ACA News, Volume 6, #4-5


ACA News

Volume 6, #5-6, May/June 2020

 

Editor: Alan De Angelo

Publisher: Daryl Hutchins

Contact: [email protected]


Amazon Smiles

Greetings and hopefully, near past-CoVid-19 salutations!

Social Distance

The world is beginning to wake up once again. While a few countries, like Mexico (I heard this morning that Tijuana is the worst spot), are still battling upticks in CoVid-19 infections, much of the world is seeing a downward trend. More and more businesses are opening and we are trying to get back to normal once again. Not to be a party pooper but some so-called experts are doomsdaying the Fall with another outbreak. There are so many unknowns. Can we catch it again? Will our antibodies (if we have them) ward-off reinfection? Is the virus less virulent as it mutates over time? We are continually learning more about it. We shall see what happens.

What does all of this have to do with cichlids? Plenty. As we spent time at home, many of us paid much more attention to our finny friends and the increased care brought about better husbandry which led to healthier fish, more spawns, more fry being raised and nowhere to sell them. There have been no local meetings, no swap meets or auctions and we have sat alone in our fish rooms, talking to our guapotes. Bummer! A few clubs have had virtual meetings with Zoom and programs like it, which brought together a bit of fellowship. Social media usage has also increased, giving us an outlet to at least talk/type about our fish, share photos and videos and have camaraderie.

Some of you may feel comfortable with shipping fish and you could use the ACA’s Trading Post. Go to the website, cichlid.org, select the Community dropdown and hit Trade your cichlids. You will find it easy to list your Haves and Wants and reach our members.

Sad face 2020 ACA Convention Sad face

If you have not already heard, the 2020 ACA Convention has been cancelled. The ACA will not be having a convention at all this year. I know that there was some talk about moving it to a date in the Fall but there is just too much preplanning to do for such a move. The good news is that we have a convention planned for next year but it is not in Sacramento. So, don’t have the blues, you will see your friends from afar next year.

The location and dates will be announced just as soon as possible.


Extravaganza

But … if you are jonesing to get out and see fish people, it appears that the Ohio Cichlid Association is planning to have its OCA Extravaganza this Fall, November 20-22, 2020. Check out the website for more information: ohiocichlid.com.

FarceBookACA FaceBook

Our FB community has grown to 8661 members. It seems that every day we grow by 10 or more. Now, we need to convert those folks into actual ACA members. I will be posting the benefits of becoming a member periodically on FB. Where else can you get so much cichlid information like what’s contained in the CRC, BB, AN, TP? Not to mention great fish, great friends and of course, great fun. While you are on FB, I would hope that you encourage folks to join, too. Refer them to the website; cichlid.org > Store > Join the ACA! There are Life Memberships available, too.

MembershipsI notice that the “American” Cichlid Association has an ever-growing number of FB members from outside of the USA. We are becoming more and more an International presence. You see, no one needs armies, or nuclear weapons, they just all need to keep aquarium fishes and moreover, cichlids, to get along. However, there was one FB member that was rather rudely calling people out for posting African ciichlids on the page. It had to be explained that while we are the American Cichlid Association, the name is associated with the location of the club that was formed over 50 years ago, not the type of cichlid kept … much like the British Cichlid Association. After all, there are no cichlids native to Britain and only one in the USA.

Lastly, if you refer a friend to join our FB community, make sure they answer the questions. Otherwise, they will be declined. We need to have them agree to the rules of our page. People who do not follow them get removed. Thank you to those that report unnecessary and inappropriate behaviors and postings.

BB PaysBuntbarsche Bulletin

BB needs articles. The ACA even pays for them. Send submissions to the Editor: [email protected].

NOTE: If you want to have some real fun, include a few purposeful (sic) grammatical errors in the text to drive Daryl nuts. It would be a shame if you realize (sic) that you could of (sic) done so after submission. It is even better then (sic) using their/there/and they’re wrong (sic). (I’m gonna [sic] here [sic] about them [sic] errors I just made.) But, than (sic), its (sic) all about having fun. LOL! (Daryl is already “nuts” – Pub)

You will notice that this was another combined issue of the AN, May and June. Due to CoVid-19, not much has been going on. We, Daryl and I, could send out an empty AN on those other months but unless I have something to report, I will keep things on a bi-monthly schedule. Hopefully, this virus will go the way of the Dodo Bird and we can get on with life and keeping fish, being active in the organized hobby and have a monthly schedule again.

BOT Elections

It’s that time of year again. So come join the fun of running the ACA.

Nominations are invited to fill four positions on the ACA Board of Trustees for 2021-22.
If you are interested in one of these positions, please submit your application, along with a brief biography, to: [email protected].

Until next time, be safe, be healthy and enjoy your cichlids.

– Alan

USBBBack Issues


Update Details
WHERE ARE YOU?

Please ensure that the ACA has your current e-mail address. Otherwise we could lose touch … e-mails not arriving, fire and brimstone coming down from the skies, rivers and seas boiling, 40 years of darkness, earthquakes, volcanoes, dead rising from the grave, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria! Oh, wait …

Your street address and/or mobile/phone number could prove useful too … just in case.


LOCAL CLUB EVENTS

Send your cichlid-related news/events to the AN Editor at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you spread the word. Please allow six weeks lead-time.