Victorian Cichlid Society Incorporated
Transcription
Victorian Cichlid Society Incorporated
cichlid the monthly Victorian Cichlid Society Incorporated 36:06, July 2007 — $1.10 Certificate of Incorporation # A0012794D R E G I S T E R E D B Y A U S T R A L I A P O S T - P P 3 4 2 7 8 0 / 0 0 2 4 THE NEXT MEETING of the Society will be held on the first Wednesday of the month at 8 pm sharp (the Trading Table opens earlier) in the Mitcham Scout Hall, Brunswick Road, Mitcham. Visitors are heartily encouraged to come along. Fish of the Day: Otopharynx lithobates - David Green. MAIN TALK: The Future of Fishkeeping - Graham Rowe. DOOR PRIZES: AquaMagic. DRAW PRIZES: 1. $60 Fishy Business Voucher. 2. $30 Fin Land Voucher. 3. Chocolates. TABLE SHOWS: Details see page 18. MEMBERSHIP FEES 2007 Ordinary. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . $30.00 Family .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . $35.00 Junior/Concession Card Holder. . $15.00 Overseas .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . $35.00 (new memberships add $8 joining fee) Resun and White Crane aquarium products imported by: © www.resun-china.com © Copyright, Victorian Cichlid Society Inc 2007 PRESIDENT: John McCormick .. .. .. .. .. 5944 3502 [email protected] VICE-PRESIDENT: vacant .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..xxxx xxxx SECRETARY: Graham Rowe .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9560-7472 [email protected] TREASURER: Tony Ferguson .. .. .. .. . 0408 533 552 EDITOR: Daryl Hutchins. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9870 3556 Mobile .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 0430 032 304 [email protected] SOCIAL SECRETARY: Melissa Kirkham. .. .. .. .. .. 57 969 304 TRADING TABLE: David Green .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9874 2392 LIBRARIAN: Sandra Robotis .. .. .. .. . 0433 985 344 SHOW SECRETARY: vacant .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..xxxx xxxx Sub-Committee Chairpersons: BAA: Peter Robinson. Constitution: Daryl Hutchins. Handbook: Daryl Hutchins. Mailing: Peter Robinson. Species Maintenance: vacant. LIFE MEMBERS: © Anyone wishing to reprint material from `The Cichlid Monthly’ for non-commercial purposes, may do so (unless the item is copyright by the author) provided due credit is given to the author and `TCM’ and one copy of the relevant publication is forwarded to the author, care of the Secretary. Enquiries re the use of material in other publications may be directed to [email protected]. Graham Rowe, Heinz Staude, Kevin Archibald, Keith Patford, Danny Genovese, Daryl Hutchins and John McCormick. HONORARY MEMBER: Max Davenport. FELLOW OF THE SOCIETY: Graham Rowe. PUBLIC OFFICER: David Green. cichlids.web.com ABSOLUTE AQUARIUM PRODUCTS 20-24 Boola Ave, Yennora 2161 (02) 9681 7011 Distributed in Victoria by: GREAT FISH 9560 7472 COVER PICTURE: Section of a collage by Lauren McCormick. COMMITTEE: 1 cichlid scene VCS Calendar ....................................................................................... 3 No meeting TBA February 7 7 4 2 6 4 1 5 20 7 5 16 16 13 11 15 13 10 14 12 16 Scared, Weird Little Cichlids - P Robinson .........................................4-13 March Seeing Spots - D Hutchins .............................................................. 14-18 April Rowemin’ ‘Round - G Rowe .................................................................. 19 Cunningly Constructed Cichlid Crossword - D Hutchins ..................... 20-21 June Crossword Solution - D Hutchins ................................................. 22 Committee Home Show January May June July August September Minutes of the Previous Meeting ........................................................ 23 October The Last Word ................................................................................... 24 November December Auction Art & Photo Dinner 21 27 tba 5 VHS Deadline (14th) * V* 20 * A G M * TBA * Video Home Show results announced. | 2 C|O|N|T|E|N|T|S| Table Show Calendar ............................................................................ 3 Meeting 3 2007 VCS Calendar Meeting Details ..................................................................................... 1 The Victorian Cichlid Society was formed by cichlidophiles in March 1972 thus becoming the first specialist aquarist group in Victoria. Its main aims are: 1. To promote the keeping of cichlids; 2. To gain and disseminate knowledge of cichlids, their habits and attributes through the use of slides, films, books, lectures, practical demonstrations, local and overseas magazines, articles by members and discussions with fellow members or experts in the field; 3. To assist, in any way possible, the establishment and/or maintenance of approved public aquaria; 4. To be involved in the education of the general public with regard to the benefits of fishkeeping (particularly cichlids), and the potentially harmful effects of animal mismanagement; 5. To promote fellowship between members; 6. To further the conservation of species and their natural habitats; 7. To further the identification, distribution, breeding, maintenance and enjoyment of species in the Family Cichlidae. Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of the Editor of TCM or the committee of the Victorian Cichlid Society Inc. You are encouraged to write to, or e-mail the Editor on any subject raised herein. Correspondence to: THE SECRETARY VICTORIAN CICHLID SOCIETY INC c/- 23 Mangana Drive, Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia 3170 Fax: 9560 7472. E-mail: [email protected] Tablee Sho Tabl Show w Calenda Calendarr 2007 January February March April May June July August September October November December Kevin Archibald Show Keith Patford Show Any American Any American Any American Any American Any American Dwarf Americans Any American Pairs (American) Any American Any American Any American Any American Any African Any African Any African Any African Any African Dwarf Africans Any African Pairs (African) Any African Any African Any African Any African NOTE: Asian and Madagascan Cichlids may be entered any time, but must meet the special requirements in June (dwarfs) and August (pairs). cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.com Aims of the Society: G’day All, I have been asked to come along and bore you all with a talk tonight, it’s a long time since I have given one so just bear with me and I will try to give you my thoughts on dwarfs, no not the Snow White and Seven variety, who sang: “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go”, it’s about Dwarf Cichlids, the little cute ones, a much overlooked section of the family Cichlidae. Before I start, I would like to ask a couple of questions. Firstly, what is the difference between a lawyer and a Plecostomus? – One is a bottomdwelling, scum-sucking scavenger, the other is catfish. (Wow, it took a while to get the patrons off the floor and back into their seats after that one, I can tell you! – Ed.) Secondly how many of you actually keep or have kept dwarf cichlids? (Which was a lovely trap to question why those present have not Peter Robinson presented their stories to the Editor … couldn’t have done it better myself. Well done Robbo! [and he’s not even on the payroll!] – Ed.) What is a Dwarf Cichlid, and Why Keep Them? It is in general a cichlid which is 10 cm (4”) or under in length. The term “Dwarf” was first used back in the early 20th Century, almost 100 years ago in 1908 by Engmann in describing Geophagus taeniatus (Apistogramma taeniata) and Geophagus agassizi (Ap agassizi). Later all Apistogramma species were called dwarf cichlids. Since then of course the name has been used to describe all small cichlids from any continent. We find dwarfs in the New World (the Americas) and the Old World in both Africa and the Indian subcontinent as well as Sri Lanka. To list the species would take days as there are many, many small cichlids that fall into this group, but I will list a few of the genera for you: Apistogramma of course, Apistogrammoides, Cyprichromis, Dicrossus, Picture:: Alf Stalsberg Picture Apistogramma viejita. Eretmodus, some Etroplus, Hemichromis, some Haplochromis, Julidochromis, a few of the Melanochromis, Microgeophagus (Rams), some Neolamprologus, Pelvicachromis (Kribs), Pseudocrenalabris, Steatocranus, Taeniacara, Telmatochromis and Variabilichromis. As you can see, the dwarf species are widely spread and varied but the beauty is they are small fish and do not need huge water-hungry tanks … something to think of in this water-conservative time where every drop counts and water bills are probably going to soar in the not-too-distant future when and if new water projects are undertaken before we die of thirst here in Victoria. In general the dwarf cichlids are very attractive guests to have in your homes. They are usually very beautiful little guys with great colouration and quite often very long or high fins adding to their beauty. South American dwarfs are happiest in decorated tanks with plenty of plants and believe it or not these Americans won’t destroy your décor and will live happily in their nicely Picture:: Alf Stalsberg Picture A female Nanochromis squamiceps in typical pose. cichlids.web.com 4 cichlids.web.com From a presentation to the Society in June 2007 by 5 Scared, Weird, Little Cichlids landscaped and planted tank. The female Apistogramma may heap a small amount of gravel at the entrance to her breeding site but that is the extent of their excavation. I found small flowerpots or half pots and resin imitation tree trunks with the plastic plants are in great demand by breeding females. In fact any structure where she can hide away and protect her eggs and fry is fine. They love the security of being out of sight when brooding eggs. The orange eggs are laid on the inside upper surface of the pot, cave or whatever item she decides to breed in. If you use terra-cotta flowerpots the eggs are not easy to see due to their orange colouration as they ALL AQUARIUM & PET SUPPLIES Picture:: Dave Thorn Picture Julidochromis marlieri. changes assist in keeping your fish happy and healthy – 25 per cent weekly or a third fortnightly. Although I must stress the use of a water- ager is a necessity to remove chlorine, which at times can be strong and will kill fish. I learnt this to my cost back in the 1970s when I The completely natural aquarium fish food! Over 30 vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential to a complete balanced diet. ABN:15 121 817 347 SPECIALISING IN CICHLIDS, NATIVES & OTHER RARE SPECIES 8 Dunoon Court, Mulgrave, Vic 3170, Australia Phone: (03) 9546 1025 Fax: (03) 9516 1011 It’s only natural lived at Tullamarine and during a drought similar to this they opened Greenvale reservoir before it was advisable and treated the water heavily with chlorine, killing three tanks of rare fish we had imported after I did water changes before leaving for work, a costly and tragic event. Dicrossus – we have seen two species of this genus here, filamentosus and maculates. They are one of the more challenging cichlids to keep and breed, with their elongated checkerboard-marked bodies and crimson- cichlids.web.com 6 cichlids.web.com that did not drop to the gravel when warned of danger. This is understandable, as those slow or disobedient fry endanger the whole school by attracting the predator to the area. Apistogramma females are usually excellent parents and the sight of any substrate spawner of any species leading her fry about the territory is fascinating and wondrous thing. Melbourne’s soft tap water is ideal for keeping South American dwarf cichlids. Most come from soft acid or soft alkaline waters, so a little adjusting of pH is all that is needed. Although I found that they mostly were happy in the tank without playing with the pH. Regular weekly or biweekly partial water 7 dangle there like tiny ornaments. I always used a small number of Neon Tetras as dither fish, 4-6 is plenty. This gives the male something to guard against, as his job is to fertilise the eggs and protect their territory. Once the fry hatch the female has sole charge and woe betide the male if he tries to help her out, she will beat him up or even kill him. Another idea I used was to have two breeding tanks side by side so the males were continually sparring through the glass; this was comical to watch as they flared fins and gills posturing dramatically trying to look fierce. I am told that seldom are full-grown male Apistogrammas caught in the wild as they are mostly eaten either by larger fish or birds as they attempt to defend their tiny territories. The valiant little guys lay down their lives trying to protect their offspring. When a female Apisto dons her breeding colouration of brightyellow and black, she turns into quite a stunning-looking fish, as the females are generally quite dull and drab. To watch a small female Apisto threaten another fish is comical, she will helicopter as we call it, swimming slowly in a 45° head-down attitude until close to the intruder, then quick as a flash she will zap at the offender and attack. The female communicates with her fry with fin flicks and any fry that ignore her warning risks being eaten. I have seen good females eat fry Picture: Alf Stalsberg Picture: Alf Stalsberg Steatocranus cassuarius. Steatocranus tinanti. Amazingly the Cyprichromis and fry were swimming about. I turned off the power, caught the Cypros and put them into a bucket and removed the dead adult Julies. Some weeks later I noticed movement in the now cool and unfiltered tank; on closer inspection I found a swarm of baby Julies swimming about the rocks. I was tank full of fish through a faulty heater? Steatocranus – these two species, casuarius (the Lionhead, Buffalo Head or Blockhead) and tinanti (Slender Blockhead), are a couple of the clowns of the dwarf world, especially the tinanti. Discovered in 1939 by Poll they were not seen in the hobby until the 1980s due to WWII and the unstable political situation in the Congo. dumbfounded as the tank was quite cold, it was on the floor outside the fish room in the garage. The fry survived after I transferred them to another tank. After these and a few other heater disasters, I think that it is advisable to replace any heater after a couple of years and immediately if moisture is seen inside the glass tube. Why risk losing a BORONIA AQUARIUM w w w.b o r oniaaq uar ium. co m. au @ Goldfish @ Tropicals @ Cichlids @ Natives @ Plants @ Aquariums @ Furniture @ Live Foods @ Reptile Accessories @ Eheim @ Fluval @ Tetra @ Sacem @ Jager @ Ponds @ Lighting @ Books @ Test Kits @ Advice The genus name comes from “steato” meaning fat, and cranium, that of course means skull: “tin” means stretch in Greek, while “antiae” is Latin for forelock referring to the long head shape. Both of these species are what is called reophiles, where “rheos” = running, and “philo” = like; meaning the fish like running water. So a good power filter creat- Need to fill a gap in your knowledge? Read the latest on your favorite fish written by Ad Konings and other cichlid experts in CICHLID NEWS from your local aquarium. E-mail: [email protected] For in-depth information ask your local aquarium shop for (Opposite Police Station) CICHLID PRESS Publications 9762 2044 Fax: 9762 2144 262 Dorset Road, Boronia, Victoria 3155 OPEN 7 DAYS ALL MAJOR CARDS ACCEPTED 5429 1516 These ugly but comical-looking fish are quite drab in colouration but make up for that in their engaging behaviour. They are found amongst the rocks and boulders in the rushing waters of the rapids of the Congo River. They have much-reduced swim bladders that enable them to keep close to the bottom, where they hop about goby-like, doing what tinanti do, feeding and breeding. These fish although timid and retiring will always make me smile as they constantly peek out at you from wherever they are hiding, like a small child hiding behind mum or dad when meeting a stranger. Their strange hopping swimming action is also very different to most fish and reminds me a little of the Tanganyikan Clowns. To set up a tank for these fascinating fish I would recommend about a 36” tank furnished with rocks and driftwood. Water conditions can be from 6.0 to 8.0 but I kept mine around 7.0. The spawning of the tinanti is very secretive and I was amazed one day to find fry swimming cichlids.web.com 8 cichlids.web.com ing strong current is preferred. 9 edged fins making them stand out. I never succeeded in spawning filamentosus but I came close with maculatus and only due to my pig-headed belief in letting the parents raise their young, I lost the fry after about a month. I had encouraged the pair to breed several times but each time the eggs or fry were eaten, although the time before they ate them was increasing with each spawning. I watched them closely and the last spawning was proceeding beautifully, the fry had been free-swimming for about 10 days until zap, all gone once again. Just after the last spawning the heater locked on, boiling the tank to my horror and sadness. The amazing thing was the pair survived the disaster but never spawned again, possibly the excessive heat destroyed their reproductive organs. This leads me to another disaster with heaters, I had a 36” divided tank that I had set up breeding Julidochromis dickfeldi in one half and Cyprichromis leptosoma mpulungu in the other. I lifted the lid one day to find the water steaming and dead Julies floating. Probably the first mouthbrooder we had was Pseudocrenilabrus multicolour, the Egyptian Mouthbrooder. These fish were of course very interesting as all the cichlids we had seen were substrate spawners, while these little guys would hold the eggs in their mouths; a real wonder at the time. The species 10 and the Chromidotilapia guentheri (the giant Krib), another fish we had years ago and has been lost. It’s a pity this area is so disturbed politically as the waters would probably yield many interesting cichlids. How many here have kept a pair of kribs in a community tank? They are a very attractive fish with their striped bodies and red bellies and readily breed in a community tank, although some beginners find them a little aggressive towards their other tankmates. The Cyprichromis are a genus of small beautiful Tanganyikan cichlids that live in open waters in huge schools and the fact that dominant males actually can establish and maintain territory in the school is quite incredible. These colourful little fish spawn and brood their eggs in mid-water; quite a feat. The only other fish I can think of are the Siamese Fighting fish which spawn at the surface under a bubble nest and the male catches the eggs in mid-water. The Cypros are quite an easy fish to spawn and are well worth trying, as they do not need huge tanks to be happy. Lepidiolamprologus hequi, or as it was originally sold as, meeli, is another dwarf from Tanganyika. This interesting fish spawns in the empty snail shells on the bottom of the lake, a fine example of cichlids adaptability to discover and develop a new territory. They will spawn happily in our Mystery Snail shells and it is a fun Cranbourne Aquarium For the right advice and all your aquarium needs 14 Cooper Crt, Cranbourne 3977 Tel: 5995 5066 Fax: 5995 5044 [email protected] sight to see them peeking out of the opening. These fish require hard alkaline conditions to be happy and spawn readily in the tank. Another Tanganyikan dwarf is an old favourite of mine, Neolamprologus brichardi, named after Pierre Brichard the man who really was the instigator of getting the fish from this remote area to the world. These subtly coloured fish with their graceful, slender body shape and white-edged fins are a stunning fish to keep. They look incredibly beautiful in a tank against a backdrop heavily planted with Vallisneria plants or a dark background as they cruise about, doing their own thing . This species is another anomaly as cichlids go, they form a family in your tank Freshwater Fish and Cichlid Specialist 3 OLSEN STREET, FRANKSTON Phone: 9783 2204 Over 80 tanks dedicated to cichlids. Our pledge is to provide the best service and competitive prices on all fish and accessories. [email protected] www.evalifeaquarium.cjb.net Trading hours: 10:30 AM-5:30 PM, 7 days a week. and will spawn again and again with older fry looking after and defending their siblings. I have had up to six generations in a tank, and that is something to see. Now … While I Have Your Attention: Ok, enough on the fish I would like to get on my hobbyhorse about a few things pertaining to the Society. Firstly, the Breeding Achievement Award program. Can I ask who here has bred a cichlid? Ok there are a few of you present, why have you not bothered to fill out a BAA form and sent it in to be registered? The simple filling out of a BAA form and getting a member to witness it, helps the club keep tabs on what fish are around and being bred to help maintain the Cichlid cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.com Water changes are vital for maintaining your fish, but let’s not waste water during this drought. The water from your tank or tanks is the best fertiliser for your garden plants, it is full of nutrients and your garden will love it. So either syphon it out into a bucket, or if you have many tanks use a long hose and run it out that way. disappeared many years ago but reappeared about four or five years back. It’s very sad how fish are common and so they fall out of favour to disappear, and we have lost so many great fish over the years, many will never be seen again unfortunately. It is a shame that the mighty dollar rules what fish we keep, it is another reason to be a part of the Breeder’s Achievement Award program, but more on that later. The Krib (Pelvicachromis pulcher) as we have called them forever, would probably be one of the most commonly seen cichlids but they still seem to be one of the most frequently sold cichlids. They are originally from the Congo area of Africa along with the Hemichromis (Jewels) 11 about that were 2.5 cm long. The eggs are lightsensitive so they spawn in a dark area under rocks or wood. The fry of course are fully able to eat adult brine shrimp and even black worms; the sight of two baby tinanti having a tug-of-war with a black worm is hilarious. The male seems to be the main carer of the fry, as mum only seems to be about when putting the kids to bed in the evenings. The Table Show is practically defunct, which is a shame as it gives visitors something to stir their interest when they attend a meeting. It gives members the fun of competing, and even getting the thrill of winning with your fish. Picture:: Alf Stalsberg Picture Pelvicachromis subocellatus matadi. Picture: Alf Stalsberg Picture: Female Nanochromis transvestitus. Picture:: Alf Stalsberg Picture Pelvicachromis sacrimonti. Picture: Alf Stalsberg Picture: Pelvicachromis subocellatus male inspecting a potential spawning site. The rules have been relaxed to the point where it is farcical, to try and increase participation; most months you can enter any African or American except for the Dwarf or Pairs shows. Sadly still, almost nobody goes to the effort of bringing in a fish. The VCS is one of the oldest cichlid clubs in Australia and has been around for 35 years. It has gone through some ups and downs over its history, but I am sad to see the few members who attend meetings these days. Attendance has deteriorated greatly in the 18 months I have been away from it; only you can restore it to its former glory. Get behind your club and the committee by participating in events and actively helping to rebuild membership numbers. y cichlids.web.com 12 cichlids.web.com ways of generating interest and fun. 13 Register and the cichlids we keep. When filling out the form, try jotting down the pertinent facts of the spawning such as water conditions, temperature, etc, this will enable you to write a first-hand breeding report to send to the Editor to be published in `The Cichlid Monthly’ (as previously noted, he is not on the payroll – Ed). This is a way you can share your knowledge with all the members and those overseas who get the magazine through the exchange system. Our magazine was regarded highly by overseas clubs and many articles were reprinted from it, but sadly the magazine is now composed nearly completely of reprints these days. There is now only one member still registering spawnings, this I find is a sad indication of the malady the club is currently suffering from and which will unfortunately lead to its demise unless it is reversed. Participation in club events is one way you can bring the club to life. The BAA, the Table Show, the Home Show and the Elaine Turner Art and Photo competition are all 14 ● 15 ● Seeing Spots! ● ●● ● ● ● From a presentation to the Society in June 2007 by Daryl Hutchins place flora and faunawise. Paul Loiselle called its cichlids “Jurassic Park cichlids”, referring to their primitive nature. These “primitive” cichlids, like most other Malagasy fauna, were left behind in the African leg of the evolutionary race due to its isolation. We actually used to be neighbours with Madagascar once … but for a few million years and a little continental drift, Australia might have its own native cichlids. The first, and most important point that should be brought to your attention is that the Malagasy cichlid that we have in Australia is certainly not Paratilapia polleni. It is an as-yet Picture: Olaf Pronk Picture: Paratilapia sp Itremo. Picture:: Olaf Pronk Picture Paratilapia polleni. undescribed Paratilapia species. Paratilapia come in two basic varieties, both of which are your basicblack, either with “largespots” or “small-spots”. There are however, variations on these two themes. It is believed that there may turn out to be as many as four distinct small-spot Paratilapia species. To add to the confusion, another fish, formerly assigned to the genus Paracara is coming over to “our” team. So possibly we should be re ferring to them as “Marakely”, the name used for them by the native Merina people, meaning “black fish”. Presumably the term covers all the Paratilapias. The Marakely are, or were, prized food fishes in Madagascar. I say “were” because at least one, Paratilapia bleekeri, has disappeared from its usual haunts (the Antananarivo Swamp) and is believed to be possibly extinct in the wild. Others are being eased out by feral Tilapias and Snakeheads which were introduced to feed the growing population, without much thought apparently as to their effect on the existing food supply amongst other things. Even when the genus is sorted out, I suppose it might take some time and “discussion” to determine what species it is that we have in Australia. I have a personal communication, the author of which I will not cite as I didn’t ask if I could and I am not sure how closely he wants to be associated with this information. It reads: “Anyway an extra piece of info for you in regards to Paratilapia in Australia. The ones here originate from Asia which originated from the USA which originated from cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.com I won’t spend too much time on “le Grande Isle” as this is supposed to be a brief “Fish of the Day” presentation on the fish known here as Paratilapia polleni, not a full-blown lecture on Madagascar or its cichlids … as fascinating as that would be. Suffice to say that the island of Madagascar is an incredibly interesting 16 Paratilapia sp aff typus Lac Vert. Picture: Olaf Pronk Picture: Vatomandry on the East coast of Madagascar. The original specimens were collected by Melanie Stinassy and Co under scientific research for the NY Museum of Natural History.” I made enquiries for this piece in a Madagascanspecialist forum which includes amongst its participants some wellknown personalities and, possibly more impor- FIN LAND AQUARIUM For the True Hobbyist We are an accredited importer selling direct to the public. Specialising in Discus, Goldfish and Wild-caught South American fish including Apistogrammas. We stock everything for the hobbyist including Marine Fish and Corals. 123 Pascoe Vale Road, Moonee Ponds 3039 Ph/Fax: 9326 0775 www.finlandaq.com nlandaq.com Dr de Rham agreed that all small-spot Paratilapia are undescribed species. Paratilapia bleekeri and the soon-to-join-ourteam ex-Paracara (typus?) are from the large-spot school. I am a little confused as to the spot-size of polleni, but since we don’t have them, I won’t lose any sleep over it for now (I think the funny money was on large spots). In closing, I should say something about the physical/behavioural aspects of the Mystery Marakely. In my experience, these fish thrive on neglect: ie, they do not take kindly to being disturbed by décor/tank changes. To breed them, just feed them well (they love earthworms) and don’t disturb too much: ie, change their water a little less often than you do your other fishes and refrain from trying to get them to do fish tricks like begging for food, or coming out to flash their spots from blue to white in front of complete strangers. Picture:: Olaf Pronk Picture Paratilapia polleni. FISHY BUSINESS www.fishybusiness.net.au [email protected] 141 Whitehorse Road Phone: 03 9877 0394 Blackburn, Vic 3130 Fax: 03 9894 7795 Melbourne Tropical Fish DIRECT IMPORTERS OF AQUARIUM FISH z Tropicals z Discus z Marines z Plants z Equipment z Tanks z Goldfish Specialising in Marines, Discus OPEN 7 DAYS Factory 2, 41-43 Sinclair Rd, Dandenong 3175 9792 5513 www.Melbournetropicalfish.com.au cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.com Paratilapia sp Henandrano River. disagreement with my previous informant who described their circuitous journey via the US and Asia. 17 Picture: Olaf Pronk Picture: tantly (for future reference) actual citizens of Madagascar. I was very impressed with the wealth of information and materials received. There is hope for the internet yet. I want to thank all those people for their help. Not least among the ranks of the aforementioned was Dr Patrick de Rham who is going to be doing an update on this whole mess soon. The update did not arrive in time for this presentation, but he did have some comments on our conversations. He agrees that our Australian population most likely came from the southern half of the east coast, as this is where most exports are from. As Vatomandry is almost exactly in the middle of the east coast, I suppose he is not in 18 cichlids.web.com modation at a friend’s place. Unfortunately, they did not survive. Their replacements are two males … so, if anyone has two females that are not working out ... ? That is about all there is until I have a new pair and get them to breed successfully. I am going to give my head a rest and wait for the updated taxonomy of these fishes because I am seeing spots! y Elaine Turner Memorial Art & Photographic Competition 2007 (5 September) Rowemin’ ‘rounD These days our flights are very short as we are receiving very few overseas invitations. Consequently the savings we are making on fuel are being offset by the increased maintenance costs. (The cost of mothballs is killing us!) The Kiwis are calling us and so we travel to the New Zealand Federation of Aquatic Societies in answer to their colourful invitation in the `New Zealand Aquarium World’. Our next visit is close to home: Eastern Districts AS in answer to the invitation in the May issue of `Fishtales’. Cuz is explaining how everyone was stimulated by Dave Thorn’s “America in 10 Minutes”. Our last trek is to the AS of Victoria in response to the invitation in the June issue of `Finchat’. Here we find Daryl Maddock reporting on the interesting journey that the members took with Dave Thorn to absorb all about the “Cichlids of the World”. Regrettably, we have to make an early return to cool, foggy Melbourne where we can digest some of the MRIFL before retiring to the warmth of our fish bunkers, supposedly to care for our fish. Cichlid Evening Post .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Great Lakes CS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. April and March Revue Française des Cichlidophiles. .. Association France Cichlid .. .. .. .. April and May All Cichlids. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Michigan CA. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. January, February, March, April, May and June Perth Cichlid Society Newsletter .. .. .. Perth CS . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. April, May and June Superfish. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Queensland CG .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. April-June Cichlid Circular .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. New South CS . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. May (ie, April-June) You have to feel even sorrier for the latter two Editors as they have to produce a magazine that will keep their members entertained for three whole months. Whereas our poor, overworked Editor (and his confreres at the other publications listed) has only to Not every fish is lucky enough to eat OSI foods ... only those with caring owners. The centre of interest is the Banded Apistogramma, Apistogramma bitaeniata, whose keeping and breeding is outlined by the shy aquarist. put together enough material to keep his readers entertained for only one month! You will remember he keeps wishing that some of our members would jot down a few notes about their observations of their fish ... or something that has caught their eye and ear around the Aquarium shops ... and that is for a monthly missive. Whereas these guys have to beg, plead, bribe or do whatever to get enough for their quarterly missives. We will now list the other kind societies and the noncichlid invitations that they sent to us. Sunfish. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Sunshine Coast AS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. March and May Finchat. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. AS of Victoria .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. March, April and May Fishtales .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Eastern Districts AS. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. March, April and June Well that’s it for this trip. Until next time, Graham cichlids.web.com The good times in this pair’s relationship did not last through the free-swimming fry stage though, at least five spawnings ended with some overnight marital problem that had resulted in the disappearance of the children. One morning during the second week, the male would be patrolling alone and the female, sans fry, back in her hole. They were slated to have to endure Child Protective Services intervention at the next spawning, but a burst tank forced me to put them into temporary accom- 19 The male fish is larger by around 30 per cent than the female, and in fine “real cichlid” tradition their dorsal and anal fins are longer. Please correct me if I am wrong, but the largest male specimens that I have seen have all been around the 17-18 cm mark. Polleni reportedly reach 30 cm. The male of my original pair was a complete chauvinist, only allowing his mate out of her cave to eat and to spawn. When she came out of hiding with eggs she was treated a little better: ie, she was not chased back into her cave, but he inspected the troops quite often and wasn’t slow to let her know if her housekeeping was not up to scratch. The red-coloured eggs actually seem to only stick to one another, so bunches of them would break-off from the main bunch and roll around like detritus. The male thoroughly disapproved of this, and usually let the female know in no uncertain terms with a shot to the side and some harsh words. 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 15 15. 19. 14 16 17 21 18 19 21. 20 22 23 24 02. 04. 08. 09. 11. 10 9 Across 23. 24. 26. 30. 31. 25 26 27 28 29 33. 34. 38. 39. 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 41. 42. 43. 39 40 41 42 44. 43 Cleaner. Fish food. Rainbow Cichlid. Lake George Haplochromis. Simple living aquatic organisms. Chocolate Cichlid. Cleithracara maronii. Rose-Breasted Dwarf Cichlid. Hardness. Fish covering. African river. Dolphin Cichlid. Small colourful cichlids. Fish parasite. Dorsal. African river. The main propulsion fin. Codliver ... ... Devil. Home of Jurassic Cichlids. Symphysodon sp. 46. Mixed parentage. 49. Low pH. 51. Steatocranus casuarius. 55. Mystery ..... 57. ..... dwellers. 58. Pseudotropheus crabro. 61. Forest Jewel. 62. Convict. 63. Rubber Lips. Down 01. Live food. 03. Smiling Acara. 04. Imortant part of any fish. 05. African Rift Lake. 06. Open-water Malawians. 07. Angels. 10. T-Bar Dwarf Cichlid. 12. Fish catcher. 13. Pterophyllum scalare. 14. Princess of Burundi. 16. An important parameter. 17. Triangle. 18. Lake Victoria cichlids. 20. Tilapia buttikoferi 22. Lone Star cichlid. 25. A Peacock. 27. Container for fish. 28. Brichard’s Teleogramma. 29. Checkerboard Cichlid. 32. Live food. 35. Caring family. 36. Pundamilia nyrerei. 37. Paratilapia species (common name). 40. Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor. 45. Important for breathing. 47. Petenia splendida. 48. Small cichlid. 50. Top fin. 52. Jewel. 53. Substrate. 54. Caudal. 56. Nandopsis octofasciatus. 59. High pH. 60. ....... America. 21 Cunningly Constructed Cichlid Crossword 44 45 49 50 46 51 47 48 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 EclipseCrossword.com The AUGUST meeting will NOT be at Mitcham. Instead, it will be held at the premises of All Aquarium & Pet Supplies 8 Dunoon Crt, Mulgrave cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.com 57 REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT NOTICE 22 Across Down 01. TEXAS. 03. ERETMODUS CYANOSTICTUS. 04. AMAZON. 05. PH. 06. MELANOCHROMIS DIALEPTOS. 07. TERROR. 08. CLEITHRACARA MARONII. 10. CICHLID. 12. HYPSELACARA CORYPHAENOIDES. 17. OIL. 18. MELANOCHROMIS LABROSUS. 20. ARCHOCENTRUS NIGROFASCIATUS. 24. NILE. 26. NEOLAMPROLOGUS. 28. EGYPTIAN MOUTHBROODER. 29. FLAKE. 31. ARCHOCENTRUS SEPTEMFASCIATUS. 33. ASTRONOTUS OCELLATUS. 35. DICROSSUS FILAMENTOSUS. 37. MALAWI. 38. LIONHEAD. 39. GILLS. 42. NANDOPSIS FACETUS. 45. CATFISH. 46. VARIABILICHROMIS MOORII. 47. FILTER. 50. METRIACLIMA ESTHERAE. 53. ELECTRIC BLUE. 57. FLAMEBACK. 70. DORSAL. Support our Advertisers! Without their support the world would be ... more complicated. Previously ... at a VCS Meeting The June 2007 meeting opened at 8.04 pm with the President in the chair. He welcomed everybody. The May minutes were taken as read on a motion moved by Daryl Hutchins and seconded by Dave Thorn. Apologies were received from Jeff Staude, John Reeves and Sandra Robotis. The Treasurer reported that after paying the printing and postage costs, the balance was $3597.25. Heinz Staude moved and Aussie Magnussen a motion that this report be received. Agreed. The Secretary reported that the only correspondence received was the bank statement and a cheque from Action Publishing for advertising. This was accepted on a motion moved by Anthony Apostolakis and seconded by Heinz Staude. Daryl Hutchins then caused us to sit up and take notice of the interesting information he had researched on the Madagascar cichlids Commonly and erroneously referred to as Paratilapia polleni. The President moved a vote of thanks and this was carried by acclamation. A short break was then called. A brief mini auction was then held. David Green was thanked for his donations and the bidders were thanked for their support. Peter Robinson then spoke on dwarfs from around the world. (Sleepy snuck into the back row and Grumpy helped Peter comment on our involvement. Unfortunately Snow White didn’t turn up.) The President moved a vote of thanks to Peter for his comprehensive coverage and this was carried by acclamation. David Green was successful in the raffle and claimed the $60 Regency Aquarium voucher. Melissa Kirkham won the Cichlid Press Australia prize and chose “Back to Nature ... Tanganyika”. She also won the bottle of wine to sip and enjoy whilst perusing the book. OSI foods were offered as door prizes and the fortunate beneficiaries were the fish of Vien Nguyen, Daryl Hutchins, David Green, Aussie Magnussen, John McCormick and Dave Thorn. (Robbo declined the offer as he has lost his taste for fish food and Graham declined also.) A preliminary warning was given to members of the change of venue for the August meeting. (See magazine and/or our Message Board for details.) The next meeting will be at the usual venue on 4 July. (No mention of Africans allowed on this Americanof-all days.) The committee will discuss the date and venue over supper, to which all members were invited to partake. The President thanked all present for attending and MELBOURNE’S LARGEST extended a special thank you to our speakers. The meetRANGE OF CICHLIDS ing was adjourned at 10.18 712 Plenty Road, Reservoir 3073 pm so we could enjoy that Phone: 9478 6614 supper and a chat with our Present your current VCS Membership Card and receive a 10% discount. fellow members. R AYON N E AQUA RI U M y cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.com 02. APISTOGRAMMOIDES PUCALLPAENSIS. 09. LAETACARA CURVICEPS. 11. TOP. 13. CYRTOCARA MOORII. 14. ANGELFISH. 15. HEROTILAPIA MULTISPINOSA. 16. MICROGEOPHAGUS ALTISPINOSA. 19. PERCH. 21. HORNET. 22. PTEROPHYLLUM. 23. SAND. 25. HAPLOCHROMIS LIMAX. 27. CENTRAL. 30. AULONOCARA NYASSAE. 32. KEYHOLE. 34. DISCUS. 35. DAPHNIA. 36. PELVICACHROMIS PULCHER. 40. FLY. 41. TANK. 43. SCALES. 44. ICH. 48. FIN. 49. NET. 51. UARU. 52. TELEOGRAMMA BRICHARDI. 54. RED. 55. TAIL. 56. LAETACARA THAYERI. 58. CONGO. 59. JACK DEMPSEY. 60. SHELL. 61. SNAIL. 62. CAUDAL. 63. BAY SNOOK. 64. MBUNA. 65. BLUE FRECKLED CICHLID. 66. MUDSKIPPER. 67. AEQUIDENS PULCHER. 68. GRAVEL. 69. NEOLAMPROLOGUS BRICHARDI. 71. CHAMELEON. 72. HEMICHROMIS CRISTATUS. 23 Solution to Last Month’s Crossword 24 The Last Word Daryl Hutchins.. cichlids.web.com A t the time of writing, I have not seen the new Australian Aquarium Magazine (so you will have to wait until next month for a revue), but I have received an e-mail indicating that it is in the shops now. Keep in mind that if you are subscribing, the Society gets a piece of the action. There is also a competition that you may be interested in ... the Pimp Your Tank Competition. This is a theme tank competition with over $1500 in prizes! Entries can be sent to Comp@ pimpyourtank.com. There are two categories: Freshwater and Marine tanks. Five finalists will be chosen in each category, readers and web surfers vote online for their favourite pimped tanks. I t must be the season for aquarium competitions. Our friends at the Million Dollar Tropical Fish page have one going too. They are launching a Tropical Fish Photo Contest with the winner receiving not only their photo in Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine, but also a US $250 gift certificate to the Aquarium Shop of your choice. Check it out at www. milliondollartropicalfish page.com/Contest. This fishkeeping caper is becoming quite lucrative ... high time too! 24 pages in this edition, in case you didn’t notice. Both the original pieces presented are transcripts of the presentations to the June meeting. It is our intention, where possible, to do this in the future. This is partly because we who attend on a regular basis were feeling really, really guilty about keeping all this good stuff to ourselves. I want to give a special thank you to Alf Stalsberg and Olaf Pronk, who supplied the pictures for the abovementioned articles. Living in Norway and Madagascar respectively, they are obviously not members, but their help was invaluable in making those articles presentable in print. I have known Alf for some time, and he never hesitates to help me out. I have only recently made Olaf’s acquaintance, but he, Patrick de Rham, Alex Saunders (Denver Zoo) and a number of others have restored my flagging faith in the internet as a worthwhile research tool. I hope the results were presented accurately. y REGENCY AQUARIUM 488 Dorset Road, Croydon Expert advice given on a wide range of products to keep your aquarium attractive and healthy. Extensive range of fish and plants. 9723 1202 Present your current VCS Membership Card and receive a 10% discount. Get your TCM in Living Colour go to home.vicnet.net.au/ ~cichlid/MagList.htm ~cichlid/MagList.ht m to have your name added to the e-mail list. (Please note that the url is case-sensitive.) Victorian Cichlid Society MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS or other enquiries may be directed to: The Secretary, Graham Rowe 23 Mangana Drive, Mulgrave Vic 3170 Ph/fax: 9560 7472 [email protected] Or go to our website: cichlids.web.com cichlids.web.co m Did you hear that somebody really cool is going to advertise here? As cool as him?
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