modernAQUARIUM Series III Vol. XIV, No. 9 November, 2007

ON THE COVER

The German Blue Ram, Mikrogeophagusramirezi, on our cover is surrounded by fry. But, prior spawnings were shrouded inmystery. Read “The Case of the EatenGerman Blue Ram Eggs” to see howauthor Frank Fallon solved this mystery.

Photo by Frank Fallon

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Case of the Eaten German Blue Ram Eggs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Adventures On The Rio Negro - Part III. . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Wet Leaves Special Edition - Part One. . . . . . . . . . . 11

Fishkeepers Anonymous.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Welcome to this Month’s Scheduled Speaker: Joe Ferdenzi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Wet Leaves Special Edition - Part Two. . . . . . . . . . 18

Amusing Aquarium (cartoon). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

News from the NEC and FAAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

DHMO and You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

G.C.A.S. Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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

This issue of Modern Aquarium features our

first article by GCAS member Frank Fallon.

I want to thank Frank for his contribution

(he not only is the lead article, but he also provided

this month’s cover photo); and I hope he may be

inspired in the future to write some more.

As we near the end of the current GCAS

meeting year, my tenure as Editor of this magazine

is also rapidly approaching an end. As has been

announced previously, Dan Radebaugh will be

taking over as Editor, starting in 2008. I will, of

course, still be around to provide any help that Dan

might need, but from now on, please give or e-mail

your articles to him. We have an unbelievably rich

resource in the expertise of our members, and

when some of those members are generous enough

to share that expertise with us in writing, the results

have been, and hopefully will continue to be, a

superior award-winning publication. I ask all of

you to continue to support Dan in his efforts as

Editor, as you have supported me.

During the time I have been Editor, we

saw the current series (Series III) of Modern

Aquarium surpass in longevity the production runs

of its two predecessors. The publication award

programs of both the Northeast Council of

Aquarium Societies (NEC) and the Federation of

American Aquarium Societies (FAAS) have made

our publication the most highly awarded aquarium

society magazine in the country. We did things

that (to my knowledge) had not been done before,

such as an issue with dozens of contributors

submitting a total of 100 aquarium hobby “tips and

tricks” (to celebrate the 100th issue of Series III),

and another issue with articles and contributions

only from women (our “Ladies’ Issue”).

While I am pleased with the many

successes of our magazine, and the awards it has

won for our members, I did not accomplish all that

I wanted to do with Modern Aquarium. (The

English poet, Robert Browning, wrote: “Ah, but a

man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a

heaven for?” suggesting that one should try to

accomplish even something that may be

impossible.) I always wanted inside color

photographs. But, the copy shops we used could

not print and insert just one or two color pages into

each issue — they would have to print the entire

issue on a color copier (the cost of which would

bankrupt the GCAS in short order). I also wanted

to follow our “Ladies’ Issue” with a “Junior

Aquarist” issue, having contributions only from

authors 18 years of age or younger. Unfortunately,

GCAS meetings are in the middle of the week, and

often last well into the night. So they fail to attract

many school-age children, who need to go to

school the next day, resulting in very few “junior”

GCAS members.

What lies ahead for Modern Aquarium?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’m fairly sure that Dan

won’t write his editorials under the “Babblenest”

logo that I’m using right now. (Some of you may

have been members long enough to remember that

I replaced the “Fish Cup” logo used by then-Editor

Warren Feuer when I took over as Editor.) Will

there still be a “Fin Fun” puzzle page, an

“Undergravel Reporter” column, an Author’s

Award Program (more on that later)? We’ll have

to wait and see. It’s been said that only

panhandlers and babies welcome change. That’s

not necessarily true. Dan will undoubtedly bring

about some changes, and I suspect that they will be

improvements.

Since I mentioned it, next month we have

our annual Holiday Party and Awards Banquet.

Among the other awards that will be announced

will be the results of our Author Award Program

(AAP). More details about that program will

appear next month, but for our new members I will

sum it up as a Breeders Award Program for writers.

You get points for writing an article that is printed

in Modern Aquarium and points for a drawing or

photograph used in Modern Aquarium. There are

certain “levels” in the program that you can reach

by accumulating points. Every five points you add

in a calendar year gives you one more chance in an

“Authors’-Only Raffle” held at the Banquet. This

year, the winner of the AAP “Authors’-Only

Raffle” will receive a copy of Aquarium Care of

Cichlids, written by our own Claudia Dickinson.

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

President’sMessage

by JOSEPH FERDENZI

Ie n j o y e d l a s t m o n t h ’ s p r o g r a m ,

“Aquascaping 101,” given by Mark Denaro.

Mark made many valuable suggestions. But,

what I liked most was that he had strong opinions

about what looked good and what didn’t. I had fun

comparing my opinions to his, and, for the most

part, we were in agreement. It was great of Mark

to drive out all the way from Pennsylvania, and

doubly nice of him to contribute some exceptional

plants and fish for our auction. (Mark is the owner

of Anubias Design, a company that specializes in

exotic plants and fish. Check out their website:

www.Anubiasdesign.com.)

Programs such as Mark’s “Aquascaping

101” are useful for both beginners and veterans.

As it is, we try to present a mixture of programs

during the year that appeal to both beginning

hobbyists, and those more advanced. Granted that

some programs are more geared to one or the

other, but it is the overall balance that we try to

maintain throughout the course of the year that

must be appreciated. This is not an easy task.

Often, members will comment that they would like

to see a presentation on a particular topic. This is

not often possible because we cannot find someone

with the requisite expertise who can also give a

program. You see, while we may know someone

who is an “expert” in a particular area, that does

not always mean the person is willing or able to

give a program. So, please bear that in mind when

you wonder why there hasn’t been a presentation

on a particular topic.

* * *

By the time you read this, the 2007

AFISH Convention will have come and gone. Was

it a success? As I’m writing this, the Convention

is still two weeks away. So, I’ll just have to give

you the answer to that question in my next

President’s Message. Till then, I wish all of you a

very happy Thanksgiving.

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

Jeff Bollbach

Frank Fallon

Harry Faustmann

Warren Feuer

Elliot Oshins

Sue & Al Priest

Anton Vukich

Ed Vukich

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

Pair of rams, female on left photo by Frank Fallon

The Case of the Eaten

German Blue Ram EggsMikrogeophagus ramirezi

by FRANK FALLON

The ram is a fish that has been in the hobby for

quite some time. I remember seeing golden

rams back in the 1950s in some of the

tropical fish emporiums I visited in the Wall Street

area, but I never had them in my few tanks. Since

that was well before I learned about filtration, pH,

and water changes,

it was probably just

as well for the rams.

I was not

then aware that the

f i s h w a s f i r s t

identified in 1948

b y M ye r s a n d

Harry, and was just

coming into the

hobby in the 1950s

when I first saw it.

It was also probably

too expensive for

my teen allowance

or bottle money.

Most kids in the

1930s through the 1950s lived off bottle deposit

money and paper routes. Back then, in the days

before plastic bottles, it was a sin to break a bottle,

for they were worth money. If you asked your

mother for money for the movies, she usually

handed you a bag of bottles. Hey, you couldn’t stay

in the cellar with the fish all the time!

After getting back into breeding tropical

fish after a 30 year vacation, rams were on my short

list of fish I wanted to breed. Their blue and yellow

colors are spectacular if seen with the correct

lighting. Initially I viewed them with a strip light,

and thought they were great looking fish. When I

viewed them with a Coralite T5, I realized why they

were called “blue ram.” The blue around the head

is very vivid, and the blue in the back half of the

body is a spectacular iridescent or neon blue that

defies description.

These small fish are really beautiful, don’t

require a lot of space, and don’t dig up the tank and

uproot the garden you have planted. They come

from the central Orinoco drainage in lowland

Venezuela and Colombia, and most breeders

suggest soft water and temperature from 78E to

82E F, with a pH of 7.0.

I managed to pick up seven small “German

Blue Rams” at a fish club auction. I put them all

into a 15 gallon tank with a bare bottom, plenty of

floating plants and Java Moss, and a sponge filter.

The fish were the offspring of “wild” parents from

South America. This species is not commercially

bred in Asia. I put a

few small rocks on

the bottom, a few

leftover tiles from a

k i t c h e n t i l i n g

project with the

brown side up, and

added a few small

bowls for places to

spawn. I had

hopes!

I fed the

fish plenty of live

brine shrimp and

flake food. Two

months later, after

they had grown a bit

and colored up, they started to do their mating

dance. When I saw ovipositors, I knew that eggs

would not be far behind. One pair deposited about

75 eggs on a small white rock, and I was ready to

call myself a Mikrogeophagus ramirezi breeder.

But…. Mother Nature had other ideas. After a day

the eggs were gone, eaten. The aqua police never

did find the culprit, but all seven fish, including the

parents, were suspects.

I soon took out the pair that had bred and

gave them their own 10 gallon tank. (All of my 10

and 15 gallon breeding tanks are arranged ‘end out’

so I can fit in more tanks that way.) The tank

bottom was bare except for a few inverted tiles, and

there were plenty of floating plants and Java Moss.

Tank temperatures were right at 80 degrees, but the

water was not soft. Yet I soon had three pairs of

breeding fish and plenty of egg laying, but there

was even more egg eating and egg fungusing in

both tanks.

This went on for another two months. It

was frustrating watching these pretty fish go into

their breeding dance, lay eggs, fan them, chase the

other fish away, but within three days the eggs

would disappear. In most cases I would see the

4 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Scientific name: Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

Common name: Ram or Butterfly Cichlid

Native habitat: Central Orinoco drainage in

lowland Venezuela and Colombia

Water hardness: Soft

Water temperature: 78° to 82° F

Water pH: 7.0 (neutral)

Reproduction: Egglayer

Adult size: Up to three inches

Sexual differences: Female is smaller, and has a

shorter second ray on dorsal fin

Male ram (is this the culprit?) photo by Frank Fallon

number of eggs decrease until they were all gone.

I was never able to witness the actual crime in

progress. In the parlance of detective novels, I

could never “pin” it on the neighbors or the father

or mother. It might have been a group conspiracy

that took place under the cover of darkness for all

I knew.

Then I had one of the pairs in the tank with

the five fish lay eggs,

a n d t h e e g g s

remained for almost

three full days. This

was a good sign, I

thought. With fingers

c r o s s e d , I w a s

w o r k i n g in t h e

fishroom changing

water in another tank

and looked back into

t h e t a n k w i t h

eggs—75 percent of

them were gone. The

crime took only

twenty minutes. I

was only a few feet

away, a n d sa w

nothing until it was

almost all over.

Well, that

did it. Two of the

fish were in the back

corner of the tank.

These, I assumed,

were the grieving

parents. I quickly

n e t t e d o u t t h e

c u l p r i t s a n d

banished the three of

them to a 20 gallon

High with small

krebensis and four quarter sized koi angelfish. For

almost a week I fed the fish in both tanks, but pretty

much ignored them all in my disgust over the latest

cichlid crime. The two grieving parents stayed in

the back of the tank (sulking, I thought) and the

others quickly adjusted to community life in the

bigger tank.

Almost a week later I realized I had

ignored the tank with the grieving parents long

enough. It was time to siphon out the detritus on

the tank bottom and do a water change. As I was

about to put the siphon tube into the tank I looked

for the pair, and I said out loud, “Wow!” There

was the pair surrounded by about 200

free-swimming young. It was an amazing sight—a

surprise. Finally a spawn!

I had never seen the eggs. I quickly

realized that these two fish may not have been the

victims, but may well have been the culprits in the

cichlid crime. The adults apparently had spawned

shortly before or

after the crime, for

the fry I saw were

well beyond the

wriggler stage, and

were a l l free-

swimming. They

w e r e p r o b a b ly

three days beyond

hatching. They

had most likely

been living off of

the infusoria on the

tank bottom for a

few days, and were

now fully free-

swimming fry some

seven days after the

parents spawned.

They were lucky

that I was too

disgusted to clean

the tank.

But, all

t h i s i s p u r e

s p e c u l a t i o n .

Despite repeated

questioning, none

of the fish have

talked . T hese

seven rams are a

t i g h t l i p p e d

group—no big mouths here.

The facts, ma’am, are that I have now bred

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, and a month and a half

later I have about 200 young in two 15 gallon tanks.

Half of them are still with their parents.

Meanwhile, egg eating and fungusing continues in

the other two tanks. Ma’am, it’s a tough cichlid

world out there, and sometimes bad things happen

to pretty fish.

And yes, there is a moral to this story:

“Never count your cichlids until after they hatch!”

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 5

Adventures on the Rio NegroPart III

Exploring the lives of the people, and their interaction with the land and the river that is their home

by CLAUDIA DICKINSON

Photographs by the author

As the Victoria Amazonica steams northward

up the Rio Negro to reach Barcelos in time

for the celebrated annual ornamental fish

festival, the importance of the river to the people of

the land becomes increasingly apparent. The entire

culture revolves in dependence around this huge

expanse of water, that can be as kind and bountiful,

as it can be seemingly merciless and unpredictable.

Homes are built along the water’s banks,

in close proximity to the waterway that provides

the natives with food, transportation, bathing, a

means for washing utensils and clothing, income

through fishing, and water for their crops. When

not in use, dugout canoes rest in the water, tethered

to a stump at the bottom of a path leading to the

door, much as we park our cars in our driveways.

Of course, during the dry season, when the water is

at a low level, the canoes may be 40 feet below the

doorway, and during the rainy season, the canoes

rise along with the water and may be swept away,

sometimes along with the house!

The early morning hours find husband and

wife paddling their vessel along the river and its

outlying inlets and streams, catching fish to feed

their family for that day. Oftentimes, a small baby

will be held close to the woman with one hand,

while the other hand assists with steering or bails

the inevitable buildup of water out of the bottom of

the canoe in a rhythmic fashion, with the expertise

of one who is performing a familiar task. Older

children accompany their father, or are left at home

to tend to the daily chores.

Nets marked by bobbing floats are set up

throughout the river and checked daily, collecting

all unsuspecting fish traversing the area. The fish

brought in by these nets provide a major source of

income for the people, whether they be food fish to

ship to market for sale, or fish for the ornamental

aquarium trade.

Fish for the aquarium trade are so vital a

part of the lives of the people that year-long plans

to honor this vital source of income culminate in an

elaborate celebration of unimaginable glitz and

glamour, seemingly out of place in this otherwise

primitive atmosphere. Literally thousands of

people converge on the small city of Barcelos from

the north and the south to share in the annual ritual

of lionizing all ornamental fish, and most

particularly, two of the major export fishes for the

aquarium trade, the cardinal tetra and the discus.

One is either a cardinal tetra fan, or a discus fan, a

split which becomes as competitive as the Red

Socks and the Yankees! At 10:00 pm a

breathtakingly exquisite staged event of massive

proportions begins. The bands strike up, heralding

enormous, flamboyant floats, as dancers, ranging in

age from eight to adult, resplendent in elaborate

costumes, swirl in a kaleidoscope of colors to

match the carnival gaiety, and continuing non-stop

until 3:00 am the next morning!

As the morning dawns, a peace settles

over the majestic river. A peace that can be

preserved from the devastation of deforestation

brought about by the income from ornamental

fishes coming to a halt as fishermen turn to farming

the land when they can no longer rely on fishing to

feed their families. When asked what they will do

if the cardinal tetra, a proven replenishable species

of which 30,000 are harvested annually, no longer

can support them due to low prices offered to them

from the middle man, or lack of demand due to

mass domestic farm cultivation, the fishermen send

a clear “thumbs down” signal. They will turn to

farming, slashing and burning the precious trees

that are so vital to a healthy global environment. It

is a delicate subject, one for which a solution

requires careful research, understanding, and

compromise. For these people it is a matter of

providing food for the hungry stomachs of their

children, and a shelter over their heads.

Dr. Labbish Chao has dedicated his life to

Project Piaba, a community based program

developed to safeguard and improve a sustainable

ornamental fishery in Barcelos. Through the

combined efforts of Dr. Chao, Scott Dowd of the

New England Aquarium, and others, Project Piaba

raises funds which support research, environmental

education, scholarships, and maintenance of the

public aquarium at the Center of Aquatic

Conservation in Barcelos. “Buy a fish, save a tree”

summarizes the affirmation that the 20,000 people,

both rural and urban, whose stable economic

6 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Prior to arriving in Barcelos, the Victoria

Amazonica pulls in to rest along the shoreline

for an early evening, during which we will

take the canoes out for some night exploration

amongst the wilderness.

Dr. Labbish Chao performs skillful research

on his minute subject, the cardinal tetra.

As the Victoria Amazonica pulls into

Barcelos, it is with great excitement that we

spot the Project Piaba Center of Aquatic

Conservation, which conducts research and

education, and houses the public aquarium.

Scott Dowd and Dr. Chao discuss plans for the

coming day’s fish farmers annual meeting, in

which Project Piaba plays an integral role.

The Ornamental Fish Festival is an elaborate

annual event of unrestrained flamboyancy,

seemingly incongruous to this primitive land,

in celebration of another successful fish

harvest along with a passage of good luck to

the coming year.

livelihood is provided for by the fishery through

the exportation of over 50 million fishes annually

to the aquarium hobby, will remain unengaged

from ecologically destructive activities, such as

burning down the rainforest for farming. We can

do our part by supporting the sale of wild caught

cardinal tetras, and other proven replenishable

species designated in your retailer’s tanks by the

Project Piaba “Buy a Fish, Save a Tree” stamp of

authenticity.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 7

Life on the Rio Negro is all about family, with both

work and relaxation partaken of by all ages.

Water changes with fresh river water are

performed on each of the 100s of tubs with

regularity, for the care and well being of these

fishes is critical to the livelihood of the people.

Along the outskirts of Barcelos, innovative use is made of the river as a holding arena, with nets structured

of branches for both cardinal and similus tetras. It makes one stop and reflect in awe that within these nets

lies the entire livelihood of one family.

This floating fish packing house bustles non-stop as local fishermen arrive throughout the day to deposit

their catch of ornamental fish.

8 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Among the numerous species of

fishes awaiting export, many lovely

Corydoras species are abundant in

the vats, such as these C. sterbae.

Those fish that are destined for the aquarium trade have miles to go, many stops to make, and many

different types of water in which to survive before their final destination, our tanks. From the local

fishermen’s collecting nets to their holding pens, then onto the floating packing houses, the fish next go by

truck over immensely pothole-laden bumpy roads to huge exporters in Barcelos, such as this one, where

they wait to be purchased, and packed yet again to be shipped to Manaus, then trucked to an airport.

Livestock plays an integral role in the survival of the local

people, as seen here by these swine whose days are spent rooting

along the banks of the river.

When asked what the fishermen would do if the fishery could no longer support them due to low prices and

lack of demand for wild ornamental fishes, this fisherman gives the “thumbs down,” saying that the local

people would turn to alcohol and cut down the trees to make space for farmland.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 9

The main means of transportation on the Rio

Negro, small boats and dugout canoes rest

tethered in the river, which can be 40 or more

feet below the level of the homes.

Dwellings are

elemental and

characteristically

built on stilts for

protection from

the floodwaters.

As well as providing a boost to the economy, visitors furnish

welcome sweets!

For some families, their boat on the river is

“home.”

The river plays the multiple roles of clothes

washer, dishwasher, and bathtub!

10 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Special Editiona Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

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

Part One: Introduction

Regular readers of this column will remember

that, back in September, I announced a

“very unique version of Wet Leaves” for

the December 2007 issue. Since then, what had

started out as a relatively modest plan has taken on

broader proportions. To do it justice, I am

expanding its scope to include this, the November

issue, as well. What I have in mind, as described

by the title, is an overview of the life and times of

the best loved, most popular, most highly

respected, and most widely distributed book on

keeping freshwater tropical fish in the history of

the hobby. I am of course referring to the famous

and highly celebrated book, Exotic Aquarium

Fishes, by Dr. William T. Innes.

Throughout this four-part article I will be

making reference to the first, eighth, thirteenth,

nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first editions. I

will also be quoting from an ongoing e-mail

conversation between hobby historians which took

place between August 31 and September 9, 2007

on a Yahoo Internet group, the “Aquarium Hobby

Historical Society” (AHHS). I expect that in

addition to this introduction, there will be two

reviews covering three editions each, and a

summary.

Point of Reference: Throughout my first

couple of drafts of this piece, I was trying out a

variety of abbreviations for the title Exotic

Aquarium Fishes, so that I wouldn’t be typing it

out each time, and you, the readers, would

understand the refernce. Most commonly

encountered is “The Innes Book.” In fact, this

phrase is even printed on the cover of my copy of

the nineteenth edition, revised. Then there was the

possibility of simply using the initials “EAF.”

Neither of these held a particular appeal for me.

Also under consideration was the single word

“exotic,” which then became a choice between

“EXOTIC” or “Exotic.”

I had experimented with all of these.

Then I was browsing through the pages of notes

from the hobby historians, and something helped

me make my final choice. There are several entries

from Alan Mark Fletcher. As most of you will

recall from his presentation at our meeting, he

worked closely and extensively with Dr. Innes.

Alan’s entries consistently use the reference

“Exotic.” I have decided to take a page from his

book, and do likewise. Therefore, any time I use

the name/term Exotic, I am making specific

reference to the book entitled Exotic Aquarium

Fishes by Dr. William T. Innes.

Having set the bar rather high, and having

doubts as to whether my experience at writing book

reviews can carry me through this project, I am

having trouble deciding where to start. The most

obvious choice, that being the beginning, needs a

bit of dusting off, so I will start out closer to my

own beginnings, and begin in the middle.

I didn’t become a REAL aquarist until

1991, when I was in my early forties. The Exotic

phenomenon had already been nurturing an ever-

growing community of fishkeepers for fifty-six

years! There can be no doubt that Exotic was a

major contributor to said growth. Here are a very

few examples from our own members:

“Instead of reading me stories, my dad used to

show me pictures, and read to me about the fish in

the Innes book. That book was like the Bible to

him, and he gave it to me when I had my own

tank.” Evelyn Eagan

“My only education as a fishkeeper was gained by

reading Exotic Aquarium Fishes by Dr. William T.

Innes. I consider this man to be the godfather of

the aquarium fish hobby.” Leonard Ramroop

“ . . . a gift from Mike on the occasion of my 14th

birthday of a copy of William T. Innes’s classic

book Exotic Aquarium Fishes. Well, before long

I had read it from cover to cover. Then, I reread it.

I reread it again! Then I practically memorized all

of the fish ‘biographies’.” Joe Ferdenzi

No one ever gave me a copy of Exotic for

my birthday, or put one under my Christmas tree.

No one ever sat beside my bed each night and read

to me “Once upon a time there was a Harlequin

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 11

Rasbora . . . (or a corydoras, or a goldfish, etc.).

No one ever said to me “This book was a big help

to me when I was starting out, and in fact, it still is.

You can borrow it if you like.” As I entered the

fabulous world of fishkeeping, I was uninitiated

and uninformed as to this wonder of wonders.

Then one day I stumbled onto a well-used

copy of the twentieth edition. It is hardbound but

with a “paper” cover (I’ll get back to that shortly),

bright green, and with a photograph of a black-and-

white striped Scatophagus argus. The back cover

design is identical to the front, differing only in

that it doesn’t proclaim the title, and the names of

the author and the editor. My copy has a

publication date of 1979. I was just starting to

build my library of “fish lit,” and I had no idea of

the portal through which I was passing.

As many of you already know, this was

not the cover design of Exotic that was most

recognizable. The green leatherette cover with the

gold embossed rasboras was used from the

inception of Exotic (the first edition came out in

1935) until 1957. Our hobby historians spent a lot

of time discussing leatherette vs. cloth, and dark

green vs. light green.

Of particular interest are the following

quotes from the historical society:

“ . . . the main reason for the lovely leatherette

cover on Exotic was that it was waterproof. A real

asset for folks working and reading around water!

Wm. T. thought of almost everything.”

Alan Mark Fletcher

“I also have a green cloth covered 4th edition

(1942), it has the gold leaf rasboras on the cover,

and a paper spine label. Mine is not really a light

green color, but almost as dark a green as the

leatherette cover.” David Banks

“There are two fourth editions of the Innes book.

I have both. One is the traditional dark green

leatherette, the other is light green in color.

Mark Soberman

There are probably a dozen other similar

entries in this online conversation, but you get the

idea. Returning briefly to my own copy of the

twentieth edition, it was published by Metaframe,

and edited by Klaus Woltman. There are no maps,

no painting of rasboras, and no photo of Dr. Innes.

The thing about the cover is that it is clearly not

either leatherette or cloth. It is a heavy weight,

slightly glossy paper over hardboard. The point I

am trying to make is that in certain years more than

one cover design was produced, and a variety of

materials were used.

My introduction into Exotic was clearly

through the back door. Do I have the ONLY copy

of this book with a photo of a Scatophagus argus

on the cover? This was probably the least

recognizable of all the Exotic covers, and by then

the text had been “dumbed down” as well. So,

where to go from here? Good old-fashioned word-

of-mouth, not to mention a visit or two to Joe

Ferdenzi’s basement, got me moving in the right

direction. Before too long I had some idea of what

I had, as well as what I didn’t.

I’m going to briefly return to our historians:

“I believe he [Joe Ferdenzi] has every edition of

Exotic Aquarium Fishes.” Alan Mark Fletcher

“Any subsequent editions of Exotic Aquarium

Fishes later than the last revised 19th editions are

just not noteworthy or collectable.” Ray Wetzel

“My fourth edition, lime green coloration, has a

spine label. Took me looking at five or six of them

before I traded up to the one with the spine label.”

Paul Harvey

Are you asking yourself why you just read

that? It is because if you are one of the seventy

five percent of GCAS members who raised your

hand when Alan Mark Fletcher asked the group

how many of us owned a copy of Exotic, then you

own a highly collectable book. It goes without

saying that the older and more well preserved it is,

the more valuable it is.

In the last couple of decades it has

become standard practice for publishers to print

excerpts from the most favorable reviews of their

latest offerings. They send complimentary copies

to reviewers, and if no one likes it, then they

review their own product, either on the back cover,

or in a forward/preface. For the first fifty years

(give or take a few) of Exotic, this was not the

norm. I guess the publishers just hadn’t thought of

it yet. Anyway, where I’m headed here is that

Exotic was its own best review, and its author kept

it current with each new edition.

The six copies of Exotic which I am

working with start out with more similarities than

differences, and end up vice-versa. So far I have

been discussing mostly the superficial features of

Exotic. Elsewhere in this issue is a review of what

lies between the covers of editions one, eight, and

thirteen. See you there!

12 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

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 -

by SUSAN PRIEST ? ? ANONYMOUS ? ?

After having read the autobiography of this

m o nth’s ano nym o us f iskeep er , I

scanned the

GCAS membership

through my mind’s

eye. Anyone who

has already been

t h e a n o n y m o u s

fishkeeper, as well as

any of the women,

even if they haven’t

done it yet, can be

eliminated as possible

authors. However,

that leaves us with a

wide-open playing

field, if you will. So,

as you start to roll that

soccer ball around in

your minds in an

attempt to eliminate

candidates, and the

faces of different

members pop up, I

hope you will return

to the beginning of

this fishkeeper’s tale, just for the sheer enjoyment

of reading and rereading it.

Anonymous Fiskeeper/November 2007:

Please introduce yourself.

From my occupation, one would never

guess that underneath I have a scientific and

inquisitive mind. I love to experiment with

different apparatus and techniques to see what

works and what doesn’t work. As a kid, I was

always taking things apart and, unfortunately, not

all the time able to put things back together. My

mother discovered this when I disassembled the

toaster. My scientific and inquisitive mind was

fully satisfied while attending Stuyvesant High

School. By nature I am a skeptic, and I need proof

for any assertion of fact or opinion. For example,

if someone tells me about the best Italian restaurant

in little Italy, my response will be “have you eaten

in all the Italian restaurants there to make that

statement?” However,

if an aquarist with 30

years of experience

renders advice to me, I

will happily accept

that advice based on

his experience. I do

n o t b e l i e v e i n

reinventing the wheel.

After high school, I

went on to take up a

career totally divorced

from science and

technology. To my

amazement, I would

later put my scientific

training to use in my

unscientific career.

What was your very

first fish?

When I was

about 13 years old my

f r i e n d , L e s l i e

Blumberg, showed me his aquarium. He then gave

me two fish. One had nice colors, but the other

was totally drab. I asked him why he didn’t give

me two of the same species. He explained that

they were a pair of guppies, and the male had all

the colors.

Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper.

I went to the library (they existed before

the Internet gave you all the info you needed

without leaving your house), and took out a book

on maintaining an aquarium. I purchased a 10

gallon tank. Its frame was not stainless steel, but

one that was painted black and white. It had a slate

bottom. I do not know to this day what material

the frame was made of. To provide air for my box

filter, I purchased a piston pump, and a heater that

hung on the inside of the tank. Of course I used up

my life savings and borrowed heavily from my

siblings to make this expensive purchase. I was on

my way to a lifetime on and off hobby. I did not

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 13

live far from Nassau Street, and that was the fish

store where I would buy all my fish. They had a

tank in the window that they said was a balanced

aquarium, and the water had not been changed

since the 1930s. By this time it was the mid 50s

and the literature did not seem to challenge this

balanced aquarium theory, where the plants would

absorb all the fish waste and convert them to

oxygen and other nutrients. I was in shock when,

in more recent time, I learned about frequent water

changes in the aquarium. It was contrary to

everything I had learned by then. The point being

that, what is gospel today, may be totally out of

date in the future.

Tell us about your favorite aquarium.

The Aquarium Stock Company was

located not too far from Nassau Street, and I loved

walking over and browsing. I never purchased

anything there because it was much too expensive.

If I saw a fish that I had to have, I would then go

back to Nassau Street to see if they had it, because

prices were much less there. I used to fantasize

that one day I would have enough money to buy at

the Aquarium Stock Company. Unfortunately,

when that day finally arrived, the Aquarium Stock

Company was no longer in existence.

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

I probably would have been a corydoras

catfish, because in my youth I preferred sleeping

all morning and staying up most of the night.

Getting married and having a family forced me into

adopting a more conventional lifestyle.

Who is your hobby hero?

Chubby Checker (that’s right the

twistman). Near the Aquarium Stock Company

another big tropical fish store opened. One day

while in there doing my usual browsing without

buying, in walks Chubby Checker, who was quite

famous as an entertainer. He saw me staring at

him, and he walked over to me and gave me such

a warm greeting that to this day I think about that

meeting when I listen to the oldies radio station,

where they frequently play the twist. “Come

everybody let’s twist again like they did it last

year.”

What fish which you have never kept would you

like to acquire?

I do not have any fantasy fish. The fish I

like are the same ones I kept in the 50s. I like

schooling fish such as barbs, tetras, and danios. Of

course, I always liked guppies. I once had a female

severum who laid eggs on a vertical piece of slate

in my fish tank. I didn’t know it was a female until

I saw the eggs, which, of course, were infertile. I

ran down to the Aquarium Stock Company and

they had a male severum. However, when I saw

the price, I knew my female was destined never to

become a mother.

Describe your Fantasy Fish Tank.

My fantasies are generally tinged with

reality. Presently I have several small tanks. I

would like to have a large 75 to 100 gallon tank in

which I would put different kinds of small

schooling fish such as barbs, tetras, and danios. I

have the space for it, but I have to figure out how

to get it into my basement without my wife seeing

it, and then presenting her with a fait accompli.

Describe your biggest fishkeeping blooper.

I maintained a 15-gallon aquarium in our

apartment, located by the living room window. It

was in a sunny place, and I could not understand

why I had so much algae in the tank. One day I

decided to break down the tank completely. Since

it was by an open window, I figured I would run

the hose from the tank to outside the window and

drain away. I started the siphoning and the water

from the tank started draining out the window to

the grass below, or so I thought. However, the

water started running against the building, and

unfortunately, my neighbors below also had the

window open. I can tell you that my neighbors

were not too happy about having 15 gallons of

water come into their apartment via an open

window.

Describe your most memorable fishkeeping

experience.

My grandson asked me to help him pick

out fish for his community fish tank. It was

exciting to see him running around the store

selecting different species, some of which I

explained to him would not be good in a

community tank. Watching him, I could not help

but to reflect on my own youth, and how in the

blink of an eye I wasn’t the one running around the

fish store choosing for myself, but watching

someone else in my place. Of course, I was very

flattered that he wanted my expert advice on

choosing fish (or was it because he knew that I

would pay for the fish!).

What advise would you give to a beginning

fishkeeper?

Never to be discouraged by your failures.

By trying, experimenting, and of course sometimes

failing, one will build up a body of knowledge

sufficient to be a successful aquarist. I found that

for myself, I learned more from my failures than

from my successes. Again, to repeat, today’s

gospel may be in the trash can tomorrow.

14 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Last month’s Anonymous Fishkeeper:

The Undergravel Reporter!

What are your fishkeeping goals?

I have had very limited success in

breeding egglayers. My goal is to expand my skills

in this area by my favorite method-trial and error.

Final thoughts

After a hiatus of about 20 years, in 2002

I rekindled my interest in tropical fish and attended

a GCAS meeting. I have been attending meetings

regularly now for 5 years. The depth of knowledge

that members possess amazes me. Someone will

be knowledgeable about any aspect of the hobby,

and gladly share their knowledge with you.

Everything I need to know, plus, will be

available to me at a GCAS meeting. One final

observation of mine is that the equipment which

aquarists use is not that different from what was

used in the 50s. We had electric heaters, air

pumps, and filters that are not too different than

what is used today. The fish tanks are all glass

today, and submersible heaters exist. Fluorescent

lights are used instead of incandescent bulbs. The

one invention that did not exist then, but its

inventor should receive the Nobel Prize, is the

Python. It has to be the greatest invention after

chopped liver. Ed Vukich told me about the

Python, and when I purchased one and used it, I

told him how great the snake is. He looked

puzzled and then realized I meant the Python.

We have never had an anonymous

anonymous fishkeeper before. It’s half

the fun, at least for me, when I get to tell

you who the author was from the previous month.

This time I don’t even get to tell you! (Could you

see me stamping my foot when I said that?)

Anyway, if you didn’t guess who last month’s

anonymous fishkeeper was, don’t feel bad. Not

even GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi did (and, prior

to our September 2007 anonymous fishkeeper, Joe

had a 100% track record of guessing correctly!).

The biggest clue was in the answer to the

first question. Our author was paraphrasing a

direct quote which I’ll reproduce for you here:

“They seek him here, they seek him there, those

Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven?

Is he in hell? That demmed illusive Pimpernel.”

This is a quote from the novel and play (and

several movies based on this novel and play), The

Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

The character who spoke it was Sir Percy Blakeley.

He, like our own famous as well as infamous

Undergravel Reporter, had a double-identity.

(Personally, one identity is more than enough for

me to keep track of!)

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a story of

someone who uses a pseudonym to carry out

certain activities. In the literary tradition of Lewis

Carroll (of Alice in Wonderland fame), as well as

Dr. Seuss, Ann Landers, Molière, George Orwell,

and Voltaire, last month’s Anonymous Fishkeeper

writes for Modern Aquarium under a “pen name”

(or, nom de plume).

The Undergravel Reporter column is a

staple of Modern Aquarium. Nothing (except

possibly the Contents page) has been in more

issues from Series III of Modern Aquarium—not a

President’s Message, or an editorial page, not a

Fin Fun Puzzle, or even the logo on our back

cover.

We can safely deduce from the

anonymous fishkeeper column which “Undy”

submitted last month that he/she/(it??) is not one of

our “younger” members, and may have had

something approximating what used to be referred

to as a “classical education.” In addition to the

paraphrase from The Scarlet Pimpernel, did you

notice the paraphrase at the very end from All

Creatures Great and Small, a series of the memoirs

of Scottish veterinarian James Herriot, as well as

a verse from a 19th century hymn by Cecil Frances

Humphreys Alexander? (Yes, folks, that is all one

name!)

Since the “Undergravel Reporter” column

may continue under the new Editor of Modern

Aquarium (ask Dan about this, not me!), I will not

attempt to “out” our October Anonymous

Fishkeeper any more. I hope you enjoyed our first

Anonymous Fishkeeper column in verse, as it may

well be our last.

Sometimes “it” makes you smile and

laugh. Sometimes “it” makes you growl and groan.

At least you finally have a picture of “it” (self-

portraiture at its lowliest), that you can “doodle”

on. You can add devil horns, a black eye, or even

a pair of ears so you can tell “it” what you really

think of its column. As for me, I would just like to

say that any snail droppings which “it” encounters

under there are well-deserved!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 15

The GCASProudly Extends a Most

Warm Welcome to

JOE FERDENZISpeaking On

“Home Depot for the Aquarist”

Joe Ferdenzi has been maintaining aquariums since the age of 12. Currently maintaining 45aquariums

in his fishroom, ranging in size from 125 to 1 1/2 gallons, Joe’s tanks

house just about every type of fish imaginable because, as Joe puts it, he

never met a fish he didn’t like! Joe is presently serving his 18th term as

President of the Greater City Aquarium Society. In addition, he is a Life

Member of both the American Cichlid Association and the American Killifish

Association. He has lectured on a number of aquarium topics, and has been

awarded honorary membership in several aquarium societies, including the

Brooklyn and the Long Island aquarium societies (of New York), and the

Norwalk Aquarium Society (in Connecticut).

He was the first person in America to breed two New World cichlids

(Cicchlasomaa haitiensis, currently described as Nandopsis haitiensis, and

Archocentrus nanoluteus). In 1994, in a poll conducted for Aquarium Fish Magazine, Joe was voted one

of America's three leading experts on community aquariums.

Joe has also authored or co-authored numerous articles that have appeared in “Tropical Fish

Hobbyist magazine,” the “Buntbarsche Bulletin” (the journal of the American Cichlid Association), and

the Journal of the American Killifish Association. Some of these articles have been translated and

published in foreign periodicals in Sweden and Germany. In both 1994 and 1996, the Federation of

American Aquarium Societies (“FAAS”) awarded him their “Author of the Year” award. He has also

received numerous awards from both FAAS and the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies (“NEC”)

for individual articles appearing in Modern Aquarium, the publication of the Greater City Aquarium

Society.

Joe’s library of aquarium literature is extensive, with over 100 hardcover and paperback books,

including some of the earliest treatises on the keeping of aquariums, as well as thousands of aquarium

periodicals, some dating back to 1919.

Joe is an attorney by profession, and holds a doctorate in Law from Boston University. He

currently lives in Greenvale, New York, with his wife, Anita, and their three children: Dean Angelo,

Marissa, and Francesca.

16 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Our PresidentJoseph Ferdenzi

Claudia Dickinson

It was on June 6th of 2001 that the highest lifetime achievement awarded by the GCAS, the Roll

of Honor, found its true name, for on that date, it became the “Joseph Ferdenzi Roll of Honor.” What we

had to say to our President, Joe Ferdenzi, rings as true today as it did on that evening in June of 2001.

Joe Ferdenzi

President of the GCAS

is a most distinguished and exceptional aquarist,

a great leader, a skilled writer,

a studied historian of the GCAS, and an eloquent speaker.

A most caring individual, Joe’s warmth and generosity

permeates the heart of the GCAS and emanates all that we stand for.

Joe is a mentor to many, and an inspiration to all.

It is with great honor, respect, and pride that we,

the Membership of the GCAS, on this day, June 6 2001,th

dedicate our most prestigious award to Joe.

Our Roll of Honor shall henceforth be titled the

“Joseph Ferdenzi Roll of Honor”

With Thanksgiving upon us, tonight is a perfect time to once again give heartfelt words of

appreciation to this special person, who continues to demonstrate extraordinary leadership skills, guiding

the GCAS in a precise, thoughtful, and diplomatic fashion, with a manner in which we can all be proud.

Always remembering to let the rest of us know when we have done our jobs well, and offering reason to

perform our roles with united minds working together towards a common goal, it is, in fact, in enormous

part due to Joe, that the GCAS is what it is today!

Not only is Joe our President, to many of us, he is a dear friend. On a personal note, for me, Joe

is a person who I can phone with the exciting news that a particular fish has spawned, or that a shipment

of fish is about to arrive and would he mind if we drop by, say, around 11 pm. He is someone that I am

inspired to call on my cell phone from a far off primitive world, to share the great excitement with after

stepping out of the wilds of the Amazon jungle, where there is once again a cellular connection. When I

have a brainstorm, such as the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program, and am full of an enthusiasm that can

be overpowering to some, Joe listens with a patient ear, offering kind words of encouragement as well as

invaluably thoughtful input. He is a perfect listener to help sort out an idea or matter in one’s mind, and

to put things in perspective. Joe is always there to share the joys, and understanding and supportive at

times of sorrow.

With his 20th year coming up as President of the GCAS, Joe has been hinting in his monthly

President’s Message of thoughts of stepping aside, passing the torch if you will, to one of us. After 20

years, and watching the marathon that he runs from the start of each meeting, right to the end, this could

be understandable. However, what would the GCAS be without Joe as our leader? It is my great wish, and

I am certain that of yours, that we can continue to pitch together and do our best to ease Joe’s job, while

retaining him as our inimitable, and undoubtedly irreplaceable, President. What an extraordinary GCAS

Holiday that would be!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 17

Special Editiona Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

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

Part TWO: Review of Editions One, Eight, and Thirteen

The year was 1935. The aquarium hobby in

America was youthful and energetic. The

aquarists of the day were thirsty.

Fortunately for them, as well as generations of

aquarists to follow, someone was ready, willing,

and able to quench that thirst. His name was

William T. Innes, and seventy-two years later his

name is still often-spoken, and his writings are still

often-read. Although he has a variety of titles to

his credit, he is most well known for his authorship

of the book Exotic Aquarium Fishes (hereafter

referred to by me as “Exotic”).

In part one of this article (the

introduction), I mention the most recognizable

cover of Exotic. I would like to call your attention

to the photo on the facing page, which is a

reproduction of “the green leatherette cover with

the gold embossed rasboras.” (The title can be

found along the spine, on a paper label.) This cover

design was used from the first edition (1935)

through the nineteenth edition (1957), which was

the last edition to be revised by Dr. Innes. Thus, it

is a representation of the cover of all three editions

of Exotic which are under discussion here.

Start by opening the front cover, and then

stop. Don’t even touch any of the pages yet. What

do you see? It is a map of the Western

Hemisphere. (On the inside of the back cover is a

map of the Eastern Hemisphere.) Before you have

even turned a single page, Dr. Innes is telling you

what he considers to be primary information about

tropical fishes. You aren’t ready for the details yet,

but he wants you to be mindful of the fact that the

habitat location of a given fish will be important to

your study of the topic. These maps have

numerical as well as alphabetical “margins,” which

will guide you as you travel to specific locations.

Dr. Innes will be referring you to these maps very

often, but we will come back to this later.

As you begin to turn the pages, you will

come across a color portrait of a pair of Rasbora

heteromorpha. This is followed by the title page,

which reads Exotic Aquarium Fishes, “a work of

general reference.” Exotic will fit any definition of

a textbook that you can come up with, but don’t

worry—you will like it anyway!

On pages three and four is the

“Author/Publisher’s Introduction” (in this instance,

they are both the same person). “Appreciations”

are most warmly expressed to Dr. George S.

Meyers, as well as for the illuminating comments

which were obtained by having parts of the text

read to various aquarium societies of the day.

(Other people were named as well.)

The “Aquarium Principles” of oxygen,

light, temperature, feeding, fish foods, enemies,

and diseases are the first topics to come under

discussion. Mathematical formulas for calculating

the surface area of water needed by different sizes

of fish are quite specific. There are directions for

constructing a homemade “light strip.” “The light

may be just above or in the water, as long as it is

not in up to the socket.”

The section on fish foods offers the

reader several recipes for making their own

prepared foods. “It is difficult to state what the

temperamental scalare will eat, but they have been

found to like scrambled egg.” Much more

emphasis is placed on the acquisition and feeding

out of live foods, daphnia being deemed to have

particular value.

The text, and especially the photos, of the

enemies of our beloved fishes, are quite scary.

Water tiger, dragon fly larvae, and hydra are the

most heinous. In their predatory stages, they are as

large or even larger than the fish which they are

attacking. The names of the diseases would be

familiar to you, with the possible exception of

“itch,” which should not be confused with “ich.”

There are no photographs in this section. Such

diseases as dropsy and fungus infection are

described, but not illustrated.

Next comes the broader topic of “General

Management.” At this point, Wm. T. covers a

wide variety of subjects in no particular order.

Examples include green water, covers, nets,

seasoning tanks, and tapping on the glass, to name

but a few. He says: “There seems to be about as

much sense to tapping an aquarium glass to gain

the attention of the fishes as there is in speaking in

18 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

a loud tone of voice to someone who does not

understand our language. The result is the same-

fear and confusion.”

Exotic includes a section called “Plants

and Planting.” The first question it asks itself, and

then promptly answers, is “why include plants?”

They supply an aquarium with oxygenation,

purification, and beautification. Many of the plants

are illustrated with

b l a c k - a n d - w h i t e

photographs. Advice on

how to plant reminds us,

among many o ther

points, to keep the

plants moist. “A half-

drying may set them

back for weeks.”

“The pleasure

of aquarium study can

b e d o u b l e d b y

organizing it.” This is

how Wm. T. prefaces

his thoughts on the

classification of fishes.

T h is b rief chap te r

describ es ho w the

appearance of each fish

can help the aquarist

place it in the correct

family. It includes

anatomy diagrams, and

a se c t io n o n th e

breeding of egg-laying

fishes.

Even those of

you who have enough

interest in a seventy-two

year old, out-of-print

book to have read this far are getting restless. It’s

time to clean the glass, both inside and out, so you

can get a good long look at the fishes.

Dr Innes treats each fish as an individual.

How it might fit into a chart, or a list, or a group of

icons is of no interest to him. How a fish presents

itself, and what makes it different rather than

similar to other fishes is how it is described. I

didn’t count how many fishes are represented in the

first edition, but there are 349 pages full of

“finformation.”

As our author explains this important

point much more clearly than I could, I am going to

let him tell you in his own words, quoting from his

introduction: “It will be noted that greatly varying

amounts of text accompany different fish

illustrations. This is deliberate. Where little is

known of a species, or where its habits have just

previously been described for another member of

the same family, we believe blank paper is better

than needless repetition or any literary ‘padding.’

Those species which are especially interesting or

popular, or whose life habits require extra space to

describe, receive it.”

Here are some excerpts from Exotic’s

description of one of your all-time favorite fish:

“‘Missionary’ fish would be a fitting name for this

little beauty, for it far exceeds any other species in

the number of convert aquarists it has made. Each

male is as individual as

a thumb print. Hours

can be spent in the

pleasant pursuit of

trying to disprove that

statement. The only

result will be added

admiration. It is a

livebeare r . I t is

unusually active. It will

t h r i v e i n c l o s e

confinement. It has an

extreme temperature

range of 35 degrees,

from 65 to 100. It

matures rapidly, an

important point for

those aquarists breeding

fo r d e f in i te co lo r

patterns. The species

was first introduced to

a q u a r i s t s f r o m

Kingston, Jamaica, in

1912. Like rings in a

pond, its fame is still

spreading.”

H a v e y o u

guessed yet that our

hero (oops! I mean our

author) is talking about

the ubiquitous guppy? The complete text fills over

two pages. The scientific name attributed to this

fish at that time was Lebistes reticulatus.

At this point I would like to quote Dr.

Innes on the subject of scientific names; “The best

we can say on this point is that ‘names do change’

in accordance with the progress of ichthyological

research. The chief source of confusion has been

the hurry and carelessness of some aquarists in

clapping any name on a newly imported fish before

it has been carefully identified. Later check-up

usually shows such names to be erroneous, with

consequent aquaristic brain-ache.”

In any event, Baensch’s Aquarium Atlas lists

twelve different scientific synonyms for the fish we

all know of as a guppy. In current usage is the

name Poecillia reticulata.

I will stay with the guppy as an example

of how Dr. Innes presents each fish to us. Every

fish “biography” is illustrated. Most have black-

and-white photographs, but many are color

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 19

paintings which have often been mistakenly

thought to be photographs. Here is a brief quote

from the introduction: “The placing of the

illustration and the text together in every instance

is one of the main features of this book.”

Immediately below the illustration is the

scientific name. Then comes a (Latin)

pronunciation guide, and the common name(s) of

the fish. These are followed by the meanings of

the words in the Latin name. For example, in the

instance of our friend the guppy: Lebistes- meaning

not known; reticulatus- netted. The next item is

the geographical location they hail from, followed

by the adult length of males and females.

Ultimately, the last entry under each photo

is a notation directing the reader to either the

Eastern or Western Location Map, and a pair of

letter/number references. In the case of the

guppies, it says “Western Location map x19 to

A24.” (Lower case as well as upper case letters

have been utilized, and x is not a typographical

error, nor is it the same as X.) Then it is a simple

matter of turning to the inside front cover and

finding the place(s) where they cross. After that,

you head right into the text of the “biography” for

each fish.

Buried as discretely as a treasure chest

within the text about guppies is this sage advice:

“Many breeders try to bring the male guppy to a

more robust size. This can only be done by

continuous rapid growth under the influence of the

magic 3 of fish culture-right temperature, plenty of

room per fish and plenty of live food.” The lesson

to be learned here has nothing to do with magic. It

is that as you are reading Exotic, you must not be

a “choosy” reader. Every entry has something to

offer, even if one of your favorite fishes is not

under discussion.

At this point I am going to jump forward

to the eighth edition, which was published in 1947.

Early on you will notice a significant addition. On

the reverse of the title page there is a photograph of

our author, Dr. William T. Innes. The first revision

of Exotic to contain this photo was the sixth

edition. The reason for this addition was a very

simple one. His readers requested it. They wanted

to see what this highly revered man looked like.

The major difference between the first

edition of Exotic, and the successive editions, can

be summed up by tallying the number of pages.

The first edition has 463 pages, the eighth edition

has 507 pages, and the thirteenth edition has 520

pages. The additional pages represent a

comparable number of additional fishes under

discussion. (As per an earlier entry, we already

know that some fishes may have had more space

allotted to them than others.) Another, and perhaps

even simpler way to observe this population

growth is to look at the index of fishes, which

noticeably expands with each edition.

Occasionally a fish has been removed from the

lineup, due to the fact that it is no longer available

to aquarists.

A couple of other changes can be noted

near the end of the book. The eighth edition, and

subsequently the thirteenth, have a couple of pages

on marine aquariums. Also, there is a brief section

on “community tank combinations.” Our author

makes numerous disclaimers as to the usefulness of

this feature, and presents his suggestions with

hesitation. As in the case of including his own

likeness, he compiled these lists in response to the

requests of his readers.

Here is one final observation. The value

our author placed on aquarium societies was

evident right from the very beginning. His

comments on the subject were brief, but they were

italicized in their entirety!

A thorough search of the eighth and

thirteenth editions with the proverbial fine-toothed

comb, which would turn up the addition of a word

here, and the removal of one there, would not

contribute anything of substance to this review.

The main difficulty in working from the earlier

editions is that many, indeed most, of the names of

the fishes have been changed.

It seems to me that I have told you too

little, as well as too much. Clearly, I couldn’t tell

you everything. I have tried to choose quotations

which will give you a feel for the era, the material

at hand, and the man himself. I would like to give

you one last quote to ponder until next month.

“They sail like swans asleep.” What fish do you

think Dr. Innes was referring to? I’ll tell you

which one it is next month in part three of this

article, when I will be reviewing editions nineteen,

twenty, and twenty one of Exotic Aquarium Fishes.

Reference:

Baensch, Hans A. and Riehl, Dr. Rudiger.

Aquarium Atlas (Volume I), Baensch Publishing,

1991.

20 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

“DAM !”

THE AMUSING AQUARIUM

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 21

FAASinations—News From: The Federation of American Aquarium Societies

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

The Federation of American Aquarium

Societies (“FAAS”) was formed in 1973. It

is a service organization of and for aquarium

societies of North, Central and, South America.

Greater City is a member of FAAS.

The FAAS website (http://www.faas.info/)

has added a new program by Charlie Grimes, a

veteran of over 30 years on the aquarium speaking

circuit, titled “Introduction to Killifish” that can be

downloaded and played at a club meeting. This

63-slide program features audio narration and great

photography!

FAAS has also added the following two

exhaustive guides on its website in Adobe Acrobat

.PDF format:

• Starting an Aquarium Society (27-pages)

• How to Plan and Run Aquarium Society

Meetings (34-pages)

These guides were originally authored many years

ago. Both have been revised and updated with new

information.

There is also a new slide presentation

(audio included) on how a club can run a

successful swap meet. The link to this presentation

includes the presentations, forms, and a printable

copy to share. The 27 minute presentation can be

viewed on-line at the website.

Of particular interest to GCAS members

should be the FAAS Publication Awards. Virtually

any article submitted for Modern Aquarium is

eligible for a FAAS Publication Award. The

awards are based on a calendar year. So, anyone

wishing to have his or her article considered for a

2007 FAAS Publication Award needs to have the

article printed in 2007. For those who may be

interested, you only have one month left, so get

those articles in soon! (Of course, articles that

arrive too late for publication in 2007 will be

considered for publication in 2008, and eligible for

a 2008 FAAS Publication Award).

News from: the NortheastCouncil of Aquarium Societies

The NEC’s 33rd Annual Convention will

be held on April 11 - 13, 2008 at the Marriott

Hotel in Farmington, CT. The contest rules for

designing a logo for this Convention are as follows:

The logo should incorporate this year’s

theme, “Pirates of the NEC,” into a “fishy” design,

representative of a Tropical Fish Convention. It

may (but need not) include the dates of the

convention, or that this will be the 33rd

convention.

1) The artist must be a member of an NEC club.

2) The entry must be original (never used before).

3) The entry must be submitted by the artist. (Send

two copies of each entry, one signed and one not

signed.)

4) The design should follow the theme of this

year’s banquet, “Pirates of the NEC.”

Submit a four-color version (black

outlining, if used, counts as one color). Avoid

shading, as it will not reproduce as you intend it to

on the T-shirts.

5) The winning logo will

appear on the cover of

the Annual Convention

program, the Registration Flier and on the

Convention T-shirts, and may be used in any/all

NEC Convention publicity. Part or all of the logo

may be used on the registration button and may be

modified to fit.

6) The artist may recommend a color for the

T-shirt (the final color to be decided by the NEC).

6) The winner will receive a free T-shirt, two free

registrations for the 33rd Annual Convention, and

two free banquet tickets!

7) The deadline is November 27, 2007. All entries

must be in the hands of Janine Banks before this

date. Please mail your entry(s) to:

Janine Banks

315 US Route 2

Grand Isle, VT 05458

(802)372-8716 (dbanks@together.net)

22 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

American Killifish Association

2008 National Convention

The Upstate New York Killifish Association is proud to sponsor the46th annual American Killifish Association National Convention for2008.

The convention is set for Friday, May 23 through Sunday May 25

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

American Cichlid Association

2008 National ConventionThe American Cichlid Association ACA holds an annual convention, usually in

July, featuring cichlid experts asspeakers, a competitive cichlidshow, an auction of cichlids, andopportunities to meet othercich l id hobbyists . Thisweekend-long event is thehighlight of the year and isusually attended by 600 or morepeople.

The 2008 AmericanCichlid Association Convention is being held in Atlanta,

Georgia, from Thursday, July 17th through Sunday, July 20th, 2008. It will behosted by the Atlanta Area Aquarium Association (AAAA)

http://www.aca2008.com/

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 23

American Livebearer Association

2008 Annual Convention

May 1-4, 2008 San Antonio Texas

Fish Farm visit and collecting trip on Thursday May 1.

Collecting trip and visit to the Xiphophorus Genetic Stock

Center on Friday, May 2.

International speaker lineup on May 3, with reception and dinner.

Huge Livebearer fish show, and a huge auction on May 4.

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

Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies

2008 Annual Convention

The NEC’s 33rd Annual Convention will be held

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 whose costumemost closely exemplifies that year's theme. Thetheme for the 2008 Convention is: the “Pirates ofthe NEC.”

more details to follow

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

24 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

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.

DHMOand You!

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

There have been quite a few product recalls

recently, including some involving pet (and

even fish) food that might be contaminated

with toxic substances. This brings me to a warning

about a chemical that, without any question, is

present in all of your aquariums right now! I refer

to dihydrous monoxide, or DHMO. DHMO is a

colorless, odorless, and tasteless chemical. Its basis

is the unstable radical Hydroxide, the components of

which are found in a number of caustic, explosive

and poisonous compounds such as sulfuric acid,

nitroglycerine, and ethyl alcohol.

DHMO kills thousands of people every

year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental

inhalation of DHMO. While high levels of

inhalation can cause death by infiltrating the lungs

and interfering with proper air exchange, low levels

of inhalation can cause coughing, choking, and

labored breathing. Even temporary exposure to

DHMO can cause permanent neurological

dysfunction, and low dose exposure may provoke

aspirated pneumonia and dyspnoeia. Some

symptoms of DHMO ingestion include a bloated

feeling, excessive urination, vomiting, and body

electrolyte imbalance.

DHMO can take any form: gas, liquid, or

solid. It is potentially dangerous, even lethal,

regardless of which form it takes. As a gas, it can

severely burn your skin, blind you, and scald your

lungs. As a liquid, it can intrude into every aperture

of your body and prevent you from obtaining

oxygen. Its liquid form causes millions of dollars

worth of damage every year and claims thousands of

lives. Prolonged exposure to its solid form can

cause severe tissue damage, intracellular

crystallization, and molecular slowdown in the body

eventually leading to death.

It’s also highly addictive. (It has been

reliably reported that, once you start drinking it, you

can’t stop. There is currently no known treatment

for DHMO addiction.)

DHMO is a “greenhouse gas.” It has

been described as an “environmental disaster.” It

is a major component of acid rain. It causes soil

erosion, and it is widely believed that excessive

levels of DHMO caused (or contributed

significantly to) the levee failures, flooding, and

general destruction following Hurricane Katrina in

2005. DHMO can literally eat away many metals,

and can carve through solid rock as if it were

butter. In certain seasons its presence on roads

causes, or contributes to, automobile accidents.

DHMO can be found in every lake,

stream, river, or pond in the northern hemisphere.

It is a by-product of explosives and the combustion

of hydrocarbons. Virtually every factory and

business in America generates at least some

DHMO.

Pharmaceutical companies have put

DHMO to use in large quantities in conjunction

with many forms of cruel animal research. It has

been linked to the distribution of pesticides, and is

often sprayed on crops of all kind. Even after

washing, produce remains contaminated by this

chemical. Once exposed, it is almost impossible to

wash DHMO off of the skin. It causes electrical

failure, and decreased effectiveness of automobile

brakes. It has been found in tumors of terminal

cancer patients. The military has spent billions of

dollars building and designing weapons to harness

this chemical. DHMO is often used as an

industrial solvent, in nuclear power plants, in the

production of Styrofoam, and as a fire retardant.

Here is a partial list of places DHMO can

be found:

• nuclear power plants

• processed foods

• automobile exhaust emissions

• most household chemicals, includ ing

floor cleaners, pesticides, and other

poisons

• tumors in terminal cancer patients

• many types of industrial chemicals

• several types of chemical weapons

• fire retardants

• several different types of junk food

• your fish tanks!

You can sign an on-line petition to the

U.S. Congress to ban or regulate DHMO at:http://www.petitiononline.com/spots350/petition.html

By the way, “dihydrous monoxide” means

having two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom,

2In other words, DHMO is H O , and that’s just

plain water. On the other hand, every statement

about DHMO above is absolutely true!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 25

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26 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:

1) Kin Ha 2) Kin Ha 3) Bill Amely

UNOFFICIAL results this season, to date:

Ed Vukich 18; Carlotti De Jager 11; Kin Ha 8; Artie Friedman 7; Bill Amely 5;

Mario Bengcion 5; Claudia Dickinson 3; Darwin Richmond 3; Warren Feuer 1

Welcome new member:

Dan Puleo

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; December 12, 2007

Members’ Holiday Party and Awards Banquet

7:30pm at: The Palace Diner

60-15 Main Street • Flushing, NY 11355

(718) 762-8800

Contact: Joseph Ferdenzi (516) 484-0944

E-mail: GreaterCity@compuserve.com

Website: http://www.greatercity.org

Brooklyn Aquarium SocietySPECIAL EVENT: November 24

Aquarium Tag Sale Swap Meet

Floyd Bennett Field's Aviator Sports

Center 10 AM - 3 PM

Dealers, vendors, breeders tables. Come

to sell or buy; livestock, plants, dry

goods and aquarium items. Small

admission fee.

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 SocietyNext Meeting: November 16, 2007

Speaker: Chart Guthrie

Topic: Invasive Species

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 - president@liasonline.org

Nassau County Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: December 11, 2007

Holiday Party

Meets: 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: November 15, 2007

Speaker: Randy Carey

Topic: “The Rio Negro, Project Piaba, and

the Pursuit of Hope”

Meadowlands Environmental Center - One

Dekorte Plaza - Lyndhurst, NJ

Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392

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

or e-mail: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com

Norwalk Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: November 15, 2007

Speaker: David Soares

Topic: “Up To Date with Apistogramma

Today”

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: jchapkovich@snet.net

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

Website: http://norwalkas.org/

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) November 2007 27

Fin FunMath is Fun!

Or is it? These questions are self-explanatory:

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?

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

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?

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?

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

have?

This month’s Fin Fun was inspired by the movie “Idiocracy.”

Solution to last month’s puzzle: Spelling “P”

Name of plant Spelled correctly Spelled incorrectly

Vesiculia bubyana X

Water Sprite X

Anubias barterii X

Cobomba X

Microsorum pteropus X

Algae X

Anubias nanna X

Ceratophyllum demersum X

Ceratophyllum echinacia X

Naajas X

28 November 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)