Editor: Alan De Angelo

Contact: [email protected]

Publisher: Daryl Hutchins

Greetings and Salutations from the Great Not-So-White North. We have been having a very mild February in the Midwest, after a spell of extreme Polar Vortex cold, but winter is not over until it decides to be. We have a saying around here to not plant any flowers or vegetables in your garden until Memorial Day. It has been known to have sudden freeze-ups until that time. However, yesterday I saw the first Robins of the year and another person told me that she saw a Red-Winged Black Bird. Both are harbingers of an early Spring. Only time will tell.

ByLaws

Over the past few months, Daryl and I have revised the ACA ByLaws by bringing them into the digital age, streamlining the election process and getting rid of clumsy language. We turned our revised ByLaws over to the BOT, who have passed them for presentation to ACA members for approval. An electronic poll will be sent to you soon, for your decision on their acceptance. Please take the time to read the ByLaws when they arrive and, most importantly, vote.
Most of the changes are cosmetic: typos, spelling corrections, etc. The main alterations being to the Electoral Timeline, which is inordinately long, as it was designed in another age.

Hemi’s

The genus Hemichromis has been split. You have the four Five-Spot Hemichromis species like H. elongatus “the General” and the nine red species such as cerogaster, lifalli, guttatus, etc. have been split into the genus Rubricatochromis.
You can learn more about this in the latest issue of Amazonas magazine.
Don’t forget about the third grouping of the Hemichromini, Anomalochromis. These are great little dwarf cichlids that are a joy to keep in a community setting.

Desert Cichlids

Natura magazine offers free download of an article on the Desert Fishes. Twelve genera and 23 species of cichlids lived in this harsh environment according to the author. This article is from 2019 but you can check it out here.

Not quite tankbusters but …

The latest issue March/April 2023 of Amazonas magazine brings us XL West African Cichlids. When I think of Westies, I think of the aquarium “kribs” of the genus Pelvicachromis, Nannochromis species and the aforementioned Anomalochromis species along with other small to medium fishes. Tilapiini are the last thing on the list. But there are many beautiful, larger Coptodon, Sarotherodon and others that are suitable for bigger tanks. This issue of Amazonas covers many of them. Be sure to check them out and subscribe to Amazonas at: amazonasmagazine.com.
I’d also like to thank the folks at Amazonas for their generous donations to the ACA Conventions each year. Let’s support those who support us. Subscribe.

The Benes family is really, really getting involved in the ACA. Grace Benes, granddaughter of our current BOT Chair, Jan, and the late Phil Benes, and daughter of Chris and Sue Benes, has made a proposal to the BOT to start a Junior Board for kids between the ages of 13-18 to get them more involved in the ACA. The group will be Moderated by Andy Hudson and his wife Leah. I hear that they are planning all kinds of activities aimed at getting our younger members more involved and excited about the hobby. Maybe Grace and/or Andy will tell us what is planned in a future issue of the AN. It sounds like a fabulous way to get our future ACA BOT members started.

Gary Bagnall has once again shown his generosity towards the ACA and is donating the Madison Convention’s goodie bags. Thank you, Gary, from all of us at the ACA.
Gary also has created the Museum of Aquarium and Pet History. It’s pretty cool. Look it up online at moaph.org.