Editor: Alan De Angelo

Contact: [email protected]

Greetings and Autumnal Salutations!

The summer is gone. As the world changes around us, the leaves are turning colors, the wooly caterpillars are getting fuzzier and the fish people are turning to their fishrooms for warmth and wonder. Fish are amazing, aren’t they? Always willing to fascinate us with behaviors and awesomely colorful displays. (Except for the rarer swordtails which are always “little grey ditch fish”). So, as we spend more and more time in the fishroom with the onslaught of cooler weather, don’t forget to jot down your observations, keep a log of things and write an article for BB. Yes, that was a shameless request for BB articles!

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME …

The 2020 ACA Convention will be held in Sacramento, CA next year so make your flight arrangements early, tune-up your Conestoga wagons for the trip through the pass or fill up the tank with gas. It’s going to be, as always, a great convention and a great time.

The cadre of the ACA always hears the same lament, “Why isn’t the ACA Convention near my town?” Well, it can be, but there are a few prerequisites, mainly a host club that is willing and able to host a convention, a large hotel that will accommodate a large group of fish nuts and the willingness to host a fish show. If you are interested in hosting a convention contact a BOT member and they will steer you over to Phil Benes who has been our Convention Chair since Moses lost his sneakers in the wilderness.

Speaking of fish shows, I heard that the Keystone Clash, sponsored by the Cichlid Club of York and the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County, recently had 365 entries in its show. Including a number of BIG cichlids. Wow! What a turnout. There were comments over the past few years that showing fish was a dying art, they sure proved that wrong at the Clash. Congratulations one and all. By the way, Scott McLaughlin tells me that the 2018 show had 400 entries. While an all species show, this is still very impressive. Kudos to those two clubs.

AQUATIC EXPERIENCE 2019

While on the topic of fish shows, you should’ve recently received an email about the Aquatic Experience. They are hosting an all-cichlid show that is giving cash prizes to the winners. The show is limited to 100 entries and there are still openings available. If you think you have a show-stopping specimen, enter it. The Best of Show award is $500. Not too shabby! There are other monetary awards, too. Refer to the recent email or the link provided to learn more about it.

aquaticexperience.com

LIFE MEMBERS

If you are a Life Member, please make sure that the ACA has not only your updated email address but your physical address and, possibly, phone number. We have had a few bounce backs from the ballots and are slowly getting correct email addresses or corrections. As a matter of fact, I was contacted by the AKA a few months ago, just to verify that I am alive. While I devote my time to the ACA, I am also a Life Member of the AKA and ALA, but am not vocal. I do not blame them for the inquiry. So, keep in touch and let us know your current contact info.

That’s all for now. Be sure to get out and enjoy the last few nice days before the cold weather, attend your local club meeting and the Aquatic Experience.

Have fun!