modern aquarium december 2007

modernAQUARIUM Series III Vol. XIV, No. 10 December, 2007

ON THE COVER

Project Piaba is working to conserve andmaintain the live ornamental fisheries andother renewable resources of the RioNegro in the Amazon Basin of Brazil at acommercially feasible and ecologicallysustainable level through the symbol ofhope that is featured on our cover, thecardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi. Inher final series installment in this issue,Claudia Dickinson reflects on the future ofthe Rio Negro.

Photo by Alexander Priest

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MembersPresident. . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph FerdenziVice-President. . . . . . . . Mark SobermanTreasurer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack TraubCorres. Secretary. . . . . . Warren Feuer &

Sharon BarnettRecording Secretary.. . . . Edward Vukich

Members At LargePete D'Orio Jason KernerCarlotti De Jager Ben HausLeonard Ramroop Emma HausArtie Friedman

Committee ChairsBreeder Award. . . . . . Warren Feuer and

Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate.. . . . . Alexander PriestMembers/Programs. . Claudia DickinsonN.E.C. Delegate. . . . . Claudia Dickinson

MODERN AQUARIUMEditor in Chief. . . . . . Alexander A. PriestAssociate Editors. . . . . Susan Priest and

Claudia DickinsonCopy Editors. . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Barnett

Dan RadebaughExchange Editors. . . . Stephen Sica and

Donna Sosna SicaPhoto/Layout Editor. . . . . . Jason KernerAdvertising Mgr.. . . . . . . Mark SobermanExecutive Editor. . . . . . . Joseph Ferdenzi

F E A T U R E S

Editor’s Babblenest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Our Generous Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Adventures on the Rio Negro - Part IV. . . . . . . . . . . . 6

GCAS Past Award Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

GCAS 2007 Award Winners.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Fish Arrival. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Wet Leaves Special Edition - Part Three. . . . . . . . . 14

AFISH Convention 2007.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Fishkeeper Anonymous.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Through The Lens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Breeders Award Program 2007 Report. . . . . . . . . . 24

AFISH 2007 Memories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Amusing Aquarium (cartoon).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Wet Leaves Special Edition - Part Four.. . . . . . . . . . 30

A Paragon of the Aquarium Hobby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Author Award Program 2007 Report. . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Editor Extraordinaire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Smart Fish, Dumb People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

G.C.A.S. Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Articles submitted for consideration in MODERN AQUARIUM must be received no later than the 10th day of the month, three months priorto the month of publication. Copyright 2007 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rightsreserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless thearticle indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication aresent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited withoutexpress written prior permission.

The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except during January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Joe Ferdenzi (516)484-0944. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com

The Editor’sBabblenest

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

“The report of my death is an exaggeration”

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain), 1897,

after a reporter was sent to investigate whether he

had died. (In fact it was his cousin who was

seriously ill.)

This is my last “Editor’s Babblenest.”

Whatever Dan Radebaugh decides to call his

editorial page (assuming that he even wants

to have an editorial page), I’m willing to bet it

won’t be “Babblenest.” Some of the articles in this

issue referring to me read

like a eulogy or obituary.

Just for the record, I am

n e i t h e r d e a d , n o r

“retired.” I will still be

c o m i n g t o G C A S

meetings (but not to

events that are nearly two

hours from my home; so

it’s unlikely that you’ll

see me at next year’s

N E C o r A F I S H

Convention). I will still be involved with Modern

Aquarium as a contributor and (to the extent that

Dan wishes) as a consultant.

I intend to devote more time to my fish.

Ironically, working on this magazine meant my

home aquariums were shortchanged in the care and

attention they received. I also need to do extensive

repairs and maintenance on the computer and

printers I have been using the last few years to

work on our magazine. Several boxes of

replacement parts for this purpose have been sitting

unopened for quite a while, because as soon as one

issue of the magazine is completed, work on the

next issue has to begin almost immediately.

As our new Editor, Dan is going to need

your help. He will need articles — a lot of

articles. This magazine was never my magazine,

and it is not going to be Dan’s magazine. It is

your magazine. Right now, it is probably the

single best monthly amateur aquarium society

publication in the country. I have seen GCAS

members who had other commitments on the

evening of one of our meetings come in, get their

issue, and then immediately leave. It is not the

Editor who inspires such devotion to our magazine,

it’s the original articles from our own members.

Please keep those articles coming!

Dan has told me that he will try to use the

same formats I have been using. I use

WordPerfect to do this magazine because it has

some functions rivaled only by high-end desktop

publishing programs. While a fairly easy program

to use for letters or reports, its advanced features

are not mastered easily. I commend Dan for at

least trying to continue this format. It means that

the general appearance of this magazine will not

immediately change. It also means that Dan will

have a “Backup Editor” in me, should he want or

need to take time off. At some point, Dan may

decide to produce this magazine by using another

program. Whatever Dan decides, I’m sure that this

magazine will continue to be of the highest quality.

To those of you who have promised me

articles and who have not yet “delivered” on those

promises, please consider following through and

giving those promised articles to Dan.

Generally speaking, our GCAS members

have been very supportive of this magazine. But

(and isn’t there always a

“but?”), there have been

some members who

p ro m ise an d n e ver

deliver, who will travel

hours to a convention or

to other clubs, but cannot

spare a half hour writing

about themselves for our

“Anonymous Fishkeeper”

column. While I hate

ending my last editorial on a sour note, this may be

the only time I can express my long-felt frustration

with certain members. They know who they are.

For fear of inadvertently omitting even

one name, I want to collectively thank everyone

who has worked on and/or contributed to this

magazine. To anyone I have offended in my zeal

to get an issue out, I apologize.

Let me conclude with the title of the final

episode of the television show M*A*S*H,

“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.”

2 December 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

President’sMessage

by JOSEPH FERDENZI

Ihave a number of important topics to address

this month, so please, read all the way through.

* * *Let me begin with something most of you

all ready know, namely, that this is the last issue of

Modern Aquarium for which Al Priest will serve as

the primary Editor. Al took over the reins of

Modern Aquarium from Warren Feuer in 1997. In

the decade since, Al has built Modern Aquarium

into North America’s leading amateur aquarium

publication. The number of awards bestowed on

Modern Aquarium and its authors by the

Federation of American Aquarium Societies

(FAAS) and the Northeast Council of Aquarium

Societies (NEC) is, to my knowledge, unrivaled in

the annals of society publications. This exemplary

record of achievement owes much to the dedication

and talent of Al, who, at all times, was helped by

his equally dedicated wife, Sue.

In ten years of publication, Al has never

missed a deadline. This is impressive enough, but

it becomes altogether more remarkable when you

consider Modern Aquarium’s rigorous schedule.

You see, most other club publications are either

not published monthly, or are mailed to members.

What is the significance of that? Well, the burden

of having a monthly schedule, as opposed to a

bimonthly schedule, is obvious. What is less

obvious, but more pernicious, is the fact that we do

not mail the magazine to our members. When you

mail a publication, you can be somewhat loose on

the publication date. After all, what does it matter

if you mail it one or two days after your supposed

deadline? The members will still receive it in

ample time. But, at Greater City, there is no

mailing. So, if the magazine is not there on the

date of our monthly meeting, the members would

have to wait a whole month before receiving the

tardy issue at our next meeting. As you can see,

there is no margin of error for Modern Aquarium.

Even one day late means at least 30 days late.

How many of us could handle such a demanding

deadline for ten years as successfully as Al has? I

daresay, very few. And, Al’s ten year run is the

longest of any previous Modern Aquarium Editor.

On top of that, as the awards from others

have recognized, Modern Aquarium was

consistently full of quality articles. This was in

large part due to Al’s ingenuity in getting material

from th membership. I well remember many of

Modern Aquarium’s theme issues, most notably the

famous “Ladies Issue,” which was composed of

articles solely from women authors, and was

undoubtedly the first ever amateur or professional

aquarium publication to be authored entirely by

women.

To the daunting challenges of deadlines

and quality, let me add the challenges of quantity

and originality. For every issue, Al and Sue had to

come up with enough articles, along with other

material, to fill some 20 plus pages every month.

In addition, since Al did not want Modern

Aquarium to be a glorified vehicle for

photocopying, they had to largely come up with

original material. If you don’t think that this is a

rather daunting challenge, just take a look at other

monthly publications, and calculate what

percentage of their content is made up of reprints

from other publications. I assure you that the

comparison will leave you impressed. (I should

mention that few clubs these days can even mount

a monthly magazine, much less one that is filled

with original material.)

I should conclude by saying that Greater

City owes an immense debt to Al and Sue for the

their tremendous contribution to the storied life of

our Society. However, the Society has already beat

me to it by, in 2004, electing Al and Sue Priest to

Greater City’s most prestigious pantheon, its Roll

of Honor. There they are enshrined for as long as

there is a Greater City Aquarium Society.

Fortunately for us, one of our newer

members, Dan Radebaugh, has gallantly stepped

forward to try his hand at editorship. Dan will be

assisted by his wife, Marsha. They work together

in the publishing industry. We wish Dan and

Marsha much success. They have the full support

of GCAS’s Board, and we trust, that of our

membership. That Dan and Marsha have

volunteered to keep Modern Aquarium going for

however long they can, is much appreciated, and

speaks highly of their dedication and our good

fortune.

* * *Last month, the first ever AFISH

(Aquarium Federation of Independent Societies

and Hobbyists) Convention was held in Riverhead,

Long Island on the Veteran’s Day weekend of

November 9-11. AFISH is composed of the

Brooklyn Aquarium Society, the Greater City

Aquarium Society, the Long Island Aquarium

Society, and the Nassau County Aquarium Society.

The convention was historic in that it was the first

event ever sponsored by all four of this area’s

major aquarium societies, and it was the first

aquarium convention to be held in Suffolk County.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) December 2007 3

That Greater City should have taken a lead role in

sponsoring an event in Suffolk County should not

be altogether surprising inasmuch as Greater City

has a history of holding its own shows in

neighboring Nassau County, beginning with our

Mineola Exposition in 1954, and our tropical fish

show in Valley Stream as recently as 1980.

However, location aside, the union of all four

aquarium societies is what made for a truly

momentous event.

While I do not have a financial report as

of yet, I judge the convention to have been highly

successful. Quite frankly, I have never judged the

success of these events by whether they made (or

lost) money. I do know that no aquarium society

has been bankrupted by their participation in this

event. On the other hand, I know that we had

nearly one hundred registrants for the convention -

a remarkably high number for a first time event.

I know that many of our guests, including persons

of long-standing experience in attending these

types of conventions, complimented us on the

manor and style with which the event was run.

Perhaps most satisfying to me personally were the

thanks I received from some of our newer members

who told me that they were grateful for the

opportunity to participate in an event of this

magnitude that did not require that they travel out-

of-state. I had known from my own frequent

participation in out-of-state events that few of this

area’s aquarium society members in fact attended

these events. A large measure of my motivation in

creating the AFISH Convention was to bridge this

void. With the help of many, this desire to serve

our members as best as I could came to fruition.

I and others are already working on next

year’s Convention. I assure you that it will be even

more fun than the first one. So, make sure you set

aside the Veteran’s Day Weekend of 2008 if you

want to be part of an event that will be remembered

for years to come.

* * *Although I have only been a member of

Greater City since 1984, I am the custodian of the

Society’s historic archives. More significantly,

however, I have read all of this material. This is

important because it permits me to recognize

events that might otherwise go unnoticed. One

such event happens to involve one of our members,

Frank Gannon. Frank may or may not be familiar

to all of you, but he certainly is familiar to me. For

one thing, Frank is very tall. For another, he shows

up every year at the first meeting to pay his dues.

This is remarkable in itself because it bespeaks his

dedication to being a member of our club.

However, I think you will readily grasp the

significance of this to me when I tell you that he

has been doing this since at least 1968! If one

looks at the membership roll that is published in

our 1968 show journal, you will see Frank’s name.

And, you will see his name ever thereafter in our

membership rolls. Sadly, Frank is the only person

left from this 1968 roll who is still an active

member of our Society.

In recognition of Frank’s dedication, at

this year’s Holiday Party, the Society will present

Frank with a plaque commemorating this

achievement, and conferring Lifetime membership.

So, henceforth, we trust that Frank will show up as

he always has, but now he won’t have to pay any

dues. He’s all paid up...and then some.

Congratulations to Frank.

* * *One can say that the greatest honor

Greater City can confer upon one of its members is

to be elected to its Roll of Honor. However, when

I look upon the names there enshrined, one evident

impression is made upon me. Namely, that it is the

people whose names are thus registered that have

honored Greater City by devoting their time and

talents for the sake of the rest of us. Often, they

have sacrificed much. Always, we have been the

beneficiaries of their efforts. This year, we add

another lustrous name to that Roll of Honor.

She materialized in 1997 at our 75th

Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Show. How

propitious it is that she attended. In the ten years

since, she has transformed the public face of

Greater City, brought immeasurable service to our

members, and given great honor to Greater City by

its ability to call her our own.

Her presence is instantly noticeable at our

meetings. She greets everyone with warmth and

affection. She brings the candy and the treasured

door prizes. She is always there to help and make

every member’s participation in the club as

enjoyable as possible.

She has served as our Membership Chair

and our Program Chair for many, many years; two

more important jobs carried out to perfection by

her. As if that were not enough, she has written

numerous award winning articles for Modern

Aquarium, and proofread nearly every issue. She

has written columns, and she has authored

biographies for all of our speakers (for whom she

also designs a personalized souvenir and procures

a gift). No facet of Greater City is untouched by

her caring.

On top of all that, she has become one of

Greater City’s most outstanding representatives in

the aquarium hobby. She is the founder of the

much-heralded C .A .R .E.S . Preservation

Program, designed to protect and cherish

endangered fish. Its national scope bespeaks her

dedication to our hobby.

In addition, she has served on the Board

of Directors of the American Cichlid Association,

the largest association of its kind in America, and


has prominently served as the Managing Editor of

its world-famous journal, the Buntbarsche Bulletin.

As if those achievements weren’t enough,

she did something only one other Greater City

member has ever done. She authored a book,

Aquarium Care of Cichlids (part of the popular

Animal Planet series of books). (The other

member was world-renowned guppy breeder Paul

Hahnel, who co-authored a book in the 1960s.)

Frankly, the above is only the tip of the

iceberg. It is, therefore, altogether fitting that this

year the Roll of Honor is once again honored by

adding the name of Claudia Dickinson.

* * *I want to end by wishing all of you a very

Merry Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

We now take our winter break, and so I’ll see you

all next March.

Excelsior!

Our Generous Members

Each month a sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the

auction can indicate their donations (and yes, a “50%-50%” split is also a donation) if they wish to

do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be

auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members who so generously contributed, making last

month’s auction the huge success that it was.

Robert Altonen Harry Faustmann

Bill Amely Rich Levy

Jeff Bollbach Anton Vukich

Carlotti De Jager Ed Vukich

Detailsby SUSAN PRIEST

Afew people have asked me their own variation of this question: “What are you going to do with all

the extra time you will have once you’re not working on Modern Aquarium?” I expect (and hope)

that I will always be working on Modern Aquarium. I know that I will continue to do the most

important thing anyone can do; I will continue to write! I do anticipate having a bit more time for the

things I enjoy, such as reading, gardening, and maybe even fishkeeping.

The people who have written about Al’s Editorship have left out a few details. They didn’t tell

you about how grouchy he gets when he can’t find an article in the computer, or the copies of proofreading

corrections which he has just printed, or he can’t find out if the print shop is open the day before, or the

day after, or even the day of a certain holiday. When the computer shuts itself off at a crucial moment

(aren’t they all crucial?) forget abut it! Actually, this list could get quite long. It’s time to move on.

Have you ever wondered how he gets everything to fit precisely, that is, not overlapping onto the

next page for two sentences, or falling short of the end of the page? Well, the secret of his success is in

the tool box that sits between his ears. It is a bit rusty, and it squeaks when he opens it, but it contains a

solution to every problem. If there are 30 pages, he has 30 different solutions. I’m not sure what all of

them are, but I know that one of them is a shoehorn!

When each article finally gets a page number, and the contents has been typed up, you would think

that Al could indulge himself in a well-deserved sigh of relief. Not so. Proofreading seemingly never ends,

and last minute changes are notoriously deadly. They are the most likely places for errors to creep in that

will get noticed by you instead of us.

Certain things never suffer. We always attend church, and we rarely miss a meal, but sleep is

another matter. When we don’t get enough sleep because we were working late, rather than starting out

again feeling refreshed because we are that much farther along, Al starts out, yep, you guessed it, Grouchy!

The time finally comes when there is no choice but to let it go; to turn Modern Aquarium over to

the print shop, and ultimately to all of you. Then you can see it and hear it and feel it in every part of him.

He would never say it, so I will say it for him. He is proud!


Adventures on the Rio NegroPart IV

by CLAUDIA DICKINSON

Photographs by the author

Moving upriver throughout the night, our

destination is the whitewaters of the Rio

Branco, noted for its richness of wildlife.

Pausing on our journey northward to take the

canoes out for exploration, our guides machete a

path so that we can make our way through the

dense thickets that cloak the small hidden streams,

from which we break out into the open and glide

deftly through the expansive floodplains. The Rio

Negro and its outlying waterways are infinite in

their beauty, from the exquisite early morning

sightings of macaws, to the brilliant blue butterflies

that flit in and out amongst the fruits and flowers of

thick vegetation. A massive iguana is spotted

sunning itself on a branch high above our heads,

lazily observing us, confident in its safe roost.

Yellow-rumped caciques watch over nests that drip

from the treetops, and swarms of green Amazon

parrots scold loudly with a sharp show of bravado

as they fly above our heads, remaining at a distance

that belie their saucy display of courage.

A brief stop for dipnetting and seining in

the blackwaters along the sandy shoreline bring

the discovery of apistos, tetras, and Hypselecara

temporalis (chocoloate cichlids). Tiny baby

Monocirrhus polyacanthus (leaf fish) are an

additional exhilaration to find in our nets, and we

bring them back to the boat for photographing.

With the evening comes an entirely new

set of creatures and qualities. As the sun dips just

below the horizon, casting its final orange glow

softly over the mighty river, bats arrive in droves,

swooping down on the water to collect the insects

that have also taken the dusk hour to gather. The

strong beams of our flashlights pierce through the

night’s blackness, revealing numerous other

animals that are wide awake during this prime

hunting hour. Those who sleep are awakened by

our intrusion, their instincts taking over to hold

them in stark stillness in hopes of going unnoticed.

A background symphony of uncommon whistles,

chortles, croaks, calls, and shrieks builds to a loud

cacophony holding an unexpected harmony of

sorts, bringing with it a sense of sheer wonder

under the star-filled sky.

A jungle that is beautiful beyond belief,

and yet unmerciful at its slightest whim, rears its

head with reality when we come across a young

woman who, five days earlier, was bitten by a

venomous snake. Her infant son cries in

bewilderment, and her husband’s deep, dark eyes

look down solemnly, and a worried furrow covers

his brow. His wife lies quietly, her face silently

stoic, with a leg that is swollen to three times its

normal size. The crew have set up a hammock for

the woman, and the cook and her daughter feed the

family and play with the baby as we speed back

down river to the closest town, still hours away.

Finally, we arrive in Novo Airaõ, which has

facilities to treat the snakebite, and the woman and

her family are immediately taken onto shore.

Later, we learn that she has been successfully

treated and will recover. Had she not been found

and received medical assistance, her chances would

have been questionable. That is the way of the

jungle.

We happen to be docked at a floating

“restaurant,” and so take the opportunity to feed

and swim with a group of Amazonian pink

dolphins, which have made their home here. This

convivial bunch make it quite apparent that they

are accustomed to treats and human company! Of

course, I am taken by the family’s red front

Amazon parrot which we successfully entice with

trail mix and crackers to come down from the top

of the doorway.

Immense Victorian water lilies, caiman,

an emerald tree boa, sloths, extraordinary birds,

lovely insects, breathtaking flowers, dense jungle,

thick with twisting, draping vines, huge fronds of

palm leaves, papayas — and fish. The Rio Negro’s

captivating mystique is all that I had dreamed of,

and oh, so much more. The awe that this

enchanted land instilled in Henry Walter Bates and

Alfred Russel Wallace is now understood with

crisp clarity as I feel their presence, following in

their footsteps of two centuries ago.

Approaching port, my eyes linger over the

magnificent river and its surrounding jungle with a

hesitancy and deep desire that this might never end.

May we pay attention now, while there is still time

for the Rio Negro and the Amazon River. Project

Piaba is striving to maintain the fisheries and other

sustainable resources, actively involving the people

who rely on the river and the land. “Buy a fish,

save a tree.” Together, let us work to keep this

dream alive, for those who follow in our footsteps

two centuries from now.


This exquisite emerald tree boa is

discovered in the middle of the

night, high in a tree overhanging

the river. After four hours of

exciting attempts, much to the

snake’s disapproval the determined

crew is able to capture her for

admiring and photographing. She

is then returned to “her tree!”

The immense Victorian water

lilies grow up to six feet in

diameter, their lovely flowers up

to eight inches, and the underside

of the huge leaf is as exquisite as

the top.

Yellow rumped caciques bring

food for their young, their nests

collectively hang from the treetops.

Seining in the blackwater along the

sa nd y sho re l ine b r ings in

Hypselecara temporalis (chocolate

cichlids), along with assorted tetras

and Apistogramma spp.

How exciting to discover this huge

Amazonian bullfrog, sleeping

along the banks at night! Some of

the frogs and toads excrete a

venom when handled that can

irritate or sting the skin. This

fellow, however, did not seem to

have such a defense mechanism.

A wide variety of species of

tarantulas sport a rich, deep velvety

coat, the tips touched with a lovely

sheen of greens, blues, and reds.

The canoe glides through the tall grasses of the floodplains, at times

breaking out into the open.


These pods contain a deep red

“paint” that has many uses, one

being to decorate the face and

body, just as we use blush and

lipstick.

Beautiful white sandbars appear

out of nowhere, some as huge

expanses of beaches, in stark

contrast to the shallow black

waters.

The inquisitive and amicable

Amazonian pink dolphins come up

for a snack!

S t in g rays a re p len tifu l in

fishermen’s holding tubs.

One of the larger tetras of the Rio

Negro.

Many of the fish that are collected

have lost large chunks of their

body to piranha.

Ryan McAndrews and Scott Dowd

stir the pot of stew as the jungle air

fills with the delicious aroma.

Piranha and assorted catfish

are sauteed to a delectable

crispy delight for dinner.

Our primitive fishing line and pile of bait does the job as perfectly as

any fancy rod and reel!


Thick carpets of leaf litter, where

our fish actually live in nature,

need to be seen to truly understand

their needs in our aquariums.

The smoke from burning land cuts

sharply through the ethereal

beauty.

The perfect locale for discus and

angelfish.

The celebrated “wedding of the waters,” where the blackwater of the

Rio Negro meets with the whitewater of the Rio Solimões. There is

no mixing of the mineral-rich whitewater with the tannic blackwater

that is virtually void of nutrients. Just west of this juncture the Rio

Solimões is referred to as the Rio Amazonas.

Together, let us work to keep this dream alive...

Sweets are a rare treat, bringing

wonder to the children...

‘Adventures on the Rio Negro’ is dedicated with heartfelt warmth to Ross Socolof, trueinspiration to me, and a rare treasure to the aquarium world.


GCAS Past Award WinnersJOSEPH FERDENZI ROLL OF HONOR

Gene Baiocco

Joe Bugeia

Mary Ann Bugeia

Dan Carson

Charles Elzer

Joe Ferdenzi

Warren Feuer

Herb Fogal

Paul Hahnel

Ben Haus

Emma Haus

Jack Oliva

Al Priest

Susan Priest

Herman Rabenau

Marcia Repanes

Nick Repanes

Don Sanford

Mark Soberman

DON SANFORD BREEDER OF THE YEAR (Since 1981)1981-82; 1982-83. . . . . . . . Ginny & Charlie Eckstein 1993-94. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 1983-84; 1984-85. . . . . . . . Rich Sorensen 1994-95. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 1985-86. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yezid Guttierez 1995-96. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio 1986-87. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 1996-97. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Soberman 1987-88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patricia Piccione 1997-98. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff George 1988-89. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 1998-99; '99-'00. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio 1989-90. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Francis Lee 2000-01. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Soberman 1990-91. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddie Szablewicz 2001-02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander Priest1991-92. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dominic Isla 2002-03; '03-'04, '04-'05. . . . . . . . . Anton Vukich

1992-93. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warren Feuer

GENE BAIOCCO AQUARIST OF THE YEAR (Since 1990-91)

1990-91. . . . . . . Diane & Harold Gottlieb 1998-99.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vincent & Rosie Sileo

1991-92. . . . . . . Doug Curtin & Don Curtin 1999-00.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete D’Orio

1992-93. . . . . . . Mark Soberman 2000-01.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard Harrigan

1993-94. . . . . . . Warren Feuer 2001-02.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Kerner

1994-95. . . . . . . Steve Sagona 2002-03.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carlotti De Jager

1995-96. . . . . . . Alexander & Susan Priest 2003-04.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Traub

1996-97. . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anton Vukich

1997-98, '04-'05. Claudia Dickinson

WALTER HUBEL BOWL SHOW CHAMPIONS (Since 1983-84)1983-84. . . . . . . . Tom Lawless1984-85. . . . . . . . Tom Lawless1985-86. . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi1986-87. . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi1987-88. (tie). . Mark Soberman

and Mary Ann & Joe Bugeia1988-89. . . . . . . . . . Jason Ryan1989-90. . . . . Eddie Szablewicz

1990-91. . . . . Eddie Szablewicz1991-92. . . . . . . . Steve Sagona1992-93. . . . . . . . Steve Sagona1993-94. . . . . . . . Steve Sagona1994-95. . . . . Carlotti De Jager1995-96. . . . . . . Mary Eve Brill1996-97. . . . . . . . Steve Sagona1997-98. . . . . . . . Steve Sagona

1998-99. . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio1999-00. . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio2000-01. . . . . . . Pat Coushaine2001-02. . . . . . . . . . Bill Amely2002-03. . . . . . . . Evelyn Eagan2003-04. . . . . . . . . . Bill Amely2004-05. . . . . . . . Evelyn Eagan2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Vukich

VICTOR BECKER MEMORIAL AWARD For most outstanding species bred (1st awarded 1994-95) 1994-95. . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Bohme (Serrasalmus nattereri) 1995-96. . . . . . . . . . . . . John Moran (Synodontis multipunctatus) 1996-97. . . . . . . . . . . . . Carlotti De Jager (Betta simplex) & Mark Soberman (Corydoras duplicareus) 1997-98. . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Wuest (Nothobranchius foerschi) & Joe Ferdenzi (Corydoras adolfoi) 1998-99. . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio (Rasbora heteramorpha) 1999-00. . . . . . . . . . . . . Charley Sabatino (Spathodus erythrodon)

DINO BARBARISI HORTICULTURAL AWARD

1993-94.Don Curtin & Doug Curtin 1995-96.Vincent & Rosie Sileo

1994-95.Steve Gruebel 1996-97.Joe Ferdenzi

GCAS PRESIDENTS (Post 1945 — number in parenthesis = consecutive terms)

1946-49 Elliott Whiteway (4) 1968-70 Walter Hubel (2) 1981-84 Brian Kelly (3)

1950-51 Robert Greene (2) 1970-72 Dave Williams (2) 1984-86 Jack Oliva (2)

1952-53 Robert Maybeck (2) 1972-73 Dan Carson (1) 1986-97 Joe Ferdenzi (11)

1954-55 Leonard Meyer (2) 1973-75 Herb Fogal (2) 1997-99 Vincent Sileo (2)

1956-57 Sam Estro (2) 1975-76 Richard Hoey (1) 1999-00 Jeff George (1)

1958 Leonard Meyer (2+1) 1976-77 Ted Tura (1) 2000-07 Joe Ferdenzi (11+8)

1959-64 Gene Baiocco (6) 1977-78 Gene Baiocco (6+1)

1965 Andrew Fazio (1) 1978-79 Louis Kromm (1)

1966-68 Charles Elzer (2) 1979-81 Don Sanford (2)


Greater City Aquarium Society

— 2007 Awards —To be awarded December 12, 2007

JOSEPH FERDENZI ROLL OF HONORCLAUDIA DICKINSON

GENE BAIOCCO AQUARIST OF THE YEAR AWARDEDWARD VUKICH

DON SANFORD BREEDER OF THE YEAR AWARDJEFFREY BOLLBACH

WALTER HUBEL BOWL SHOW CHAMPIONEDWARD VUKICH

MEMBERSHIP AWARDFRANK GANNON

BREEDERS AWARDS

SENIOR GRAND MASTER BREEDER (800 points)ANTON VUKICH

MASTER BREEDER (300 points)JEFFREY BOLLBACH

ADVANCED BREEDER (100 points)DICK MOORE

AUTHOR AWARD PROGRAM (AAP) AWARDSOnly authors making contributions printed during 2007 (or who received AAP points as a result of NEC

and/or FAAS publication awards announced in 2007) and whose AAP levels changed are listed below.

Bill Amely. . . . . . . . . . . . Author Joseph Graffagnino. . . . Essayist

Sharon Barnett. . . . . . . . . Writer pBernard Harrigan. . . . Grand Master Laureate

Evelyn Eagan. . . . . . . . . . Author Jerry O’Farrell. . . . . . . Journalist

Frank Fallon. . . . . . . . . . . Author Leonard Ramroop. . . . . Author

Harry Faustmann. . . . . . . Author Charley Sabatino. . . . . . Essayist

Joseph Ferdenzi. . . . . . . . Master Laureate Stephen Sica. . . . . . . . . Journalist

Horst Gerber.. . . . . . . . . . Writer

pBernard Harrigan is Author of the Year for 2007!


From the Peruvian Amazon jungle…photo by David Snell

...to the boat...photo by David Snell

...to the packing

house/exporters...

The Fish Arrivalby Claudia Dickinson

Photographs by the author except where noted

There is something profound about looking at

the inhabitants of an aquarium and recalling

precisely where they came from, and the

circumstances surrounding the acquisition. They

might have been a kind gift from a treasured friend,

or acquired from a club auction, a convention, a

favorite local aquarium shop, an online auction that

you placed the highest proxy bid on that you could

— just to be certain — and then received them at

an excellent price or, you might have collected

them in their native habitat!

Recently, I had just returned from the

Peruvian Amazon and a shipment of fish was soon

to follow that my colleagues and I had collected.

There were 28 boxes in total, three of which would

be touching down at Long Island Islip MacArthur

Airport, with my name on the manifest. How

exciting!

Time is wonderfully unimportant in South

America, and exactly when the fish would arrive

was anybody’s guess! There were plans, followed

by the expected delays, and then strikes, and then

a Peruvian Holiday, and once the weekend passed,

there were more plans. My dear friends, Joe

Ferdenzi and Mark Soberman (as well as my

husband, Brad!), were extraordinarily patient as

they arranged their schedules to be prepared at a

day’s notice to meet us at Joe’s house whenever the

shipment arrived.

Finally, the day of arrival came and this

time, it was actually true! I had to smile as the man

at the airport cargo building remembered me from

the past, and knew that there were fish in those

boxes. The next time, I am going to open a box to

show him the fish. He may wish to start a fish tank

— and join the GCAS!

The evening of the fish arrival was, of

course, late at night, as are all the most memorable

fish arrivals. Joe’s lovely wife, Anita, was so kind

to greet us at the front door at such an hour, and

welcomed us into the Ferdenzi home with open

arms.

As we unpacked the fish in Joe’s

fishroom, there was a shared sense of fishy

camaraderie as each box was opened, each bag

held up to check for condition, survival, and

identification, and each batch of fish transferred to

a bucket for some fresh water and a closer look.

Speaking of fresh water, Joe, in his

characteristically thoughtful manner, had filled up

numerous bottles of water several days before in

anticipation of the arrival, knowing that this would

be refreshingly welcome to the well-traveled fish

— which it was! He also had the forethought to

purchase a huge bag of blackworms, which he so

generously shared with each of us. Our wild

specimens would be most appreciative and

accepting of the live food for their first meals.

Once the fish had been unpacked and all

were settled in, we said our goodbyes, and Brad

and I headed east on our journey to Montauk.

Tucked safely in the back, the new arrivals began

the final leg of their long journey. A bag of

blackworms sat on the front seat, and a particular

warmth filled my heart, with the certainty that in

the future these aquarium inhabitants would surely

evoke special memories of native lands, and

treasured moments with dear friends.


The fish finally arrive in the US! Once in Joe

Ferdenzi’s fishroom, the fish boxes are opened

by Mark Soberman.

Brad Dickinson opens the tightly banded bags.

The fish are sorted in buckets and given fresh

water.

M ark Soberman has the buckets stacked in

preparation.

Brad Dickinson, Joe Ferdenzi, and M ark Soberman

make this fish shipment a particularly memorable one!Joe Ferdenzi generously bags up fresh

blackworms for a first meal that will be

welcomed by the wild fish.


Special Editiona Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

Exotic Aquarium Fishes by Dr. Wm. T. InnesA Seventy-Two Year PerspectivePart Three: Review of Editions Nineteen, Twenty and Twenty-One

Picture yourself at the beach, walking along

the ocean’s edge. The seagulls, the sun, and

the sand are all in their places, and yet

something is not quite right. Suddenly you realize

what it is. The waves are moving away from you!

As you look out over the water, it is rolling towards

the horizon rather than the shore. A complete

reversal of the tide has taken place.

As startling and dramatic a change as the

one I have just described is about to take place, as

the subsequent generations of Exotic come under

scrutiny. Specifically, editions nineteen, twenty,

and twenty-one will be compared to earlier editions

(see Parts One and Two of this article in the

November 2007 issue of

Modern Aquarium), and to

each other.

For the first

twenty-two years (1935

through 1957), Exotic was

under the care and control of

its creator. Then, due to the

influence of exactly what

happenstances no one can

say for sure, Dr. Innes let

the copyright lapse. Shortly

thereafter, other publishers

saw this as an opportunity

for personal gain. The

results of their forays were

mixed.

The nineteenth

edition was rife with

confusion. For starters,

there were three different

nineteenth editions. The

first one, with a publication

date of 1957, was the last to

be revised by Dr. Innes, and

it did have his signature

leatherette cover. Then came

two different versions of the “nineteenth edition

revised.” At this point I am going to return to the

e-mail conversation from the Aquarium Hobby

Historical Society (AHHS).

“The first Nineteenth Edition, Revised was

published in 1964, which was of the same fine

quality as all the issues previously produced by the

Innes Publishing Company, and having the green

leatherette cover with color images throughout. It

was published jointly by The Aquarium Publishing

Company and E.P. Dutton and Company. The

second Nineteenth Edition, Revised was the one

published in 1966 by Pet Books, Inc.

(Metaframe).” Raymond Wetzel

The copy of the nineteenth edition,

revised which I have available for review is the

1966 version. Let’s start with what it does have.

It does have the front and

rear maps. It does have a

black and white photograph

of the color illustration of the

rasboras (a poor substitute),

and it does have a portrait of

Dr. Innes. It has 593 pages.

The text is true to

the spirit of Dr. Innes. In

fact, it is virtually identical to

my thirteenth edition, with

the exception that a few more

fishes were included. (I will

go out on a limb here, and

make the assumption that

they were also included in

the 1957 nineteenth edition.)

T h e m a j o r

d i f f e r e n c e , w h i c h i s

immediately evident, are the

black and white photos

throughout. Occasionally

you will come across a photo

with a small notation in one

corner. For example,

accompanying the text which

describes the Head-and-Tail-

Light Tetra there is a photo which says “color plate

page 551.” “Aha!,” you say to yourself, as you

discover the section of color illustrations at the rear


of the book. A comparison

of the two photos will

reveal that they are identical

in every detail, except for the

color. Each of the color

plates refers the reader back

to the correct page number of

the biography for that fish.

Further investigation leads

you to a color representation

of the trademark rasbora

illustration at the beginning

of the color plates. (Once

again, it is a poor substitute.)

“The book lost its unique

character when the color

plates were all put in the

back (to save money), and

the lovely leatherette cover

was replaced.”

Alan Mark Fletcher

O n e o t h e r

difference, a footnote, if you

will, is the texture of the paper. My first, eighth,

and thirteenth editions all have smooth paper which

lets your fingers glide over the pages. The 1966

Metaframe version has coarser paper.

The twentieth edition, published in 1979

by the Metaframe Corporation (you may remember

that this was my first copy;

see my discussion of the

cover in Part One), is a

whole new animal, so to

speak. The first thing you

will want to know is that it

has (only!) 266 pages.

There are no maps, no

rasbora illustration, and no

portrait of Dr. Innes. The

title page still proclaims

him to be the author, but it

has been “edited and

u p d a t e d b y K l a u s

Woltman.” Updated to

basically half the number

of pages! Hmmm. Is it just

me, or does something

smell fishy here?

The best way for

me to convey the flavor of

this edition is to quote a

few excerpts from the

fo rewo rd , which was

written by Mr. Woltman.

“The 20th edition of Exotic

Aquarium Fishes is the first

major revision since the

b o o k w a s o r i g i n a l l y

published in 1935 . . . The

most obvious and notable

revision is the replacement

of all original color plates

and b lack and white

photographs with modern

color photographs of the

highest quality . . . A few

marginal species had to be

omitted because quality

specimens suitable for

p h o t o g r a p h y w e r e

unavailable to us . . .

Chapters of former editions

have been deleted either

because they had become

hopelessly obsolete, or

because our knowledge

about the subject matter has

increased to such an extent

that to treat the subject

adequately would go beyond

the scope of this book.”

Well! I can’t imagine that I could insult

you any more than Mr. Woltman already has when

I say that this was a clear case of literary rape! By

the time I acquired my well used copy, anyone

associated with this, the twentieth edition of

Exotic, had long since stopped receiving any

financial gain from its sale.

We can only hope that the

aquarists of 1979 were

familiar enough with the

classic editions to steer a wide

and clear path around this

one.

I would like to add

my own brief comment about

the new “high quality”

photographs. They actually

seem quite serviceable until

you compare a few of them to

those taken by Dr. Innes

himself.

Now we come to the

last, and very definitely the

least, of the versions of Exotic

under consideration. This is

the twenty-first edition. It

was published by T.F.H.

Publications, and my copy has

a date of 1994. The title is

Innes’s Exotic Aquarium

Fishes. Once again, there are

n o m a p s , no r a s b o r a

illustration, and no portrait of

Dr. Innes.


What we have here is a study in

contradictions, mixed together with some deja vu.

This is (in part) what it says on the back cover:

“Here is the most recent edition of a true aquarium

classic. It represents major changes in the original

Exotic Aquarium Fishes, by Dr. William T. Innes,

to the extent that neither any of Dr. Innes’s photos

nor any significant portion of his original text

appears in this book.” (If all of that were true, then

wouldn’t you call it something else?) The

contradiction is that, in fact, most of the text is Dr.

Innes’s.

Quoting from the Foreword to the twenty-

first edition (again, in part): “Metaframe elected to

rewrite the book almost completely. They called

this edition the 20th Edition of the Innes Exotic

Aquarium Fishes. That edition was published in

1979. The sales of that book were so poor that it

was never reprinted.” Here is where the deja vu

comes in. Between the covers of the twenty-first

edition, much of the text and most of the photos are

virtual clones of those in the Metaframe twentieth

edition. Even sections of the foreword are copied

verbatim from the foreword of the twentieth

edition. The differences were so subtle that if you

didn’t know what the cover looked like, you would

be hard pressed to determine which book you were

reading!

A few familiar features can be found, such

as the original diagrams of fish anatomy. Readers

of editions up to and including the nineteenth will

feel at home with most of the text, however

abbreviated. At 288 pages, the twenty- first edition

cannot live up to its claim of being “greatly

expanded from the original edition.” (I’m not sure

which edition they might be referring to. As you

may remember, the first edition had 463 pages, and

subsequent editions grew to be well over 500.)

I must apologize for my negativity.

Those of you who read my “Wet Leaves” column

with any regularity know that I am not a book

basher. In this circumstance of comparing and

contrasting the different editions of Exotic, I have

no choice but to “tell it like it is,” as well as to

stand by my metaphor of the reversal of the tide.

I return one last time to the AHHS forum, only to

add that the comments of these very well known

and highly respected hobbyists were much more

harsh than mine (so much so that I decided not to

quote from them). However, the opinions they

have expressed coincide with my own.

Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten about the

question I left you pondering last month. What

fish was Wm. T. referring to when he said “They

sail like swans asleep?” It was Greater City’s own

signature fish, the elegant angelfish.

American Cichlid Association

2008 National ConventionJuly 17th through July 20th, 2008

The American Cichlid Association ACA holds an annual convention, usually in July,featuring cichlid experts as speakers, acompetitive cichlid show, an auction ofcichlids, and opportunities to meetother cichlid hobbyists. Thisweekend-long event is the highlight ofthe year and is usually attended by 600or more people.

The 2008 American CichlidAssociation Convention is being held inAtlanta, Georgia, from Thursday, July 17th through Sunday,July 20th, 2008. It will be hosted by the Atlanta Area

Aquarium Association (AAAA).

http://www.aca2008.com/


AFISH Convention 2007A dream comes true ~ now forever a treasured memory……

by CLAUDIA DICKINSON

With photographs by the author

Our GCAS President, Joe Ferdenzi, had a

dream. After two years of preparations, the

culmination of that dream, the first AFISH

Convention, has come and passed, going down in

history as an extraordinary success, and leaving

behind fond memories, along with the anticipation

of many more to follow in the ensuing years.

Brimming with an unmatched warmth and

camaraderie of fellow hobbyists who convened

from the four counties that make up Long Island,

NY — Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk — as

well as New Jersey, Connecticut, and beyond, the

first AFISH Convention was held in Riverhead,

NY, on November 9th ~ 11th 2007. It took place

at the Best Western Hotel, just minutes away from

the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium.

Joe, along with Al DiSpigna and Joseph

Graffagnino, past and current Presidents of the

Brooklyn Aquarium Society, Harry Faustmann and

Michael Foran, past and current Presidents of the

Nassau County Aquarium Society, and Vinny

Kreyling and Arie Gilbert, past and current

Presidents of the Long Island Aquarium Society,

joined together to form AFISH, the Aquarium

Federation of Independent Societies and

Hobbyists. Meticulous planning went into this

exciting project, providing an opportunity for

hobbyists in the Long Island and metropolitan New

York area to experience a convention and all that

it has to offer, including celebrated speakers,

vendors, side trips, and of course, the sharing of

deep friendships.

AFISH had it all! Finally, a convention

that was less than a four hour trip for most

attendees, the majority had a short drive of less

than two hours, and many lived within 15 or 20

minutes of the site. Of course, a huge thank you to

those who did make the effort to travel a further

distance! The event was suffused with the

generous support and goodwill of all who came.

No sooner had I pulled my car up to the

curb on Friday night than I was greeted by the

welcoming voice of Ray “Kingfish” Lucas,

immediately followed by cheerful smiles and warm

hugs from Harry Faustmann, Mike McNamee,

Joseph Graffagnino, Ken Davis, and Frank

Laudato, with as many helping hands so kindly

pitching in to assist me with unloading boxes of

treats and decorations.

Making my way down the hall to my

room, my steps quickened at the wonderfully

familiar jovial laughter resounding from behind

one of the doors. It was all I could do to hastily

drop my luggage off, and back I went to join in

with heartfelt hugs, and much conviviality amongst

dear friends, Joe Ferdenzi, Chuck Davis, Jeannie

and Rosario LaCorte, Al Di Spigna, Mark

Soberman, and Michael Foran. Joseph

Graffagnino, Ken Davis, and Mike McNamee had

found their way here as well, making it a Grande

way to start the celebration! Earlier in the evening,

the Long Island Killifish Association had gotten

the convention underway with a presentation by

Mark Denaro of www.anubiasdesign.com fame,

and it was now time to sit back, relax, and enjoy

each other’s company. Sensibility finally reined

me away to get some rest for the coming day’s

large agenda.

Saturday commenced with renowned

catfish experts, Lee Finley and Mark Soberman,

teaming up for an audience of eager listeners, while

curator and cofounder of Atlantis Marine World,

Joe Yaiullo, spoke on Reef Aquariums. Next up,

Senior Aquarist for the New York Aquarium,

Frank Greco, presented Freshwater Shrimp, while

Chris Paparo, Senior Aquarist at Atlantis Marine

World, shared his knowledge on Macro Algae

Cultivation. A dear gem of the organized hobby,

Chuck Davis, spoke to a packed audience on

Anabantoids, while Mark Denaro’s renowned

expertise with aquatic plants was met by an

enthusiastic audience. Following a break for

lunch, our treasured aquarium hobby legend,

Rosario LaCorte, treated us to his years of wisdom

on Rare and Exotic Fish, while Atlantis Marine

World Aquarist, Todd Gardner, presented his

wealth of knowledge on Seahorses. For a perfect

rounding out of the afternoon, noted aquarist

(maintaining 600 tanks!) Ken Davis gave an

excellent presentation on Discus, while the famed

Tullio Dell Aquila brought his many years of

experience on New Lighting Technology.

Throughout the day, the vendor room and

foyers were animated with the bustle and


exuberance of dear friends, ardent fish talk, and

hearty laughter. Lance Reyniers, inventor of the

Python water changer, every aquarist’s most

essential tool, was on hand to personally answer

questions and offer advice, alongside the illustrious

and beloved Ray “Kingfish” Lucas. Special friend

to the entire aquarium hobby, Lee Finley, of Finley

Aquatic Books, www.finleyaquaticbooks.com ,

brought his exemplary collection of new and

collectable books, and Ken Menard of Ken’s Fish,

www.kensfish.com , had a virtual store of fabulous

merchandise. Craig Shaubach of Eastern Aquatics

made certain that we all went home with a

generous helping of fresh, luscious blackworms,

while the Tropical Fish Hobbyist booth,

resplendent with the artistry and brilliance of one

lovely cover after another, passed out free issues of

the celebrated magazine. Booth after booth filled

our arms with such wonders as only we can

understand, as the cheerful and informative

vendors went out of their way to lend their ideas to

be taken home along with their wares.

So many faces, so many GCASers, and so

many from our fellow societies! Surely it was

family with every turn of the head - Joe Ferdenzi,

Mark Soberman, Pete D’Orio, Warren Feuer, Brad

Dickinson, Sharon Barnett, Dan and Marsha

Radebaugh, Michael Foran, Jeff Bollbach, Artie

Friedman, Harry Faustmann, Mike McNamee,

Lenny Ramroop, Jack Traub, Al Grusell, Ed

Vukich, Bennie Graham, Rich Levy, Horst Gerber,

Michael and Natalie Boscia, Fred Bellise, Ben and

Emma Haus, Steven and Donna Sica, Andrew

Jacovina, Bill Amely, Joseph Graffagnino, Al

DiSpigna, Jim and Margaret Peterson, LaMonte

Brown, Mario Bengcion, Karen Ottendorfer, Gino

Cusano, Jerry O’Farrell, Izzy Zwerin, Chuck

Davis, Rosario and Jeannie LaCorte, Christine and

Frank Policastro, all the way from New Jersey (!),

Vinny and Jeanette Kreyling, and oh, so many

more……

As the evening banquet approached, we

changed into our “finery,” tables filled, and glasses

toasted amongst the lively conversation that filled

the air. Following a sumptuous buffet, coffee was

poured and a divine cake, garnished with the

AFISH logo, was brought out along with a lovely

bouquet of flowers in celebration of Jeannie and

Rosario’s 56th anniversary. How wonderful that

we were able to share this joyful occasion with

them!

Joe Ferdenzi took the podium in his

characteristically genuine welcoming style, making

us all feel at home, and glad that we came to

AFISH. The eminent cast of speakers, the

exceptional vendors, and the large team of

dedicated people who worked to make this first

AFISH Convention possible were given words of

deep appreciation. To thunderous applause, three

very special awards were presented to those who

had inspired Joe, and so many of us in the hobby,

over the past years — Rosario LaCorte, Chuck

Davis, and Ray Lucas. It was then time for a rare

treasure to the aquarium world, a man passionate

for his subject, and vibrant with infectious

enthusiasm, Anton Lamboj, to give the AFISH

k e y n o te p r e se n ta t io n o n T h e G e n u s

Chromidotilapia. After Anton’s fascinating and

informative talk, we regrouped for further

discussion and laughter — reminiscing and

relaxing, enjoying each other’s company well into

the night.

Sunday began with delicious pastries and

jam, fresh eggs, crisp bacon and sausages,

accompanied by steaming hot coffee and tea,

p a r ta ken in am o ngst the co m fo r ta b le

companionship of true friends. With the huge

auction to begin at noon, expanses of tables,

overflowing with bags of fish and plants, attracted

throngs of viewers who wound their way in and

around the assemblage amidst excited exclamations

over the bounty of finds. Ray “Kingfish” Lucas

had us off to an exhilarating start, auctioning off an

enormously generous amount of dry goods donated

by Python Products, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals,

Ken’s Fish, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, and Atlantis

Marine World, among many other magnanimous

contributors. After this rousing opening, the

audience was warmed up and prepared for raising

their bidding cards high on the hundreds of bags of

fish and plants that followed, to the finesse of such

auctioneer greats as Chuck Davis, Joe Ferdenzi,

Mark Soberman, and Ken Davis.

It was time to say final farewells. Huge

hugs, warm smiles, and words of friendship that

would hold our spirits fast, and solidify our kinship

until we meet again. The first AFISH Convention

is now a wonderful memory to last through

eternity.

Joe had a dream. A dream that we might

all be given the opportunity of sharing the joy of

our hobby with one another. What great pride we

have in what Joe has accomplished, and for having

a dream and following it. For this, he will always

be able to look back and say, “I am so glad that I

did!” And, to our great fortune, we will always be

able to look back and say, “we are so glad that he

did,” as well!


Chuck Davis

Ray “Kingfish” LucasRosario LaCorte

Tropical Fish Hobbyist’s booth of

spectacular brilliance generously

offers free copies of the magazine.

Joe Ferdenzi presents a bouquet to

the lovely Jeannie LaCorte in

celebration of Rosario and

Jeannie’s anniversary. True treasures of the aquarium

hobby, Rosario and Jeannie

LaCorte make a special wish prior

to blowing out the candles on their

AFISH anniversary cake!

Claudia Dickinson and our superb

AFISH discus speaker, Ken Davis.

Claudia Dickinson and Lance

Reyniers, inventor of the Python

water changer, every aquarist’s

most indispensable tool!Claudia Dickinson and our

inimitable AFISH keynote speaker,

Anton Lamboj.

Joe Ferdenzi honors three pillars of the aquarium hobby with special AFISH awards.

The author steps on the other side of the lens to share time with special friends.


The bags of fish for auction were

piled high!

Mark Soberman in full AFISH

auctio neer ing swing (A r t ie

Friedmann assisting on the left).

Dan McKercher, Chuck Davis, and

Ed Vukich celebrate the first

AFISH Convention!

Karen Ottendorfer and Horst

Gerber are having a Grande AFISH

time!

Bill Amely

!st Place

Mario Bengcion

2nd Place

Ed Vukich

3rd Place

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners


Suggested Questions

T Please introduce yourself.

T Tell us about your favorite aquarium.

T What was your very first fish?

T Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper.

T Is there someone you think of as a mentor?

Tell us about him or her.

T Describe your “Fantasy Fish Tank.”

T If you were a fish, which one would you be?

T Who is your “Hobby Hero?”

T What fish which you have never kept would

you like to acquire?

T Describe your biggest fishkeeping “blooper!”

T Describe your most memorable fishkeeping

experience.

T What advice would you give to a

beginning fishkeeper?

T What are your fishkeeping goals?

- OR write a narrative story -

Jack Traub

by SUSAN PRIEST ? ? ANONYMOUS ? ?

This is the last issue of 2007. What does that

mean? It means that we have all enjoyed

two full seasons

o f F i s h k e e p e r s

Anonymous. I would

like to heartily thank

everyone who has

participated so far. I

sincerely hope that

this column will be

gracing the pages of

Modern Aquarium for

many more years to

come.

Didn’t last

month’s author give

us a great read? He

starts out by making

us wonder what his

occupation is, and he

doesn’t give us very

many clues to work

with. He tells us that

his hobby hero is

Chubby Checker!!

Are we all talking

about the same hobby here?

My favorite part was the blooper. Can

you imagine the look on your own face if 15

gallons of fish tank

water was being

siphoned into your

window? (You just

can’t make this stuff

up!)

D o y o u

know who he is yet?

Just look around the

room in search of the

face that is always

smiling. I really

mean it - always! Your gaze will land on our

treasurer, Jack Traub. If you were collecting,

counting, and spending other people’s money,

maybe you would be smiling, too. By the way, his

occupation is a Certified Public Accountant.

Thank you, Jack, for sharing your

adventures and your advice. I have a little advice

of my own for you.

Try talking to your

wife about the 100

gallon tank of your

dreams. I have a

feeling that she will be

happy to help you fill

it with sp a rkling

schools of fish. If she

seems to be hesitating,

just remind her that

her grandchildren will

enjoy it most of all.

By now you

have noticed that there

is no new author this

month. I know some

of you are thinking

about doing it. I know

you all lead very busy

lives, and that writing

up your story for

F i s h k e e p e r s

Anonymous is not at

the top of your list of things to do. However, I also

know how much you enjoy reading it each month

(even more than I do, because you don’t know who

it is at first).

We are about to begin our winter break.

Among other things, winter means that you don’t

need to mow the grass. In the time it takes to mow

the grass just once, you can answer a few of the

questions from the suggested list, and send them

off to either Dan Radebaugh, or Al, and myself.

Maybe you will enjoy reading your own story in

the pages of Modern Aquarium even more than we

will. See you next year!

Greetings of the Season from my heart to yours!

Love, Sue


GCAS Program Chair Claudia

Dickinson gives a warm thank you

to President Joe Ferdenzi for his

excellent presentation on “Home

Depot for the Aquarist.” GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi

dem o nstra tes a va r ie ty o f

imaginative uses for the soda

bottle, showing us that they are not

only good for holding soda and

hatching baby brine shrimp!

GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi gets

creative at the hobby shop, making

innovative use of plastic

embroidery grids in fashioning this

holding container for larger fish.

Our GCAS charm, Emma Haus,

organizes the upcoming Holiday

party with her excellent efficiency!

After their immense efforts at the

enormously successful AFISH

weekend, Frank Laudato, Harry

Faustmann, and Jeff Bollbach take

this perfect evening to relax and

enjoy each other’s company.

Brooklyn Aquarium Society

President Joseph Graffagnino is

th r i l led b y the wo nd erfu l

outpouring of attendees at the

AFISH Convention, certainly due

in great part to his diligent work on

publicity for the event!

Jim and Margaret Peterson take the

evening to sit back and reminisce

after their months of dedicated

efforts to ensure that the vendors

and numerous other AFISH details

were carried out to perfection!

Rich Levy and Ed Vukich

celebrate the huge success of

AFISH, in which they both played

an integral role!

Looking through the Photos and captions


We can feel relatively certain that

the “Back to Nature Aqualog of

Catfishes” will be in a future

Modern Aquarium book review, as

our very own W et Leaves

columnist, Sue Priest, collects her

Door Prize win.

Michael Gallo is thrilled with his

winning ticket for one of the

evening’s Door Prizes!

Due to the evening’s presentation,

T emes M o has discovered

numerous clever items to put into

use with his own fish tanks!

Sharon B arnett and M ario

Bengcion are heading straight for

Home Depot, shopping lists in

hand, after learning of the many

effective ways to use inexpensive

items in their fishrooms!

Lens with the GCAS

by Claudia Dickinson


GCAS BREEDERS AWARD PROGRAM – 2007Breeder Species Points 1st C.A.R.E.S.

Jeff BollbachGlossolepis pseudoincisus 15 *Melanotaenia lacustris 25 * ÌMelanotaenia boesemani 15 ÌMelanotaenia praecox 5Mikrogeophagus ramirezi 15Xiphophorus montezumae 5Xiphophorus birchmanni 5Archocentrus sp. ‘Honduran red point’ 10Pterophyllum scalare 10Xiphophorus malinche 15 *Xiphophorus helleri 5Apistogramma viejita 25 *Xiphophorus clemenciae 15 *Poecilia (lebistes) reticulata 5Xiphophorus variatus 5Ancistrus sp. 15Aequidens pulcher 10Pelvicachromis pulcher 10Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi 5Badis bengalensis (Dario dario) 20 *Poecilia petensis 15 *Heterandria formosa 5Tateurndina ocellicauda 5Poecilia picta 5Aphyosemion australe 5Fundulopanchax gardneri ‘nigerianus’ 5Nomorhamphus hageni 25 *Ameca splendens 20 ÌPoecilia latipinna 5Lucania goodei 15 *Limia tridens 5Melanotaenia parva 15 ÌBetta simplex 25 ÌApistogramma trifasciata 15Apistogramma borelli 15Girardinus metallicus 5Melanotaenia trifasciata 15 *Poecilia vellifera 5Cilatherina bleheri 15 ÌBedotia geayi 15 ÌPoecillia salvatoris 15 *Betta smaragdina 15Pachypanchax omalonatus 20 ÌPachypanchax sakaramy 20 ÌAphyosemion celiae ‘Winifredi’ 10Xenotoca eiseni 5Chlamydogobius eremius 25 *Melanotaenia splendida 5Chilatherina fasciata 15 *Alfaro huberi 15 *

# of fish -----> 50 total pts -----> 615

Douglas CurtinTanichthys albonubes 5

# of fish -----> 1 total pts -----> 5


Warren FeuerAltolamprologus calvus "inkfin" 25 *Corydoras aeneus 10Tropheus moorii 15Neolamprologus ornatipinnis 25 *Pelvicachromis pulcher 10

# of fish -----> 5 total pts -----> 85

Joseph GraffagninoAphyosemion celiae 10Fundulopanchax gardneri 5Trichogaster trichopterus 10Cichlasoma facetum 10Herichthys deppii 20 *Gymnogeophagus meridionalis 25 *Julidochromis ornatus 15Parophiocephalus unimaculata 10Laetacara curviceps 10Corydoras aeneus 10Fundulus cingulatus 10

# of fish -----> 11 total pts -----> 135

Dick MooreStomatepia pindu 45 * ÌPrognathochromis perrieri 35 * Ì

# of fish -----> 2 total pts -----> 80

Al PriestBetta macrostoma 40 * Ì

# of fish -----> 1 total pts -----> 40

Dan RadebaughHerichthys carpintis 10

# of fish -----> 1 total pts -----> 10

Mark SobermanCorydoras aeneus 10

# of fish -----> 1 total pts -----> 10

Anton VukichHeros oblongus 10Barbus gelius 20 *Melanotaenia lacustris 15 ÌMetriaclima estherae 20 *Tilapia snyderae 20 ÌMelanotaenia boesemani 15 ÌMelanotaenia parva 25 * ÌCubanichthys pengelleyi 20 *Celestichys margaritatus 15 *

# of fish -----> 9 total pts -----> 160

Edward VukichNeolamprologus signatus 15Xenotoca eiseni 5Archocentrus sajica 10Fundulopanchax gardneri ‘nigerianus’ 5Pelvicachromis pulcher 15Aulonocara jacobfreibergi sp. ‘Eureka’ 15

# of fish -----> 6 total pts -----> 65

1st (*) means first recorded breeding of the species in the GCAS Breeders Award ProgramC.A.R.E.S. (Ì) means a species at risk that is listed in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program


Registration Chair Mike Foran and his assistant,

James Quattropani, greet some registrants for the

AFISH Convention. The Long Island Killifish Association (LIKA)

Bowl Show at their special Friday night meeting

held in conjunction with the AFISH Convention.

Part of the audience for the LIKA auction.

Some of the fish, plants, and other

items for the LIKA auction.Some more of the Friday night auction.

AFISH 2007Memories

Photos by Harry Faustmann

Captions by Joseph Ferdenzi


One of the vendors at the AFISH

Convention.

Joe Yaiullo, Curator of Atlantis Marine World

Aquarium in Riverhead, preparing to give his

presentation on Saturday morning.

Another of the vendors at the

Convention.

. . . and some of the items that Ken’s Fish had for sale.

Ray “Kingfish” Lucas (center) speaking to some visitors to his huge manufacturer’s display.


Karen Ottendorfer and Sharon Barnett

(seated left to right) waiting for their turn at

the Saturday evening Banquet.

GCAS Treasurer Jack Traub hard at work on

a laptop computer.

Horst Gerber (left) and others listening to Jeannie and

Rosario LaCorte (with their backs to the camera) at the

banquet.

Jeannie and Rosario blowing out the candles on the

surprise cake especially made to celebrate their 56th

Wedding Anniversary.

A view of the start of the giant AFISH auction that took place on Sunday

afternoon.


“Maybe I should clean the tank more often.”

THE AMUSING AQUARIUM


Special Editiona Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

Exotic Aquarium Fishes by Dr. Wm. T. InnesA Seventy-Two Year Perspective

Part Four: Summary

My original plan was simply to review the

1935 first edition of Exotic. Then I

realized that I had a couple of other

volumes (the nineteenth, revised and twentieth

editions), so I decided to include these, as well.

Then I thought to myself “maybe I can fill in the

gaps with a couple more editions,” so I did a little

on-line shopping. Well, you have seen the results.

Perhaps now you will want to do a little “Exotic”

shopping of your own!

In my naivete, I actually purchased (sight

unseen, of course) a volume which was described

as having “embossed ‘gold fish’ on the cover.”

Well, you can guess what I thought it meant. Now

we all know better. I know that there is a version

with a discus on the cover, but I don’t know when

it was published, or by whom. I’m sure there must

be others out there, as well, which I have not

encountered.

Let me paint some broad strokes with a

wide brush, as I make some very generalized

statements. There are few aquarists who would

disagree with the statement that every edition of

Exotic from the first in 1935, up to and including

the nineteenth in 1957, qualifies as a true classic,

and that with each new revision it was improved

upon. When Dr. Innes was no longer in control of

Exotic, and other publishers started to experiment

with his formula, the finished product(s) were

diminished. Even the new hobbyists of today can

reap countless benefits by reading the works of Dr.

Innes from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Here we are in December of 2007,

seventy-two years (and counting) into the

phenomenon known as Exotic Aquarium Fishes.

What have we learned so far? A rhyme from my

childhood comes to mind. It goes like this: “Make

new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the

other gold.” Even though the names of the fishes

have changed, the fishes themselves have not.

Even though many of the techniques and much of

the equipment we use are different, this is not to

say that all of them are better. The most important

thing we have learned is that we still have much to

learn from the “golden age” of fishkeeping, as

exemplified by the writings of our trusted friend

(do we know him well enough to call him Bill?),

Dr. William T. Innes. We have also learned to

safeguard our copies of Exotic; to keep them dry,

and away from the other pets in the house!

So, where do we go from here?

Unfortunately, it is difficult to imagine any real

future for Exotic. Is there someone with the

necessary combination of integrity and experience,

as well as the time to devote to it, who might

approach the task of a twenty-first century revision;

perhaps even a Centennial Celebratory Edition to

be published in 2035? Keeping it true to the spirit

of the original, as well as infusing it with the latest

information, along with up to the minute

nomenclature, would be a daunting task. As I think

of what Dr. Innes and his staff accomplished long

before anyone had even heard the word

“computer,” I am quite in awe.

The influence that Exotic has had on the

well-being of freshwater tropical fish cannot be

either estimated, or underestimated. Ever since the

first aquarist opened the cover of the first copy of

Exotic in 1935, fish have led longer, happier,

healthier lives. Perhaps the same can be said of

their keepers, as well.

I would like to thank the following people

who have helped me in the preparation of this

Special Edition of Wet Leaves:

Joseph Ferdenzi

Bernard Harrigan

Alexander Priest

Members of the AHHS

Look for the companion article to this four part

perspective , “Dr. William T. Innes: A Paragon of

the Aquarium Hobby” by Joseph Ferdenzi, on

page 31 of this issue.


Dr. William T. Innes:

A Paragon of the Aquarium Hobbyby JOSEPH FERDENZI

William T. Innes is considered by many to

be the Father of the American Aquarium

Hobby. Historically, he may not have

been the first to make a significant contribution to

the development of the hobby, but he was a man

who made enormous contributions early on, and

who has left a lasting imprint on those who came

after. I never had the privilege of meeting Dr.

Innes, but I have become

f r i e n d s w i t h A l a n

Fletcher, who did have

the privilege of working

for Dr. Innes. Alan

confirms that Dr. Innes

was a gentleman, and a

true hobbyist at heart. It

is undoubtedly these

qualities, which permeate

his publications and

writ in g s , tha t h a ve

endeared Dr. Innes to

generations of aquarists

who, like me, only knew

him through his books

and magazines.

W i l l i a m

Thornton Innes was born

in 1874 to a prominent

Philadelphia publishing

family. As a young man,

he developed an interest

in photography, which

was then an emerging

hobby. Shortly thereafter,

h e a t t e n d e d a

Philadelphia exhibition of

fancy goldfish, and from there began his lifelong

interest in aquarium fish. As can be gleaned, his

connection to publishing and photography were a

perfect combination for promoting the aquarium

hobby.

Although Innes published aquarium books

as early as 1917, his first big breakthrough came in

1932 with the publication of a monthly magazine,

The Aquarium. This magazine was significant not

only because it contained well-written (and edited)

articles by the leading hobbyists of the day, but it

featured extensive black and white photos inside

and, outstanding for its day, a color photograph

on the cover. Actually, most of these “color

photos” were actually black and white photographs

that were then hand painted, thus creating a striking

illustration somewhere between a photo and a

drawing. The Aquarium magazine became a smash

success, and was published until 1967.

Undoubtedly spurred on by the success of

the magazine, in 1935 Innes published the first

edition of what was to

become the most famous

American aquarium book

o f a l l t im e , E xo tic

Aquarium Fishes. This

book went through 19

editions before Innes

retired from the publishing

field. It became the

“Bible” of the American

aquarium hobby, and was

often the first book on

which many an aquarist

built their knowledge of the

h o b b y ( y o u r a u th o r

included!).

Dr. Innes was a

p r o m i n e n t m a n o f

Philadelphia. He often

p art ic ip a ted in c iv ic

festivities dressed as

Benjamin Franklin, to

whom he bore a striking

resemblance. His home

was located on the campus

of Temple University. In

1951, Temple awarded

I n n e s a n h o n o r a r y

Doctorate of Humane Letters. When he died in

1969, at the age of 95, he willed his home to the

university. The Temple library houses many of his

papers, as does the American Philosophical

Society, which is also located in Philadelphia.

Dr. Innes was also honored in the 1930s

by having the famous Neon Tetra’s scientific name

dedicated to him (Paracheirodon innesi —

originally it was called Hyphessobrycon innesi).

Today, it is still one of the most popular aquarium

fish — a fitting tribute to a popular author and

hobbyist like William T. Innes.


The GCAS Author Award Program

Welcome to all of our new and continuing

participants in the GCAS Author Award

Program (AAP). This is our ninth year

(we began in 1999). For 2007 we have 27

participants - the most so far in a single year. We

would like to call your attention to an important

point. The Article Awards from the Northeast

Council of Aquarium Societies (NEC) for both

2005 and 2006 were announced in 2007, as were

the Publication awards from the Federation of

American Aquarium Societies (FAAS) for 2006.

All three of these are reflected in the Bonus Points

column of our chart. Congratulations to all of our

winners!

Overview

The GCAS AAP awards points for

contributions to Modern Aquarium. Persons

acquiring a specified number of points will receive

additional recognition in the form of a certificate

for having reached designated Accomplishment

Levels. (See “Accomplishment Levels.”)

Each person making a qualifying

contribution to Modern Aquarium (and that

includes writing for our “Anonymous Fishkeeper”

column!) receives points, as well as chances for a

Prize Drawing at the Annual Holiday Party.

Eligibility

Any member of Greater City who makes

a contribution to Modern Aquarium is

automatically a participant.

Points

Five points will be awarded for an

original article of 500 words or less.

Ten points will be awarded for an original

article of 501 words and over.


original photograph, drawing, or illustration

submitted with, and as part of, an original article.

If more than two photographs, drawings, or

illustrations are submitted with a related article,

only two will be given points (this is in addition to

the points awarded the article, based on its size).

Ten points will be awarded for an original

color photograph that is used on the front cover.

Photographs must be the work of the member

submitting them, and must not have been

previously published, or submitted for publication,

in any commercial or amateur publication.

Two or more related photographs or

illustrations submitted with captions, and

occupying one or more pages, will be counted as

two photos (10 points) and as an article over 500

words (10 points), for a total of 20 points. An

example would be a photo spread with captions.

An original article on a fish in the

C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program will receive

double points (i.e., 10 points for an article of 500

words or less, and 20 points for an article of 501

words or more). Photos and drawings of a

C.A.R.E.S. eligible species will also receive

double points.


original puzzle which is used on the “Fin Fun”

page of Modern Aquarium.

Points are awarded only once for an

article, drawing, puzzle, or photograph. No points

are awarded for subsequent reprints, regardless of

whether the original article was awarded points in

the AAP previously. To be eligible for AAP

points, a contribution must first have been

submitted to Modern Aquarium. However, if an

article previously published in Modern Aquarium

is significantly revised by its author (as a result of

new information or developments), and if such a

revision is first submitted to Modern Aquarium, it

will be treated as a new article. Points are awarded

in the year the article is printed.

An article deemed unacceptable by the

Editorial Staff of Modern Aquarium for reasons of

appropriateness of topic, suitability, or possible

violations of copyright or libel laws, will be

ineligible for participation in the GCAS AAP.

Decisions of the Staff are final.

Points credited to an author may not be

carried over or credited to subsequent calendar

years for the purposes of raffle prize chances or

“Author Of The Year” designation.

Bonus Points

If, in the year following its publication in

Modern Aquarium, an article is given a 1st, 2nd or

3rd place award by the North East Council of

Aquarium Societies (“NEC”) or by the Federation

of American Aquarium Societies (“FAAS”), an

additional 10 points will be awarded if the author

is a GCAS member in the year the NEC or FAAS

award is announced. This applies only to articles

(not to drawings, columns, cartoons or photos).

These bonus points are credited in the year that the

award is announced, not the year it is awarded for.

Prize Drawing

For every 5 AAP points earned in a

calendar year, the recipient is given one chance in

our “Authors/Contributors Only” Raffle.

Author of the Year


The person with the most points in a

calendar year receives a certificate as “Author Of

The Year” for that year. This is our most

prestigious award, and the winner truly exemplifies

the high value which they place on the contribution

of experience and knowledge to the aquarium

hobby at large.

Accomplishment Levels

For the accomplishment levels specified

below, points are cumulative over the life of the

AAP program.

Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 45 pts

Correspondent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 to 95 pts

Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 to 145 pts

Essayist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 to 195 pts

Journalist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 to 295 pts

Columnist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 to 495 pts

Laureate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 to 745 pts

Senior Laureate. . . . . . . . . . . . . 750 to 995 pts

Master Laureate . . . . . . . . . . 1000 to 1495 pts

Grand Master Laureate. . . . . 1500 to 1995 pts

Sr. Grand Master Laureate. 2000 to 10000 pts

Editor Emeritus . . . . . . . . . . . . . over 10000 pts

Author Award Program ReportA Status Report - Points Awarded March to December 2007

Art Work

(in points)

Number of Articles Awards1 Total

Points

Prize

Author

Photo/

Drawing

(up to two

per article)2

500

words

or less 5

over

500

words 5

Bonus3

Points

Current

Year Total:

March to

December

Raffle4

Chances

Bill Amely 5 1 10 2

Sharon Barnett 2 1 30 50 10

Mario Bengcion 1 1 15 3

Brad Dickinson 10 10 2

Claudia Dickinson 40 6 6 30 160 n/a

Evelyn Eagan 1 10 2

Frank Fallon 20 1 30 6

Harry Faustmann 10 1 15 3

Joseph Ferdenzi 2 20 40 n/a

Alison Feuer 5 5 1

Warren Feuer 3 30 6

Horst Gerber 20 20 4

Joseph Graffagnino 1 10 2

Bernard Harrigan 125 9 11 120 400 80

Jason Kerner 10 10 n/a

Desiree Martin 2 1 20 4

Jerry O’Farrell 10 1 20 4

Elliot Oshins 10 2 10 40 8

Alexander Priest 95 1 7 40 250 n/a


Art Work

(in points)

Number of Articles Awards Total1

Points

Prize

Author

Photo/

Drawing

(up to two

per article)2

500

words

or less 5

over

500

words 5

Bonus3

Points

Current

Year Total:

March to

December

Raffle4

Chances

Susan Priest 10 11 50 210 n/a

Dan Radebaugh 10 2 10 40 8

Jannette Ramirez 2 10 20 4

Leonard Ramroop 1 10 2

Charley Sabatino 1 3 10 45 9

Stephen Sica 30 4 20 90 18

Jack Traub 1 10 2

Undergravel Reporter 11 20 130 26

Ed Vukich 10 10 2

Points are doubled for each article on a fish in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program.1

Points are doubled for each photo or drawing of a C.A.R.E.S. fish used on the cover.2

Bonus points are awarded to participants for awards received from the Federation of American3

Aquarium Societies (FAAS) Publication Awards, and The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies (NEC)

Article Awards, in the year these awards are announced, not in the year it is awarded for..

Modern Aquarium staff members are ineligible for the Raffle, as well as for the designation of4

“Author Of The Year.” Family members of staff ARE eligible.

Editorials and President’s Messages are excluded.5

Here are the total AAP points for all GCAS members as of December 2007. If you have questions, or feel that there are errors, please contact Al Priest.

Bill Amely. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Sharon Barnett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Fred Bellise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mario Bengcion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Steve Berman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Tom Bohme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Victoria Bohme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Roger Brewster.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Donald Curtin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Doug Curtin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Carlotti De Jager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Les Deutsch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Brad Dickinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Claudia Dickinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2360

Al DiSpigna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Pete O’Orio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Rod Du Casse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Evelyn Eagan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Frank Fallon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Harry Faustmann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Anita Ferdenzi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Francesca Ferdenzi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Joseph Ferdenzi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1025

Michael Foran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Artie Friedman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Alison Feuer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Warren Feuer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Peter Foster.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Jeff George. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Horst Gerber.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Steve Giacobello. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Joseph Graffagnino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Steve Gruebel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Al Grusell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Bernard Harrigan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1625

Jason Kerner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Denver Lettman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Rich Levy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Bill Luckett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

John Malinowski. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Desiree Martin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Tom Miglio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Jerry O'Farrell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Elliot Oshins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140


Jim Peterson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Margaret Peterson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Alexander Priest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1410

Susan Priest.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1380

Dan Radebaugh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Jannette Ramirez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Leonard Ramroop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30*

Mark Rubanow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Charley Sabatino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Donna Sosna Sica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Stephen Sica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

*Corrected total

Vincent Sileo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Danielle Soberman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Ilyssa Soberman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Robin Soberman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mark Soberman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Jack Traub. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Undergravel Reporter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900

Anton Vukich. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Edward Vukich.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Greg Wuest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Editor Extraordinaireby CLAUDIA DICKINSON

Perusing the pages of Modern Aquariums past,

a smile steals over my face as I come across

familiar articles from days gone by. Fond

memories surface as shared moments with the

GCAS are captured forever in time.

It is amazing to see how many years we

have been reading some of the columns that we

still look forward to each month. “Wet Leaves”

has become an institution, “Fin Fun” has been

testing our aquatic acumen

see m in g ly fo rev e r , th e

“Undergravel Reporter” has

kept us laughing for so many

years, while the mystery

a u t h o r i s c o n s i s t e n t ly

recognized with awards for

his, her, or “its” ramblings.

Our “President’s Message” is

a mainstay that we look to for

updates on the present, as well

as a look back at the past, and

another into the future.

Beginning way back when, with a point and shoot

camera, “Looking Through the Lens” has

chronicled all of us ¯ some members who have

come and gone, and most of us who still remain.

Then, of course, with each issue there is

“The Editor’s Babblenest,” written by none other

than our Modern Aquarium Editor in Chief, Al

Priest. What great fortune it has been for the GCAS

to have Al serve in this immense role for so long,

spending ten months of each year dedicating his

time to meticulously and creatively placing

together this award winning magazine. Al and his

lovely wife, Sue, have put in countless hours to

bring us a publication that draws the largest crowd

of all at our monthly meetings!

There is no doubt that serving on the staff

of Modern Aquarium has been one of the greatest

joys in my life, and this has been made most

particularly so due to the amazing editor that we

have ~ for Al is like no other! I have often referred

to Al as the *wizard,* and that is exactly what he is

as he transforms typed documents of text into

precisely arranged and perfectly aligned pages.

Working together with

Al as Editor in Chief, and Sue

as Associate Editor, I have

gained not only the experience

of working with one of the most

exceptional editorial teams, I

have, most importantly, gained

treasured friends. Al may be

stepping aside as our Modern

Aquarium Editor, but his, and

Sue’s, cherished friendship,

along with the years of Modern

Aquariums published under

Al’s editorship, is something that shall always

remain.

A warm welcome to Dan and Marsha Radebaugh

as Dan steps up to take on the role of Modern

Aquarium Editor in Chief! Here’s to the next

decade that I have no doubt will bring as much

joy, and friendship, as the last!


American Killifish Association2008 National Convention

http://www.aka.org/convention/

American Livebearer Association2008 Annual Convention

May 1-4, 2008 San Antonio Texas

See our web site for more details: http:.www.livebearers.org

Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies2008 Annual Convention

April 11 - 13, 2008at the Marriott Hotel in Farmington, CT

Each year, the NEC Convention has a “theme” with a prize awarded to the person whosecostume most closely exemplifies that year's theme. The theme for the 2008 Conventionis: the “Pirates of the NEC.”

more details to follow

Visit the NEC website at: http://northeastcouncil.org/html/


In spite of popular demand to the

contrary, this humor and information

column continues. As usual, it does

NOT necessarily represent the

opinions of the Editor, or of the

Greater City Aquarium Society.

Smart Fish,DumbPeople

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Some recent news reports are pointing to the

conclusion that people are getting dumber, but

many animals, including fish, are a lot smarter

than we thought they were.

Smart Fish:

United Press International has reported that

Australian scientists discovered fish use the threat of

punishment to maintain stability in their social

order. Australian Research Council scientists at

James Cook University said their discovery has

implications for the entire animal kingdom,

including humans.

Studying small goby fish at Lizard Island

on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Marian Wong

and colleagues showed the threat of expulsion from

the group acts as a powerful deterrent to keep

subordinate fish from challenging those more

dominant than they.

In fact, the researchers discovered

subordinate fish deliberately diet to remain smaller

than their superiors — and so present no threat that

might lead to their being cast out and subsequently

perishing.

Dumb People:

According to United Press International, a

law stating that, in Liverpool, only a clerk in a

tropical fish store is allowed to be publicly topless,

was voted the third most ridiculous law in England

in a poll conducted for UKTV Gold television.

In case you’re wondering why this was

only the third most ridiculous law in England (even

if, according a spokesman for the Liverpool City

Council, this law does not exist, and is only an

urban myth that has gained some notoriety), the

English law voted the most ridiculous was one

making it illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

(The law voted to be the second most ridiculous is

one making it an act of treason to place a postage

stamp bearing the image of the ruling British

monarch upside down on an envelope.)

Smart Fish:

Reuters reports that the Mangrove

Rivulus, Rivulus marmoratus, a killifish from

mangrove swamps across the Americas, can

survive out of water for months at a time.

In laboratory tests, this fish was found to

be able to survive for up to 66 days out of water

without eating, and with their metabolism

functioning (that is, without estivation). When

their habitat dries up, they live on the land in logs.

No other known fish can be out of water as long as

the Mangrove Rivulus and remain active.

Surviving on land is not the only unusual

behavior exhibited by the fish. They have both

testes and ovaries, and essentially clone themselves

by laying their own (already fertilized) eggs.

Dumb People:

Hey, I enjoy my fish as much as the next

person, and sometimes I may talk aloud while

doing tank maintenance (especially if I accidentally

spill water, or can’t get a filter to restart!). But, I

don’t think that any of my fish truly appreciate my

subtle humor. However, Professor Richard

Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire,

who conducted a study of 2,000 owners of pets of

all kinds, declares that, “almost 60% of us are

convinced that their fishy friends have a

personality and a sense of humour.” “It may be

hard to think of fish having personality, but fish

owners insist that they do,” said Prof. Wiseman.

Based on the ratings given by their

owners, the study suggested that 62% of dogs, 57%

of fish, 48% of cats, 42% of horses, 38% of birds,

and zero per cent of reptiles had a good sense of

humor. This study also concluded that “no-one is

happier than a keeper of tropical fish.” I agree.

Smart Fish:

United Press International reports that

Logan Grosenick and his Stanford University

colleagues found that male cichlids (Astatotilapia

burtoni) were able to infer the relative dominance

of fish engaged in a series of staged fights between

pairs of unfamiliar rivals.

The researchers found the territorial fish

show rudiments of logical reasoning, and the study

suggests cichlids have the capacity for transitive

inference (the ability to deduce unknown

relationships based on knowledge of known

relationships).


CAMEO PET SHOPTROPICAL FISH AQUARIUM

Specializing in Tropical Fish and Aquarium SuppliesLarge Selection of Aquatic Plants

Knowledgeable StaffSame Location Since 1947.

(7 18 ) 8 4 9 -6 6 78 115-23 Jam aica A ve nue

R ichm o nd H ill, N Y 114 18

! Marine Biologist On Staff! Custom Tank Builders for the NY Aquarium! Manufacturers of Aquarium & Filter Systems! Custom Cabinetry & Lighting! Largest Selection of Marine & Freshwater Livestock in NY! New York’s Largest Custom Aquarium Showroom! See Working Systems on Display

2015 Flatbush Avenue Open Saturdays and SundaysBrooklyn, NY 11234 Amex, Discover, MasterCard, Visa(718)258-0653 2 miles off exit 11N of the Belt Parkway

www.WorldClassAquarium.com


Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:

1) Bill Amely 2) Mario Bengcion 3) Ed Vukich

FINAL results for 2007 Season:

Ed Vukich 19; Carlotti De Jager 11; Bill Amely 10; Kin Ha 8; Mario Bengcion 8;

Artie Friedman 7; Claudia Dickinson 3; Darwin Richmond 3; Warren Feuer 1

Welcome new member:

Richard Waizman

Thanks to renewing members:

Temes Mo, Michael Henderson

G.C.A.S. HAPPENINGS

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Next Meeting: March 2008

Speaker: Izzy Zwerin

Date, Location, and Speaker’s topic to be

announced. Watch our website and (for paid-

up members) your reminder postcard.

Contact: Joseph Ferdenzi (516) 484-0944

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.greatercity.org

Brooklyn Aquarium SocietyDecember 14, 2007- BAS Holiday Party

January 11, 2008 - Harry Faustmann

speaking on “Aquarium Jewels:

Killifish”

Meets the 2nd Friday of the month (except

July and August) at 7:30pm:

NY Aquarium - Education Hall

Surf Ave. at West 8th St., Brooklyn, NY

Call: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455

http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

East Coast Guppy Association

Meets: 1st Thursday of each month at Alley Pond

Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. at

8:00 pm

Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

Big Apple Guppy Club

Meets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan.

& Feb.) at Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.:

228-06 Northern Blvd. at 7:30-10:00pm.

Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

Long Island Aquarium SocietyDecember 14, 2007 - Holiday Party!

January 18, 2008 - Joe Yaiullo

“Setting Up Atlantis' 20,000 gallon reef

tank.”

Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) at

Holtsville Park and Zoo at 8:00pm.

249 Buckley Road - Holtsville, NY

Website: http://liasonline.org/

Email: Arie Gilbert - [email protected]

Nassau County Aquarium Society

Next Meeting: January 8, 2008

Meets:2nd Tuesday of the month (except July

and August )at

Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000

Hempstead Ave - Rockville Centre, NY

Contact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766

Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

North Jersey Aquarium Society

Next Meeting: !/17/2008 at

Meadowlands Environmental Center - One

Dekorte Plaza - Lyndhurst, NJ

Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392

Website: http://www.njas.net/

or e-mail: [email protected]

Norwalk Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: December 20, 2007

Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each

month at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery

Center - Westport, CT

Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833

E-mail: [email protected]

Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS

Website: http://norwalkas.org/


Fin Fun

I’m sure you are familiar with the long-running quiz show where they give you an answer, and you have

to come up with the question. Here is a category which you will all be able to sweep, “GCAS.”

1) He supplies the members with coffee and cake at every meeting.

2) Warren Feuer, Al Priest, and Dan Radebaugh.

3) Historian, speaker, award winning author, auctioneer, and host to the board meetings.

4) January and February.

5) The Recording Secretary.

6) One for $1 and six for $5.

7) Artist/author of the “Amusing Aquarium” cartoon column.

8) ~ Daily Double ~ She is the newest enrollee in the GCAS Roll of Honor.

Solution to last month’s puzzle: Math is Fun!

1) If you have one bucket with five gallons of water, and one bucket with two gallons of water, and one

bucket with four gallons of water, how many buckets do you have? ANSWER: Three

2) How many guppies does it take to fill a ten gallon tank? ANSWER: Two

3) If you have a 90 gallon tank, and you drain out half of the water, then you add ten gallons, and then you

remove 30%, how much water do you have to add to fill up the tank?

ANSWER: Only Python Man knows for sure, and even he doesn’t care!

4) If you have a 2½ gallon tank, a 5 gallon tank, and a 10 gallon tank lined up next to each other in your

livingroom, how many gallons of water do you need to fill them all up?

ANSWER: None. Nobody keeps three empty tanks in their living room!

5) If you have a tank with half a dozen neon tetras, 8 white clouds, and an oscar, how many fish do you

have? ANSWER: One.


modern aquarium december 2007

Documents

aquarium hobby

month of publication

award winners10gcas

author award program

breeders award program

chief alexander

editorsbabblenestby

publication aresent