Buckeye Bulletin. The Ohio Cichlid Association. Next Meeting: Friday January 8 th at 8pm

Transcription

1 The Ohio Cichlid Association Buckeye Bulletin January 2010 In This Issue: Extravaganza: Strazinsky with video at Fridays meeting. Choosing the best air system for your fish room Swap Meet Upgrade. How you can help. Next Meeting: Friday January 8 th at 8pm

2 OCA Mission The OCA is an organization dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of information relating to all aspects of the biology of cichlids and related aquatic life. Our purpose is to promote the interest, keeping, study, breeding, and the educational exhibition of Cichlids. Additionally, the exchange of ideas, meeting new people, and distribution of information concerning Cichlids is of primary interest. On The Cover This month s cover features a pic from Extravaganza Ron Georgeone s magnificent Amphilophus citrinellum took best of show this year and we are lucky to have it grace the cover of our publication. Photo by Frank Mueller

3 2009 OHIO CICHLID ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Emperor Emeritus Mike Neelon President Don Danko Brecksville Vice-President Dan Woodland Parma Treasurer Rhonda Sorensen Cleveland OCA Historian Lew Carbone Norwalk Membership Kyle May Strongsville Andrew Subotnik Barberton B.A.P. Mark Chaloupka Northfield Catfish B.A.P. Dave Ayres Boardman Bowl Show Andrew Subotnik Barberton Raffle Dawn Dewerth Columbia Station Librarian Hilary Lacerda Shaker Heights Photographer Frank Mueller Kent Videographer Jonathan Strazinsky Orwell Secretary Steve Heinbaugh Massillon Refreshments Gayle and Joe Ring Valley City

4 Buckeye Bulletin STAFF Editor Kyle May Strongsville Exchange Editor Eric Sorensen Cleveland Web Editor Frank Mueller Kent Production Consultant Martha Niehaus Cleveland The Ohio Cichlid Associations Buckeye Bulletin is produced monthly by the Ohio Cichlid Association. All articles and photographs contained within this publication are being used with consent of the authors. If you have an article, photograph, or ad to submit for publication, please send it to When submitting articles for publication in this bulletin, please remember to include any photographs or art for inclusion in the article. The Ohio Cichlid Association is not responsible for any fact checking or spelling correction in submitted material. Articles will be edited for space and content. Ohio Cichlid Association members in good standing may place a for sale ad in our Cichlid Exchange section at no charge. Please remember to spell check your ad and include your contact information. Ad s will be printed in the bulletin as they are received, so make sure you ve proof read your ad and checked species spelling prior to submission. All information contained in this bulletin is for the use of The Ohio Cichlid Association members. If you would like to become a member of The Ohio Cichlid Association, please contact Andrew Subotnik or Kyle May using the contact information contained in the Membership section located on the previous page.

5 Call OCA Calling For Content For 2010 The Ohio Cichlid Association has upgraded the Newsletter to be more of an Electronic Cichlid Magazine than a Newsletter. This means that we can include more information, features, and fish pics that ever before. Since I don t have a staff, (and this is YOUR publication as an OCA Member), I m asking each of you to contribute to this publication this year. I know you ve got some great pics of your fish or you ve got enough experience with a species to write a short article. It s simple and quick. Take some time one day to consider what you have to offer. There are a lot of members out here that will benefit from your experience and would love to hear what you have to say. This is your club, this is your publication. Support it. Editors Contact information for all submissions: kylesureshotmay@yahoo.com kylemay@live.com Ohiocichlidassociationbulletin@live.com

6 President s Message By Don Danko Happy New Year to you and yours! Hard to believe, but 2010 is here. For note, our January Membership Meeting will be held on Friday, January 8, as the first Friday would not have worked out due to falling on New Years Day. The December Membership Holiday celebration was sure one gala event! We had lots of things to do, but the Pot Luck Dinner was the highlight of the evening. Ham, turkey, sausage, potatoes, chicken soup, salad and out of this world desserts were all featured. If you went away hungry, it was your own fault!! My personal favorite hot dish was the Cajun noodle dish (great job, George!) and favorite dessert was the pretzel/chocolate/caramel treat unbelievable!!! I can t wait until next year. In addition to the food fest, we had gifts for the kids from Santa Dan, a Membership Raffle, a special raffle for a small tank set-up, a Bowl Show, Breeders Award presentations for cichlids and cats, a big auction and annual elections. All of the current Board members will be continuing on, with a few shifts in responsibility. Be sure to see the listing in the early part of this bulletin to see the current alignment. Also, if you are interested in getting involved with the operations of the club, let one of the Board members know. We can particularly use help in the area of Speakers. We want to staff that area with committee members to split up the workload. So, let us know if you can help out! Please note that we would like to get your input on how to improve attendance at our Swap Meet events. We are sending out a one page and straight forward survey with this bulletin and would ask that you take a quick moment to fill it out. If you didn t get to see all of the talks you wanted to see at the Extravaganza, you can borrow them from the OCA Library, thanks to the work of Jonathan Strazinsky. See Hilary Lacerda at the next meeting to check them out. As always, keep current on OCA activities by visiting our website, at and by checking out our forum. There is a link to the forum from the website. Don

7 Ohio Cichlid Association 2009 Winter Auction 13 February 2010 WHAT: Giant Auction of: Cichlids, Catfish, Plants & Dry Goods. AUCTION BEGINS: 10 am REGISTRATION: 9 am - 11 am WHERE: Holiday Inn Select Strongsville Phone: Royalton Road Strongsville, Ohio Located at I-71 and Route 82 just 10 minutes south of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. INFO: Dan Woodland: mojarra@cox.net Rhonda Sorensen: IThinkFast@aol.com Don Danko: donfish@ameritech.net or Please have your sellers form filled out ahead of time! We always need Runners! Amphilophus rhytisma WINTER AUCTION RULES: 1. This is a Cichlid, Catfish, Aquatic Plant, and Dry Goods auction only!!! 2. Registration ends at 11 am sharp. Late comers can be accepted at the discretion of the OCA, but their goods will be placed on a black selling table, and will be auctioned after all red, blue, green and yellow bags have been sold. No exceptions! 3. 5 bags per species/color morph maximum. Please be aware that the check-in procedure will validate all limits bags per family maximum. Please be aware that the check-in procedure will validate all limits. 5. Bags can be labeled with labels or permanent marker. You will also be required to submit a Seller Sheet listing your information and each of your bags of fish. 6. Bags should be labeled with your three initials (ABC) then a number 1 to All bags will be distributed among the colored selling tables (red, blue, green, and yellow). Bags of one color will be auctioned first, then the next, and so on. The color for the first bags to be auctioned will be randomly drawn right before the auction begins (ie. red may not be first), and nobody knows what color will be first until right before the start of the auction. 8. All fish to be auctioned will be in suitable quality bags. No zip-loc bags or similar low quality bags will be accepted. 9. No sick or deformed fish will be accepted. If such fish are found, they will not be auctioned. 10. All sales are final. Buyer beware! 11. No item may be removed from the auction once it has been registered. 12. The split is: the first $1 to the club, and of the remainder 70% to the seller, 30% to the club. 13. Any unclaimed items at the end of the auction will become the property of the Ohio Cichlid Association. 14. Cash is encouraged. A number system will be used for anyone wishing to run a tab. Buyers must register with the registration committee at the beginning of the auction. Personal checks will be accepted with proper identification. 15. All similar items may be sold at the last bid according to the discretion of the auctioneer, with the highest bidder having first choice, and other bidders having subsequent choices.

8 kkkkk The View From Here By Kyle May - Bulletin Editor I don t know about you, but I m glad 2010 is finally here. I wasn t a big fan of much that happened in 2009, except how well the Ohio Cichlid Association is doing. Just FYI our membership is up by about 54% and we just concluded the most successful Extravaganza ever. Looking forward to 2010 you ll find that our club is not only growing in membership but in other ways as well. You ll find tons of new things happening in the 2010 edition of the Ohio Cichlid Association. For the OCA, 2010 is gonna be sweeeet! This is our biggest and best issue of the Buckeye Bulletin so far. Inside you ll find a great article that will help you pick the correct air system for your fish room. I think you ll find Andrew Subotnik s article enlightening, whether you have two tanks or fifty. Also in this issue is a new column by Dan Woodland called Dissecting the Hobby. Each month Dan will take an in-depth look at a specific facet of the hobby and help you to maximize your aquaristic success. This column is a must read for anyone who wants to share in the wealth of fish keeping knowledge that is the Ohio Cichlid Association We also need you to help us out with the Swap Meet. Inside is a survey that you need to complete so that we can make this event even more successful. Take a few moments to fill out the questionnaire and get it back to us. Your input is important. And on that theme, Dan Ogrizek takes a lighthearted look at the Swap Meet we had at the November meeting. His piece entitled, Fish for Fowl reminds us to keep an open mind while selling our goods at the next event. Don t miss the social meeting. Notice it s been moved to January 8 th due to the holiday. Our Monster Fish Rescue buddy and club Videographer, Jonathan Strazinsky will entertain us with some video from the Extravaganza. It s an event not to be missed. Talk to you next month, Editors Vieja Synspilum ->

9 B y Andrew Subotnik Ophthalmotilpia Mpimbwe Ventralis Courtesy of Mark Moore Congratulation to Dustin Brummitt who is awarded the 2009 Bowl Show Winner! Dustin had an incredible 307 points for the year, and as the 2009 winner Dustin will receive a 55 gallon tank with hood and lights! Look for a few changes in 2010, to include a class in May for the Grow-Out Contest fish (hopefully you are still feeding them well!), and a new class in June for all West African Cichlids. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming announcement regarding the 2010 Bowl Show Grand Prize! On the docket for January we have Tanganyikan Shell Dwellers, Central Americans under 6 (adult size), and Loracariids (Pleco types) over 6 (adult size). If you re not sure that your fish qualifies for a particular class you can contact me with questions. Phone or drewluvspeaches@yahoo.com The January Bowl Show ushers in a new beginning for the points race so don t get left in the dust, start early and compete often and you could be the next big winner! Andrew

10 Prizes: Best of Show: $20 Cash Quarter Champ: $35 Pet Shop certificate 2010 Champ: TBA November Results: A. Tanganyikan Lamps (Excluding Shell Dwellers) No Entries B. 6 Fry (Free swimming later than 9/04/2009) 1 st Pelmatochromis Nigrofasciatus Dustin Brummitt 2 nd Melanochromis Labrosus Dustin Brummitt 3 rd Julidochromis Ornatus Dustin Brummitt C. Open Malawi (Limit of 3 entries per contestant) 1 st Aulonocara Sp. Ruby Red Dustin Brummitt 2 nd Metriaclima Msobo Dustin Brummitt 3 rd Placidochromis Phenochilus Dustin Brummitt January Classes: A. Tanganyikan Shell Dwellers B. Central Americans Under 6 C. Loricariids (Pleco Types) Over 6 February Classes: A. Victorian Basin Cichlids B. Angelfish C. Synodontis and other Mochokids Standings Dec th Qtr D. Brummitt Lacerdas S. Myers A. Gorges K. McGill G. Anagnostopoulos M. Lentini J. Johnson J. Strazinsky K. Galaska G. Mendez Point System 1 st place nd place. 7 3 rd place.5 Non-placing entries...1 Best of Show* 5 *Only awarded if 2 or more entries.

11 January Meeting: Jonathan Strazinsky with Extravaganza Video Highlights Next Social Meeting January 8th, 2009 Old Oak Church, 7575 Old Oak Blvd, Middleburg Heights, Ohio Meeting Starts at: 8pm Directions: From the North take I-71 South Take exit 235 (Bagley Rd.). Turn Right onto Bagley. Turn left onto Old Oak Blvd. Church is about ½ mile on left. Old Oak Blvd. Southwest General Hospital Bagley Rd. I-71 From the South take I-71 North Take exit 234. Turn Right onto Pearl Rd. (42) Turn Left onto Fowles Rd. Turn Right onto Old Oak Blvd. Church is on the right 1/10 mile. Old Oak Church Old Oak Church 7575 Old Oak Blvd. Middleburg Heights, Ohio Fowles Rd.

12 Dissecting the Hobby By Dan Woodland Our new Editor, the venerable Kyle May, has asked me to contribute a new monthly column in this space each month. This new column will address or examine one of the many aspects of keeping Cichlids. Each month I ll examine a specific part of the hobby. For example, water changes could be the subject matter one month. In that column I would explain how, when and why we should do regular water changes. This will be an opportunity for those who are new to the hobby to learn about time tested techniques that will increase your success and overall enjoyment of the hobby. Even veteran cichlidiots will find some tips that will make keeping cichlids easier. In Dissecting the Hobby, I d like to include your ideas or questions so please send me your ideas or questions regarding a specific aspect of keeping Cichlids to mojarra@cox.net. I look forward to hearing from you, Dan Woodland Dan

13 BREEDERS AWARD PROGRAM December 4 th, 2009 By Mark Chaloupka George Anagnostopoulos Labidochromis sp. Mbamba yellow top 10 Protomelas taeniolatus tangerine tiger 10 Dustin Brummitt Julidochromis ornatus 15 Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus 10 Lew Carbone Lepidiolamprologus hecqui 15 Tilapia zilli 10 Bryan Davis Amititlania nigrofasciatus pink convicts 10 Neolamprologus brichardi Milema red dot 10 Steve Heinbaugh Pseudotropheus saulosi 10 Mark Huntington Neolamprologus helianthus 10 Hilary Lacerda Haplochromis burtoni 10 Nanachromis teugelsi 15 Nimbochromis livingstoni 10 Telmatochromis sp. orange scribble 10 The points list for the Breeders Award Program has been updated to include only current members. If you are a current member and your name has been omitted, please see the B.A.P. Chairman at the social meeting so we can correct any errors. Please remember: You may only turn in a species or strain of fish for B.A.P. points one time. If you need a list of what you have been credited with, see the BAP chairman at the social meeting.

14 CURRENT B.A.P. STANDINGS (12/4/09) BREEDER 2009 TOTAL MASTER BREEDER 1000 POINT LEVEL Don Danko Lew Carbone Dan Woodland Linda Wallrath 1130 Rich & Maggie Schoeffel POINT LEVEL Dennis Tomazin Mark Chaloupka POINT LEVEL Tom Swiderski POINT LEVEL Gary & Ramona Omerzo 740 Dustin Brummitt POINT LEVEL Jeff Natterer 690 John Tesar POINT LEVEL Bill Schwartz 595 Hilary & Antonio Lacerda Charlie & Cathy Suk Ron Georgeone POINT LEVEL Bryan Davis POINT LEVEL Richard & Crystal Pittenger 395 Ken Galaska Christopher Blondin 355 Bob Bina Gary Zalewski POINT LEVEL Marc & Dawn DeWerth 195 Ozeal Hunter 190 Chuck Carroll 185 Eric & Rhonda Sorensen 170 Ken & Karen Grimmett 160 Gary Mendez Phil Hypes Andrew Subotnik Greg Seith George Anagnostopoulos Joe Ring David Ayers Bill & Janice Bilski 100 Bob Blazek Ken Rawlinson 100 Jonathan Strazinsky BREEDER LEVEL Mark Huntington Michael Danko 65 Marco Lentini Josh Johnson Frank Mueller Bob Tillman 60 Dan Ogrizek 50 Daniel Scheeff Dennis Hitch 40 Christopher Sooy 35 Steve Heinbaugh Tom & Carolyn Evers Alex Gorges Andy Lacerda Bill Sensor 20 John Kaminski Fred Roberts Ron Drungil Dave Enser POINT LEVEL David Hale 275 Tyler Toncler Rick Hallis Dave Skok 240 Jerry Freeman 220 Kyle May

15 Don t forget that your Membership was due in November. The Ohio Cichlid Association is the coolest Cichlid and Catfish Club on the planet and it s also a great deal. Our membership contribution is only $15 - you just can t beat it! Make sure that you stay current and send in your membership contribution today. Thanks to the generosity of our members, the OCA gets better every year! To renew your membership please contact: Andrew drewluvspeaches@yahoo.com OR Kyle May kylemay@live.com OR by mail: Ohio Cichlid Association Whitney Rd. Strongsville, Ohio OR Pay online: PayPal@ohiocichlid.com

16 OHIO CICHLID ASSOCIATION CATFISH BREEDERS REPORT DECEMBER 4, 2009 Breeder Don & Marilyn Danko Don & Marilyn Danko Don & Marilyn Danko Phil Hypes Phil Hypes Species Ancistrus sp. snowflake bushynose Corydoras aneus green Corydoras barbatus Ancistrus sp. albino bushynose Ancistrus sp. brown bushynose Points TOTALS (thru 12/4/09) NAME 2009 TOTAL Don & Marilyn Danko Dan Ogrizek Dan Woodland Linda Wallrath - 75 Charlie Suk Bob Bina - 60 Eric & Rhonda Sorensen - 55 Jeff Natterer - 50 Tyler Toncler Hilary Lacerda - 40 Dave Ayres Dustin Brummitt Rick Hallis Phil Hypes John Kaminski Marco Lentini Dennis Tomazin Bob Blazek Kyle May - 20 Gary & Ramona Omerzo - 20 Phil Ayres Lew Carbone Chuck Caroll - 10 Mark Chaloupka - 10 Karen Grimmett - 10 David Hale - 10 Rosemary Hitch - 10 Richard Pittenger - 10 Brian Shrimpton - 10 Kris Sooy - 10 John Tesar - 10 Bob Tillman - 10

17 Choosing the Right Air System ByAndrew Subotnik When it comes to projects in my fish room, I find that it s easy to underestimate the essentials needed to complete tasks like time, space, equipment, etc. This is especially true when it comes to choosing the best air system design and more importantly, choosing an air pump that is capable of supplying your system. Before you can choose which air pump is best for your application, there are many factors that should be considered first, and in this article I will address each of these factors. These factors include how many feet of PVC pipe you will install, the diameter of the PVC pipe you should use, the amount of aquariums you will plan run, the amount of air valves that you will need for each aquarium, the depth of the water in those aquariums, and finally, the type of filters and equipment you plan to run with the air. Main Air Supply Lines (PVC PIPE) Before you purchase or install any PVC pipe, it is important to create a diagram or a sketch of your fish room. Using a piece of graph paper you can easily draw your fish room to scale. This will help you to know exactly how many feet of PVC pipe you will need to install, and also how many couplers and connectors (T s, 90 s, etc.) you will need. It is also important to consider how many tiers of tanks you will have. In my experience it is best to have the PVC pipe installed on each individual tier of tanks rather than only having the PVC pipe installed near the ceiling and having long pieces of air line run down to the tanks on the lower tiers. Installing PVC mains for each tier will reduce the amount strain put on the air pump, and in the end will help the air pump to have a longer life. You will also want to be sure there are no dead ends in the PVC pipe. This simply means that you should create a loop so that any excess air can continue to move through the system with a continuous flow, rather than just dissipate at a dead end. This will result in a more efficient and reliable air system. The diameter of the PVC pipe also needs to be considered carefully. The smaller the diameter of the PVC pipe, the more pressure the air system will carry and the larger the diameter, the more volume of air the system will carry. There is a fine line of pressure and volume that you will want to achieve. Too much pressure can be a bad thing and likewise not enough can be detrimental to the success of the system. The proper diameter of PVC pipe is to be determined based on the type of air pump that you use. For example, if you chose to run a blower you will want to use a larger diameter of PVC pipe (1 plus, depending on the size of the blower), this will allow air flow without creating too much resistance on the blower. I recommend at least two valves for each aquarium, -even small aquariums. Likewise, if you are using a linear, piston or diaphragm style pump you would want to use a smaller diameter pipe (3/4 to 1 ) to assure that the system will still carry enough pressure to be able to run the aquariums properly.

18 LAYOUT AND PLACEMENT OF THE AIR PUMP Now that you have evaluated the amount and diameter of PVC pipe that is required for your application, you will want to consider the amount of aquariums that you plan to run and also the size of those aquariums, more specifically the depth of the water in those tanks. A good rule of thumb is that when designing the layout of your fish room, you should try to position the deepest tanks closest to the air pump. This is simply because the amount pressure and volume in the system is greatest at the closest point to the air pump. This can be achieved by merely taking into account where you place the tanks and where you place the air pump itself. PLANNING FOR ADEQUATE AIR SUPPLY This is a Won Brothers AV or AP100 High Volume Diaphragm pump and it is capable of running a medium sized fish room of about 50 tanks. It uses 100 watts of power and costs about $140. The AP100 pumps 9150 cubic inches of air per minute. This unit is shown in Kyle May s fish room and is hooked into a 1 pvc continuous loop system to prevent dead spots. This pump has run continuously for over 2 yrs with out need of rebuild because of proper planning as described in this article. Photo by Kyle May

19 Pictured at left is the Won Brothers AV-50 High Volume Diaphragm Air Pump. This unit is capable of running tanks and is perfect for the small to medium fish room. It is available at Kens Fish, and retails for $ This unit uses only 40 watts of power and pumps 2900 cubic inches of air per minute. The AV-50 can be installed in using 1 PVC pipe in a continuous loop system. This is a cost effective way to power multiple tanks. Even a modest air pump meant to pump only two outlets on a single tank can cost upwards of $30, so for just over the cost of a couple of smaller air pumps, you can own a pump that will power an entire fish room. Photo by Kyle May One crucial mistake that is made by many hobbyists is not taking into account how many air valves will be installed in the air system. Keep in mind that with each air valve that is installed the system will lose available air and if too many valves are installed there will be a noticeable reduction in the air supply. A good plan is to overestimate how many air valves you will need. I recommend at least two valves for each aquarium, even the small aquariums, just in case you would ever need extra air for any reason, and for larger aquariums (over 40 gallons) you should plan on three or more valves for each aquarium. DETERMINING THE BEST TYPE OF FILTER The last thing to consider is what type of equipment you will be running with your available air. The most popular option today is a sponge filter; this type of filter will require less air than some other popular options, such as air stones and bubble wands that will require more pressure to run due to the fact of there is more resistance with the small pores or holes that there air escapes from. Many hobbyists will use an air stone inside of their sponge filter, creating a greater need for air pressure, so keep that in mind while planning for the amount of air you will need.

20 Filter options are numerous, but the most popular filters today among aquarists with multiple tanks are sponge filters. Pictured here from left to right are a Lee Box Filter, Tetra Brilliant Sponge Filter, an ATI Hydro sponge filter, and an ATI Hydro sponge filter with reticulated foam. Each of these filters has a distinct use for the aquarist. Old style box filters are still used by aquarists to gently remove particulates from fry tanks while the Tetra Brilliant filter is perfect for small fry tanks and uses two smaller upright sponges. The Hydro sponges from ATI are the workhorses of the larger fish room and are widely used for their cost effectiveness plus efficient design. Photo By Kyle May The simplest way to avoid problems with your air system is pre-planning. Putting some thought into tank placement along with what size and type of filters the air system will run can help you decide which air pump is right for you. Making sure that you size your pump correctly for your system configuration will allow you to run your filters efficiently and maximize the life of the pump. Under-sizing the pump, air lines, as well as tank misplacement can overwork the air pump and will result in problems. Before you know it you ll be repairing or replacing that one expensive piece of equipment that you have come to rely on so much. Considering these few simple steps when choosing an air pump to run your system will save you time, and more importantly money. Take the time to plan ahead, weigh the options, and make an educated decision based on upon your particular needs.

21 At our January 2010 meeting, The Ohio Cichlid Association will recognize one of its hardest working members with a special award. This award is the start of a yearly tradition where we will recognize a member who has helped to make a difference in the OCA over the past year. Please come to the January meeting and help us congratulate this deserving OCA Member!

22 Ohio Cichlid Association Christmas Party 2009 Photos by Frank Mueller Ph See more photos of all Ohio Cichlid Association Events at:

23 Fish for Fowl? By Dan Ogrizek One day Ohio Cichlid Association President Don Danko called me up and wanted to know if I was going to go to the November OCA meeting that Friday. He had told me there was not going to be a speaker but instead a free table for each person that came to sell fish. The club was going to have a mini swap meet. A lot of my fish were too small to take, but I did come up with a few. I found some hill stream loaches (I know it isn t a catfish, but maybe Dave Ayers could give me some points) and some Sturisoma whiptails. When I arrived at the church I saw Marilyn (the real fish breeder of the Danko clan) and asked if I could share a table with her. As everybody knows I like fish swap meets. They are fast, very social, quick set up and tear down, and a lot of fun. I must have had a black cloud over my head. I felt like Casper the Ghost. People were looking at my fish but were not buying. I did get a few people that wanted to trade for cichlids, but my fish room was crowded with enough fish, and I didn t want some unknown fish in my room. I looked to the left and right of the room. The people were talking, trading, Marilyn was selling fish, and it was slow for me. So, I decided to take a walk around the room and spotted some egg cartoons. I thought they were golf balls, but they were eggs that Phil Ayers had brought to the meeting. I bought two containers from Phil and went back to my table. Well, I felt like the Maytag salesman. I just could not make a sale. I answered all kinds of questions on the fish. People looked a nibble here, a nibble there.

24 Fish or Fowl con t. It was getting late and the club was winding up with BAP points and awards. It was 10 o clock and past my bedtime (right Andrew) and no sales. Then, out of the shadows, a figure came lurking over to the table. It was egg man Phil. He was staring at the fish. He was looking hard at the whiptail catfish. Oh, I thought, a sale! But no, it was just an unusual offer. Phil started to speak in his English accent. Dan, I am really interested in your whiptails. How about 3 frozen chickens for the catfish? My mind was reeling; I was caught off guard. I was hungry for farm chicken. Yes, it s a deal. So I traded fish for fowl. You never know what will happen at a Tropical Fish Swap Meet. Editors note: In an effort to keep the swap meet tradition alive within the OCA, Dan and Tabby Ogrizek have constructed a 7 question survey to improve the performance and attendance at our swap meets. If you take a moment to fill this out, it will help immensely. This survey is on the next page. Check it out! Everyone benefits from a well attended meet. Sellers don t have much luck without buyers, and buyers won t come to a swap meet if there are only a few sellers with limited merchandise. This survey is your opportunity to make major difference in the way this event is held. Complete this survey immediately so that your opinion is considered for the next event. How to complete this survey: 1) Easiest way is to print just the survey page and circle your answers. Bring the survey to the meeting on Friday and hand it to the nearest OCA Board member. 2) Send me an detailing your answers to the 7 questions. For example: #1 = A, #2 = C, #3 = B. You can finish the survey in as little time as it takes to complete an to me. 3) You could post it in the club news area on the discussion board. You could also send it to me or any board member as a private message. Bottom Line: Pick the easiest method of return and get the survey back to me quick!

25 Ohio Cichlid Association Tropical Fish Swap Meet Questionnaire 1) Have you ever attended any of the past OCA table swap meets? A. Yes B. No 2) If No which of the following are your reason(s). Mark all that apply. a. Did not know about the event b. Too far away to attend c. Conflict with a prior commitment d. Day did not work for me e. Time did not work for me f. Did not understand how this type of sale worked g. Seller entrance fee too high h. Buyer entrance fee too high 3) What day of the week is ideal for you? a. Saturday b. Sunday c. Either day would be fine with me 4) What starting time is ideal for you? a. 10 am b. 11 am c. 12 pm d. 1 pm e. 2 pm f. Any time of the day would be fine with me 5) What other activities would encourage your attendance? (Select all that apply) a. Door prizes b. 50/50 Raffle c. Silent Auction 6) Where would you like to see fish sales/auctions/events advertised? Mark all that apply. a. Plain Dealer/Akron Beacon Journal b. Flyers at club auctions c. Craigslist d. Ohio Cichlid Association Website e. Tradin Times f. sent out to club members g. Other 7) How often would you like to see the Tropical Fish Swap Meet held: a. Annually b. Quarterly c. Monthly d. Bi monthly

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27 Why Not Donate To the Jim Smith Fund? Your donations to the Jim Smith Fund are used to fund a variety of projects that have a major impact on the hobby we all enjoy. For example, we just donated $1,000 to the Stuart Grant Cichlid Conservation Fund, an organization that is actively protecting endangered fish in a national park in Malawi. Many species of cichlids have already disappeared from this area and your donations to the Jim Smith Fund have helped to save a significant number of fish. As an OCA member, this is your fund. We use this money to fund your causes - causes that affect the hobby today! Why don t you make a plan to donate? Here s how to donate Donating is painless. You can give the OCA cash at any meeting or event. You can donate fish, tanks, filters, etc, at any meeting or event. Even a few bucks add up over time. If we all give just a few bucks, the fund will grow significantly, allowing us to fund projects that affect us all! For more information or to suggest a project that might be right for a Jim Smith Fund donation, talk to any Ohio Cichlid Association board member. C mon Man! Get it Right! Corrections from the last almost perfect Buckeye Bulletin This editor makes every effort to make the Buckeye Bulletin perfect, so it really bugged me when I saw that I left the caption off of this photo of one of my favorite OCA members getting a major award at this years Extravaganza. Scott Meyers (right), pictured here with OCA s Mark Dewerth, received the Reserve Best of Show, one of the 5 biggest awards presented at this years Extravaganza. Scott s fish placed in 5 different categories this year, and his Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara Flametail won its class. Below is a detail of Scott s fish. Amphilophus citrinellum 2 nd place Class 5 (Centrals over 6 ) Amphilophus festae 2 nd place Class 7 (South Americans over 6 ) Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara Flametail 1 st place Class 11 (Aulonocara) Tropheops sp. Yellow Chin 3ed place Class 13 (Mbunas) Altolamprologus Compressiceps Gold Head Class 15 (Tang. Sub. Brooders) Congratulations Scott Myers for a great showing at Extravaganza 2009!

28 The Ohio Cichlid Association Exchange Buy Sell - Trade Have an ad you d like to place? OCA members place ads for free. Contact: KyleMay@live.com Don t forget to check out the trade section in the OCA area on Cichlidae.com. For Sale: Neoplamprologus Caudopunctatus: 8 Available $5ea/$25 all Hemichromis Cristatus: $3 ea/10 for $20 Excellent Color! Archocentrus Nanoluteus: $3 ea/10 for $20 Mellow Central 5 max. Hypsophyrs Nicarguensis: $3ea/ 10 for $20 Parents had amazing color. Cichlid Max Food: Sinking Pellet 6oz/$2 12oz/$3 16oz/$5 5lb/$20 Large Floating Pellet: 1/2lb $3 1lb/$5 Contact: Kyle May kylemay@live.com John Tesar Wants to Buy: Aulonocara Turkis Haplochromis Redback Scraper Protomelas Ornatus Pseudotropheus Noumbi Red Top Chilotrilapia Euchilus Haplochromis Leptura (yellow) Otopharynx Chrysogater Lethrinops Oculatus Buccochromis Rhoadisia Contact: Jwtdlh@hotmail.com Over 150 members will read this bulletin. Why don t you have an ad here?

29 20 Happy Birthday Kingfish! Manufacturer Spokesperson Ray Lucas Speaker Judge Auctioneer E-6715 Pinehurst Drive Boston, New York Phone: Fax: Representing: MARS FISCHCARE North America Aquarian Flake Foods Aquarium Pharmaceuticals - Rena, Pond Care Aquarium Technology Inc. - ATI Sponge Filters Finley Aquatic Books - Lee Finley The Fish Factory - Mike & Robin Schadle Cichlid News - subscriptions available Diskus Brief - past issues available Discus Hans USA Swiss Tropicals - Poret Filter Foam Eastern Aquatic Blackworms - Craig Shaubach Blue Zoo Radio Pleco Caves Ken s Fish Python Kingfish Services 20 years of getting you hooked on tropical fish! Good for the hobby, organizations & industry!

30 Aquarium Technology, Exciting! Aquarium Technology, Inc. was founded in 1991 by Joseph C. Gargiulo. Mr. Gargiulo, an avid hobbyist, developed and patented the HydroSponge Filter. The Turbo-Flow has also been granted a patent and is the final stage of that process. As one can see, ATI is a company with ingenuity and creativity. Contact your local pet store for the best sponge filter products on the market! Visit our website at: Filter-max tm hydro-sponge tm PO BOX 33623, DECATUR GEORGIA,

31 Everyday Low Prices A show dedicated to each and every aquarist making a difference in the hobby. Blue Zoo Radio is live every Monday evening at 8pm EST. Dave's Tropical Fish Fish Reptiles Ferrets Aquariums Puppies (419) 478-DAVE davestropicalfish@aol. Poret Brand Aquarium Filter Foam For freshwater, saltwater, and pond filters! Exclusively imported and distributed in North America by SwissTropicals, LLC! Over 25 years of experience in both freshwater and saltwater aquarium sales, and a 16,000 sq. ft. store, make RMS Aquaculture Cleveland s Aquarium Super Store! 6629 Engle Road, Middleburg Heights, OH Phone: Mike@rmsaquaculture.com

32 North East Ohio Discus Nate & Bonnie Larson 620 West Nimisila Rd. Akron, OH Phone: Hours by Appointment only Dave s Rare Aquarium Fish Specializing in the rare cichlids and catfishes of Africa (210) Finley Aquatic Books PO Box 164 Pascoag, RI 02859, USA Fax: info-query@finleyaquaticbooks.com w w w. m a r s f i s h c a r e. c o m

33 Anubias Design where rare species are common When Quality counts, count on PythonProducts.com Made with PRIDE in the USA Captain Bob s Fishtales South American Cichilds Corys Fish Food Breeding Caves Plants Captain Bob s Fishtales 807 Hickory Road Twin Lakes, WI Phone: captainbobsfood@gmail.com By Juan Miguel Artigas Asaz cichlidae.com the internet cichlidae information center!

34 SouthCentralCichlids.com Caves made so you will enjoy them as much as we enjoy making them! - Will not leach chemicals. - Will no break down over time. - Will not have sharp edges. #1 Reptile Products worldwide Monster Fish Rescue MFR will attempt to re-home any size fish, big or small, regardless of your situation. Discus Hans USA Stendtker Discus USA Do the research. Buy the tank, then the fish! Promoting high quality German bred Discus in the USA.

35 Order back issues of the discontinued international version of this magazine as a unique resource about discus. DISKUS DESIGN Verdin Street NW Isanti, MN Phone: Fax: Curt@DiskusDesign.net CICHLID NEWS MAGAZINE THE LATEST UPDATE IN THE WORLD OF CICHLIDS Aquarium Societies sponsoring the OCA Extravaganza 2009 CAFE East Coast Cichlids Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society Youngstown Area Tropical Fish Society Many thanks from the OCA! Oyer Cichlids jeofish@comcast.net - Quality Cichlids - Unbeatable Prices

36 Plecocaves.com - Pleco Caves - Breeding Caves - SERA Fish Food - Driftwood - Fish KENS FISH Home of quality tropical fish food and supplies kenm333@comcast.net I will meet or beat anyone s price or deal!!! Quality and freshness is most important to us here at Kensfish. Eastern Aquatics ~ Black Worms ~ The largest and most visited cichlid site on the web! 9 out of 10 fish approve! Fax: easternaquatics@yahoo.com

37 .::CONTACTING THE OCA::. Send submissions to: Ohio Cichlid Association c/o Dan Woodland 7330 Ames Road Parma, OH No ads will be taken over the phone. Ads: All ads are due by the second Saturday of the month for the following month s bulletin. Please limit ads to 35 lines. Want and sell ads are free to current members and dignitaries ($.50 per line for non-members - payment must accompany ad.) You may submit ads and articles on floppy disk or via . Create a standard text file and mail it to address above. The editor will format your submission to suit the amount of space available. Be assured that your submission will not be intentionally altered and will be printed in its entirety. Additionally, if arrangements are not made with the editor, floppy disks will not be returned. If space is limited, hobby related items will be printed first. Please, no personal items. Articles: Original BCLB articles, unless noted otherwise, may be reprinted if credited to the original author. Other submissions: Articles, photos, artwork, club news, events or input of any kind is always welcome!.::membership::. Join the Ohio Cichlid Association and receive the Buckeye Cichlid Lovers Bulletin monthly as well as free want and sell ads. Complete the registration form below and mail to: Ohio Cichlid Association c/o Kyle May Whitney Rd. Strongsville, OH One year (12 issues) - $25.00, two years (24 issues) - $45.00 in U.S; Canadian memberships - add $3.00 per year. Subscriptions: One year (12 issues) - $15.00, two years (24 issues) - $25.00 Make checks payable to: Ohio Cichlid Association.::MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION::. Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Special Interests:

38 *One Last Thing.. * The Dirtiest Tank I Ever Saw by Ruben Neria, of El Paso, Texas Used by permission of Aqua Articles.com Too many times in my lifetime, I have been asked to perform arduous tasks for which I may or may not have ever gotten paid for. Luckily aquarium keeping has always been a source of both pleasure and enjoyment for me. Keeping this in mind, I was on a day trip to the local library with my daughter when to our dismay we noticed a beautiful seventy gallon tall aquarium in a total state of disarray. The glass was thick with algae, filters clogged and water foul with the pungent odor of ammonia and other toxic chemicals that clung to the surface of the water like some unearthly soup. Needless to say, I quickly inquired at the front desk and was told that a local company was being paid a good amount of money to service the aquarium every month. Unfortunately, they were probably overloaded with work and had somehow forgotten this tank in their busy schedule. The next step of course was to try and remedy the situation. The library staff had reported the problems to the company to no avail. Incredibly, I was in the driver's seat, and as the library director asked me if I knew of anyone that could do a better job, visions of dollar bills went leaping into the far reaches of my mind. The money I would make here could buy me a stereo, or even a new aquarium for my home. Then suddenly the bubble burst and I fell back to reality. The city was not doing well financially and the money saved here could go to more important things like books! I heard myself telling the director that I would do it for free, and with a handshake she was mine. I know what you're thinking. Big deal, It's just an aquarium. Let me tell you that you have never lived until you have a setup in the public eye with advice and feedback from all watching you. People told me to start salt, community, cichlid, real planted, plastic planted, colorful, natural, rocky, grassy. The funny thing is, I never asked anyone for advice, It all sort of landed in my lap. Well, I had already made up my mind that this would be an African cichlid tank with plenty of rocks to hide in. I found a local pet shop that would take in the old fish still surviving in the muck, and that same shop donated a whole group of healthy mixed Pseudotropheus zebras at no charge to me. The tank is still running today and it has been over two years now. I proudly display the logo of the pet shop that sponsored me and they see some returns in the form of people who draw interest in the tank and go to them for advice. A few of my acquaintances in the hobby have criticized me for volunteering my time saying that they would never do anything for free. I say that if you do anything, do it because you love it. And if you really love it, then it's a pleasure to do for free! Volunteer, teach, lead, and you will never go wrong. * One Last Thing. is a new feature to this publication that will feature writers from all over the US and Canada. These short features will cover many topics about our hobby, some of which may attempt to be humorous. -editor.