19:09 December

The Cichlid Monthl
Cichlid Scene ., .. .. .. ..
2
Editorial
3
_ ,_
Geophagus ba/zani
6-8
A Tanganyikan Cichlid Community .. 9-13
Allowable Cichlid Imports
18
Fishhouse Night .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
19
The Rise and Fall of SM in AFCS
20-22
Wardley's Table Show Results
23
Minutes of the Previous Meeting
24
Members' Ad
24
Volume 19, #9 ­
MRT LANGElAAR
DAVIO THORN
GRAHAM ROWE
DARYL HUTCHINS....
Facsimile
Treasurer ........ KEITH PATFORD
Social Secretary JENNY BRIGGS.. ..
©
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(j[ji)
DECEMBER 1990
'el:.I:l:It-·
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Presielent
VIce-President
Secretary
Editor ... ,
©
783 5386
763 5576
5607472
8706264
870 4337
7162425
725 3665
Librarian .......... GLENN BRIGGS
..
Show Secretary .. KEN WHELAN
..
Trading Table .... JOHN REEVES
JAN PORRln
..
CommitteeR.OBBIE scon
..
At-Large
DANNY GENOVESE ..
SCOnHAYMES ......
I
7253665
3742140
233 8736
8242279
5272546
8984870
LIFE MEMBERS
GRAHAM ROWE
HEINZ STAUDE
KEVIN ARCHIBALD
KEITH PATFORD
HONORARY MEMBER
MAX DAVENPORT
The Victorian Clchl/d Society Inc, formed by Cichlidophiles in March '1972 and thus became the first specialist
aquar/st group in the State 01 Victoria. Its aims are: to promote the keeping of Cichlids; to gain end disseminate
knowledge of their habits through slides, films, books, lectures, oversees magazines, articles by members and
discussion with fellow members or other experts in the field.
REPRINTS
• 'REPRINTS
REPRINTS
REPRINTS
REPRINTS
REPRINTS
© COPYRIGHT, Victorian Cichlid Society Incorporated. 1989.
Anyone wishing to reprint materials from any Cichlid Monthly in their regUlar club magazine
(not other publicatlons which are sold), may do so (unless the article itself carries e copyright notice) prOVided
due credit is given to ttle author and 'The Cichlid Monthly' and one copy of the relevant publication is sent to
the Eelitor - 30 Timbertop Road, Ringwood North, Victoria, Australia 3134,
Enquiries re the use of material in any other publications may also be directed to the above,
The Cichlid Monthly is published eleven times a year by:
THE VICTORIAN CICHLID SOCIETY INCORPORATED,
cl- 23 Mangana Drive, Mulgrave, Vic, Australia 3170,
and is Registered by Australia Post - Publication Number VBH0291,
The VCS It a membet' of the Federation of Victorian Aquarium Societies.
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of the Editor ot TCM or the
committee of the Victorian Cic.hlid Society Incorporated.
You saw it
here first~ TCM used the
big "R" word (recession)
one full month before
the latest GDP figu~es
finally squeezed it out
through the teeth of our
illustrious treasu~e~.
Well, it's not the fi~st
time that I have been
~ight and officialdom
in one o~ two cases even popular opinion -- has
been w~ong. Take a look at the story below f~om
the 'Herald-Sun' (29/11).
REMEMBER~
NEXT MEETING: 3~d Wednesday of the month
at
North-vale PS Hall~ Albany DVE~ Mulgrave at
8
pm
sharp (trading
table
opens 7.30).
Visito~s a~e always.welcome.
MINI TALK: Sll.de QUl.z.
P:if.,.A.".
,,~
J
L;r'yJ
I.
<\'I'.~.L1.~}
~
1]1
"'-":"=­
t'
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MAIN TALK: Salad Sizzle and
DOOR PRIZES: Cou~tesy of A-OK Aquarium~
DRAW PRIZES: 1. La~ge Ch~istmas Hampe~.
2. Small Ch~istmas Hampe~.
3. Ch~istmas Chee~.
TABLE SHOW:
Pai~s
and
Babies
(less
than
three months and three months and over).
MINI AUCTION: A major
fund-raiser.
Support
is always appreciated.
CHADSTONE
QUARIUM
....
All those lette~s you we~e encouraged to
send (you did write, didn't you) did have an
effect. The little people won for a change,
'admittedly with a little help from some not-so­
little people (AFL et all. Who said it could not
be done?
*.•.9··~
~. .'~
'"
.*;4-. . ", : :..
Mr"~ t;;x ..
649 Warrigal Road,
Chadstone - 568 6962
WE BUY & SELL CICHLIDSI
.
~.
~
·0$­
Clubs· in
Present a valid VCS Membership Card
and receive a 10% discount.
..-....... .
.~
tent hike
fight win
By SHAt-iE BURK£
SPORTING clubs and
eommunity groups have
won their fight with the
State .Government over
proposed rent hikes.
Clubs feared their
nominal rent for using
Crown land could jump
by 2000 per cent if they
were charged commer­
cial ra tes under in­
vestigation by the
Government.
The Australian Foot·
ball League and the Vic­
t:,;ri::;.;-. .Cricket A:>~"ci·
alion led the at~ack for
small clubs.
The majority of clubs
will now pay a flat
annual rent of S104
·following a review ay
the-Environment Minis­
ter, Mr Crabb.
The Opposition's en·
vironment spokesman,
!\Ir Birrell, said the new
flat rate was a "great
victory for common­
sense".
However, Mr Crabb
hit back at suggestions
that the Government
had ever planned to slug
clubs.
He said only 93 of the
464 community groups
which use government
.land could expect to pay
higher rent.
Mr Crabb said the S104
Oat fee would mean only
a $2-a-week increa~ for
most clubs.
n=
The Cichlid Monthlil
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NOW AVAILABLE
AT YOUR FAVORITE
AQUARIUM SHOP
80
- GET 'EM WHILE
THEY'RE HOll!!!
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will be jUdged
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December meeting.
A-O
PET & AQUARIUM
(03) 758 7354
• Tropical & Gold Fish
• African & American Cichlids
• All Aquarium & Pet Accessories
• Hydro Bath for Dogs
• Open 6 days - Mon-Sat
Open until 9 pm Friday
KEVIN & MARIE MORGAN
SHOP 36 MOUNTAIN GATE SHOPPING CENTRE
FERNTREE GULLY 3156
...
FROM DECEMBER 1974 TCM
Geophagus balzani
By Peter Robinson
T
HIS rare and unusual mouthbrood­
ing cichlid was first named by Pe­
rugia in 1891 but seemed to have
disappeared until as late as 1972, when it
was rediscovered in the Rio Parana in
Paraguay.
Paraguay is virtually untouched as far
as the search for tropical fish is con­
cerned, due probably to its being at the
extreme south end of the tropical belt.
Little exploration of cooler South Ameri­
can waters has so far been carried out.
Since its re-introduction into America,
Geophagus balzani has been bred and
specimens sent to Germany, from where
these specimens that we have eventually
came. Their arrival was well timed as I
had just read an article on this species
in the October edition of 'Tropical Fish
Hobbyist' and was dying to get my hands
on some.
Eventually this beautiful cichlid be­
came a fetish with me and I was more
keen to acquire it than many of the other
rare cichlids available at the time. At one
stage I thought my wish had been grant­
ed when some fish arrived bearing the
name Aequidens viNatus. The fish were
only young, and so to increase my
chances of obtaining a pair, I purchased
three of them.
As they grew, I noticed tilat they had a
Geophagus-shaped head', and joyously
fhouglhit that they were my dream fish. I
even, succeeded in coax;,ng them to breed
but, as I removed the eggs before they
had lnatched, I can not say for certain
whether they are a mouthbrooder. I say
"were" because shortly after s·pawning,
the female diedl. I now know that they
were not Geophagus baizani, and I am
aliso fairly certain that they were not
Aequidens vittatus either. so I am sending
preseliVed specimens over to America for
pos~tive ildentihcatiol1l which will be
The Clchlld Monthly
I
passed on to readers as soon as it is to
hand.
When I became aware, several weeks
ago, that there were Balzani to be had in
Melbourne, I just had to have some. Un­
fortunately, I was busy at the time, so
Graham Rowe kindly went to the shop
and bought them for me - the whole two
that they had. He was uncertain about
their sex and I must say it was very diffi­
cult to tell male from female as the huge
forehead. as shown in the TFH article
was not present on my male. I scrutinised
the two fish very closely and after some
time I noticed that one had a slight inden­
tation above the eyes, and that this char­
acteristic was not present in the smaller
fish. My hopes rose anew. On reflection,
however, I am not sure if this is a patent
sex difference in all specimens and my
belief that I in fact had a pair was proba­
bly only wishful thinking.
Geophagus baJzani has a number of
unique traits the most noticeable of which
are the unusual paired stripes which or­
nament their sides, rather resembling
paint running from beneath the dorsaL
Their heads have a rather foreshortened,
blunt appearance when compared to
other species of Geophagus and the
male develops a large hump on his head
which looks rather out of place on a fish
his size. A third feature is the line beneath
the eye, which looks rather like a tear and
gives the fish a rather comical. clown-like
appearance.
The overall coloration is a silvery-gold
with a delicate pink overlay, and a promi­
nent black spot, mid-body, just below the
lateral line. Between the black spot and
the head is an overall pattern of bluish­
green irridescent scales, this color also
being noticeable in the finnage and on the
gill covers. It is not a gaudily beautiful
fish, but a subtle pearl can be appreciated
quietly without dazzling the eye of the
beholder.
These fish must have a built-in asdic
sense, as they seem to unnervingly be
able to locate a stone buried in the sand
even to a depth of over one inch. I have
\..
".!i."t:
Gymnogeophagus balzanii, male.
WILD SERVICE
BETIER BACK-UP
ASK FOR
GRAEME OR JOHN
~>
ACHIEVING
'THE
RARE'
0
[-=0
[~~
~
A BETTER BUYING
AQUARIUM
._­
OPEN lOA YS A WEEK
416 1118
240 GERTRUDE ST, FITZROY
Leibel photo.
also noticed that Balzani prefer to exca­
vate a breeding site even though there
are a number of stones above ground­
level which would be suitable for this pur­
pose. This has been observed in both the
breeding pair and the two other females
which I have since obtained. In both
cases the fish have removed the sand
covering the rocks and, in one case, un­
earthed a rock that I did not even know
was there. Another time the two females
uncovered a rock that I had deliberately
buried in a corner of a six-foot tank in
about an inch of sand. The rock was lo­
cated and excavated within 24 hours.
When Graham delivered the original
pair to me, he commented that one of the
fish had a damaged tail. This. however, is
another distinguishing trait of Geophagus
baJzani. The tail has a strange upturned
appearance and is carried cocked at an
angle, rather like a precocious pup ­
unusual to say the least. But this cocki­
ness is a facade which is very easily seen
through. The fish are very shy and unob­
trusive and exhibit no aggressive teOden­
1:1
The Cichlid MonthlY
cies toward their tankmates, no matter
how large or small.
The pair spawned in a 30" tank shared
with four young Acarichthys heckelii,
which are currently being sold as Geo­
phagus thayeri. And, although two of the
A heckelii were half the size of the bal­
zani, and the other two were nearly as
large, the balzani completely ignored
them even when they swam near the
spawning site. If these annoying, preco­
cious young fish approached the brood­
ing female she would quietly retire into a
distant corner and turn her back on their
cheeky invasion of her maternal duties;
but never did she show any aggressive or
defensive traits. In the end, however, I
removed the male balzani and the four
heckelii, if only to give her a little peace.
The first fry appeared after 10 days
and I must say that I have never seen fry
....*
.~.
~
of a mouthbrooder appear at such a small
size. They were too small to eat brine
shrimp and had to be fed liquid fry food
and powdered food. Brine shrimp were
not accepted until the fry had been free­
swimming for five days; this gives you
some idea of just how small Geophagus
ba/zani fry are.
The temperature of the breeding tank
was 85-86°F and the pH 6.7. The breed­
ing tank was bare except for gravel and
some fontinalis and a covering of floating
plants to reduct the light intensity. The
male was approximately 11/2 inches the
female being slightly larger, about an inch
and three-quarters. As these fish are re­
puted to grow over six inches, they must
be considered relatively immature. I
therefore hope that they have many years
of breeding ahead ofthem.
_
•
.¥:.
New member
.. ~\iL "'ark
I
or
.*
tesi
All Aquarium & Pet Supplies P/L
(Cichlidariurn)
8 Dunoon Crt, Mulgrave, Vic 3170
(off Police Road)
We specialise in
CICHLlDS, NATIVES, KILLIFISH, MARINES
and all other rare species.
EVERYTHING FOR THE AQUARIUM
Phone: (03) 546 1025
Business hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am-7 pm; Sunday 11 am-5 pm.
Wednesday Closed.
Victoria's First and Original Cichlid Centre
I
TheC:iChha-MOntFily - - -
pi
A Tanganyikan Cichlid Community
Reprinted from S".lIursch,S"IItU., official publi­
cation of the American Cichlid Assoc - anyone inter­
ested in joining the ACA is cordially invited to apply to:
Glen Eaves, Box 32130,
Raleigh, NC 27622, USA.
Developing a specialized cichlid
aquarium not only adds purpose and
scholarly interest to the hobby, but
also allows the hobbyist to explore
meaningful relationships among the
species of his' choice. I have a com­
munity tank devoted primarily to the
cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, a collec­
tion with such dazzling colors and
natural beauty that more than one
fellow hobbyist has mistaken it for a
collection of marine specimBns.
By a specialized aquarium I refer
to one in which the choice of species
has been mad6 to fulfill a specific
goal; for example, species endemic to
a narrow region or to a particular
environ ment, species from a broadly
distributed single genus, or perhaps
even species exhibiting a common
anatomical feature. Of course, every
community aquarium must necessarily
be specialized to some extent. A hob­
byist collecting discus and angelfish
can add additional species suc­
cessfully on Iy if they are sufficiently
nonaggressive and tolerant of soft acidic
water conditions. But a specialization
chosen by the hobbyist to fulfil his
own unique interest can be especially
rewarding.
My decision to concentrate on the
cichlids of Lake Tanganyika was deter­
mined by my desire to have a large
colorful collection of freshwater tropicals,
which exhibited a decidedly peaceful
co-existence of many different species,
and the possibility of some of the
more fascinating fish habits. The choice
of cichlids was obvious. There is no
William Greenberg
1111 Highland Circle
Blacksburg, VA 24060
other freshwater family with such intel­
ligence, sophistication and morpho­
logical diversity. The concentration on
Rift Lake cichlids was a result of per­
using the expanded edition of Exotic
Tropical Fishes. If bright and interest­
ing colors for fish of quite modest size
was to be the criterion, the cichlids of
Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika
seemed to be the clear choice. The
decision in favor of species endemic
to Lake Tanganyika was made on the
basis of aggressiveness considerations.
The principal genera of Lake Malawi,
Pseudotropheus and related mbuna
and Haplochromis, are almost entirely
more aggressive than any of the species
in my Tanganyikan tank.
I maintain a 90 gallon tank with a
full length undergravel filter driven by
four small powerheads, and an exter­
nal Eheim 2015 canister filter. This is
probably JT'ore filtration than necessary,
but Tanganyikans require a high level
of water purity, and, in any case, the
purchase of filters is a one-time expense.
The environment within the tank is
dominated by a· collection of rocks
and driftwood, m~ny of the rocks colored
sandstone with mUltiple caves hewn in
them, and a few artificial plants. The
rocks were expensive - I sometimes
felt that I was spending more on rocks
than on fish - but I suppose I was
reacting to the frustration of spending
good money on rocks! Using artificial
plants was a bit Of a cop-out: reduc­
ing somewhat the problem of environ­
mental balance, and the potential for
unexpected decay problems.
1'1'
The Cichlid Monthly
The collection consists of 11 dif­
ferent Tanganyikan species, 3 foreigners
and a Chinese algae eater which will
henceforth be ignored - as it is by the
cichlids as well. With several excep­
tions to be noted, each of these has a
maximum size of 3" - 5" SL, and al­
though some of these have not quite
reached ad ulthood yet, my intention
was to develop a collection which can
be maintained indefinitely without over­
crowding.
Unfortunately, to maintain such a
diverse collection of species, I have
paid a large price, one probably not
acceptable to many hobbyists. With
one exception, my collection consists
of precisely one fish from each species.
Since I do not have pairs capable of
normal mating, I cannot see that won­
derful aspect of cichlid behaviour, the
courtship and spawning of the cichlids.
My solution is to maintain an additional
smaller tank, in which I can occasionally
FRESH FROZEN
F~~
move one of my regular cichlids along
with an acquired partner. For those
-who would have only one tank and
mating pairs as well, the possibilities
are a tank larger than 90 gallons or a
smaller number of species. In this
regard it is important to study a good
text on reproduction in cichlids, for
example, The Cichlid Aquarium by P. V.
Loiselle, before deciding which spe­
cies to pair. Tropheus species, for
example, because they are a territorial
polygamous cichlids are likely to be
sufficiently aggressive during spawn­
ing periods even to the other mem­
bers of their genus that the possibility
of keeping three different species in a
nonaggressive atmosphere may be
limited.
Now the details. I have six species
from that largest and exceptionally
diverse genus Lamprologus. Lam­
prolog us tretocephalus, maturing to
6", with its blue and white stripes and
AL L AQ UA RIUM FISH
'I~:'~'
':'Th'~ range of Gamma Frozen
FOD
••
4
4 :
~Iy
simulate the natural diet of marin", .
the
range has been widened to provide a IJ, ~
I
freshwater and marine fishes and invertebrates, l, _.
ier.
With a combination of fresh product, rapidly frozen into a tlJ,~
barrier
and gamma-ray irradiation, the product reaches you in optimum condition.
Frozen and unopened it will remain in perfect condition for five years.
DAPHNIA, BLOODWORM, MYSIS, BRINESHRIMP, TUBIFEX, LANCEFISH,
SHRIMP, LOBSTER EGGS, FINE MUSSELL, PLANKTON, KRILL & MORE.
CALL GREAT FISH - 560 7472 - NOWm
I
rThe Cichlid Monthly
Lampro/ogus sexfasciatus,
spectacular blue dorsal fin, will even­
tually be the king of the tank and
perhaps the most eye-catching trop­
cial in it. Lamprologus sexfasciatus
(gold variety), gold and blue-black
striped with blue tinged fins, will be a
close second on both counts. Lam­
prologus le/eupi (orange variety), bright
orange with black tinted lips, is prob­
ably the best known of the Lam­
prologines. Care must be taken to
obtain a specimen close to the wild
state, for multiple generations of aquar­
ium spawning leads to an adult which
loses its bright color. Lamprologus
brichardi (daffodil variety) beige with
gold dorsal fin and a sprinkling of
gold on the body, is presently also
very popular. My one breeding pair is
L ornatipinnus, a shell-dwelling species
with huge eyes and beautiful subdued
shades of brown and White, the male
reaching abollt 2 1/ / ' , the female less
than 2". Lastly, L mU/tifasciatus, another
1.1
T. Koziol photo.
shell-dweller and one of the smallest
cichlids in the world, barely exceeds
1/f .
I have three Tropheus species. Tro­
pheus duboisi is brown with remarkable
white polka dots as a juvenile, but
matures to an adult with blue head,
darker body and narrow white or broad
yellow bands in between. Tropheus
moorii comes in a huge variety of
color morphs, more being discovered
every day. Tropheus polli is entirety
covered with narrow purple and white
stripes.
Eretmodus cyanostictus, the goby
cichlid, has a horselike face, shades
of brown stripes, and the habit of
resting and hopping on its pectoral
fins. It has always shown remarkable
curiosity, coming at once to peer at
various human strangers. Cyphotilapia
frontosa, the surprisingly peaceful deep­
water cichlid, is the Zambian variety
with seven dark stripes, rather than
.".
The Cichhd Monthly
I
I
.)
~
Eretmodus cyanostictus.
ACA Archives.
VI
The Cichlid Monthly
the usual six. It will reach 10" at ma­
turity, some 2" less than the m()(0
common varieties, which is of great
importance in my crowded 90 gallon
tank. The trontosa male is indeed a
stellar addition to any sufficiently large
tank; with its blue and white stripes
and huge frontal gibbosity, it looks
like a stuffed animal designed by the
Disney people. The last cichlid in the
collection is Aulonocara nyassae, a
fairly common Malawi cichlid, with such
spectacular neon blue color - and an
unusually peaceful disposition for lake
Malawi - that I finally decided to vio­
late my specialization in Tanganyikan
cichlids.
As an experiment in compatibility I
have included two estuarine fish. The
Monodactylus argenteus, with its dis­
position, bright colors and slightly saline
water requirements, seems to comple­
ment perfectly the collection of cichlids.
The Scatophagus argus (rubifrons var­
iety), for similar reasons. seems to be
another interesting complement. It re­
mains to be seen, however. whether
the scat will flourish in this Tanganyikan
cichlid tank as it grows closer to its
maximum size, since it normally thrives
with a slowly increasing level of sal­
inity.
Cichlid Community with Expected
Standard Length
lamprologus tretocephalus
Lamprologus sexfasciatus­
gold
Lamprologus leleupi
Lamprologus brichardi ­
daffodil
Lamprologus ornatipinnus - M
lamprologus ornatipinnus - F
lamprologus multifasciatus
Tropheus duboisi
Tropheus moorji
Tropheus polli
Eretmodus cyanostictus
Cyphotilapia frontosa­
7 striped
Aulonocara nyassae
(l. Malawi)
Monodactylus argenteus
(Estuary)
Scatophagus argus (Estuary)
6
5
4
4
2.05 "
1.05 "
1.25"
4
4
4
3.05 "
10
5
6
9
')
J
Cyphotilapia trontosa.
U. Keupfer-Mussen photo.
Lampro/ogus brichardi,
P. V. loiselle photo.
U'
The Cichlid Monthly
I
I
.'1
The Cichlid Monthly
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Honest & t-eliable adv1C'e. Regulat- specials
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Open 10 am-S.30 pm 6 daljs (closed Tuesl
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FROZE·N FOOD
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PTY LTO AUSTRALIA
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ARE OVER­
DUE OR UNACCOUNTED FOR. Please
check your library to ensure they have
not "blended-in" to your collection.
'Malawi Cichlids'
Konings
'Cichlids' and
'Cichlids of the World' ......Goldstein
'Fishes of Lake Tanganyika' .. Brichard
'African Cichlids of Lakes Malawi
and Tanganyika' .. Axelrod & Burgess
"Mini Atlas"
Baensch
Ig
The CichlTCflVfOnthly
I
I
The Cichlid Monthly
II.
AQUARIUM PlY LTD
I
FOR ALL YOUR AQUARIUM SUPPLIES
t
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Proprietor: Erich Goelz
293 Buckley Street, Essendon
Phone: 337 3429
A
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1 1 : 1 - - - - --
The Cichlid Monthly
I
I
F'
The Cichlid Monthly
ALLOWABLE CICHLID IMPORTS
FISHHOUSE NIGHT
(As at 6 June 1990)
By Aart Langelaar
The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix had the
audacity to clash with Linda and Manny Vella's
fishhouse date (4 November). This, plus the fact
that it was not published in the magazine (not me
this time folks! -- Ed) may have contributed to
the small attendance (12) -- mostly EDAS members.
Manny's large fishhouse is divided into
three sections: office and refrigeration of
Aquavel products, fishhouse and nursery. The fish
section is fully insulated with styrofoam, heated
by a gas heater and aerated by 'The Pump' via
undergravel filters.
Some 120 tanks, spotlessly clean, housed a
variety of cichlids (mostly African). My favorite
by far were the Tropheus moori Firecracker.
The nursery -- a very efficient operation -­
some 30 tanks and containers of many species in
various stages of growth from "egg bubblers" to
fry of various sizes. All are clearly marked with
dates and species. One of the best set-ups I have
seen and in itself well worth the trip.
I extend my personal apology for the lack of
publicity and the society's sincere thanks to
Linda and Manny for their hospitality.
Don't miss the next one -- it will be well
publicised!
-- curviceps, dorsigerus, maronii,
pulcher.
~pistogramma species.
~stronotus ocellatus.
~ulonocara nyassae (5cm min).
Chalinochromis -- species, brichardi (bridled
morph only, 5cm min).
Cichlasoma -- festivum (albino prohibited),
nicaraguense (5cm min).
Crenicara -- filamentosa, maculata (5cm min).
Cyathophrynx furcifer.
Eretmodus -- cyanostictus, maculatus.
Iodotropheus sprengerae.
Julidochromis species.
Lamprologus -- brichardi, lelupi (yellow morph
only, 5cm min), meeli (5cm min),
ocellatus (5cm min).
Melanochromis -­ auratus, simulans.
Nannacara -­ anomala, aureocephalus, taenia.
Ophthalmotilapia nasutus.
Papiliochromis -- altispinosa, ramirezi.
Pelvicachromis -- pulcher, subocellatus,
taeniatus.
Pterophyllum species.
Spathodus erythrodon.
Symphysodon species.
Tanganicodus irsacae.
Tropheus -- duboisi, moori.
~equidens
On the official list supplied by the Federal
Government some of the above cichlids are listed
under "invalid" names or incorrectly spelled.
--- NOTICE --­
To all members who have not yet received their
society badge, handbook and/or year-planner -­ please ring any committee member or write to the
secretary. We apologise for the delay and with
with your assistance this oversight will be
rectified immediately.
The POOL PARTY will be held on 20~h January
at ~he usual venue -- the Nundawading Pool.
DON'T MISS I T ~
For those interested in running for
committee next year .•. the January
committee meeting will be held at the pool
party -- your chance to see how easy i t is.
And those animals who cheated at the
volleyball last year -- watch out!!
.1.'
The Cichlid Monthly
I
THE RISE AND FALL OF SPECIES MAINTENANCE
IN THE AFCS
THIS report is a
summary
of
my
two years as
Species
Maintenance Officer
for the Australian
Federation of Cichlid Societies. It
is my
hope
that
this
will
be
published
in
every
state
magazine, as I feel that all
members should
be
aware of
how the failure of this position, with
the probable los of even more fishes, came about.
It
all
began when the Queensland delegates
arrived back from the
1989 National
Conference
held
in
Melbourne. Along with all their stories
of the great time had by all, they mentioned that
I
had
the
"honor"
of
being
the SMO.
After
overcoming my doubts about
this
honor,
I
pro­
ceeded
to go ahead with great enthusiasm -- my
first mistake!
In
my naivety
I
sent
a
letter
to
the
president of each state body setting out how
the
Queensland
clUb
program was
run, stating that
this would be good for
the national
set-up
then
settled back for the replies. I became very
good at waiting. Finally, I received a reply from
SA.
Because of
the
harsh
laws governing the
keeping of fish in that state, their list was
an
abbreviated
one. Less than what I wanted, but it
was a start.
So,
with
my
slightly enthusiasm
slightly
dampened
I
waited for the other state
lists to see what I could salvage. I
waited
and waited.
Finally, still no replies. But it was
time
for
the 1990 conference held here in Brisbane. I
felt that~ since I was attending, I could "go
on
the attack" and get to the bottom of the problem.
The conference was great; the table show was
good; I even managed to talk to the "southerners"
about species maintenance. I heard how
important
it was, even if hard to implement (because of the
lacklustre performance of each states'
members).
I
felt
these were encouraging
signs. The SMO
would not be dealing with lacklustre members;
he
would
be
dealing with the nominated person from
each state (all of them telling me how
important
it
is '"
I
The Cichlid Monthly
Pil
On
the Saturday
night,
the
"delegates
meeting",
I
was busi I y working out my strategy.
At last, my turn -- I recapped
the
past year's
progress,
I
laid
out my ideas, then watched as
they were shot down in flames~ It seems my
ideas
were
too grand and far too complicated. In hind­
sight (a brilliant thing, hindsight), I
saw
the
mistakes.
Norm Haliwell put forward a new
plan.
This
was discussed
and
found
to be more practical.
South Australia, unfortunately, was not able
to
attend
this conference but sent some suggestions
on SM. After hearing Norm's plan it was decided
that these too were too complicated to implement,
at least until
things got underway.
What
we
decided
on
was
that each state would send me a
list of fish fitting
them
into
the categories
indicated
(lost
in
state,
very
rare, common,
effected by bad breeding, etc), I would then join
all
lists
and
send
out a
National
Species
Availability List.
So,
I
was off again, enthusiasm at an all­
time high and the verbal guarantee of all states.
Firstly,
I
sent
a
letter to each state with a
copy of Queensland's list for each category
and
asked
for theirs in return. Then I waited again.
Within two weeks
Norm
had
replied
with NSW's
list,
plus
his
observations
of the fishes and
comments on my list (incorrect names
and
typing
mistakes
included).
At
last,
it was
coming
together. I waited for the other three states so
I
could
proceed ... and waited some more~ Some­
thing must be wrong with the
postal
service.
I
sent
out
another
letter
reiterating
what
I
needed, now sure I
would
get
results
(another
mistake).
Finally, some months
later,
I
decided
it
must
be
hard
to write down a list of fish into
different categories. Next step. I wrote out an
alphabetical
list of all fishes known to me with
a little space provided beside
it so
that all
that was needed was for each state to complete it
with a number. Sounds easy enough doesn't
it?
.1.1
The Cichlid Monthly
I
Just as
I
was
finishing
this I received WA's
list, with apologies, but in my simple "n~rthern"
outlook some things were still unclear.
Going further, I filled out N8W's and
WA's
list so that they could check for accuracy. Then
I posted them as
well
as
two
blank
forms
to
Victoria and
SA.
This
form must be easy, Norm
sent his back within the week. I settled down
to
wait
for
the others.
At
the
time of writing
(letter undated, but arrived in November 1990
Ed)
I
am still
waiting~ I
am sick of waiting~
Besides phoning each state I can not think of any
way
to complete my position which I was told was
so necessary~
I still feel 8M is necessary if we are going
to keep the range of cichlids that we now
have.
But
without
the cooperation
of individuals in
each state it
is
impossible
to
achieve.
Therefore, if I do not get the cooperation that I
need, you can stick
your
job and
the cichlid
enthusiasts will be the losers.
Peter koopman
I
iii
The Cichlid Monthly
""a
dl~y·'
Table Show
Africans and Asians
Species/Entrant
1
2
Cond Fins 8hp
Scls Age Tot
Tilapia maria -- Paul Greaves
20
20
18
7
Haplochromis similus -- Michael Ellis
9
27
27
17
8
73
4
84
JUDGE'S COMMENTS
1. Scale damage. Damage to dorsal and caudal
fins. Generally poor finnage for showing.
2. A very young fish but a superb color specimen
of its type. Small nip on dorsal.
RESULTS
1st: Michael's Similis*
2nd: Paul's Maria.
Popular choice.
*
Thank you to John Reeves for judging this month's
entries.
Ken Whelan
A "SIMPLE SOUTHERNER'S" VIEW
NOTICE --­
that we have printed
the above as
THE fact
requested should indicate our attitude to Species
Maintenance and harmonious interstate relations.
A few points though, require comment.
Following the 1989 Cichlid Conference in
Melbourne,
no copy of the Victorian SM list was
sent to Queensland
because the list had
been
published
in May 1989 TCM, a copy of which is
sent to the Queensland Cichlid Group -- this list
was still current.
The 1990 Victorian SM
list
handwas
delivered at the Brisbane conference.
Due to work commitments an answer to
the
latest request was not completed until about two
weeks before the above
letter arrived.
It has
been
posted and
hopefully received. (Australia
Post's bi-directional record has not been
too
good between Victoria and Queensland.)
The trading table has extended its range of
high-quality, reasonably priced fish foods and
now consists of:
Aqualife Color Pellets and Vegetable Pellets
Wardley's Flakes and Cichlid Pellets
and now ...
Freeze-dried Pacific Plankton, Bloodworm and
River Shrimp.
This latter group are excellent supplementary
foods and are available in handy-sized packs.
Magazines too ('TFH' and 'Aquarium Fish
Magazine'), can be bought at the trading table or
you can reserve your copy on a regular basis.
Back copies can also be obtained.
PI'
The Cichlid Monthly
I
Minutes of previous meeting
The president opened
the meeting
at 8.14
and
welcomed
all.
Apologies were received. October
minutes taken as read -- moved Bill Foreman,
2nd
Martin Criddle.
Treasurer's
report was read -­
moved John Mitchell, 2nd Glenn Briggs.
·Correspondence:
Cheque for additional advertising..
Rayonne
Exchange request • . . . . . Southern Colorado AS
moved Alan Hawkins, 2nd Aussie Magnussen.
Aart
reported
on
the fishhouse
night at
Manny's,
apologised
for
not
publicising
it.
Annual
Auction was successful, if slow. $700 to
club -- $100 from food sales.
Graham Rowe
then
spoke on the fish of the
month "Cichlasoma" oblongum. John Reeves moved
a
vote of
thanks.
Lino Avellino defeated Michael
Ellis in the quiz and won a can of flakes.
Daryl
thanked
for
questions.
After short break Scott
showed a video of
some newer
Tanganyikans
in
place of
the ill Neil Armstrong. Graham moved a
vote of thanks.
New
member,
Steve
Ford,
welcomed
by
president.
Mini
auction
(december
'AFM'
-­
donated
by Hanna van Dijk).
Draw
prize: 1st
Martin (the postie) won
the stamps;
2nd
Jenny
(catering
person) won the frozen food; 3rd Keigh
(the connoisseur?) won the grog.
Tables show
results
announced.
SMC: list
sent to Australian Cichlid Society.
Door
prizes
(courtesy
Pet
&
Aquarium
Industries)
were
distributed. The suggestion box
suffered
a
few
suggestions.
Windcheaters were discussed. Choice
of two designs -­ large or small
logo.
Meeting
.dj ourn ed for supper at 10.12 pm.
..
•
--­ FOR SALE --­
1 pump, large VOlume
(similar to "The Pump 70")
Excellent Condition -­ $350­
Ring Martin: 791-2063
VICTOBIAlV' CICHLm SOCIETY mCORPOBATED
the elaine tulnCy, memolial
Photographic
and Art Competition
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:
1. Each entrant may enter any number of works in either or both sections.
~~
2. Each entry must be the original, uncopied and unaided work of the entrant. Ifappropri­
ate, it should preferably be framed or mounted with adequate fittings for hanging.
3. Completed entry forms should accompany the works which should be presented no later
than 8.00 pm on night ofthe December meeting.
4. Each exhibit must be marked on the back/underside with the name and address of the
artist/photographer.
5. The organisers may allow any work entered to be reproduced by any media, solely for
the purpose of publicising the event.
6. Thejudge(s) shall be practising artist(s)/photographer(s)/aquarist(s). The decision of tIle
judges shall be final.
7. Entries may be delivered to the Secretary (please call) prior to the day of the meeting, or
presented at the hall by 8.00 pm on the evening of the meeting.
8. Prizes to be announced.
9. There are three sections: Art - Junior and Senior; Photographic - Open.
_.,
_:'
Name
.0:---'
.
Address
..
Club
.
-
Description or Name
Section
Size
1
--~.~.-._-_._._.
2
3
._-­
4
-
5
6
'--­
1­
7
f­
a