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Letter From Editors – January 2022

Dear Aquarist,

We have a new issue of AquaticNews that represents a wide variety of fish, from the mysterious Coelacanth to locally bred Angelfish. Our virtual meetings are gaining more popularity with members and we have some compelling speakers coming up. Todd Gardner, breeder of over 60 species of salt water fish, returns to BAS in February. March will bring us Samantha M. West of Zoo Med Laboratories. She will be discussing Environmental Enrichment for your Aquarium Fish.

One article we would like to point out is on page 7, “Why Hobbyists Should Write for their Club Journal.” We encourage all members to share their passion and knowledge. Since we can’t get to meetings please put your experiences to paper. We’ve all had fish we love but can’t keep alive and fish that survive despite doing everything wrong. Whether you’ve had a great experience with new equipment or bought something that totally failed please share with fellow members.

Continue reading Letter From Editors – January 2022 →

President's Message

President’s Message – September 2021

Presidents Message

I usually try to focus on the good when I write my message, but this is the hardest President’s message I have ever written. It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the passing of our past President and my longtime friend Joe Graffagnino. Joe was well-liked by all who knew him. I have never met anyone who had a bad thing to say about him. He was always the first to volunteer his help for our club and even other clubs, in any way he could. He has left a big void in all of us and he will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt prayers go out to his family.

Continue reading President’s Message – September 2021 →

Announcements

R.I.P – Joe Graffagnino

Please donate to Tunnel to Towers Foundation on behalf of Joe.
Click here or here.  Every bit counts.

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce the passing of our former Brooklyn Aquarium Society President, lead board member and widely known Joe Graffagnino.

Joe has been the face of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society for over 30 years.  Joe will be greatly missed and our prayers go out to his family.

A viewing will be held on Friday, September 10th

At

Scarpaci Funeral home
1401 86th Street
Brooklyn NY 11228

Between 4 & 8 PM

More details to follow…

Announcements

Online Auction: July 2021 – Join Now.

Brooklyn Aquarium Society July 2021 Auction

Questions? Email:

DeeFromBrooklyn@gmail.com or JoeGraffagnino@yahoo.com

Download instructions here.

The tentative exchange location is the Toy’s R Us Parking Lot Flatbush off the Belt Parkway on July 10th.

The auction is open to the public. Non-members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the auction. All monies will be handled by BAS. Don’t exchange money directly with a buyer.  All lots sold are “as is, where is”.  BAS can not guarantee the proper identification or health of animals or plants. BAS can not guarantee the working order of any equipment.

Sellers drop their lots off between 11am to Noon. Help sorting is appreciated. Buyers can pick up their lots and pay at time of pick up between 1:00pm and 2pm. You must arrange for someone else to pick up or drop off your lots if you can’t make it on that day and time(s). Continue reading Online Auction: July 2021 – Join Now. →

Announcements

The Brooklyn Aquarium Society 2021 Online Auction

Hello,

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The Brooklyn Aquarium Society board is working with Auction.Fish to bring you our first Aquarium Club Online Auction platform. That’s right, you can now buy and sell your fish and other merchandise online with the rest of our aquarium society members. The Auction.Fish website is used by several aquarium societies allowing their members to create their own personal accounts and take part in their local club auctions. Once you create your account you can also post items for auction. It’s Simple, Safe and Secure.

Step 1.
Visit the website at: https://auction.fish/

Continue reading The Brooklyn Aquarium Society 2021 Online Auction →

Articles, Freshwater Inverts

Breeding Red Cherry Shrimp

Breeding Freshwater Red Cherry Shrimp:

 

 With the growing popularity of planted aquaria, freshwater invertebrates are enjoying an increased demand as well.  It’s understandable since many of them are ideal for these setups.  One of the most popular is the Red Cherry shrimp.  They belong to the genera Caridina.  There are over 120 different species of Caridina shrimp.  It is almost impossible to identify these shrimp to the species level.  The freshwater shrimp hobby is going through much the same identity crisis as South American catfish, many of which are being identified by a number.  Caridina shrimp are usually referred to by their common name or simply as a Caridina species or something else equally inaccurate. Continue reading Breeding Red Cherry Shrimp →

Articles, Freshwater Inverts

Breeding Back Stripe Shrimp

Breeding Freshwater Back Stripe Shrimp:

 With the ever-growing popularity of planted aquaria, freshwater invertebrates are enjoying an increase in popularity as well.  It’s no surprise since many of these inverts are perfect residents for these setups.  One of the more popular freshwater invertebrates is the Back stripe shrimp.  These shrimp belong to the genera Caridina.  There are over 120 different species of Caridina shrimp.  It is almost impossible to identify these shrimp to the species level.  The freshwater shrimp hobby is going thru much the same identity crisis as South American catfish, many of which are being identified by a number.  Caridina shrimp are usually referred to by their common name or simply as a Caridina species or something else equally inaccurate.  What makes all of the shrimp in this Genus so desirable is that they will spend 24 hours a day (that’s right they don’t sleep) cleaning your tank of leftover food scraps and algae without bothering your plants in any way. Continue reading Breeding Back Stripe Shrimp →

Articles, Freshwater Inverts

Breeding Dwarf Red Tail Shrimp

Breeding Dwarf Red Tail Shrimp:

 With the growing popularity of planted aquaria, the freshwater invertebrates are enjoying an increased demand as well.

It’s understandable since many of them are ideal for these setups.  A few months back I ran across some of these shrimp in Animals and Things.  This is a pet shop over in Woodbridge NJ, one of the few local places I can think of which carry freshwater shrimp with any regularity.  I purchased all they had and put them in my 25-gallon guppy tank.  They are very happy in there and have been breeding.  These shrimp belong to the genera Caridina.  There are over 120 different species of Caridina shrimp.  It is almost impossible to identify these shrimp to the species level.  The freshwater shrimp hobby is going thru much the same identity crisis as South American catfish, many of which are being identified by a number.  Caridina shrimp are (for now) being identified by their common names or simply as a Caridina species or something else equally inaccurate. Continue reading Breeding Dwarf Red Tail Shrimp →

Hobby Related News, Saltwater Fish

Coelacanth May Not Be A ‘Living Fossil’

Microsoft News

Huge Fish, Once Believed Extinct, Isn’t the ‘Living Fossil’ Scientists Thought

George Dvorsky  

An analysis of coelacanth DNA suggests its genome has experienced some significant changes in recent evolutionary history, potentially dispelling the popular image of these iconic fish as being “living fossils.”

© Image: Bruce Henderson A rare sighting of a live coelacanth, captured off the coast of South Africa in 2019. Continue reading Coelacanth May Not Be A ‘Living Fossil’ →

Announcements, BAS Events

Online Event Friday 1/8/21 – Parasitology of Fishes by Pat Donston

Happy New Year,

The Brooklyn Aquarium Society welcomes you to take part in a virtual online presentation by Pat Donston of Absolutely fish in New Jersey on Parasitology of Fishes on Friday, January 8th at 7:30 pm

During this talk Pat discuss ailments and possible treatment for our aquatic friends

Watch Directly on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/SKp1ay24c1c

This meeting will also be streamed live on the Brooklyn Aquarium Society Facebook page.   Questions will be taken during this interactive event.

Absolutely Fish owner Pat Donston started in the hobby with his first aquarium when he was nine years old. In college, he majored in Zoology, and got his Master of Science degree specializing in fish reproduction.  Upon completion of his Master’s degree, Pat worked in a public aquarium teaching docents and volunteers about the biology of invertebrates in the inter-tidal exhibit.  Pat believes aquarium keeping is one of the best educational tools for children and adults to learn more about the oceans and reefs around the world. Learning about the animals one has as pets sparks an interest to become more aware of the environment in which we live.  It can bring people closer to a part of the world they may never see or otherwise know.

Absolutely Fish is located at 1080 US-46 in Clifton, NJ 07013

Absolutely Fish is a proud supporter of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society.

Announcements

R.I.P. Seth Kolker, BAS President from 1989 to 2001

Seth Kolker
08/08/1954 – 11/05/2020

President of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society
1989 – 2001

Seth was a dedicated aquarium hobbyist his entire life. He was the youngest member ever elected, in the Society’s 109 years, to the Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s Board of Directors while still in his early teens. Seth was a visionary in the aquatic industry. His keen eye for the hobby and insight into the future helped propel the Brooklyn Aquarium Society into unknown areas. In the 1970s and 80s, it was Seth’s influence to move the club into African cichlids and then into marine environments with saltwater fish and corals.

Continue reading R.I.P. Seth Kolker, BAS President from 1989 to 2001 →

Articles, Freshwater Fish

An Experience with Whiptail Catfish Of the Genus Rineloricaria

Catfish An Experience with Whiptail Catfish Of the Genus Rineloricaria
By Ian Fuller

The term Whiptail catfish points us to a group of fishes that are very unique in their physical make up. There are many genera that fall into the category commonly referred to as ‘Whiptails’ my experience with them has been limited to members of the genus Rineloricaria. There are around forty know species of this genus all of which have distinctive long thin tapering twig like body shapes that are covered over their entire lengths by hard interlocking bony plates known as scutes. Another striking feature of these fishes is their external mouthparts that are formed into suction like pads; some being more pronounced than others and may have lace like filaments on their trailing edges. The most difficult aspect with these fishes is their identification; many species have very similar body and fin markings. Continue reading An Experience with Whiptail Catfish Of the Genus Rineloricaria →

Saltwater Fish

Taking the Plunge to Salt Water

Taking the Plunge to Saltwater

by Steve Matassa

I am sure many of you fresh water hobbyist have thought of getting into salt water, but are afraid of the challenge or even the expense. Well, it’s not as hard as you might think or as expensive, although, it is a little more expensive then fresh water, but it’s definitely worth it. If you have kept fresh water fish successfully, you can keep salt water fish. All you need is a little knowledge, before taking the plunge. I will try to walk you through this as simple as possible, and as cheap as possible. The cheap part probably caught your attention, right – then let’s give it a shot. Continue reading Taking the Plunge to Salt Water →

Articles, Freshwater Fish

Breeding the Stardust Pleco L136a

Breeding the ‘Stardust Pleco – Hypancistrus Sp. L 136a.

by Ian Fuller

Some time ago, in fact I think it was in the early part of last year, I decided to diversify a little with my fish breeding program. At that time my catfish efforts were concentrated purely on Corydoras. There was a lot of talk around the hobby about the brilliant Hypancistrus zebra, or ‘Zebra plec’ as it was commonly called. I decided then that they were a must to try and breed, especially as the price of them seamed to be ever on the increase, making them a good investment. I set out to buy some potential breeding stock, my first port of call was to friend Neil Woodward’s establishment in Wigan, where I new I would find what I was after.  Continue reading Breeding the Stardust Pleco L136a →

Announcements

Message to BAS Members

Dear Members,

I hope this note finds everyone in good health during these troubling times.

Not having our usual monthly events is strange to us. I know we miss the normalcy of everyday life, especially our fish club meetings, but our health and those of our loved ones is the most important thing we can consider. Social distancing prevents our events from happening.

The Brooklyn Aquarium Society wants to assure all our members that no one will lose membership dues payment time while we are not meeting during this pandemic. When we are back to normal, all regular members will be credited with the months we have lost.
Everyone stay safe and healthy, continue your water changes, and we hope to see you soon.

Steven Matassa
President

Articles, Freshwater Fish, Saltwater Fish

Acclimating Fish

Acclimating Fish
by Steve Matassa

There are two ways most hobbyist use to acclimate their fish. I will try to explain these methods for those of you who do not know. The first is the drip method, where you would empty the bag with the fish in to a bucket, and set up an air line with a knot in it. Then let the water slowly drip in to the bucket in till the bucket starts to fill up. Then empty some of the bucket and continue with the drip. This should take about half an hour if done right. You do not want to drip it too fast, and stress the fish. The purpose of these methods is to make the transaction for the fish as stress free as possible.

Continue reading Acclimating Fish →

President's Message

President’s Message – August 2020

President’s Message

All of us at BAS are hoping that everyone is well and staying safe and healthy. We all know this pandemic continues to grip our world. All of us are praying that we can resume normal life in the near future. I do not have any information as to when we can have in person BAS events at Education Hall. I have been in contact with Scott Doyle of the New York Aquarium and I am quoting his email response to my question about any updates we can share with our members. His response is:

Continue reading President’s Message – August 2020 →

Announcements

June 12th Virtual Event – Copepods are changing the face of aquaculture By Chad Clayton

“Copepods are changing the face of aquaculture” –  By Chad Clayton

 

 

BAS Presents Chad Clayton Online Presentation – Copepods are Changing the Face of Aquaculture

When
Fri Jun 12, 2020 8pm – 9pm Eastern Time – New York
Where
Online Presentation (Virtual Meeting)
Joining info
Join with Google Meet
Join by phone
+1 706-750-9569 (PIN: 963062243)