ACA News, Volume 8, #12

December 22, 2022

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ACA News

Volume 8, #12 November 2022

Editor: Alan De Angelo

Contact: [email protected]

Publisher: Daryl Hutchins

Season’s Greetings and Holly Salutations!

As Christmas fast approaches, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe, prosperous, and happy New Year. I hope next year brings forth some much-needed changes to the world in general and the ACA in particular. What will those changes be? I mean, besides the usual Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Men? (One can hope, can’t they? ) I guess you will have to wait and see for some of them.

One event will be the changing of the Guard in the ACA. Pat Tosie will be stepping down as Chair after a trying year. Best wishes to Pat and thank you for all he’s accomplished. Taking over will be our beloved Jan Benes. She has also been taking on the role of Convention Liaison and has her finger on the pulse of the ACA. Stephan Tanner will be the Vice-Chair and Mary Kane will continue as Secretary.

Another change will be a shared convention, with the catfish peeps this time. Most cichlidophiles have more than a few cats in their tanks, so this goes together like soup and sandwich, bread and butter, Laurel and Hardy … you get the picture.

Back to the convention. Madison, WI will be the host city, right in the heart of America’s Dairyland. Be sure to bring your Lactase pills and be prepared to get a white moustache or at least some really great cheeses. There are many cheese houses on the highways, be sure to stop at one or two. There are also some great brew houses I am told. New Glarus, WI is right down the road and it is the home of Spotted Cow from the New Glarus Brewing Company. I hear that this is prized ale. I wouldn’t know since, back in my college days, I learned that I have a beer allergy. Go figure, a college guy that can’t drink beer. But, I have heard rave reviews about it. Nearby Black Earth, WI is an artist’s community and some may find that interesting, too. There are also a number of trout streams if you are so inclined. Don’t forget to buy a license! Overall, it’s a beautiful part of the country and you should take some time to enjoy it. So, come early to the convention and relax. Exploring the area is fun.

👮 A word of warning about Dodgeville, WI. The speed limit drops from 65 to 25 in a heartbeat and the local speed trap is right at that point. Just pay the fine, you’ll never win. Right after I got stopped, years ago, a local told me that it goes on all day long. Even he got caught. And he lives there!

“I’m dreaming of a White Meeki …” Kudos to Mr Art Parola on his recent article in Amazonas magazine about the albino Firemouth cichlid, Thorichthys meeki. These are line-bred fish, not hybrids, that are commanding the high price of $300/pr. Pretty steep for Firemouths but the novelty will keep the price high until someone breeds the heck out of them and floods the market … as usual. They are fairly attractive fish, whitish flanks with splashes of red where one would think the red would be. Males are more colorful than females in the photos that I saw. Look to Amazonas magazine to learn more. Buy yourself a Christmas gift and subscribe to Amazonas. You’ll be glad you did!

Have you seen Aequidens superomaculatus “Rio Atabapo”? These are gorgeous fish worthy of any fishroom. Research them, if you find a photo, be prepared to drool.

While you’re at it, a third Oscar has been named: Astronotus mikoljii is from the Orinoco River and the Paria Basin in Venzuela and Columbia. If you love Oscars, and who doesn’t, you’ll have to check these fishes out, too. And please, do not interbreed any of these great fishes.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, you can buy your fish friends and family members gift subscriptions to the ACA, too:

cichlid.org

If you are really in a Christmas giving mood, send Daryl, our BB Editor, an article or two. He will leave his laptop under the tree on Christmas Eve hoping to get them sent to him:

[email protected]

Vale
Our condolences to the Fairweather family.

Mr Ian Fairweather of Driffield, UK passed away this past November, at the age of 82.
While Ian was an active ACA member for many years, he also kept up his memberships in the British Cichlid Association and the Catfish Study Group. Ian attended several ACA conventions in the ’90s according to friends. His focus was in the Mesonauta and Laetacara genera of cichlids. Apparently, one of his final acts was voting in the last ACA BOT election.
A true cichlidophile, and catfish fan, with a big heart and great generosity.
Ian bequeathed the ACA, BCA and CSG all a sum of money to be used for the continuation of these organizations.

Thank you, Mr Fairweather and farewell.
You will be missed.

As many of our fellow aquarists reach the seasoned-citizen years, let us not forget about them. If they no longer show up to meetings, drop them an email or give them a call to find out how they are. Ask if they are still keeping fish or at least keeping up by reading about them. Go to their house and drop off the fish magazines you were going to toss out. Maybe even donate some time and invite them to come to your fish room, help them in their fish room, if they still have one, or bring them to a meeting or two with you. Keep them involved as much as possible. They may possibly have a lifetime of fish-keeping experience and be a great source of knowledge to you. Keep them in mind, you will find it rewarding.

Now, there are also some of these older gents that are like the Energizer Bunny and just keep on going and going, like Richard Stratton. He’ll run rings around you and he’s in his 90s. Richard recently attended the Triple Crown this summer. Seek his counsel, you’ll be glad you did. Just don’t let him put you in his Power Point presentation. LOL! (I missed it so if anyone has a video of it, please send it to me at [email protected] … thanks.)

Have a Merry Christmas everyone. Daryl and I will be greeting you again in the New Year. (With a bit of luck! Not saying which kind – D)

Cheers!