The Aquarium Society of Victoria

       Click here for the 2013 meeting da    tes

NEXT MEETING....
THURSDAY MAY 30th.          is the date for the   Aquarium Society of Victoria's 
     80th BIRTHDAY
This will take the form of a DINNER MEETING at a cost of
  $10 per head.  BYO
      BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL
 Special Guest Speaker: 
  Mr. Nick Romanowski
email:  gmoulden@bigpond.net
 or telephone Graeme on 9876 1720

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Henry from Berlin was a surprise visitor to the March meeting of A.S. of V. Henry has over 100 tanks in his second floor apartment !

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Graeme Moulden presents Dan Borg of Melbourne Water with a memento of his second visit to the A.S. of V. Dan gave an excellent talk on the newly completed Fish Ladder at Dight's Falls
The ASV is a group dedicated to the education and promotion of fish keeping and breeding in Victoria and Australia.
Comprising  members who have been involved in industry, as professional judges, breeders, commercial enterprises or hobbyist fish keepers, there is a vibrant and friendly attitude that welcomes all aquarist enthusiasts.

Meetings of various kinds take place either at the C. R.Paton Hall at the Clifton Hill address, or the Eastern Districts Aquarium Society in the Whitehorse Centre at  Nunawading.
With an active community and specialist sub-groups you are invited to participate as a guest at up to three of our general meetings, after which  you may choose to become a member.
Three Nano tanks set up by the contestants in the Iron Man Aquascaping Contest can be seen here.
Winner was John Lenagan with Henry Hardinge second and Nevil Amos third.
The winning entry from John Lenagan  is shown at right

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This was second place-getter
 Henry's Hardinge's tank

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Third place in a close contest went to
 Nevil Amos.

TABLE SHOW RESULTS For MARCH 2013

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 Table Show Steward  ... Paul Yeo

Bill McWilliam Large Tropicals ~                           1st. place  -    Eddie Tootell   
RAINBOWS                                                                                                               

                                        Cecil Davis Small Tropicals ~                                1st. place -    Eddie Tootell 
                                        BARBS

                                         Chas Bush Plants ~                                             1st .place -  Eddie Tootell  
                                         BACOPAS and LUDWIGIAS                                2nd.place -  Eddie Tootell
                                                                                                                    
                                          Bert Boothman - Goldfish  ~                                1st .place -  Eddie Tootell 
                                          PARADISE FISH 
                                                                                                               
                                          Ron Chapman - Bettas ~                                    1st, 2nd and 3rd place -  Shane Prior                  
                                          HALFMOONS                                                                                                                                                                    

                                          Popular Choice ~                                               Eddie Tootell's Paradise Fish                   

  A NEW WHITE CLOUD ON THE HORIZON...             by Daryl Maddock
        No … it’s not the weather forecast, it’s the story of a new fish, cousin to our longtime friend the White Cloud Mountain Minnow. I was very tempted to title this article “Every Cloud has a Silver Lining”, but it wouldn’t fit in the head space. It is very accurate though, for these delightful little fish do have a silver line  following the lateral line along the body just above a black stripe as shown in the pictures opposite.  I am talking about Tanichthys micagemmae,  the Vietnamese White Cloud, also known as the Emerald White Cloud or the Sparkle Eyed White Cloud.
            (It is amazing how marketers quickly dream up the most evocative titles for new fishes !)
            For over a half century the White Cloud Mountain Minnow was the only species in the newly defined genus. However in 2001, two additional species found in Vietnam. They were Tanichthys micagemmae and Tanichthys thacbaensis. Of the two, only Tanichthys micagemmae (Vietnamese White Cloud) is available in the aquarium trade. 
            The area that the White Cloud Mountain Minnow originated from has undergone significant changes over the years, which has negatively impacted its habitat. It has become a popular tourist area, with parks, hotels, and public transport.
            This had a deleterious effect on the habitat of this fish, and slowly this species disappeared.  Beginning in 1980, the species was not seen in nature for over twenty years, leading to the belief that it had become extinct. Fortunately a small number of native populations have been discovered in isolated locations within the coastal province of Guangdong and Hainan Island in China, as well as in Quảng Ninh province in Vietnam.   
                 The species is still very rare in the wild and is considered an endangered species in China. Efforts are underway to reintroduce captive-bred populations in to the wild. Currently all White Cloud Mountain Minnows sold in the aquarium trade are captive bred.  The two species available to hobbyists are very easy to tell apart. T. albonubes  is a noticeably larger fish and exhibits an overall red-brown colouration.  This colour in the body is lacking in T. micagemmae.  It also possesses a much thinner dark lateral body stripe.  T. micagemmae is possibly the parent species of the group, in evolutionary terms, with  T.albonubes its younger relative.
            The new fish is endemic to one small river in Vietnam the Ben Hai River drainage in North Central Vietnam province of Quang Tri. Once again as with Galaxy Rasboras, its habitat is seriously threatened by the encroachment of two surrounding villages, so  captive bred populations may be the salvation of these little gems.
            I obtained twelve specimens from Coburg Aquariums (one of our sponsors) and set them up in a nano-type tank of about 25 litres. They settled in immediately and a combination of dark substrate, dim lighting and clumps of freshwater seaweed and spawning moss brought out their delightful colours.
            The species is subtropical, with the usual seasonal variations in nature, and is most comfortable between 19 to 24º C. Softer acid water, pH 6.0 to 7.0 and with hardness below 6º H would seem to be the go, judging by the type location.
            It is a schooling fish by nature and constantly circles and darts around the tank. There seems to be no great distinction between sexes but I assume as they mature the females will exhibit the more rounded bodies and less intense colouration.    Although only discovered in 2001, there is already a Long Finned variety available . The fish do not grow as large as T. albonubes but the colours seem more distinct and deeper in tone, also the black line is far more defined and darker in the T. micagemmae. Seen side by side, the two species are easily distinguishable.
            Although I have detected no eggs or fry so far, (early days) I assume the new Clouds will breed in a similar manner to their cousins. They are  probably, like most small Cyprinids, egg scattering continuous spawners.  When the fish are in good condition and maintained alone in a densely planted tank small numbers of fry usually start to appear without further intervention.
            Deliberate breeding can be accomplished in say  a 16” tank, with a well conditioned pair, after some separation if possible, introduced. The temperature is  raised slightly after adding about one ¼ fresh water. Spawning should commence and continue for about three days. After this time they should be removed as the initial eggs will start to hatch after approximately 72 hours.
            Fry will need paramecium or green water as a starter food … have cultures ready if you with to raise numbers.   ...                                                 Good Luck ...Daryl  M.