THE SPLASH THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC. In this Issue: In France They Call Them Chocolats. Plus. Why Keep Natives?

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1 THE SPLASH THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC. In this Issue: In France They Call Them Chocolats Plus Why Keep Natives? April General Meeting - Richard Mueller Ponds & Water Gardens April/May 2002

2 SOCIETY OFFICERS MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY President: Dwight Lehman (414) Vice President: Warren Kloth (414) Secretary: Virginia Lehman (414) Treasurer: Jerry Michels (414) Sgt. At Arms: Aaron Glass (262) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairperson: Ray Gettler (262) Splash Editor: Naomi Gettler (262) Board Members: Ken King (262) Joe Martin (262) Jeff Michels (414) Ron Revolinski (414) Past President: Ray Gettler (262) THE SPLASH STAFF Editor: Naomi Gettler (262) Exchange Editor: Ralph Bahrke (262) Technical Editor Joe Martin (262) Publisher: Judy Martin (262) COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Breeders Award Program (BAP): Kevin Korotev (414) Tom Wojtech (414) Librarian: Bob Suchocki (262) Participation Awards (PAP): Bonnie King (262) Program Committee: Ray Gettler (262) Membership: Judy Martin (262) Bowl Show: Ken King (262) VISIT US AT OUR WEB SITE AT:

3 From the desk of the President: We are entering a busy time for the club. We have our Spring Auction on April 7 th, a rare fish auction at our May 17 th meeting, and the Fish-O-Ramma coming up on May 19 th. We are hoping for good attendance for these activities and we will need the help of club members to make them run smoothly. Also, keep your calendars open for the fish collecting trip to the Mukwonago River on Saturday, June 8 th, the picnic on July 14 th, the Fall Auction on October 20 th, the rare fish auction after the October general meeting, and the Christmas party on December 8 th. In case you haven t heard, the Participation Award Points have been revised. There were papers with the new point schedules at the last meeting. I m sure there will be some at the next meeting as well. Look them over and think about the rewards of participating in club activities. The points pay out at the Christmas party for the funny money auction. The more points you have, the more you can bid for the items in the funny money auction. It is not to late to start working on a sizable account to cash in on the many items that were donated to the club by the generous manufacturers. Thanks to Bob and Laura Matthews for speaking at the February meeting on their trips to the Amazon for fish collecting and photography. Thanks also to Jeff Michels for speaking about plants at the March meeting. Their talks were enjoyable and informative and we appreciate them taking their time to speak to the MAS. Dwight Lehman MAS President

4 MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC APRIL MEETING PUBLIC WELCOME RICHARD MUELLER PONDS & WATER GARDENS FRIDAY, APRIL 26, :30 P.M. (No Admission Charge) ST. PETER IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH 7801 W. ACACIA MILWAUKEE MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC General Club Information & Assistance: (262) MAS BOWL SHOW SCHEDULE April: March: A. Fancy Finned Fish B. Killies C. Blue, Purple, White Fish (Easter Fish) D. Youth Entry in above categories A. Catfish B. Photo of your fish tank setup C. Apistogrammas D. Youth Entry in above categories D = Youth 2 to 14 years old, any fish in categories A, B or C

5 DID YOU KNOW??? A LITTLE GOSSIP, NEWS, ETC. ABOUT OUR CLUB MEMBERS THAT S NOT NECESSARILY FISH-RELATED. Happy belated birthday wishes to Dan Cram, Mike Hoffer, and Christopher Suchocki. Also celebrating in April is Tom Wojtech, and Rick Nemeth will celebrate his birthday at our May meeting (May 17th). I received a note from Woody Tews last month. It s been two years now that Woody s wife, Nancy, passed away. Woody tells me that he is doing well, and is looking forward to celebrating his 77th birthday on May 27th. Woody would like to know if there are any members in the club (active or lifetime) that are older than him. You ll be able to spot Woody when he is out driving. His new vanity plates read: NANWOOD. I forgot to mention in last month s column that Joe and Judy Martin have a new addition to their family. That s right, it s a 3 1/2# Siamese kitten named Mai Lee. She sure is cute and quite a handful, especially when she plays with the Martin s grandson, J.J. Mei Lei has taken to sleeping under the covers at night. And she loves to cuddle with Joe. I can t believe that Joe is now a cat lover. Well, it happens to the best of us. Congratulations to Cassandra Gettler, daughter of Ray and Naomi, who was recently inducted into the International Golden Key Society, at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. This opportunity is only available to juniors and seniors who are in the top 15% of their class. Are you making plans to attend this year s Cichlid Classic, which will be held on Memorial Day weekend? Its sure to be a good time with lots of interesting speakers and events. And of course, there is the cichlid only auction, which will be held on May 26th. For those of you who aren t interested in attending the auction, there is always Woodfield Mall and Ikea. Until next time! Naomi

6 PARTICIPTATION AWARD PROGRAM The "play money" program was created to encourage members to participate in club activities. Members can earn points throughout the year by participating in the club activities. In December, the points are turned into play money for a special auction at the Christmas Party. To earn points, members need to actively support the club's regular and special functions. The following amount of play money can be earned: 1. General meeting attendance $ 8 (per membership) (for attending 10 of 11 meetings) $ 5 (per membership) 2. Donations at general meetings and special events (Homemade food) $ 4 (Purchased food) $ 3 (Fish or equipment) $ 3 (incl. BAP Spawns) (All other donated items) $ 1 3. Attending a board or committee meeting $ 4 (per person) 4. Attending a special event (picnic, Christmas party, etc.) $ 5 (per membership) 5. Auction or committee volunteers $3 (plus CHAIRMAN'S DISCRETION) 6. Auction seller $ 1 7. Auction buyer $ 1 8. BAP participation, PER VERIFIED SPAWN $ 1 Top finishers 1st, 2nd, 3rd $ 5, $ 4, $ 3 9. Recruiting New Members $ Published articles or drawings in The Splash $ 5, $10 (3 or more pages) 11. Delivering The Splash $ 3 (per store) 12. Delivering meeting notices or advertising $ 3 (per store or function) 13. Bowl show entry $ 1 Top finishers 1st, 2nd, 3rd $ 3, $ 2, $ New members (starting money) $ Giving a general meeting presentation $ Hosting an out of town speaker $25

7 17. Substitute Secretary per meeting $5 Positions held: (per year) President $75** Chairman of the Board $30 Vice Pres. $20 Board Member $20 Treasurer $75 Com. Chairman $25 Sgt. at Arms $50 Editor $75 Secretary $60** Exchange Editor $25** Librarian $20 Publisher $50 Web Master $50 people. ** Articles are due to the Editor on the first day of even months from these MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY, INC. ANNUAL SUMMER PICNIC FOR MEMBERS ONLY SUNDAY, JULY 14TH, :00 NOON TO 6:00 P.M. JACOBUS PARK PAVILION 6501 W. HILLSIDE LANE WAUWATOSA, WI PLEASE BRING A DISH TO PASS & YOUR SUPER SOAKER! CONTACT NAOMI GETTLER (262) OR SIGN UP AT THE MAY & JUNE GENERAL MEETINGS

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9 BAP 2002

10 In France They Call Them Chocolats By Ignatius A. Balistrieri, MAS In France, fish are popular on the table with a subtle garnish, and chocolate is an art form. Chocolate Cichlids (Hypselecara temporalis), the common name reference to their color aside, will never be confused with their namesake confection. And, after a look at their innocent, rounded, I-walked-into-a-door faces, I can t imaging putting these meal-sized cichlids on a plate. Early in my MAS experience, I discovered that members of the club were particularly adept at disposing of fish that everyone had or no one wanted to buy. Live food, bait, fertilizer--no fish was wasted. Tom Wojtech, blessed with a large hatch of Chocolates, had a new idea and the 1999 MAS Fish Growing Contest was hatched. Two bucks a bag got you five tiny, two-month-old, eating machines, and a March 2000 deadline to grow the beefiest Chocolate. I ve got lots of tanks, most dedicated to African cichlids. I hadn t grown anything approaching the size of an adult Chocolate since the family s pet Jack Dempseys (there s a reason they were named for a pugilist). Nonetheless, I found a home for the little Chocolates, and even remembered to feed them -almost daily. The Chocolates began to grow. When they reached about 2, my grandson, Dominic, expressed an interest in them. I gave him two. He must have had more time on his hands. His pair quickly doubled in size compared to the three that stayed with me. I missed the contest meeting, but Dominic s fish would have given the winners a run for the money. Time waits for no man, and doesn t wait for grandchildren either. Dominic s interests soon turned to saltwater fish. With no room for his cows-with-fins, they were returned to me. With a quick patch job on a 45, an under gravel filter, (and the gravel to cover it), a Whis-

11 per 3 filter, heater, upright slate (and slate under the gravel around the spots I thought they d spawn so they could dig without exposing the undergravel filter), and clay drain-tile, the boudoir was ready. In went Pierre and Gidget, along with my three smaller Chocolates, and I sat back waiting for sparks to fly. A short time later disaster struck. A 55 gallon with a herd of Africans sprung a leak and some hasty decisions had to be made about where to go with its inhabitants. The Chocolates gained some tankmates and suddenly their fishy Sybaris was more like a Holiday Inn. A few days later, the Whisper 3 sucked up a grain of gravel jamming the impeller and further interrupting the goings-on in their love-pool. A morning walkthrough with a cup of coffee found many of the Africans floating on their sides. The few survivors were gasping, and the five Chocolates lolled at the top like carp groping for air. Needless to say, the mood was ruined. Moving swiftly into action, and with a few carefully chosen words, I did a major water change and fixed the impeller problem. Casualties were buried in the garden and a Powerhead and bubble wand were added to the tank. The surviving Africans were returned to their home-away-from-africa and a half dozen albino cats were added to help with tank maintenance. I favor a varied diet and give my fish the same treatment. The Chocolates get flake food, shrimp pellets, Hikari cichlid pellets, frozen brine, and red worms. Water temperature is kept at about 75F. A few months passed and I noticed two fish on one side of the tank. Pierre had forsaken Gidget and run off with one of the smaller females (cad!). Even more curious, the other three Chocolates, all the snails, and the Corys (who says you can t herd cats) were being kept on the half of the tank away from the drain tile. Foregoing the slate, the pair began cleaning the cylinder. The lumbering, eight-inch male (stop the snickering) tried to attract his mate with lethargic, seemingly half-hearted, slow-motion twitching. The female, now coming around after recovering from the African invasion, responded in a similarly passionless manner and, after priming their pumps with red worms, a water change, and a passing weather system that lowered

12 barometric pressure, they spawned (much like albino Corydoras catfish which are easily bred, if you pay attention to the weather). It was July of 2001 when the pair spawned for the first time. Hoping they would care for their own young, I pulled the jilted Gidget and the remaining Chocolates to give the family-to-be some privacy. The fry hatched and promptly disappeared. I watched and waited; no sign of life anywhere. The unhatched eggs were cleaned from the tile (ain t Nature grand?). About a month later I had another spawn with the same result. Another month, another spawn. This time I was taking no chances. I pulled the drain tile (still the spawn site of choice) and found a free tank. Twelve fry survived. Finally, BAP points! The young -small for such a large fish - were housed in a bare 10 gallon tank with a heater, sponge filter and floating java moss. A few days later I needed a place to put an albino cat spawn so I put them in with the little Chocolates. The fry were fed microworms and algae scraped from the sides of another tank for the first week. After that I included ground flake food and shrimp pellets. Everything began to grow and the catfish began to disappear. BAP time. The fry were in a bank of 10 s on a cabinet placed so that the short sides faced front. I took out the java moss and found only about two dozen cats left and only three Chocolates two short of the required number for points. By now Pierre and his little tart were tired. There was no action from them until December, when they went back to housecleaning. Early in December the side of the drain tile was plastered with about 600 eggs pasted close together in an irregular three inch patch. Four days later the eggs hatched and the fry dropped to the spaces between the coarse gravel. About 24 were observed free-swimming a week or so after hatching. I left them with the parents to allow them some nurturing time, and because I enjoy watching and comparing the parenting behaviors of my fish. Because I thought the 45-day BAP rearing requirement started when the fry were free swimming, I didn t bring them in (at 42 days from free swim-

13 ming) to the January 2002 meeting. Then I read the rules. It s 45 days from hatching. Five healthy little fry made it to the February meeting. BAP points? No. Had to write an article. Adding insult to injury, no one wanted the fish at auction time. Had the handler used Hypselecara temporalis and left it alone, they d have had a chance. As soon as he said Chocolates, it was over. They were forced on a successful bidder for another fish and who knows what will happen to them. Despite the rejection they encounter at club meetings, Chocolates are quite attractive. Although the fry are surprisingly slow growers, once they meet a certain critical mass, they take off. Adults have great finnage to go along with their deep, bulky bodies. Color is somewhat variable, but in good examples is a beautiful red-brown. An intelligent eye is central to their bumpy heads and they give the impression of being potential pet fish in an interactive, hand-feeding sort of way. Chocolate anyone? EDITOR S NOTE It s springtime and most people are starting to think about their gardens and being outside instead of in their fish rooms. This doesn t mean you couldn t think about writing an article about the pond or water garden that you re putting in this year. I hope that you enjoy the great articles that we have this month, including a great first time article from our own Iggie Balistrieri. I also included an article from someone outside of our club, Bob Bock from the North American Native Fishes Association. It conjured up memories of my experiences during our own collecting trips to the Mukwonago River. Naomi Gettler

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15 WHY KEEP NATIVES? By Bob Bock, NANFA Why keep natives? Store bought fish are easy enough: a few zebra danios or Moscow purple guppies. Just drop a heater in the tank, and feed them flake food twice a day. Why bother with drab colored fish that will only eat live or frozen foods? That you can't buy in a store but have to collect yourself? For me, the answer goes back long, long ago to when I was a 10- year old kid. On Saturdays, I'd bring my fishing rod to Lincoln Park Lake in my hometown of Jersey City, New Jersey. I baited my hook with a half-cooked piece of macaroni, then cast it into the murky depths of Lincoln Park Lake. In those days, the Park's athletic fields were far over fertilized. The runoff turned the water deep, dark algae green and it was impossible to see anything in the hidden realm below. I can still remember my first fishing trip there. I cast my macaroni baited hook about 75 yards or so. I pulled the line tight, then sat and waiting in the drizzling early spring cold. The rod scraped across the concrete shoreline, headed straight for the water. I grabbed and turn the reel handle. It took all the strength I had to crank whatever it was to shore. An older boy was trying to help me land it. We brought it in close, and for the briefest of moments I saw the bronze scales and dull yellow underbelly of a monster carp. Then the hook pulled loose and that was the last I ever saw of the mysterious leviathan from the emerald green darkness. But that childhood disappointment also piqued my curiosity. I was back the next day, with more half-boiled macaroni. My stringer soon held a half dozen small carp and wild goldfish. I brought home a big, fat, round 12 inch goldfish and put it in my father's 29 gallon tank. Like me, pop marveled at its size and shimmering color. But within an hour, the fish produced so much waste that the tank water turned a fuzzy milk white. My father drove the goldfish and me back to the park. Of course, I brought more fish home. One day, an unfortunate brown bullhead took the macaroni bait and ended up in my ten gallon tank. He spent most of his time trying to hide behind the corner box filter, with his square tail and more than half of his dull bronze scale less body sticking out from the side. But "Charlie," as I soon called him, would always lumber out of his hiding place when I threw food in for him. His tiny, pin-head eyes

16 were probably all but blind. But he seemed to home in on his food with the stringy black barbels. I'd never seen anything like it before. With a kind of lumbering grace, he zeroed in on the bologna pieces I fed with patient determination, swallowing his food in one wide mouthed gulp. I've since learned that these larger, Ictalurid catfish have taste receptors on their barbels and covering most of their bodies. I soon began bringing home the little sunfish that I pulled out from the lake's shoreline. They were beautiful in the summer sun iridescent blue-striped gill covers and yellow-orange bellies. Their color faded under the incandescent lights of my fifteen gallon tank. But once again, the emerald darkness had given up one of its secrets. A nesting male shimmied like a black mollie, using his tail to sweep a circular depression in the gravel. I was so amazed by the display that I didn't mind that he tore up the Hygrophila polysperma that had taken so long to grow. It was this same sense of wonder that got me back into the hobby about ten years ago. I've been out to the ponds and streams many times since. Once, I videotaped longear sunfish spawning. Not in the C&O Canal, where my kids and I caught them, but in my 65 gallon aquarium. The male and female soon developed bright purple stripes. They circled the nest for nearly twenty minutes, their ventral fins pressed together, the male upright, the female swimming at a right angle to him, almost horizontal. A few days later, the tiny fry were no larger than a pinhead, too big to carry around the yolk sac on which they perched. I'd love to collect in the Amazon, or in Africa's rift lakes. For now, though, such trips are beyond my budget. But like Lincoln Park Lake, nearly every pond, stream, lake, river, bay and inlet near my suburban Washington D.C. home also has its veil of mystery. With a seine, dip net, or small fishing rod, I can take home a few of its mysterious underwater denizens. And with some careful aquarium care and a little luck, they will reveal their secrets and I'll discover something about their hidden lives that I wouldn't have otherwise known. In the coming months, I hope to share a little of this wonder with you. Bob Bock is past president of the North American Native Fishes Association,

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18 Corydoras duplicareus By Kevin Korotev, MAS You ve seen this fish. You may already have this fish. You may not recognize the name because YOUR fish may have been mis-named. Corydoras duplicareus is often mis-named. You may think yourself the owner of Corydoras adolphoi. Surprise! I paraphrase Ian Fuller, who, in his book: Breeding Coryoradine Catfishes, writes: There are two (other) similarly marked species. The first is Corydoras imitator, which can easily be distinguised by the fact that it is a long snouted species The second similar looking species is Corydoras adolphoi Visually it is far more difficult to separate these two species. The color pattern differs only slightly in that it (duplicareus) has a broader black band and a more intense orange blotch. The body of Corydoras duplicareus is also a little stockier and the head is a little more rounded. The main differentiating factor is one that is very difficult to see. In Corydoras adolphoi, the pectoral fin spines are smooth and in Corydoras duplicareus the are heavily serrated. It is my experience that any really attractive adolphoi type is probably duplicareus. I have also heard it said that adolphoi fry are much more difficult to raise. I have had young adolphoi once briefly. Even the adults were hard to keep alive. All of that said, the breeding conditions and spawning routine of this cat is similar to most other members of the group. They need to be over a year old, fed heartily and heavily and kept in cooler, softer water. A high oxygen content and frequent water changes also help as the females mature. My group of 8 adults contained 3 males and 5 females. That is my idea of a perfect ratio. This is an egg scattering Cory, laying eggs on the glass and in the mops. So which fish do you have? Get out the magnifying glass and check those pectoral fins!

19 ANNOUNCING MILWAUKEE AQUARIUM SOCIETY INC. FIRST ANNUAL FISH-O-RAMMA (A Swap Meet) SUNDAY, MAY 19TH 11:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. BURNHAM BOWL 6016 W. BURNHAM AVENUE MILWAUKEE, WI Fish & Fish Related items - New or used available ADMISSION $2.00 PER PERSON - $5.00 PER FAMILY VENDOR TABLES AVAILABLE CONTACT JERRY MICHELS (414) TO RESERVE A TABLE OR FOR INFORMATION

20 Trichopsis pumila By Kevin Korotev I feel cheated by this one. Trichopsis pumila, the Dwarf Croaking Gourami is a beautiful little fish if you can get a look at them. I bought them young, so I had a couple months to enjoy them before they decided to pair and disappear into the weeds. I'd scare them out during water changes and note their growth, but otherwise rarely saw them. The books call this fish a loose bubble nest builder. I had no idea what that meant. What is loose? It turns out that loose, in this case, meant about 8 bubbles floating near a piece of sphagnum moss. Amidst the bubbles; miniscule eggs! I was shocked. Where was the courting? The famous anabantoid floating embrace? Where was the guarding male? Later that day, in the harsh reality of Capitol drive traffic, I questioned whether I d actually seen what I thought I had. It didn t add up. But, as it turns out, it didn t HAVE to make sense to ME because by the next day, the miniscule eggs were small black wigglers. This is my second experience with nearly microscopic fry and my first with black. I have written about the small size of the "Threadfin Rainbow" fry, which is clear bodied, making them even harder to see. The opposite is true with these. Their blackness makes them appear bigger than they are. So, like the threadfin, it was 10 days before these fish could manage a baby brine shrimp. My Trichopsis pumila were in a 30% R/O mix and kept at under 80 degrees. The adults were fed just about everything but I can t tell you what they actually ate. At about 45 days I have over 2 dozen half inch miniature dwarf croaking gouramies. The fry are apparently very slow growing. This fish now tops my Smallest Fry Ever list.

21 IT S TIME FOR FISH COLLECTING AT THE MUKWONAGO RIVER (FOR THE FISH FOLK) & MAXWELL STREET DAYS FOR THE SHOPPERS!!! SATURDAY, JUNE 8TH 12:00 NOON TO??? MEET AT THE GETTLER S PLEASE BRING A DISH TO PASS CALL (262) OR SIGN UP AT THE APRIL & MAY MEETINGS PLEASE NOTE: A FISH LICENSE IS REQUIRED TO COLLECT ANY FISH

22 General Meeting January 25 th 2002 Treasurer s Report All the bills are paid including the permits for the 2002 Picnic and Christmas Party. We currently have $ in the treasury with $ in the library fund. Membership We have 63 paid, 13 lifetime, and 5 honorary members. Just a reminder that dues are due by February. Bowl Show Tonight s categories are: Goldfish Stuffed fish 6 or smaller Livebearers, no guppies. The quarterly drawings have been discontinued. Now members who participate in the bowl show for 9 months will get a plaque at the Christmas party. There is a new schedule available for this years bowl shows. See Ken to get one. BAP Awards for the last quarter of last year go to Terry Tankersley for First place in the 20 or fewer tanks division and Dan Cram gets second place in the 20 or fewer tanks division. Eric earned his Master Breeder Award. Congratulations to all of you. Fish Growing Contest A fish growing contest will begin next month. There is a $3 entry fee. Handouts are available, see Kevin or Tom for details. PAP The new season started at the Christmas party. February 23 rd there will be a meeting at the King s house at 5pm to create new rules. Splash The deadline for the next Splash is February 1 st. Speakers Tonight Rob Moneyhan will speak on saltwater tanks. Bob and Laura Matthews will speak on Fish Collecting in South America in February. Jeff Michels will speak in March about plants, Chuck Rambo will speak about Lake Victorian Cichlids in May, and Charlie Grimes will speak about diving in Mexico in September. Website in 2001 the site had 4100 visitors. The spring auction will be held April 7 th. The fish collecting trip will be the 2 nd or 3 rd weekend in June. Naomi needs gossip for the Splash, please call or her with any juicy tidbits you happen to have. Changes to the Constitution were read and voted on at the meeting. All changes were passed. The next Board meeting will be Friday, February 01, 2002 at 7pm at the Lehman s. Rob Moneyhan will be speaking tonight on Saltwater tanks. Thank you Rob for an informative presentation. Elections are tonight. The nominations are as stands. President Dwight Lehman or Ken King Vice President Ray Gettler or Warren Kloth Treasurer Jerry Michels Secretary Virginia Lehman Sargent at Arms Aaron Glass Members at Large Bonnie King, Ed Curran, Jeff Michels, Joe Martin, Ron Revolinski

23 The elections were held in two parts, officers were elected first, the winners were: President Dwight Lehman Vice President Warren Kloth Treasurer Jerry Michels Secretary Virginia Lehman Sargent at Arms Aaron Glass Ken King was added to the roster of potential Members at Large. The elected Members at Large were: Joe Martin, Jeff Michels, Ron Revolinski, Ken King With this election I conclude my tenure as Secretary and turn over the notepad to Virginia. Thank you all for making my two years in this position very enjoyable. Respectfully submitted, Heather Hertziger MAS Secretary BOARD MEETING 02/01/02 Called to order at 7:37 PM by Ray Gettler. Present: Jerry Michels, Jeff Michels, Ray Gettler, Naomi Gettler, Joe Martin, Judy Martin, Bob Suchocki, Ron Revolinski, Ken King, Bonnie King, Dwight Lehman and Virginia Lehman. 1. Installations of New Officers 1. President: Dwight Lehman. 2. Vice President: Warren Kloth, not present. 3. Treasurer: Jerry Michels. 4. Secretary: Virginia Lehman. 5. Sergeant at Arms: Aaron Glass. 6. Board Members: Jeff Michels, Ken King, Joe Martin and Ron Revolinski. 7. Splash Editor: Naomi Gettler. 8. Dwight Lehman appointed Ray Gettler as past president. 9. Chairman of the Board: Jerry Michels nominated Ray Gettler, seconded by , Ken King nominated by Bob Suchocki, seconded by A vote was held and Ray Gettler was elected. 2. Committee Reports 1. Treasury: there is $1, in the treasury, of which $ is the library fund. The miniauction at the last meeting raised $161.00, with 31 items being sold (Jerry Michels). 2. Membership: 13 lifetime members, 5 honorary members and 30 paid members (Judy Martin). 3. PAP: No report (Bonnie King). 4. Bowl Show: Excellent participation in the last bowl show. The February bowl show will be red/pink fish, stuffed fish 6 inches or smaller and livebearers, no guppies (Ken King). 5. Splash: Presidents page and minutes are due today. Submissions are also due to day. A copy of Publishers 2002 was purchased for the club, and Naomi asked if the cost could be reimbursed. A motion to purchase was made by Ray Gettler and seconded by Virginia Lehman. The board members present passed this, and the treasurer will pay out , with taxes. There is a $30.00 rebate, which will be given to the club when it is received (Naomi Gettler). 6. Speakers: Ray submitted a form to the secretary with a tentative schedule for This includes Bob and Laura Matthews in February, speaking on fish collecting. Jeff Michels will speak in March on plants (Ray Gettler). 7. Library: There was an amnesty month in November of 2001, and there were no items returned at that time. The library chairman estimates that there is $ in over due fines. It was suggested that a complete inventory be performed in order to verify if there are items which were returned without having this in the card recording that this was now back in the library. Bob Suchocki will do this and report back to the board in order to decide the best way to handle this. Naomi asked if the library would like to use some of it s funds to purchase any new books or tapes. Bob Suchocki will look into this (Bob Suchocki).

24 8. Raffle: The raffle will be held again at the February meeting. After that, the board will discuss it if there was sufficient interest to continue these. Naomi will publish this in the Splash to promote interest (Joe Martin). 9. Web Page: Ron needs a list of the promoters who have donated things to our auction. He will then publish this list on the web page, and will have links to the provider s sites. Naomi will publish this in the Splash to promote interest in the web page. 3. Events 1. Spring Auction: The Spring Auction will be held on 04/07/02 at the Burnham Bowl. The limit of species accepted for sale will be increased to 5 bags per species. 2. Fish Collecting Trip: There is no date yet for the Fish Collecting Trip. Naomi will check for the date of Maxwell St. days, and plan the trip accordingly. 3. Picnic: The picnic will be held on 07/14/02 at Jacobus Park. 4. Fall Auction: The Fall Spring Auction will be held on 10/02/02 at the Burnham Bowl. 5. Christmas Party: The Christmas Party will be held on 12/08/02 at Mitchell Park. There will be a white elephant, but the craft table may be omitted. The survey results from last year s Christmas Party should be available at the February meeting. 4. Old Business 1. Card stock was purchased in order to make business cards for the club. The cost was $6.50 for 1,000, which should last for 3 years. (Judy Martin). 5. New Business 1. Honorary Members: Charlie Grimes, Ray Lucas and Mike Schadle were suggested for honorary membership in the club for the year 2002 by Ray Gettler, and seconded by Jerry Michels. There was accepted by a vote of the members present. 2. Manufacturers: Ray had with him an from Heather Hertziger, asking for assistance with this task for the year 2002, and stating that she would like someone else to do this for the year Bob Suchocki would be able to store items as the club receives them. Jeff Michels would be willing to assist Heather with this task for 2002 in order to learn the ropes. 3. Swap Meet: Jerry Michels proposed that the board explore the possibility of holding a swap meet. The Chicago club has 3 of these scheduled for These have been very successful in the past, and their club has a waiting list for tables. We would need a hall, advertising and Jerry thought that a chairperson and 2 committee members would be needed. A tentative date of 05/05/02 was suggested, and Jerry said he would call Burnham Bowl to see if that date would be available to the club. Discussion ensued regarding admission price, cost of tables, a club table (manned by Bob Suchocki), feasibility of a silent auction and a raffle. Ken King proposed that this be brought to a general meeting of the club to see if there is any interest and in order for club members to have input. Naomi Gettler asked if the old TV s that the club owns could be sold, along with tee shirts and books, and it was agreed that this would be appropriate. 4. There will be a PAP meeting on 02/23/02 at 5PM at Bonnie King s house. This meeting will address, among other issues, the number of points to be awarded for supportive club functions, such as chairing a committee, or being the manufacturer s representative, both of which are very time-consuming. 5. Jerry Michels asked if the club would be reimbursing the cost of refreshments served at committee meetings. Ray Gettler suggested that if there was a large number of people attending, or the cost of the food was high, it should be brought to the board on an individual basis. Discussion ensued, and Jerry Michels asked if the treasurer would have this authority. It was decided that the board would have committee chairs request these funds prior to any meeting being held, in order to seek approval for club reimbursement of refreshment costs, up to $35.00, which would be then paid by the treasurer. A motion was made to this effect by Ray Gettler and seconded by Virginia Lehman and then passed by the board. At this time, a motion to adjourn was made by Naomi Gettler and seconded by Virginia Lehman. This was approved and the meeting was adjourned at 8:53pm. Called to 7:30 p.m. by Aaron Glass MAS General Meeting February 22, 2002

25 Committee Reports: 1. Treasurer: Michels, Jerry Club $1, Library $ People need to pay their dues, many were still doing so as the meeting started 2. Membership: Martin, Judy Pd.-42 Lifetime-13 Honorary-3 Guests-2 (Sharon and Shirley) 3. PAP: King, Bonnie There will be a meeting at the King s home on Saturday, Feb. 23 to discuss new guidelines for PAP. 4. Bowl Show: King, Ken 1)At tonight s meeting, the bowl show was Red/Pink fish for Valentine s Day and a photo of 8 or larger fish There were nice entries for this month 2) Coming bowl shows: March-green fish for St. Patrick s Day, Platys and knick-knacks 6 or larger April-fancy finned fish, Killies, and Blue/Purple/White fish for Easter May-Catfish, photo of your set-up fish tank, and Apistogrammas June-fish with flower names (ie Marigold Swordtail), Angel fish, and best fish beach towel July- picnic, no meeting August-fish with bird names (ie Peacock Cichlid), photo of fish tub ponds, and South American Cichlids Sept-most unusual fish bowl, Red/White/Blue fish in honor of Sept. 11, 2001, and photo of garden pond Oct.-black/orange fish for Halloween, stuffed fish 6 or larger in Halloween costume, and Psuedotropheus species Nov.- knick-knack fjsh 6 or smaller, brown fish for Thanksgiving and Guppies. Dec.-Christmas party, no meeting 5. Splash: Gettler, Naomi 1)The copier messed up, and the Splash are not in order. Naomi has a copy with her if members need to see it to arrange their copies. 2)Deadline is 4/1, articles and committee reports are due by that date. 6. Speakers: Gettler, Ray Tonight Bob and Laura Matthews fish speak and show slides of their trips to the Amazon. March-Jeff Michels Plants April- May-Chuck Rambo Lake Victorian Cichlids June-Al Anderson Barbs and Rasboras July- picnic, no meeting or speaker August-Curt Bitterling Sept-Charlie Grimes Diving Trip at Cuatro Ciengas, Mexico Oct.-Lee Finley Nov.- To be announced 7. Library: Suchocki, Bob 1)As noted, there is $ in the library fund. No books were returned during the November amnesty period. Members should check to see if they have any MAS library books at home. 2)If there are books that members would like the library to purchase, they should let Bob know. 8. Raffle: Martin, Joe No raffle tonight 9. Web Page: Revolinski, Ron The web page was down for one day due to server problems, which were resolved 10. Manufacturers: Hertziger, Heather No report 11. Events 1)Fish growing contest starts tonight. See Tom and Kevin for entry forms and a bag of fish. There will be prizes awarded.

26 2)Spring Auction: 04)07. There is a worker sign-up sheet at the desk. Help will be needed to unload the truck at 9 AM. 3)Picnic: 4)Fall Auction: 10/19. 5)Christmas Party: 12. Fish-o-Rama/Swap Meet: Michels, Jerry This will be similar to Chicago s swap meets. There are flyers at the desk. Some help will be needed, not as much as at the auctions. Each table will cost $25.00, 2 or more will be $20.00 each. Admission will be $2.00 apiece, $5.00 for a family and free admission for table renters. MAS Board Meeting March 1, 2002 Present: Gettler, Naomi Gettler, Ray, Glass, Aaron, King, Bonnie, King, Ken, Kloth, Warren, Lehman, Dwight, Lehman, Virginia, Martin, Joe, Martin, Judy, Revolinski, Ingrid, Revolinski, Ron, Suchocki, Bob, Suchocki, Kathy. Called to 5:55 by Ray Gettler Committees: 1. Treasurer: Jerry was not at the board meeting. Warren Kloth had a report from Jerry. Club $1, Library $ Membership: Martin, Judy 58 members 3. PAP: King, Bonnie The updated book with the new point system will be available at the May meeting. 4. Bowl Show: King, Ken Ken will not be available for the May meeting; Austin Reganza will run the bowl show. April-fancy finned fish, Killies, and Blue/Purple/White fish for Easter May-Catfish, photo of your set-up fish tank, and Apistogrammas June-fish with flower names (i.e. Marigold Swordtail), Angel fish, and best fish beach towel July- picnic, no meeting August-fish with bird names (i.e. Peacock Cichlid), photo of fish tub ponds, and South American Cichlids Sept-most unusual fish bowl, Red/White/Blue fish in honor of Sept. 11, 2001, and photo of garden pond Oct.-black/orange fish for Halloween, stuffed fish 6 or larger in Halloween costume, and Psuedotropheus species Nov.- knick-knack fish 6 or smaller, brown fish for Thanksgiving and Guppies. Dec.-Christmas party, no meeting 5. Splash: Gettler, Naomi Deadline 04/01/02 6. Speakers: Gettler, Ray April-Richard Mueller of Mueller Ponds will speak on Ponds and Water Gardens May-Chuck Rambo Lake Victorian Cichlids June-Al Anderson Barbs and Rasboras July- picnic, no meeting or speaker August-Curt Bitterling Live Bearers Sept-Charlie Grimes Diving Trip at Cuatro Ciengas, Mexico Oct.-Lee Fishley Nov.-(not booked yet) 7. Library: Suchocki, Bob Big News-Has lost part of the computerized catalog. He has an accurate list of what books are out, and who has them. 1 is out to a member, and 9 are out to non-members. After much discussion, a motion was entertained to forget the overdue fines and get the books back. This was seconded by Judy Martin and passed. Bob will attempt to contact those people and make arrangements for the return of the overdue material. Furthermore, he has removed all duplicate books from the library and will bring them into the auction to give to Mike Schadle. Bob and Steve are re-organizing the library. They would like binders for the old issues of The Splash, if there are any available, otherwise they will purchase some. 8. Raffle: Martin, Joe

27 There was a raffle at the last meeting, Joe reports that this lost money. It was decided to skip the April meeting and try again at the May meeting. 9. Web Page: Revolinski, Ron No problems with the web page. There were 550 hits on the web page in March. Aaron reported that the web site On Milwaukee has a link to our web page. There was also a new member inquiry from Sweden on the web page. 10. Manufacturers: Hertziger, Heather No report, Heather not at the meeting. Events: 1. Spring Auction-Date is 04/07/02. Planning is underway. Naomi had bags and labels available. Helpers needed at 9AM for setup. Please be aware of limits on the number of bags per species. Exceptions may be made for Discus. There was a suggestion that it might be a nice change to have something non-fishy as raffle prizes. A DVD player was suggested, along with movie passes or tee shirts. No decision was made at this time. 2. Picnic- Date is 07/14/ Fall Auction- Date is 10/20/02 4. Christmas Party- Date is 12/08/02 5. Rare Fish Auction- Date is 05/17/02. There will be a meeting at Jerry s house on 04/02/02 at 7: Swap Meet-Date is 05/19/02. It will be held at the Burnham Bowl. Jerry was not at the board meeting. So far 11 tables out of 30 are spoken for. Set-up will be at 9AM, venders will be admitted at 10AM, and it will be open to the public 11AM to 3PM. Old Business: The PAP points for the Librarian were brought up, but it was decided that this was a committee business, not board business. New Business: It was brought up that Jerry is no longer a member at St. Peter Immanual church and thus the church will not be interested in providing the meeting room at the same low rate, which is actually a donation. A new meeting place will be needed. It will be possible to finish the year here, as both Warren and Carol are still members, and Carol still has keys. However, they will also leave after Carol retires, thus a new place will be needed by March Virginia moved to set up a committee to look for a new place to meet. This was seconded by Naomi Gettler and passed. Warren Kloth volunteered to head this committee. Virginia Lehman will assist him. It is possible that a room might be available at Hoeffer s. Warren will look into this first. MAS General Meeting March 22, 2002 Called to 7:45 by Aaron Glass Committees: 1. Treasurer: Michels, Jerry Club $1, Library $ Membership: Martin, Judy Pd.-47 Lifetime-13 Honorary-4 New member-austin Braganza Guests- Dan Rowland 3. PAP: King, Bonnie A meeting was held at the King s home and a new point system was developed, which was retroactive to Jan Bonnie has copies of the new system for those who are interested. 4. Bowl Show: King, Ken There was a great turn out for the March bowl show. Don t forget to vote. Also, Ken will not be available for the meeting and the bowl show for April. He will need someone to take over the table for him; it is not a hard job. Please contact Ken for details. Also note, the bowl shows for August and September will have opportunities to show the club a photo of your outdoor pond. Future Bowl Shows: April-fancy finned fish, Killies, and Blue/Purple/White fish for Easter May-Catfish, photo of your set-up fish tank, and Apistogrammas June-fish with flower names (i.e. Marigold Swordtail), Angelfish, and best fish beach towel July- picnic, no meeting

28 August-fish with bird names (i.e. Peacock Cichlid), photo of fish tub ponds, and South American cichlid Sept-most unusual fish bowl, Red/White/Blue fish in honor of Sept. 11, 2001, and photo of garden pond Oct.-black/orange fish for Halloween, stuffed fish 6 or larger in Halloween costume, and Psuedotropheus species Nov.- knick-knack fish 6 or smaller, brown fish for Thanksgiving and Guppies. Dec.-Christmas party, no meeting 5. Splash: Gettler, Naomi Deadline is April 1; articles and committee reports are due by then. 6. Speakers: Gettler, Ray April-Richard Mueller of Mueller Ponds Ponds and Water Gardens May-Chuck Rambo Lake Victorian cichlid June-Al Anderson Barbs and Rasboras July- picnic, no meeting or speaker August-Curt Bitterling Sept-Charlie Grimes Diving Trip at Cuatro Ciengas, Mexico Oct.-(tentatively) Lee Finley Nov.-(remains open) 7. Library: Suchocki, Bob Not in attendance 8. Raffle: Martin, Joe There was a raffle tonight; prizes included a Whisper II, a $10.00 gift certificate from Hoffers and a large bag of plant food. 9. Web Page: Revolinski, Ron No problems 10. Manufacturers: Hertziger, Heather No report 11. Events Spring Auction: 04/07/02. Naomi had labels and bags for fish. Helpers will be needed at 9AM for set -up. Please be aware of limit of bags per species, although exceptions may be made for Discus. Rare Fish Auction: 05/17/02. There will be a meeting at Jerry Michels to discuss in advance if you want something considered for the rare fish auction. Fish-O-Rama: 05/19/02. Will be held at The Burnham Bowl. Set-up will be at 9AM, vendors will be admitted at 10AM, and it will be open to the public from 11AM through 3PM. Picnic: 07/04/02. Fall Auction: 10/20/02. Christmas Party: 12/08/02. Respectfully Submitted, Virginia Lehman, MAS Secretary

29 SPRING 2002 AUCTION UPDATE The final figures are still be tabulated, but it appears that this year s Spring Auction was very successful. This is due to the many MAS members who turned out on the first day of Daylight Savings Time to help with the various functions of the auction. I would like to say a great big thank you to everyone who helped. I apologize if I miss your name, it was because you didn t sign up on the helper sheet. Thanks to Joe and Judy Martin, Jerry Michels, Ken and Bonnie King, Warren Kloth, Austin Braganza, Dwight Lehman, Ron Revolinski, Heather Hertziger, Robert Hwatzke, Bob and Chris Suchocki, Aaron Glass, Rick Nemeth, Kevin Korotev, Eric Rogne, Terry Tankersley, Tom Wojtech, Carl and Betty Fiala, Ralph Bahkre, Ed Curran, Don Pope, Jeff Michels, Ray and J.R. Gettler, and last but not least, Mike Schadle and Robin Jendrian, for their hard efforts as auctioneers. Without all of you, our auction would have been a failure. Just a reminder, that there will be a special raffle drawing for all club members who helped at the auction at the next general meeting. However, you must be present at the April meeting to win a prize. I am happy to report that we had almost 50 new buyers who attended. Many of these people came from the Milwaukee area. But there were a lot of people from out of town, who have also attended our auctions in the past. Green Bay, Stevens Point, Chicago, IL, and Cedar Rapids, IA were among a few of the places that people traveled from. Hopefully everyone was happy with the turn out. For the most part, prices held throughout the day, and there were many different types of fish to bid on. Consignment checks should be mailed out shortly. Don t forget to mark your calendars for the Fall Auction, which will be held on October 19th. Thank you again, Naomi Gettler Auction Chair

30 PISCES PAGE For Sale Want Trade Give away FOR SALE: Used Aquariums 10gal tanks (7) $ 5.00each 10gal tanks-slate bottom (3) $ 4.00each 15gal tanks (2) $10.00each 15gal extra high-walnut (1) $ h (2) $12.00each 20l (5) $12.00each 20l-slate bottom (1) $ gal $ gal-cracked bottom (1) $ hex-walnut w/glass top and stand $ gal-oak (1) $ gal (1) $ gal (3) $ gal-slate bottom (1) $ gal-w/glass tops and light (1) $ gal-w/glass tops (1) $ New Aquariums and Stands 55gal-oak w/ glass tops and lights $ x18 pine cab. stand and canopy w/ oak finish and locks $225.00all Stands and Misc. 20 x10 wrought iron stand (2) $10.00each 24 x12 angle iron stand (1) $ x12 wrought iron stand (2) $20.00each 36 x12 pine cab. stand-walnut (1) $ x12 wrought iron stand (1) $ x18 angle iron stand (1) $ gal pine cab. stand-walnut (1) $ gal screen tops (2) $7.00each 20l screen top (1) $10.00 Contact Jeff Michels (414) or j_michels76@hotmail.com

31 For Sale Want Trade Give away For Sale: Tanganyikan Fish Neolamprologus Leleupi 1 S $3.00 ea Chalinochromis sp. Ndobnoi S $4.00 ea Chalinochromis sp. Ndobnoi Breeding Pr. S Call Ophthalmotilapia tiger nasutus 2 1/2 S Call Enantiopus Melanogeny Utinta Bay S $12.00 ea Enantiopus Melanogeny Breeding Trio S Call C. Frontosa matumbi blue 2 males 2 females 2 yrs. Old Call Malawi Fish Aulonocara sp. Albino Eureka Red 1 1/2 S $7.00 ea Copadichromis Virginalis Gold Nkanda 1 S $3.00 ea Lemon Yellows 1 1/2 S $2.50 ea Lemon Yellows 30 Lots 1 1/2 S $2.00 ea Plecostomus Gold Nuggets L18 S $18.00 ea Queen Gold Nuggets L77 S $21.00 ea Call Rick Nemeth (414) To submit a request for an upcoming issue, please send desired information to: Naomi Gettler, S74 W25825 Hi Lo Drive Waukesha, WI Or at fishfam@core.com Deadline is the last Friday of odd-numbered months. Although anyone may purchase from the Pisces market, you must be a member to have an ad posted.

32 The Milwaukee Aquarium Society, Inc. Invites You to Spend A Special Evening With Chuck Rambo Lake Victoria and Its Speaking on Cichlids Friday, May 17th, :30 p.m. St. Peter Immanuel Lutheran Church Chuck has been keeping cichlids for 35 years and currently has 40 aquariums. He has been Presi-

33 AQUA EXHIBITS HUGE SELECTION OF FRESH & SALTWATER FISH OPEN DAILY 10-6 SUN GALLON SHARK DISPLAY! 1335 N. 3RD (KING DR.) (414) DOWNTOWN 1 1\2 BLOCKS NORTH OF THE BRADLEY CENTER

34 UPCOMING EVENTS April 26th: April 26th 28th: May 3rd: MAS General Meeting Richard Mueller Ponds & Water Gardens St. Peter Immanuel 7:30 p.m. The 2002 American Livebearer Association Convention - Canton, Ohio (330) MAS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. Contact Jeff Michels (414) May 17th: May 19th: MAS General Meeting Special Speaker Night Featuring Chuck Rambo Rare Fish Auction to follow St. Peter Immanuel 7:30 p.m. Fish-O-Ramma 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Burnham Bowl For info call: Jerry Michels (414) May 24th - 26th: Cichlid Classic 2002 Holiday Inn - Rolling Meadows, IL Contact Cory Helfand (772) June 8th: June 9th: June 28th: Fish Collecting Trip/Maxwell Street Days 12:00 Noon Contact Naomi Gettler (414) MAS Board Meeting - 3:00 p.m. Contact Jerry Michels (414) MAS General Meeting Al Anderson Barbs & Rasboras 7:30 p.m.