOAC/C.A.R.E.S. Convention in 2014. There is still a lot of work to do and volunteers are needed to plan and manage
various areas like the Speakers, Sponsor, Auction, Special attraction trips and programs, registration, Vendor management
etc. Derek spoke in some detail and answered question regarding DRAS conducting the 2014 CAOAC and C.A.R.E.S.
conventions. Derek moved that the DRAS submit a bid to hold the 2014 CAOAC Convention, Klaus seconded and the
members voted in favor with none opposed, motion carried.
Evening Program
October featured our own, most amazing “resident explorer” Tom Mason speaking on The Fishes of Costa Rica.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted by: Barry McKee
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 19
The Forktail Blue-eye - Pseudomugil furcatus
by Paul McFarlane
From the Monthly Bulletin of the Hamilton and District Aquarium Society, October 2001
Aquarticles
In 1942, during WW2, the tiny village of
Popondetta in the southeast of Papua
New Guinea was near the terminus of the
Kokoda Trail, a jungle track leading
across the mid-peninsula mountains to
Port Moseby. In an effort to capture this
major centre, the Japanese had launched
a surprise offensive down the Kokoda
Trail. After months of jungle fighting,
Australian troops, along with some
Americans, repulsed the offensive. The
Japanese efforts ended with vicious
fighting that resulted in the capture of
their beachheads on the east coast at
Gona, Buna and Sanananda - only a few
kilometres from Popondetta.
Only 11 years later, 1953, in the same general area near Pumani Village, collectors searching small
streams first discovered a two inch, bright yellow fish unknown to science. In 1955 the fish was named
Pseudomugil furcatus (Nichols). In its natural habitat, this species inhabits small, fast flowing,
freshwater jungle streams having significant vegetation. Temperatures range from 24 to 27C and the pH
range is 7 to 8.
This has been a fish with an identity crisis. In
1982,
Allen
removed
it
from
the
genus Pseudomugil and
created
another,
resulting
in
the
name Popondetta
furcata (named after the village at the end of
the Kokoda Trail). Since the fish was first
introduced into the hobby, in Australia, in 1981,
and from there to the rest of the
world, Popondetta furcata was the name which
hobbyists came to know it by. Unfortunately,
someone
discovered
that
the
name Popondetta was already in use as the
Pseudomugil furcatus
name of a genus of beetles. This meant that it
couldn't be used for a fish and Allen renamed
them, in 1987, as Popondichthys furcatus. One would think that would be it, but in 1989 a review of
the entire group of blue-eyes resulted in this fish's name being returned to its original - . At least it
hasn't been changed since then!
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 20
Furcatus first appeared on the North
American hobby scene only about 12 to 15
years ago - at least that's when I first
obtained them. At about two inches in
length they are a fish that can be
maintained comfortably in as little as a five
gallon tank although a group in a larger,
planted tank, displaying their brilliant
yellow and black colouration, makes a
striking display. An added advantage is that
water parameters of medium hard water
and a pH a little above 7 - which describes
the water many of us have in this part of
the world - suits them just fine.
Pseudomugil gertrudae
I have found over the years that furcatus
are somewhat susceptible to velvet disease (oodinium). This is usually brought on by allowing their
water to get a little “old” and thereby permitting nitrate to build up past their level of tolerance. The
problem is easily prevented by doing some regular partial water changes and not allowing sponge filters
to go too long without rinsing.
These fish make excellent community tank inhabitants providing that their tank mates are not too large
or aggressive. They should do well with smaller Tetras, Rasboras, Danios, etc. Occasionally, especially
when kept by themselves, in pairs, in smaller tanks, a male may be aggressive with a female, sometimes
to the point of harming her.
Although this isn't common,
plants for the female to hide
in will prevent it entirely.
Keeping them in groups,
preferably
with
extra
females, also helps.
Pseudomugil connieae
Like most Rainbowfish, this
one is not difficult to breed.
Those that most people think
of,
the
Melanotaenia,
produce large numbers of
small eggs. Pseudomugil, on
the other hand laid only a
few eggs at a time but they
are
larger.
A P.
furcatus female will lay
perhaps 5 to 10 eggs per day.
These fish will lay their eggs in bushy plants or on a sand or gravel tank bottom if left to their own
devices but few if any youngsters are likely to be saved. My own preference is to use a floating
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 21
spawning mop of the type used for killifish. The eggs are adhesive and are deposited in the mop. They
can be picked every day or two.
The picked eggs can be placed in water in a small container to which some fungicide is added. Hatching
takes a week to ten days. After hatching, the fry can be transferred to a small tank with a few inches of
water; a sponge filter is the ideal filtering device. A wide-mouthed eyedropper is useful in moving the
fry. I have found that no matter what I do, no more than about 75% of the eggs are fertile, and even this
will lessen considerably if the adults are not well fed.
The fry are best fed vinegar eels, micro worms or something like APR for 2 or 3 days before starting
with live baby brine shrimp. Unlike larger Rainbows, these fish grow fairly rapidly - with good food
and water changes - and should be sexable and of spawning size in 3 or 4 months.
Another very similar species, Pseudomugil conniae, is found in the vicinity of the village of
Popondetta. Although it was originally thought to be furcatus, it differs from that species in some
colouration. In particular, it lacks black edging on the caudal lobes.So far, to the best of my
knowledge, P. conniae has not been available in our area.
Reference: Rainbowfishes - In Nature and in the Aquarium, Dr. Gerald R. Allen, Tetra Press, 1995
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 22
AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS
YOU CAN HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
Got an unwanted fish? Know of someone who has an
unwanted fish? Our Society will assist in trying to find homes
for any unwanted fish.
Most aquarium fish, plants, crayfish, snails, frogs, salamanders
and turtles are not native to Ontario. Releasing them into a
lake, river, pond or wetland is not only against the law, but it
could establish a new population which has environmental and
economic impacts.
Most aquarium plants and animals sold in pet stores are
imported from Florida, Central and South America, Africa, and
Southeast Asia. Some of these species are tolerant of colder
climates and can survive over winter in Ontario. Although you
may think you are doing them a favor, releasing aquarium
animals into Ontario waters is NOT a humane way to dispose of
an unwanted pet. They may soon die due to predation or
temperature extremes, or may die slowly due to starvation,
parasites and diseases.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 23
Breeding the
Blue Angels
by Joseph Graffagnino
Reprinted from the May 2012 issue of Modern Aquarium the
official publication of Greater City Aquarium society N.Y.
A
t a Greater City Aquarium Society
meeting last year, fellow member Jerry
O’Farrell came up to me and asked,
“Have you bred angel-fish?” I said that I had, but
it was over 25 years ago. He said, “Good, then
it’s time you did them again,” and he thrust a bag
of eight beautiful quarter- size blue angels into
my hand. Before I could respond, he walked
away. I looked at the plastic bag full of fish and
marveled at how beautiful and majestic these
little cichlids appeared. The blue on their heads
stood out in dramatic contrast to their silver
bodies.
I brought them home and placed them into a 20
gallon aquarium. The pH was 7.2, the
temperature 80° Fahrenheit, and the general
hardness (GH) was 4. The angels grew quickly,
especially the dominant male, who soon eclipsed
his tank mates in size. The group fared well with bi -weekly water changes of 30–40%, and feedings of flake food
followed by live blackworms or frozen bloodworms, with occasional treats of live brine shrimp and/ or frozen
Cyclopeeze7. After eight to ten months the group started to pair off. I moved the non- pairs into a 10 gallon, where in
less than a month another couple had aired up. This new pair was moved into another 20 gallon tank.
The first pair decided to lay their eggs on a thick piece of slate that was originally used to hold down a large wood
decoration. Both parents cleaned the slate till it was immaculate, at least in their eyes. The gray eggs were then laid in
orderly rows of vertical succession. Both fish took turns cleaning the area and fanning the eggs. It was definitely a model
of teamwork. Within a couple of days, the eggs turned a dark brown/amber color, and the parents proceeded to move
them to a new location. Most cichlids prefer this birthing method. Normally in 5 days the hatched fry would start
swimming, with the parents escorting their children around the aquarium.
But there were no free swimming fry! It appears the parents ate the fry either during the move or shortly afterward.
The second pair of angelfish was sharing a habitat with glolite tetras, but that didn’t stop them from laying eggs on a tall
piece of driftwood. Both parents kept the tetras to the farthest end of the aquarium. They also took turns cleaning and
fanning the eggs. I noticed that both pairs of fish left the eggs that were fungused alone, rather than removing them. I
thought this was a poor cleaning job on the parents’ part.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 24
Since it was their first spawn, I believed that I should give them time to learn and educate themselves as to proper
spawning methods, and I allowed them to have a couple of additional spawns, hoping that they would improve. Both
pairs spawned every 15 to 19 days, and a day apart. Neither set of parents ever improved. I gave the second pair to my
friend Vinny Babino, and kept the original pair. The next time my pair laid eggs, I removed the slate piece and placed it
into a 5 gallon tank that was set up for hatching the eggs, which I filled water from the parents’ tank. I had a 25 watt
heater that had the heating coil wrapped with airline tubing. I did this to prevent the fry from killing themselves on the
heating coil. I placed the air tube with air-stone under the slate piece so the air bubbles would travel in front of the eggs. I
also added a dose of
acriflavin to reduce chances
of the infer-tile eggs
developing fungus. As the
eggs hatched five days later,
I moved the air-stone into an
existing sponge filter several
inches away from the
hatching
eggs
and
performed a water change to
remove
most
of
the
acriflavin, again using water
from parents’ tank. The
unfertilized eggs that did
fungus remained on the slate
until I re-moved them with a
pipette. Several days later
the newborn fry were
attaching themselves via
their egg sack to every-thing
in the tank, plant leaves, the
slate piece, and pieces of
wood and rock. The fry
can’t eat until they are free
swimming, so I do not feed
them because the food will
only pollute the water.
When the fry become free
swimming, I start feeding them live vinegar eels, along with 50 Micron Golden Pearls. As the fry grow I switch to microworms and baby brine shrimp (live or frozen). Then in about 3 weeks I start using finely crushed flake food or micropellets, and provide live food 3 times per week. They grow quickly, and in another week or so they start to resemble their
parents.
An interesting experiment was tried, accidently, when I neglected to replace the slate board on which the parents had laid
their eggs. There was a large wood piece that wasn’t solid, having holes throughout it. I saw them evaluating the wood
piece, but I guess they weren’t satisfied with it. The only other object in the tank, except for the large sponge filter or the
heater, was a small flat rock that I had used to keep the slate piece from slipping. Yes, they used the flat rock. Again they
fanned the eggs and never removed the fungused eggs, but this time when the fry hatched they didn’t relocate them.
They also never assisted the fry that became stuck to the fungus. After eight days, when the fry started to free swim, they
escorted them around the tank. I believed that I had found the cure to angelfish cannibalism but within four days after the
fry were free swimming the parents ate them anyway. I guess when the parents are bad they will just remain bad.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 25
Bodies blended right in with the sand substrate it
was very hard to see or notice the fry. I did
however notice that for the first 10 days or so that
the fry really didn’t swim. It was more of a dart
or jerking motion. I continued with large amounts
of Green water, liquid fry food and micro worms
for about 4 weeks. Near the end of the third week
however, I did started to add live baby brine
shrimp to their diet. At the end of the fourth week
I stopped the green water and liquid fry food. At
this point the fry are about the size of day old
guppy fry. Maybe just a little smaller.
Up till now I did not change much of the water in
the tank. Remember I took the water level down
to just about the top of the sponge filters. Before
adding the green water I would remove maybe 6
oz. of water replacing with 3 oz of fresh water
and 3 oz of green water once a day. It was around
the 6th week I started to change out more of the
water. Changing about a gallon every other day,
and it was also at this point I slowly increased the
water level.
Notes: Plants I used. I don’t think it is important what type of plants are offered, I have even removed all the plants and
spawned this fish with spawning mops. Floating at the surface I had a few pieces of anacharis, duck week and a small
piece of water sprite. On the bottom of the tank I had only java moss.
Tank Talk – Nov 2012 / Volume 40, Number 03
Page 26