Splash August-September 2002

THE
SPLASH
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC.
I
Xiphophorus multilineatus
In this Issue:
Cichlasoma Octofasciatum - Jack Dempsey
Living Up to Its Name!
Plus
A Couple More Catfish
August General Meeting - Curt Bitterling
Livebearers
August/September 2002
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY
SOCIETY OFFICERS
President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Sgt. At Arms:
Dwight Lehman
Warren Kloth
Virginia Lehman
Jerry Michels
Aaron Glass
(414) 332-3735
(414) 353-5988
(414) 332-3735
(414) 353-5370
(262) 691-4739
Ray Gettler
Naomi Gettler
Ken King
Joe Martin
Jeff Michels
Ron Revolinski
Ray Gettler
(262) 662-5591
(262) 662-5591
(262) 284-2684
(262) 252-3148
(414) 352-5163
(414) 353-7680
(262) 662-5591
Naomi Gettler
Rudy Pabelick
Joe Martin
Judy Martin
Ron Revolinski
(262) 662-5591
(414) 672-1914
(262) 252-3148
(262) 252-3148
(414) 353-7680
Kevin Korotev
Tom Wojtech
Bob Suchocki
Jeff Michels
Bonnie King
Ray Gettler
Judy Martin
Ken King
(414) 332-9785
(414) 527-0399
(262) 246-8739
(414) 352-5163
(262) 284-2684
(262) 662-5591
(262) 252-3148
(262) 284-2684
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairperson:
Splash Editor:
Board Members:
Past President:
THE SPLASH STAFF
Editor:
Exchange Editor:
Technical Editor
Publisher:
Webmaster:
COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Breeders Award Program (BAP):
Librarian:
Manufacturer’s Liaison
Participation Awards (PAP):
Program Committee:
Membership:
Bowl Show:
VISIT US AT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.fishclubs.com/WI/MAS
From the desk of the President,
There are some items of information that you need
to be aware of in the coming months. The first is a
reminder that the August meeting is the last meeting at St. Peter Immanuel Lutheran Church. The
September meeting will be held at Hoffer’s Tropic
Life Pets 7323 N. 76th Street. There will be no
place for children to play, as this is a retail establishment. All children attending the meeting must
stay with their parents and remain seated and quiet
during the meeting.
The second is some late breaking news of a new
event on our calendar. There will be an All-Cichlid
Fun Show sponsored by Hoffer’s Tropic Life Pets,
on the weekend of September 28th & 29th. There
will be a maximum of 35 entries allowed with a
$2.00 per entry fee first come, first served. There
will be prizes awarded, including best of show. All
judging will be done by the public. Look further in
this issue for information on the show. This will be
a good time to showcase our club and our fish. So
get your best looking cichlids looking their best and
enter the show! PAP points will be awarded also.
This will also be announced and explained in detail
at the August meeting.
See you there!
Dwight Lehman
President.
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC
AUGUST MEETING
PUBLIC WELCOME
CURT BITTERLING
LIVEBEARERS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2002
7:30 P.M.
(No Admission Charge)
ST. PETER IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
7801 W. ACACIA – MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC. 1955-2001
General Club Information & Assistance: (262) 662-5591
www.fishclubs.com/WI/MAS
2002 MAS BOWL SHOW SCHEDULE
August
A.
B.
C.
D.
Fish with bird Names (i.e. Peacock Cichlid)
Photo of Tub Ponds
South American Cichlids
Youth Entry in above categories
September:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Most Unusual Fish Bowl
Red, White Blue Fish (In Honor of 9/11/2001)
Photo of Garden Pond
Youth Entry in above categories
D = Youth 2 to 14 years old, any fish in categories A, B or C
“DID YOU KNOW???”
A LITTLE GOSSIP, NEWS, ETC. ABOUT OUR CLUB MEMBERS
THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY FISH-RELATED.
Did you know that the following people will be celebrating birthdays in August
and September: Heather Hertziger and Sean Lehman on August 18th, Judy
Martin on August 23rd (that’s the night of the August meeting), Cassandra Gettler on August 27th, Virginia Lehman on September 3rd, and Naomi Gettler and
her “birthday twin” Mark Schmidt from the GCCA celebrate on September 23rd.
The day after Judy Martin’s birthday, she and her husband, Joe, will take off in
their new travel trailer to go to New Mexico and Colorado along with Judy’s
parents. Judy plans on checking out the “aliens” in Roswell, NM and she is
also looking forward to seeing the sights in Durango, CO.
Did you know congratulations are in order for Heather and Brian Hertziger, who
have purchased a home in the Watertown area?
Congratulations are also in order for J.R. Gettler, (son of Ray and Naomi), who
was accepted into the Youth Apprenticeship Program at Generac Power Systems in the Town of Genesee. This program is a national educational reform
model, the only one if its kind in Wisconsin. Only 6 students were chosen to
participate. J.R. will attend school at Generac for several hours a day, get on
the job training, and work approximately 4 hours a day, while getting paid for
the entire day. He will graduate with his classmates from Mukwonago High in
2004.
Did you know that the Gettler family again planned their summer vacation
around the ACA, which was held in Atlanta, GA this year? Everyone had a
great time touring the city, including the Underground, World of Coca Cola,
CNN, and the Buckhead area of Atlanta. The convention was a huge success,
including the fun and antics at the nightly hospitality suite, which included a
pajama party on Saturday night. On the way home, the Gettlers stopped to visit
Jack Daniels (thoroughly recommend by Mike Schadle), and spent a few days
touring Nashville. Our MAS member from Appleton, Jeff Filz, and his father,
Bud, also were at the convention and had a great time.
Mark your calendars for next year’s convention, which will be held in Cincinnati,
OH on July 17th - 20th. There will be brochures at the August general meeting.
Congratulations are in order for our good friend, Ray Lucas, who officially retired from General Motors on August 2nd this year. Ray plans to devote even
more time to “Kingfish” now that he’s not working full time.
Did you know that everyone hung around after the August board meeting at the
Lehman’s house to see Sean’s girlfriend’s engagement ring. Sean and Amy
are planning on getting married in a few years. Again, congrats!
Until next time!
Naomi
7323 N. 76th Street - Milwaukee, WI
BAP 2002
Congratulations are in order to:
Tom Wojtech
Milwaukee Aquarium Society’s
Breeder’s Award Program
First Ultimate Breeder
Here are some interesting facts
about Tom’s accomplishment:
•First MAS SpawnJuly 1, 1996
•1,665 Total BAP Points
•120 Species
•73 NEW Species (60% of all of Tom’s spawns
came from fish new to the club)
•560 Class C & D Points (140 more than required)
•34 Class C & D Fish and all but 4 of those were
new species
•30 of the hardest fish Tom did (Class C & D) were
never spawned before by a MAS member
WE SALUTE YOU, TOM WOJTECH!
The Milwaukee Aquarium Society, Inc.
Diving into the Depths of the Exchanges…and Beyond!
By Rudy Pabelick, MAS
[email protected]
This is my first exchange article, so bear with me as I get to know which articles to reference and which ones to reprint. I would appreciate your input on what to look for
while thumbing through the enormous stacks of newsletters we receive from the other
clubs. If you do see something that you would be interested in reading, let me know. A
title that is in bold is claimed to be a rare fish, a chance of the first time breeding of
a fish or an idea that I think is unique.
Reviews:
The Tropical News by the Sacramento Aquarium Society, May 2002
“The Big Con Job” by Dave Locey. Defending the Convict’s promiscuous behavior.
“Evolution of a Fish Room-Automatic Water Changing” by Bob Krampetz (Greater
Portland Aquarium Society). Reprinted from “The Fin Flash V.XVII, No. 10 2/10/2002.”
A must read for those of you who keep many tanks in one location, like a fish shop
does. It gives you detailed instructions on how to drain the water out of your tanks as
you fill them with new clean water, especially from a trickle filter or something similar. It
uses a PVC system that DOES NOT REQUIRE YOU TO DRILL HOLES IN YOUR
TANKS to do this. It is not expensive to do, because PVC is so cheap.
I will bring a model of this to our meeting in August.
Tropic Tank Talk from the Greater Detroit Aquarium Society, May 2002.
“The care and breeding of Pristolepis Faciolata” by Carl Krajniak. Possibly the first
time the Bush fish has spawned in captivity.
June 2002 issue:
“Flour Beetles-Another Live Food” by Lou Sandberg. This beetle doesn’t get very big
even as an adult.
Tropiquarium printed by the Motor City Aquarium Society, June 2002.
“The Great Molly-Salt Debate” by Dr. Ted Coletti. Which was originally published in
FAMA. This discuses whether or not to add salt to your Molly’s tank. All of the myths
and facts are listed in an organized fashion.
Finflap from the Eastern Iowa Aquarium Society, May 2002.
“The effect of temperature upon the health of fish” no author named. This is a helpful
little article for us who have not been in the hobby for all that long. They tell us how the
temperature affects the fish in the different circumstances that arise.
Tank Tales from the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County, June 2002.
“Peacock Gudgeons, Tateurndina Ocellicauda” by Dennis Heltzel. A neat article about
this little goby, and some helpful hints on how to breed them.
Michiana Tropical Times from the Michiana Aquarium Society, April 2002.
“Hobby Newcomer: Austrolebias sp. CXCL001BENADO MEDINA” by Bob McDonnell.
A soil-spawning Killi fish that is new to our hobby, although the name is questionable
and discussed in this article.
June 2002 issue:
“If good things come in small packages, this Killi must be great!…Rivulus sp. Pacallpa
(Peru) by Bob McDonnell.
The Youngstown Aquarist printed by the Youngstown Area Tropical Fish Society, May/
June 02’
“The easiest plant I ever grew, Java Fern-Microsorum Pteropus” by Karen (Lewis) Guman. A plant for those of us who don’t have a green thumb.
“I got marbles for the plant program, Echinodorus sp.-Marble Radicus Swordplant” by
Dan “the man” Guman. Another Amazon swordplant for us to grow.
Swam printed by the Southwestern Michigan Aquarium Society, May/June 2002.
“Tetras-Many Faceted Gems” by Chase Kinesteker. A detailed article about
Everything you may need to know about the Characiformes, this includes sexing,
breeding, feeding and much more.
“Raising Helleri” by Darrell R. Ullisch. Ideas on how to “grow out” swordtails from being
fry.
Under The Top Glass by the Heart of America Aquarium Society, April/May 2002.
“Salt water corner” by Kevin Arburn. A lesson you can learn from this author’s mistakes,
a reason to cure those live rocks.
Cichlid Evening Post by the Great Lakes Cichlid Society, May 2002. “Haplarchus Psittacus (Heckel 1840) The Parrot or Falsemouth Cichlid” by John Geritson. One of the
harder Cichlids to breed in the aquarium.
Cichlidae Communique published by the Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, May/June
2002.
“Neolamprologus Cylindricus or Even a blind Hog finds an acorn every now and again”
by Jim Ellenberger.
“Astatheros Alfari” by Kevin Plazak. The pastel Cichlid.
“Recent Studies on Cichlids: Part 56-Breeding” by Dale Speirs. A general overview of the
keeping of this versatile fish.
The newsletter from the Green Bay Aquarium Society, May 2002.
“A few words about Killies IV” by Jim Overly.
Fish Tales from the Tri-County Tropical Fish Society, June 2002.
“Starting easy with Cichlids” by Lynn Jacks.
“Spawning Limia Perugiae” by Tony Berry.
The Underwater News by the Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society, May 2002.
“Breeding Characodon Lataralis” by Jim White.
“Breeding Ancistrus Temminckii” by Tony & Denise Panetta.
Cichlid Chatter by the Greater Chicago Cichlid Association, May 2002.
“New Hybrid Cichlid ‘Flower Cichlid’” by CH Cheah. It is also known as the “Flower
Horn”.
“Chick Fish Pretty-Pelviachromis Subocellatus” by Eric Rogne.
“Lots of Hot Water” by Rick Borstein (GCCA webmaster). If your hot water tank may be
on the way out, look at this new system to heat your water for your house. Especially if
you run out of hot water when taking that long shower after the wash machine has just
finished Or just to change the water in your tanks that would take 100 gallons of water to
do and you have to wait for the water heater to heat the water in between fish tanks.
The Apisto-Gram from the Apistogramma Study Group, June 02 Special 75th Anniversary
Issue!
Obvious by the group’s name, this is a great book for those Dwarf Cichlid lovers.
“Keeping and Breeding Apistogramma Steindachneri: A Beginner’s Odyssey” by John
Wakabayashi, Hayward, CA.
“A New Apistogramma From Brazil” by Ingo Koslowski, Gladbeck, Germany. A position between the Xingu-Apistogramma and the Tucurui-Apistogramma
“Apistogramma sp. Vielfleck” by Gary Elson, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.
Fancy Fins by the Circle City Aquarium Club, June 2002.
“Breeding Lemon Tetras (Hyphessobrycon Pulchripinnis)” by Heather Liden.
“Kryptopterus Bicirrhis (Glass Cat)” by Don Blankenship.
The Fish Flash from the Greater Portland Aquarium Society, April 2002.
“The White Cloud Experience” by Joe Middleton. (Tanichthys Albonubes)
May 2002 issue:
“Patience is a Virtue, Breeding Astronotus Ocellatus-Oscars” by Wayne Yamashita.
June 2002 Issue:
“Vinegar Eels” by Julie Zeppieri.
All Cichlids is the newsletter from the Michigan Cichlid Association, May 2002.
“Spawning the Green Furcifer” by Marty Ruthkosky. Also known as Cyathopharynx
Furcifer from Zambia.
“Spawning Cichlasoma Coeruleus” by Don Danko.
June 2002 issue:
“Hemichromis Elongatus, A West African Treat” by Vinny Kutty.
Reprinted MAS Articles:
Ron Revolinski (MAS) had his article, Tropheus Polli, downloaded from the MAS website, http://fishclubs.com/WI/MAS/home.htm, and reprinted in the Circle City Aquarium
Club’s newsletter Fancy Fins, June 2002.
Kevin Korotev had his article, Trichopsis Pumila, reprinted in the Seine M.E.N.U. of the
Champaign Area Fish Exchange, Inc.
If any of these articles interest you in any way, tell me and I will get the particular newsletter you wish to read. I will bring the issues mentioned in this column with me
to the next meeting. To get a hold of me, either see me at the meetings or email me at:
[email protected].
EDITOR’S NOTE
I am pleased to report that we have a new exchange editor,
Rudy Rabelick. His first exchange column appears in this issue. I have
also included an article written by Rudy, along with another “first time”
article by Jeff Filz, our MAS member from Appleton.
I am toying with the idea of a writing contest for MAS members,
and should have details about this in the Fall. I’m hoping that with the
incentive of great prizes along with the long winter months ahead, many
people will want to participate.
A reminder to everyone that the deadline for the October issue is
October 1st. However, it certainly helps when people turn in their material before the deadline.
Naomi Gettler
Cichlasoma Octofasciatum - Jack Dempsey
Living Up to Its Name!
By Rudy Pabelick MAS
[email protected]
I am fairly new to the hobby, starting my first tank about a year ago,
55 gallons. I didn’t get interested in cichlids until I had first seen them a few
months later. Now, many new fish and many more tanks later, I am on my
way to having a nice size setup of aquariums. I now have three 55 gallons,
one 29 gallons, five 20 gallons and six 10 gallons.
Now on to my story of the Jack Dempsey, I bought the Jack
Dempsey as one of my first cichlids. I was drawn to the idea of having such
a brut in my tank. His first tank mates consisted of a yellow labidochromis, a
O.B. peacock, 2 red tail sharks, 2 convicts and 2 spiny peacock eels along
with some plecos. The Jack Dempsey was very timid as he; I assumed it
was a he, tended to stick to staying in his own cave. He never showed any
aggression towards any other fish at any time, even if they came by his
home. I have also seen the yellow lab go into his home with him in it and he
did nothing.
Then I became interested in breeding cichlids, which required me to
try and find some mates before I could do this. After I bought a mating pair of
Geophagus Brasiliensis I had the pleasure of seeing a pair of cichlids
spawn, which was very cool. I knew that the Brasiliensis is one of the easiest
cichlids to get to spawn. Now I was determined to get another one of my
cichlids to spawn.
Since I only had one Jack Dempsey, a male I thought, I had to go
out and find a possible mate for him. I also had taken all of the other fish out
of the tank and put in some Aulonacara Stuartgranti, this had been done
months before. So, I went to a local fish store and found a lonely Jack
Dempsey in a tank along with some other kinds of cichlids. This one looked
like a female based on what my Jack Dempsey looked like at home, she had
shorter and more rounded dorsal and anal fins along with a lighter body
color with brighter blue/green coloration on her gill plates. My male had
longer and more pointed dorsal and anal fins with darker blue/green coloration. So, I thought I was partly on my way to having a set of mates, provided
that I found a female and assuming that they would even pair up.
I brought her home and introduced her into the tank that he was in,
and to my surprise she went strait for his home. They stayed in there for
about 1 minute, then they both came out swimming side by side…YEAH!
Right away, she started to make some peculiar moves around him, like
swimming with her body horizontally underneath him and then to his side
again. This went on for hours with short stops by his cave. They’re color had
intensified being a lighter color with brighter blue/green spots on there
cheeks.
The next morning when I woke up, I found the substrate moved all
over the tank where they made holes, including the substrate around a piece
of slate I had laying near their cave. I found eggs sitting on top of this piece
of slate, a lot of eggs! I was amazed that this had happened the day after I
had attempted to just find out if they would possibly pair up without killing
one another. Two days later the eggs were gone of the piece of slate and I
didn’t see any fry or eggs any where!! I did notice the female just staying in
one spot by the slate where the eggs once were. The male would come
around often to help the female chase off the peacocks that would come to
close to the slate. So I peered closer, trying to look behind the slate and
through the plant and saw the fry, with the yolk still attached, gathered there.
You would think this was the end of my story, well not quite yet. A
few days after I saw the fry behind the slate they were gone again. I saw the
mother sitting in this hollow tree stump I had next to the slate, and she wasn’t moving, not even for feeding time. So, I got a flashlight and shined it in
the dark tree stump there were the fry, all 500 or so. The next day they were
free swimming and starting to swim out side of the tree stump. I figured lets
get them out of there before the peacocks get a boost in protein. I got my
siphon hose and started sucking them into a bucket. This took quite some
time, the more I siphoned the darker mom and dad got, I mean jet black with
white stripes. I finished getting every one of them as mom and dad start
chasing the peacocks all around the tank looking who had their babies. I
quickly grabbed my tank divider and separated the outraged parents from
the rest of the occupants. They kept swimming at the other fish on the other
side of the wall running into the divider. Soon they calmed down a bit.
I then put the fry into two breeding nets back into the tank they came
from (I can hear some of you now, read on.) I placed them on the side of the
peacocks, the calmer of the two sides and feed them baby brine shrimp right
away. This went on for about a day or until I woke up one morning to one of
the breeder nets being empty, that is right either I had about 250 Houdini on
my hand, or some Aulonacara are very full at this time. To the other side the
other 250 went, I thought they would be safer by mom and dad than by my
little seamstresses. The very next day, all 250 of the other fish where lying
very still, nope they were dead. I have learned that breeding nets are not the
greatest at allowing water to circulate through the net along with the oxygen.
So, I have learned many valuable lessons from this, and I hope you
did too. It would probable be best to keep the Jack Dempsey in their own
tank if you are hoping for them to spawn. And if they do spawn, take the parents out of that tank when the fry are swimming. This way, you don’t have to
worry about any fry turning into Houdini or suffocating.
By the way, my Jack Dempsey are back to being a normal color and
nice again…until next time.
A Couple More Catfish
By Kevin Korotev, MAS
[email protected]
Let me get my list out of the way, first thing. You’ve read this before. If
there are secrets to the successful spawning of Corydoras, Brochis or
Aspidoras catfish, They may be found in here somewhere:
1) If you can get past the ethical issues: Have some tank raised males
in the group, as they SEEM more likely to inititate the spawning
process.
2) Be ready with plenty of good live and/or frozen food when the females FIRST ripen. It seems expotentially harder the longer you/
they wait.
3) Keep them cool (under 78 degrees) and change their water (with
still cooler water) regularly.
4) Keep a regular, but moderate 'current'. I used a sponge fitted powerhead.
5) Keep the pH under 7.0
6) Have a big group.
7) Use black worms with caution. They can help trigger a spawn or a
disaster. I suspect any food can go bad, but this one, so readily
used to trigger catfish, can...in my opinion; be deadly on occasion.
BROCHIS SPLENDENS
Of the two fish included in this article, this was the easy one. Surprise!
Brochis are not supposed to spawn readily. This “bad rap” may begin
with fact that Brochis get larger than most Corydoras and fewer people
keep them. They are not cute little scavengers. You have to WANT
Brochis.
Mine were about a year and a half old before spawning began. They
were nearly three inches in length (not THAT big!) and the females
were lit up like Christmas. The emerald irridescence on the body set-off
the glowing pink bellies. I had no idea this fish was so attractive.
If there was any special factor needed to induce a spawn, it was the
water conditions. Mine seemed to need straight Milwaukee tap water.
Anything softer would shut them right down. Brochis splendens is a
true egg scatterer and the eggs measure nearly as big as barbatus
eggs. You can clearly see them when you enter the room. On one occasion, I came home from work to find over 400 eggs from 3 simultaneously spawning females.
The fry’s appearance was another pleasant surprise. They get a masted
dorsal fin that is nearly as tall as their little bodies are long. Tones of
green, brown and black radiate from the base of the dorsal in a fan pattern. The bodies are marbled until about 4 weeks. If they stayed this
color they would easily be one of the most sought after catfish, as they
are truly stunning.
CORYDORAS CONCOLOR
These are the most reluctant Corydoras I’ve ever worked with. So much
so that I need to submit 2 generations worth of fry to get the 5 required
fish! It has been a journey of nearly two years and a dozen mysterious
deaths. I will admit that the 7th point on my list may offer some clue to
solving these.
Corydoras concolor, in the right conditions, is beautiful. They’re not the
unmarked dirt colored catfish you often see in the stores…IF you see
them in stores. Typically you would not expect to keep them under the
conditions I eventually did: soft water at about 80 degrees! Once settled
in, they will take on the color of dark chocolate. Their sides flash an almost steel blue in contrast to their nearly rust colored fins. Con-color is
not entirely appropriate.
My first fruitful spawn was in late 1999. Two of the fish I submit are the
only survivors from that passle of 20 or so fry. Shortly after that one and
only spawn, the females of the group died one by one. I’ve had this happen twice now with Corydoras groups. The females just…die. During
2000 I raised 2 young and 4 males.
By early spring of this year, 2001, I had a rowdy group of males but hadn’t raised nor found a female. I turned once again to Eric Bodrock of
Pittsburgh and asked if he had any adult females. He did, but only one.
It took a few months, but Eric’s female came through late this summer
with a spawn nearly identical in size to the first (and only other one).
Again, there were about 20 eggs and fry.
This time I did manage to raise 4 to the requisite 45 days and submit
them.
I could very well have had a little more luck, as I know Eric has, if I’d followed my own rule #6. It can be difficult though when you’re dealing with
a fish that is hard to find even in a great fish-store-town like Milwaukee.
Cyphotialpia frontosa-The Mystery Spawner
By Jeffrey J. Filz, MAS, GBAS, GCCA
A few years ago on a GBAS field trip to Chicago, I was able to purchase a
group of young 6-stripe frontosa from a fellow GCCA member. This group of
fish was moved around the fish room to larger tanks as they grew out. There
was not much thought given to water chemistry since my water is high pH
and naturally hard. The base food used was OSI flake with treats of live
brine. Water changes were done every few weeks about 30% at a time.
Tank is filtered with Marineland filters at about 650 gallons per hour.
Once these lake Tanganyika beauties had finally reached breeding size they
were put in a 75-gallon tank. The tank was filled with rock, wood, PVC and 2
large pots. This gave them lots of places to get away from each other. I felt
at this time they would be producing fry and my work was done. After
months of waiting, they did nothing! Time to look at the game plan once
again. I then pulled the 2 subdominant males out of the tank. This left the
large dominate male along with 1 small male and 7 females. Now all should
be well and I can start looking for signs of breeding. Back to the drawing
board, again no fry! I went over everything in my head and came to the conclusion I possibly could come up with. Talk to fellow club members to find
out what I need to do to get them to spawn!
I learned lots of interesting tips from the fish keepers I spoke with. The one
that I feel made all the difference was changing their diet. I started to feed
them popcorn shrimp from the grocery store. The MAS member swore this
would do the trick! After a few months of them feasting on the shrimp with no
results I was about ready to give up. By this time it was July and that means
close the fish room and head off to the ACA convention. 5 days of darkness
and no food for the frontosa! I cannot say if that had anything to do with it but
after I was back home for about a week, there they were, fry!
At last I got to see what a baby frontosa looked like! I was able to pull 7 fry
from the tank.
Not a big spawn, but a spawn I was happy to see.
Since that time I have had a spawn of 17 fry and the group has been moved
again. They now live in a 180-gallon and I hope to have bigger spawns as
time goes on. I have learned 4 points from this experience:
1. Seek advice from fellow club members.
2. Go to ACA conventions.
3. Leave the fish alone a spell, they may like a little privacy.
4. Not to take this breeding thing too serious. It is about learning and having fun that is important to me.
HERSHEYS NOT FROM PENNSYVANIA
By Ralph Bahrke, MAS
What’s that about timing is everything? The right place at the right
time…yeah, that’s it. Last year our club had a fish-growing contest.
The fish used was the “chocolate cichlid”, Hypselacara temporalis. I
did not participate in the contest, but I was able to obtain a few specimens that someone had graciously grown and disposed of at a local
pet store. (Timing). The individuals were about four and a half inches
long and rather feisty! Because of their size, I was able to vent the
fish and select a pair. (Right place, right time).
Since my 55-gallon tank was housing some nasty red devils, these
guys ended up in a 38-gallon tank with a four-inch plecostomus as a
tank mate. (A little crowded, I must say!). I dumped in about seven
lava rocks and several pieces of slate along with one medium flower
pot on it’s side and a chunk of driftwood. Filtration was handled with
two #4 hydro sponges and a whisper power filter. The temperature
was kept at a steady 78 degrees, and water changes were done
every other week. I have no idea what the pH was, but I used “Tank
Soft” with every water change. Cichlid pellets, OSI flakes, Tabi-Mini,
and frozen brine shrimp were the diverse smorgasbord these fish enjoyed.
Almost immediately, the Hersheys (as I called them) started rearranging the gravel and exposing the filter plate. There was an under
gravel filter plate, but I was not using it for filtration Within a couple of
weeks I noticed the female hiding behind a large piece of slate. Looking through the side of the tank I could see eggs attached to the slate.
About 40 fry hatched out, and I was able to retrieve about 25.
The little rascals grew fairly rapidly, and were quite a gregarious
group. If you have a sweet tooth, why not try some Hersheys! If you
are in the right place at the right time, you may be able to adopt Mom
and Pop Hershey, my little chocolate friends. They are out there!
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC.
PRESENTS
AN ALL CICHLID PEOPLE’S CHOICE SHOW
SEPTEMBER 28TH & 29TH
SPONSORED BY
HOFFERS TROPIC LIFE PETS
7323 N. 76TH STREET
MILWAUKEE, WI 53223
- ENTRIES LIMITED TO 35 - ON A FIRST COME,
FIRST SERVE BASIS
- MUST BE A MEMBER OF THE MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM
SOCIETY TO ENTER
- $2.00 ENTRY FEE PER FISH
- 10 GALLON TANKS AND AIR WILL BE PROVIDED
- FIRST, SECOND & THIRD PLACE PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED
EACH ENTRY RECEIVES ONE VOTE
VOTING TO BE DONE BY THE PUBLIC
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT
RAY GETTLER (262) 662-5591
THE
MILWAUKEE
AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC.
Presents a
TROPICAL FISH
AUCTION
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2002
BURNHAM BOWL
6016 W. BURNHAM
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Doors open for viewing at 10:30 a.m.
Consignment of fish and aquatic plants taken from
members and the general public
New aquariums and equipment will be available
Large selection of fish books and magazines
THE AUCTION BEGINS AT 12:00 NOON
ADMISSION IS FREE!
For additional Auction information contact:
Naomi Gettler (262) 662-5591
WEB SITE: www.fishclubs.com/WI/MAS
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY
1955-2002
The Milwaukee Aquarium Society is a non-profit organization
promoting tropical fish keeping.
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY AUCTION RULES
AUCTION REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 10:00 A.M.
VIEWING BEGINS AT 10:30 A.M.
AUCTION STARTS PROMPTLY AT 12:00 NOON.
1.
MEMBERSHIP IN AN AQUARIUM SOCIETY IS NOT REQUIRED TO BUY
OR SELL FISH.
2.
LABELS SUPPLIED BY MAS MUST BE USED. The following information is
required to appear on each bag: SELLER #, BAG #, QUANTITY OF FISH IN
BAG & DESCRIPTION.
3.
PROPER BAGGING IS REQUIRED. No Zip lock bags or baggies allowed.
MAS will charge the seller a fee of $1.00 for any fish that needs rebagging.
4.
ALL FISH MUST BE OF SELLABLE SIZE. Minimum size of 1 inch except in
the case of dwarf species.
5.
AUCTION SPLIT:( Selling price - $1.00) X 80% = Consignors share.
($11.00-$1.00)x80%=$8.00
6.
FOR EACH (4) ITEMS REGISTERED YOU WILL RECEIVE (4) DIFFERENT
COLORED TAGS. Prior to auction MAS will draw order of colors to be auc
tioned.
7.
MAXIMUM OF 5 BAGS PER SPECIES (A SPECIES INCLUDES ALL
COLOR MORPHS). MAXIMUM OF 50 BAGS PER HOUSEHOLD.
8.
ALL UNCLAIMED ITEMS BECOME THE PROPERTY OF MAS.
9.
ITEMS CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE AUCTION AFTER REGISTRA
TION.
NO PERSONAL SALES OR TRADES OF ANY KIND WILL BE ALLOWED
ON THE AUCTION PREMISES WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE AUC
TION CHAIRPERSON.
10.
11.
ALL RULES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. THOSE ITEMS NOT ADHER
ING TO THE RULES WILL BE REJECTED. THE AUCTION CHAIRPERSON
OR DESIGNATED PERSONS HAVE SOLE AUTHORITY OVER THE
INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF ALL RULES. EACH ITEM
WILL BE SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. THE AUCTIONEER WILL SET
TLE ANY DISPUTES AS TO THE BIDS AND HIS DECISION ON SUCH MAT
TERS WILL BE FINAL.
12.
ALL PERSONS ATTENDING THIS AUCTION DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK.
NEITHER MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC., ITS OFFICERS, AND
MEMBERS OR ANY PERSONS CONNECTED WITH THIS SALE, ASSUME
ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJURY OR AS
SUME LIABILITY LEGAL OR OTHERWISE IN ATTENDING THIS SALE.
MAS General Meeting, June 28, 2002
Called to order @ 7:40 p.m. by Aaron Glass
Committees:
1. Treasurer: Michels, Jerry
Club $1,158.26 Library $185.13
2. Membership: Martin, Judy
Pd.76 2 New members tonight and 4 guests
3. PAP: King, Bonnie
4. Bowl Show: King, Ken
June-fish with flower names (ie Marigold Swordtail), Angel fish, and best fish
beach towel
July- picnic, no meeting
August-fish with bird names (ie Peacock Cichlid), photo of fish tub ponds, and
South American Cichlids
Sept-most unusual fish bowl, Red/White/Blue fish in honor of Sept. 11, 2001, and
photo of garden pond
Oct.-black/orange fish for Halloween, stuffed fish 6” or larger in Halloween costume, and Psuedotropheus species
Nov.- knick-knack fjish 6” or smaller, brown fish for Thanksgiving and Guppies.
Dec.-Christmas party, no meeting
5. Splash: Gettler, Naomi Deadline 08/01/02
A new exchange editor is needed. Per Tom Wojtech it is fun and you learn a lot
about fish.
6. Speakers: Gettler, Ray The scheduled June speaker did not come, no message regarding why. Tom Wojtech and Jeff Michels ran a lively question and answer session. We appreciate you guys stepping in at the last minute.
July- picnic, no meeting or speaker
August-Curt Bitterling
Sept-Charley Grimes “Diving Trip at Cuatro Ciengas, Mexico”
Oct.- TBA
Nov.- TBA
7. Library: Suchocki, Bob
The library is doing well. We have new books, which will be available as soon as
they are cataloged into the inventory. Bob asks that anyone who has binders suitable for the Splash issues maintained by the library, please notify Bob. We are still
trying to collect fines from former members who failed to return their books.
8. Raffle: Martin, Joe
No updates at this time.
9. Web Page: Revolinski, Ron
The site is up to date and has a new link to a guppy site.
10. Manufacturers: Hertziger, Heather
Letters have gone out with Jeff Michels’ name and address.
11. BAP-Quarterly drawing was held.
Fish Growing Contest: There are 2 people with spawns (Kerri Michels & Ed Curran).
12. Events
Picnic: 07/13/02. There is a sign-up sheet going around.
Fall Auction: 10/20/02.
Christmas Party: 12/08/02. At The Domes. There will be White Elephant, gifts and PAP
funny money for the auction.
Fish-O Rama: 05/03/03.
Old Business1. We are moving to Hoffer’s as of the Sept. meeting.
New Business_
1. Warren Kloth has agreed to be the store liason.
2. Jeff Michels is doing a survey for the rare fish auction this fall.
3. Heather Hertiziger has a 72 gallon aquarium for sale. Includes all supplies. $700.00
OBO.
Respectfully Submitted,
Virginia Lehman
MAS Secretary
MINUTES – BOARD MEETING JUNE 29, 2002
In attendance: Jerry and Betty Michels, Joe and Judy Martin, Ron and Ingrid Revolinski,
Jeff Michels, Aaron Glass, Ken and Bonnie King, Ray and Naomi Gettler Absent:
Dwight and Virginia Lehman
Treasurer’s Report: Jerry Michels reported that the club has $1,473.78 in checking. Of
that amount, $190.24 is the club’s library fund.
Membership: Judy Martin reported that there are 58 paid members, 13 lifetime and 5
honorary members for a total of 76 members. There were 2 new members as of the
June meeting. Ken King will check back on the attendance for the last two years of general meetings. Judy will keep a running track of the number of members attending the
meetings.
BAP: No report.
Bowl Show: There will be no bowl show in July. Per Ken King, August’s bowl show will
be: Fish with bird names (i.e. Peacock cichlids), Photo of tub ponds, South American
cichlids. September’s bowl show will feature: Most unusual fish bowl, Red, White or
Blue fish (in honor of 9/11/01), and photo of garden pond.
Exchanges: Naomi Gettler reported that Rudy Pabelick is our new Exchange Editor.
Judy Martin will give him a copy of the member’s names at the August meeting.
FAAS: No report.
Fish Store Liaison: No report
Library: No report
Manufacturer’s Liaison: Jeff Michels reported that merchandise is starting to come in
from the letters that were sent out in April. However, there was a goof-up with the mailing. All items are being sent to our Jerry Michels home.
PAP: Bonnie King needs reports for the Spring Auction and fish collecting.
Raffle: Joe Martin may have another raffle at the September meeting. Aquatics Unlimited has donated several items, which may be used.
Speakers: Curt Bitterling will speak in August on livebearers. Charley Grimes will
speak in September on a diving trip in Mexico. Ray Gettler is still working on speakers
for the October and November general meetings.
Web Page: Ron Revolinski has updated the web page. There have been over 400 hits
a month. The board discussed including the Pisces Page on the web site.
Fish Collecting: Naomi Gettler reported that everyone who attended had a great time,
including the ladies and Ron Revolinski, who went shopping at Maxwell Street days.
Picnic: Naomi Gettler is finalizing details for the picnic, which will be held on Sunday,
July 14th at Jacobus Park. Looks like attendance will be less this year.
Fall Auction: No new details for the Fall Auction, which will be held on Sunday, October
20th.
Rare Fish: Jerry Michels and Jeff Michels discussed the survey which was handed out
at the June general meeting. The committee will consider different price ranges and
types of fish for the October Rare Fish auction. The fish may also be announced more in
advance.
Christmas Party: Jerry Michels will have a planning meeting in October for this year’s
party.
Spring Auction ’03: The date has been confirmed with both Burnham Bowl and Mike
Schadle.
Fish O’ Ramma ’03: Jerry Michels will contact Burnham Bowl and set a date for next
May.
Jerry Michels made a motion to adjourn, which Ken King seconded. Meeting adjourned
at 7:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Naomi Gettler
MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC.
WE’RE MOVING OUR MEETING SITE!!!!
Starting with our September 27th Meeting,
Our new location will be:
HOFFER’S TROPIC LIFE PETS
7323 N. 76TH STREET
MILWAUKEE, WI
7:30 P.M.
AQUA
EXHIBITS
HUGE SELECTION OF FRESH
& SALTWATER FISH
OPEN DAILY 10 - 6
SUN. 12-5
4000 GALLON
SHARK DISPLAY!
1335 N. 3RD (KING DR.)
(414) 224-0486
DOWNTOWN 1 1\2 BLOCKS NORTH OF
THE BRADLEY CENTER
PISCES PAGE
6767676767
For Sale – Want – Trade – Give away
For Sale:
Gymnothorax polyurandodon (Freshwater Moray Eel)
20 Gallon Long tank, top, light & stand
$14.00/each
$35.00 OBO
Wanted:
Chromidotilapia guntheri
P. Kenyii
30 or 40 gallon breeder tank
Contact Rudy Pabelick (414) 672-5664
Or [email protected]
To submit a request for an upcoming issue, please send desired information to:
Naomi Gettler,
S74 W25825 Hi Lo Drive
Waukesha, WI 53189
Or e-mail at
[email protected]
Deadline is the last Friday of odd-numbered months. Although anyone may purchase from the Pisces market, you must be a member to have an ad posted.
UPCOMING EVENTS
August 23rd:
MAS General Meeting
St. Peter Immanuel
Curt Bitterling
Livebearers
7:30 p.m.
September 7th:
MAS Board Meeting - 5:30 p.m.
Contact Ray Gettler (262) 662-5591
September 27th:
MAS General Meeting
Hoffer’s Tropic Life Pets
7323 N. 76th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53223
Charley Grimes
Diving Trip, Cuarto Ciengas, Mexico
7:30 p.m.
September 28 & 29th:
All Cichlid Fun Show
Hoffer’s Tropic Life
7323 N. 76th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53223
For Info Call: Ray Gettler (262) 662-5591
October 20th:
MAS Fall Auction
Burnham Bowl
6016 W. Burnham Street
12:00 Noon
For info call: Naomi Gettler (262) 662-5591
October 25th:
MAS General Meeting & Rare Fish Auction
Speaker TBA
Hoffer’s Tropic Life
Rare Fish Auction to follow meeting
November 2nd & 3rd:
Wisconsin Area Killifish Organization
22nd Annual Egg-Laying Toothcarp Jamboree
AMF West Allis Lanes - Lower Level
10901 W. Lapham Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
For info call: Jim Gasior (414) 425-7754
[email protected]
THE SPLASH
The Splash is the official publication of the Milwaukee Aquarium Society, and is published six times per year under the direction of
the Board of Directors. Articles are always welcome. Please submit
them to the editor (Naomi Gettler) no later than the first day of even
numbered months (i.e. February 1st) to be included in the next issue.
Articles should be sent to the editor, Naomi Gettler, S74 W25825
Hilo Drive, Waukesha, WI 53189. Or e-mail to [email protected].
We will gladly exchange our publication with all interested
societies. Please mail exchanges to Ralph Bahrke, P.O. Box
250824, Milwaukee, WI 53225. Reprints of articles published in The
Splash are always permitted and encouraged, provided that proper
credit is given in reprinting to The Splash, author and Society. It is
also requested that a copy of the issue containing the article reprinted
be sent to the address above to be shared with the author. This
would be in addition to any exchange copies.
Please inform the editor of any address changes in forwarding of this publication to members or other societies.
ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY
The Milwaukee Aquarium Society is an organization devoted
to the hobby of tropical fish, both freshwater and saltwater. Its membership consists of hobbyists gaining expertise in all phases of raising
and breeding tropical fish, as well as area retailers. Our membership’s expertise covers a wide range, from beginners to expert breeders, but all members are interested in promoting the hobby and encouraging others to join in the fun.
General meetings are held monthly, generally the fourth Friday of the month, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Peter Immanuel Lutheran
Church, 7801 West Acacia, Milwaukee. We thank them for their
hospitality. Free parking is always available, and guests are always
welcome.
Annual membership dues are as follows: Families: $20.00 a
year; Individuals: $15.00 a year. Membership dues provide for The
Splash, monthly speakers, community support, annual events, and
show support. A yearly subscription to the Splash is available for
$15.00 a year. New or renewal of membership dues should be sent
to the treasurer: Jerry Michels. 6333 West Boehlke, Milwaukee, WI
53223
Address Service Requested
Milwaukee Aquarium Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 250824
Milwaukee, WI 53225
The Official Publication of the
Milwaukee Aquarium Society, Inc.
The Splash