--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1G00019 Date: 01/11/97 From: GORD DOWLING Time: 09:28pm \/To: SAM MCDANIEL (Read 2 times) Subj: chemistry Sam McDaniel was spouting off to Gord Dowling about chemistry when he said ... SM> Actually the discovery channel has a very good program SM> that documents this fact. It ran last year and was called SM> The Golden River or "similar title" I believe. Several of us viewed SM> it. Try discovery.com on the WWW. I also have it mentioned SM> in a source book by Axelrod i think. The discovery document is a for SM> sure. Thank you for the referance. I will try to get the folks at discovery.com to aid my search for documentation. Any idea what the approx publication date of Dr. Axelrod's book might have been? Gord ... Say what you mean... Mean what you say. --- GEcho/386 1.11+ * Origin: * Cobalt's Haven * Winnipeg * 204-832-9603 * OS/2-FD-RA * (1:348/402) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1G00020 Date: 01/11/97 From: GREG KREAPS Time: 08:12pm \/To: ROBBY DITTMANN (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: need help Thanks for the line back....it was most helpful. I should have told you this is is a small tank..only 1 gal but it does have and air supply...but i have recieved lots of mail on this subject..will try all thanks greg --- QuickBBS 2.80 (Zeta-1) * Origin: Camelot BBS - Belpre, Ohio - 614-423-0185 (1:2210/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1G00021 Date: 01/11/97 From: GREG KREAPS Time: 08:14pm \/To: RON MAGED (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: need help Thanks for your line...not knowing anything about fish I hoped this echo could help and it has.................... thanks greg --- QuickBBS 2.80 (Zeta-1) * Origin: Camelot BBS - Belpre, Ohio - 614-423-0185 (1:2210/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00000 Date: 01/11/97 From: ROB RAGAN Time: 08:26am \/To: RON MAGED (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: need help In your message to Greg Kreaps you wrote about Re: need help RM>GK>NO NOTHING..WHAT SHOULD I USE??????????????? RM> RM> RM> RM>The phone book....call your local pet/fish store. Petsmart is a good RM>choice and ask them how to build an aquarium environment. The first thing Petsmart will do is verify your credit line. Water, dechlorinator (MarChlor is what I use. 16 oz. for $5.49 and this bottle has lasted me almost a year), baking soda and a little aquarium suitable salt is all he needs. An airpump and airstone would help. Rob --- ProBoard v2.15 [Reg] * Origin: The Ham Radio Emporium - Owasso, OK - 918-272-4327 (1:170/852) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00001 Date: 01/12/97 From: KAZ LANGRIDGE Time: 02:48pm \/To: ROBBY DITTMANN (Read 2 times) Subj: need help Hi Robby, Robby Dittmann wrote in a message to Greg Kreaps: RD> Another thing that might be your problem is that any new tank RD> should be up and running for at least a week before you add any RD> fish. A week seems a very short time. Before now I've been able to leave a pond for just a week before all the water quality tests came out OK but in my experience tanks can take as long as 6 weeks before they are safe to put fish in. The water quality tests did show as OK before that (after a week or so) but it was 6 weeks before the water quality was stable when fish were introduced. Before the 6 weeks as soon as fish were introduced the levels of ammonia, nitrates and nitrite went through the roof. This was in a cold water tank that was stocked with small (2 inch) koi. Regards, Kaz --- GEcho 1.20/Pro * Origin: Cassiopeia in the Pleiades Cluster (2:252/820) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00002 Date: 01/10/97 From: ALESSIO CONTI Time: 10:56pm \/To: MARCO SOLA (Read 2 times) Subj: Fancy Guppies Il 06 Jan 97 11:41:06 Marco Sola ha scritto a harry silva a proposito di MS> My question is, when is the right moment to put the female into a MS> breeding plastic simil tank? I mean those floating transparent MS> little bowl to put in the tank. hs> never!! MS> Why? Isn't it the best way? It depends. If yuo want to save all the babies the answer is "yes". hs>Fill the top 1/3 with a floating type plant and let the babies hs>hide. If you want to save them then watch the female daily and hs>when she has dropped the babies then seach the plants (guppies are hs>photo tropic and usually will be found near the surface close to hs>the light) for them. It's true.But yuor tank have to be large and not full of fishes and also you have to be lucky.In my personal experience I used plants called "Cabomba" (I don't know if is the same in english)they grow up quickly till the water surface and they provide to hide the babies in a good way. But it's only an emergency method to save babies if you don't notice the birth. The biggest problem is that you have to fish "them" and , believe me , is not so easy. MS> Aren't they eaten by other fish? Most of them,sooner or later. ( it depends on the kind of fishes) I put the female in the plastic floating tank after 25/28 days from the last birth if its stomach looks bigger than before. I have a birth every 30 days more o less. Ciao Alessio --- FIPS/32 v0.98 W95/NT [Unreg] * Origin: Niente per caso BBS -Pisa-ITALY (2:332/617.48) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00003 Date: 01/11/97 From: PATRICK LUTZ Time: 11:30am \/To: DON DEPUE (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: more fish.. Hey Don, In a message from 11 Jan 97 you wrote to Patrick Lutz for " more fish.. " this: DD> Hello, Patrick! I have sent you some netmail, have you seen it yet? Yes, all you mail are in my netmail-folder. DD> Hopefully it will get to you! Yes... DD> I have purchased some new fish for my tank (and some new plants)..also I DD> got a very good deal on some baby neons...they are happily joining the DD> adult neons I already have. Neons are very beautiful...How much neons do you have, today ?? DD> Hope you are doing well, and will be looking forward to hearing from DD> you! Yes, I had wrote any netmail to you... Ciao/2 Patrick (2:2433/1255.6) Ŀ eMail: Patrick_Lutz@p6.f1255.n2433.z2.fidonet.org --- CrossPoint v3.1 * Origin: This number win : (2:2433/1255.6) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00004 Date: 01/11/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 11:29am \/To: HARRY SILVA (Read 2 times) Subj: wild fish WILL SEND YOU SOME STUFF... --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00005 Date: 01/11/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 11:30am \/To: HARRY SILVA (Read 2 times) Subj: keeping native fish I keep mine anywhere from a week to several generations..I release the fry back home ...I do this particuarlly for species that are at risk in one way or another...BTW my email; is robertrice@juno.com drop me a note and I'll send you NANFAs endangered species program...it's neat... --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: E1H00006 Date: 01/11/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 11:39am \/To: HARRY SILVA (Read 2 times) Subj: Endangered program ..1/2 NANFA ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION PROGRAM by John Bondhus, Monticello, Minnesota Almost every year a new North American freshwater fish species becomes extinct. Most of these extinctions could have been prevented by reproduction in aquariums or in protected areas. Many became extinct because people willing to help simply did not know which species were in greatest need of help or what they could personally do to help. Many NANFA members re working individually on conservation programs but no coordinated effort exists. Therefore, the NANFA board of directors has decided to establish a species conservation program to coordinate and help promote activities. NANFA is a unique organization. It's heavy emphasis on aquarium study of North American fishes may give it more potential to prevent extinction's of our native endangered species than any current organization including the government. The federal government has a program for endangered fishes,but less than $1,000,000 is allocated each year for fish recovery programs (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992). Congress simply lacks the political willingness to spend money except on a few high visibility species. A few other conservation efforts are being done by state and federal agencies. The largest being at the Dexter National Fish Hatchery that allocates about $400,000 from game fish hatchery funds. Most programs depend on the individual initiatives of dedicated biologists who find their own ways to get grant money or do them on their own time. Today, at least 50 species get no funds or attention at all. Many other organizations have started conservation programs and some like the Desert Fishes Council and the Aquatic Conservation Network have been very successful in working with universities and government agencies to attain common goals. Only NANFA covers the entire North American collection and has a heavy focus on aquarium reproduction. A large percentage of the biologists working on rare fish conservation programs are already NANFA members. Many of our amateur members are very knowledgeable as well, especially in breeding and collecting fish. Aquarium spawning is not a permanent solution but it's better than total extinction. Often, it's the last line of defense. It can buy time until an adequate recovery plan is implemented and it's an area NANFA member's usually enjoy. For more than thirty years now, I have been watching sadly as more and more species become extinct. I kept telling myself the government would start doing something about solving this problem. I really hoped with the Endangered and Threatened Species Act of 1973 something would start to happen, but only a token amount of money is allocated to it. In fact, our congress allocates less than a cent per person per year for fish recovery programs. Many low priority species are deliberately ruled out for federal reproduction programs because of lack of space. One species no longer existed in the wild and its removal meant automatic extinction. (Minckley, W. & Deacon, J. 1991). Yes, they raised a tremendous hullabaloo about the Snail Darter Percina tanasi and delayed a major dam construction to protect it but this was done only with publicity and legal pressures. At the same time, just in the last few years, three or four easily reproducible species became extinct with no efforts expended. These species would have been relatively easy for NANFA club members to breed and perpetuate. I have always felt "well, there is not much I can do because the government would not let me breed endangered species with the regulations in place." I was wrong. Al Castro, phone number 415-467-9344 told me you do not even need a permit in most cases to keep, breed, and distribute them. This assumes you legally obtained them and do not buy or sell them. An exception may be if they are covered by your local state game and fish laws. Normally these laws cover only game and commercial species living within the state's waters. STUDYING CURRENT SPECIES STATUS TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES The more people we become involved, the more species we can save. This involvement is often due to lack of knowledge of what needs to be done, how urgent it is, or how to do it without legal troubles. We can maximize this involvement by communicating to members the current project needs, status on each species and applicable laws. There are at least one hundred species on Federal Threatened and Endangered Species Lists and at least as many that are as rare but not officially listed yet. In addition there are locally threatened stocks in almost every state (Schmidt, K. 1990). We can gather information on each of these species, report on their current status and then members can more easily select projects that fit their interests, resources, and abilities. What we do can only increase the current efforts of others and to help ensure more species survive. We should maintain a data base on what is actually being done for each of these species and who has legally obtainable species. In many cases, there are programs in place, and we should support organizations doing those programs. Members may want to volunteer to help on some of these programs. Let me give you an example -- a frequent NANFA member, J.R. Shute is currently working on seven species. He developed a non-profit organization to do this, Conservation Fisheries, Inc., 7108-A Commercial Park Dr.., Knoxville, Tenn. 37918 and has secured funding from various organizations to work on these seven species. This example may be interesting to you because a non-profit organization can pay its employees a reasonable salary. Many of our members could get jobs this way doing what they really like. There should be money available for protecting endangered species in both the public and private sectors. The traditional sources, state and federal grants may be more limited than private grants. Large corporations can easily justify spending a million dollars for the publicity value alone if they can see concrete ways to tie the success of a major effort into their company's image or their management's personal values.. We need to put our collective creative efforts together to find new ways to redefine the economics of species conservation. NANFA can help here by publishing new fund raising ideas that you may develop for your project. If one or two other members develop similar programs to what J. R. Shute is doing we would be instrumental in helping to save several species. The limitation to a project is usually taking the initiative to raise money to get the job done, taking the time to do it themselves, or organizing volunteers. Many species became extinct because nobody was involved. No central communication system existed to communicate the serious status until it was too late. Certainly someone cared with the Snail Darter. In other species, they never reached the political limelight, and died for lack of a few thousand dollars worth of efforts. For example, 10 years ago there were five species of Gambusia that are endangered. Today, probably only 3 of the 5 still survive. How complicated can it be to take a simple live-bearing fish as this and reproduce it in several members' aquariums to at least provide some redundancy in case the wild population is lost. The Goodenough gambusia (Gambusia amistadensis) program lacked this redundancy and that species is now totally extinct. This extinction was caused by hatchery errors occurring simultaneously at the only two captive breeding locations. (Hubbs and Jensen, 1984). With captive breeding its very common to make mistakes and there must be a much higher level of redundancy here than in the wild. The captive breeding populations need to be perpetually managed in a data base as members change their interests or accidentally lose their individual populations so an adequate number of separate locations are maintained with frequent --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47)