CONTENTS.                        CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR 2006/2007                                                                                                   

PAGES

1.                                             Society Officers.

2.                                             Society Information.

3.                                             Editorial.

                                                By Stan McMahon.

4.                                             Chair’s Chatter.

                                                By Julie Rundle.

5.                                             Apple Snails.

                                                By John Rundle.

11.                                           Going Away This Christmas?.

                                                By Peter Burgess.

13.                                           AQWA. Not The Stuff You Drink.

                                                By Geoff Burgess.

17.                                          Christmas Odds And Ends.

By Stan McMahon.

22                                            A Most Unusual Fish.

                                                By Peter Burgess.

24.                                           Picture Caption Competition

Society Web Site = http://padapks.mysite.wannadoo-members.co.uk

                                    http://padapks.mysite. freeserve.com

Cover picture: Ostracod, Cypris Sp.

 EDITORIAL                                                         STAN McMAHON

Holly, tinsel, baubles, mince pies, it must be Christmas! Either that or Sara has been to a surplus stock sale at Lidel. No, I was right it is the festive season and a new “Fishy News” Magazine to celebrate, hope you will enjoy.

I must start by thanking Big Geoff Burgess for another great article from our down under correspondent, this must be his fifth article contribution on the trot, and so a big thank you for supporting our magazine. All the photographs that accompany the article have been taken by Geoff.

Just thinking about the highlights of last year and I can go no further than the summers night we had a talk from Roy Johnson or Roy – Semtex – Johnson as he is now known. If you missed his talk then you missed a real treat, I thought at one stage a medical team was required for John Rundle as he was laughing so much, he had gone a strange shade of crimson. We were all laughing that evening and a lot of side clenching was required, brilliant Roy.

I have continued the theme from last years Christmas magazine and have included another Caption Competition which I hope you will all take part. I do hope my occasional lift home has not been assigned to the dustbin!

We do have the “Big Event” coming up in 2007 which you will hear more of in the coming months, but just a wee thought here about 2008 which will be our Society’s 60^th. Birthday. This is a substantial landmark that we must start to think about as it will soon be upon us.

As I am the vice president of the Plymouth Celtic Supporters Club I must mention here that we have qualified, for the first time, for the last 16 of the Champions League by beating Manchester United (sorry Dave P.) what a night!

We have had some changes to the Committee (see list of members in this magazine) with some new blood taking on the challenges of running the Society. It is with thanks that we say adieu to Sue Sharp and Ted Burnett and bonjour to Roy Johnson and Tom Williamson.

Merry Christmas to you all and have a brilliant fish keeping New Year.

CHAIR’S CHATTER                                                                                 JULIE RUNDLE 

Hello again.

Here we are at the end of another year and one which has been quite a busy one for the Society. The festive season is upon us and we now have our Christmas magazine.

 I am looking forward to the December meetings as they always have that relaxed sociable air about them. It reminds me how true JR seniors words were in his lecture at Endsleigh recently, he commented that belonging to a society like ours offers you so much more than just relying on things like the internet for all your information. It gives you the opportunity to meet great people, “kindred fishy spirits” so to speak! Not only do we get to share information and advice in relation to the whole aspect of fish keeping but you get to enjoy the additional social bits! It looks as if we may even have started an annual barbeque!

Still on the theme of looking forward, we have the Endsleigh Event 2007 and I am hoping that this will be a success story for the society. However, this will only be achievable through us all working together and it will be good to see all the willing volunteers coming forth in January!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support to me in my first year as Chair – I made it and more importantly so did all of you!

 Finally may I wish all members and their families along with all friends of this society a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

 See you all in 2007.

APPLE SNAILS                                                                         JOHN RUNDLE

How many times have you visited your local dealer’s and saw a tank of rather large bright yellow coloured snails under the common name of ‘Golden Apple Snails’.  The answer must be “quite often”, because they are very popular and can be found in fishkeepers tanks,

I receive letters from readers who want to keep and breed them and want too know more about these intriguing molluscs.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Apple snails belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda (snails), subclass Prosobranchia, order Caenogastropoda, superfamily Ampullarioidae, family Ampullariidae (apple snails).

The multicoloured Apple Snail (Pomacea bridgesii).

They are freshwater snails and are found in tropical and sub-tropical countries and the family is divided into several genera that can be split into areas.

The genera Asolene, Felipponea, Marisa, Pomacea are found in South America, Central America, West Indies and Southern U.S.A.

The genera Afropomus, Lanistes, Saulea are found in Africa.

The genera Pila is found in Africa and Asia.

These genera contain about 120 species and a great deal of work has been carried out to identify the species and rule out misidentified species.

Apple snails can be classed as somewhat amphibious, they have the ability to close a trap door called the operculum to prevent them drying out when buried in the mud during dry periods in the wild.

Another brilliant adaptation they have is the branchial respiration system that can compare to the gills of our fish.  On the right hand side it enables the snail to breath under water, and on the left hand side it works to respirate air.  This lung/gill arrangement allows it to leave the water to search for food when food under the surface becomes scarce.

CARE IN THE AQUARIUM

While there are about 120 species of apple snails only a very small number are seen in the aquarium trade.  In general you can say that the apple snails you see in your dealers tanks are from the genus Pomacea, and the species could well be P. bridgesii.  I say “could be” because other species from the same genera can at times be found but they are less common in fish shops in this country.

So we will concentrate on Pomacea bridgesii an apple snail that comes in different colours that range from brown, albino, yellow (gold) and recently blue.

All these colours expect the brown are cultivated mutations, the yellow (gold) varieties first came into the hobby from Florida in the late 1960’s.

Apple Snail colour variations

According to where you shop you will see them named Yellow or gold apple snails.  The shell of this snail has about 5 to 6 whorls and its size varies from 40 – 50mm wide and 45-65 mm high.

Of course you can keep these apple snails in an aquarium with fish and they will breed in this situation but there are certain conditions that must be adhered to keep them healthy. 

WATER

In the wild apple snails can be found living in fast moving oxygen-rich water as well as still water that holds rotting organic waste containing low levels of oxygen.  While in the aquarium we should keep to the same rules for water quality for keeping fish as far as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, but the pH should be kept between 7 and 8.  Like most snails, our apple snails need calcium and if the calcium concentration is low they are not able to build a strong shell.  In fact apple snails do like soft water where calcium readings will be low.  I use “Calcium Plus” to buffer the water and maintain calcium levels up. 

A good indicator is to check the pH regularly do not let it drop below 7, below the shell on the snail can start to dissolve.  I have read that young and healthy snails are somewhat protected against this as the outer layer of the shell consists of a protein layer that helps prevent a breakdown of the shell, but older snails and damaged shells are quite vulnerable to shell detereation.

 When carrying out water changes it is wise to treat the new water with a chlorine and cloramine remover.  I have seen young snails become completely inactive or leave the water when a water change was carried out without being treated.

In older aquarium books you will see the apple snail called the “Infusoria Snail” and water from the tank they were kept in was used to feed tiny fry.  The reason for this was when many snails were held in a tank the water tends to become cloudy.

This is because the apple snails have a large amount of microorganisms in their intestine, which help digest the food, and are released with the snails’ faeces.  These microorganisms known as amoebocytes should not cause any problem to your fish and it was this water holding these microorganisms that was used by fishkeepers in the past to feed young fry. 

As with fish you should not overcrowd apple snails a good rule of thumb is treat them the same as fish.  Count each apple snail as fish of the same length.  If you are considering setting up a species tank that holds just apple snails the water does not have to be deep.  Twice the snail height would be fine and make sure that the tank has a good cover glass.  If you choose to keep them in deeper water make sure an air space is provided above the surface of the water to allow the snails to leave the water to deposit their eggs.

TEMPERATURE

The best temperature lies between 18 to 28°C (65°F to 82°F) and they are more active at the higher range.  In warmer water they eat faster, move faster, grow faster and of breed.  Temperatures below 18°C (65°F) should be avoided because they can die when kept this cold.

FEEDING

Within the many species of apple snails there are some that are voracious plant eaters and are capable of clearing an aquarium of plants within days.  Our Golden /Yellow apple snail (Pomacea bridgesii) is not classed as of one the plant eaters.

In the wild they prefer dead and rotting plants to fresh green plants, this makes them ideal for our aquariums.  In our tanks they will eat green stringy algae, soft pieces of vegetables (cucumber, lettuce) and dry fish foods such as flake and sinking algae wafers.  These dry foods are an excellent way of feeding them and it allows the water to stay clear.

If you make sure they are well fed any soft leaf plants will stand a better chance of not being eaten.

BREEDING

It is not difficult to obtain extra stock from your apple snails.  However it is worth considering a few points before we look at in depth their reproduction methods.

·         They are gonochoristic (separate sexes) so a male and female is required for breeding.

·         They reproduce when there is a combination of rise in temperature and plenty of food is available.

·         For the Golden /Yellow apple snail (Pomacea bridgesii) an air space in required above the surface of the water.  This is because the female snail leaves the water to lay her eggs. In the aquarium this could be on the cover glass or the sides of the tank above the water level.  I suggest a minimum of 5cm (2”) between the ware surface and the cover glass.

·         The females can store sperm for months, so you could by chance obtain a single female that will lay eggs that are fertile.

·         Also female snails with no males present can occasionally produce eggs that are of course infertile and will not hatch.

While the sexes are separate they are not easy to distinguish.  With experience snails from the genus the form of the aperture of the shell and operculum can sex Pomacea.  Males have a somewhat narrow and more vertical shell mouths.

When all the factors are correct they can produce a clutch of eggs every 4 to 7 days over a period of a few weeks.  After this breeding period they become less productive this then allows the female snail time to regain her strength.

During this active breeding time a pair of snails can be seen joined together mating. After the mating the female will leave the water and deposit her clutch of eggs either on the cover glass or on the sides of the tank.

The eggs when first laid are soft and pale pink in colour, then after a few hours they harden and turn a darker pink or light red.  Their size varies from 2mm to 3mm in diameter and can contain 200 to 600 eggs.

I have had letters from readers who state that while their apple snails lay eggs they do not hatch.  The main reason for this is that the humidity in the air space above the water surface is not correct.  It is important to keep the eggs in a moist but not wet environment.  Never keep the eggs of this species under water, if you do the snail embryos will drown.

HATCHING

At a temperature of 25ºC the eggs should hatch within 14-15 days.  Once the snails hatch they return to the water and need food.

While they will eat the same food as the parents I made sure that there was plenty of green algae on side of the tanks and also old pieces of rotting plants in the tank.

You probably will lose some of the babies but those that do survive will grow quite fast if fed well.  At 12 weeks old my young snails were about 2.5cm.

Blue variety

CONCLUSION

The Golden Apple Snail is an intriguing animal, and gives another dimension to our hobby so go on and try and breed them.

However a point worth noting is that while we look on this snail as a pet in Asia it has become a pest.  It was introduced from Florida and Latin America to Taiwan in the early 1980’s to start an escargot industry.  Consumers did not react as enthusiastically as the snail farmers did and the snail market declined.  They are also now a problem in Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong Japan and parts of China.  The snails have found their way into the rice fields and are grazing on the rice shoots. It is costing farmers over one billion dollars in crop losses.  They are being controlled somewhat by using catfish and ducks to help eradicate the snail population.  So we see it is not a perfect world.

GOING AWAY THIS CHRISTMAS?                      PETER BURGESS

 Peter is from The Aquarian Advisory service

Here are my suggestions to ensure that your fish remain healthy and happy during your absence.

FEEDING

1. Your fish should come to no harm if left without food for a couple of days, provided they are healthy.  For longer periods of absence, arrange for someone to check and feed your fish.

2. If the nominated "fish minder" is not an experienced aquarist, then s/he is likely to overfeed them, with potentially disastrous consequences to the water quality.  You can avoid this problem by measuring out each food ration into a small air-tight container, such as 35mm film canisters or small zip-seal plastic bags.  For example, if the minder is happy to pop in once a day then provide one container for each day of the week and label it accordingly (e.g. "Monday", "Tuesday", etc. ) It is a good idea to leave a set of emergency instructions, ideally with the phone number of an experienced aquarist or aquarium retailer who would be willing to sort out any problems (do ask their permission first !).

3. Alternatively, you could install an automatic fish feeder (from some aquatics shops).  You should, however, still get someone to pop in every few days to check on the fish and equipment.  

4. Fish fry generally require frequent feeds and may die if left unattended for more than a couple of days.  If you regularly breed fish (especially egg -layers) try and avoid hatching or rearing fry just before your holiday. 

NEW PURCHASES

5. Avoid purchasing new fish for at least two weeks before going away. The last thing you want is a disease outbreak just as you are about to set off on your trip!

AQUARIUM EQUIPMENT

6. Timer-controlled lights can be left to operate normally during your absence.   Manually operated lights should be switched off, rather than permanently left on.

7. Do not switch off heaters, air-pumps or filters while you are away.

8. If your aquarium has a filter, check whether the filter medium requires cleaning.  A clogged filter will be inefficient and this could lead to a water quality problem while you are away.  A partial water change (say 20%) and a quick siphon over the gravel may also be worthwhile.

9. Two or three days before you depart, check that all the fish appear healthy and that the filter and other essential items of equipment are working properly.  Don't leave these checks until the last minute otherwise you may not have the time to deal with any problems. 

10. Resist the temptation to add extra food to the tank on the day of your departure. This is because any excess uneaten food may foul the water and this in turn may harm your fish.

HOLIDAY TIP

If you are travelling to the lakes or seaside, why not take a pot of fish flakes with you?  Sprinkle a few flakes on the water surface to attract the fish.  It’s a great way to view the local fish life!

Rena Automatic Fish Feeder.

 ODDS AND ENDS                                           STAN McMAHON

The following are snippets found in aquatic related magazines, papers etc. Enjoy!

SHOALS OF DISCRETION                                                                                  

Fish can be fussy about the company they keep, according to a study by zoologists Jens Krause and Jean – Guy Godin of Mount Allison University in Canada.  The team’s research shows that the Banded Killifish Fundulus diaphanous sometimes shun their companions carrying parasitic infections.

Banded Killifish are freshwater fish that live in shoals with up to five members.  They are often plagued by parasites, particularly parasitic flatworms, which settle in their muscles, forming black spots that can be seen through the skin. Heavy infections can lead to loss of condition and can be fatal.

Killifish cannot catch the parasites from one another, but they have other reasons for avoiding worm – infested fish.  Such fish tend to be less good at co-ordinated movements, making the shoal as a whole more vulnerable to predation.

The researchers found that when the Killifish were given the choice of swimming with a group of infected fish or a group of uninfected fish, they chose to swim with the healthy group.  Shoals with heavier infections were shunned more emphatically than shoals with lighter infections.  By marking uninfected fish with ink, the team was able to show that the Killifish assess one another’s health by looking for black spots.

Some aspects of their behaviour, however, were harder to decipher.  When fish had to choose between a healthy shoal and a shoal with only one infected member, for example, they chose the latter.  This odd choice could make sense if it helps the fish escape predators, say the zoologists.  A single infected fish will stick out like a sore thumb in an otherwise healthy shoal, making that individual a more obvious target and deflecting attention from its companions.

COULD THE LAKES HIDE GIANT EELS ?                                                     

The search for a Puerto Rican blood-sucking beast and Sumatran monkey man may have failed, but a group of British scientists is hopeful its latest hunch  - that mammoth eels infest the Lake District – can be proved

The investigation to find the creatures is being planned by members of the Devon – based Centre For Fortean Zoology after they heard of strange tales from Cumbria.

A University lecturer reported seeing a 6m (20ft) creature at Whitbarrow Point in July, and there have been sightings of other bizarre creatures over the last 50 years.

Now Johnathon Downes, the Centre’s top hunter of mythical animals, is to head a summer expedition. “This hunt is very real, it’s not some sub X files event,” he said. Mr. Downes suspects the big eels may have a “giantism gene” or that sterility causes them to over eat rather than breed, resulting in them over growing beyond the normal 1m. “This could be the most important work we have done in the U.K.,” he said. “If we catch a 6ft plus eel we will have proven they can grow larger than experts think.”

Mr. Downes dismissed the failures of the centre’s prior expeditions. He said: “I am certain there are giant undiscovered animals out there.” I suppose it beats being on the dole! (Ed.).

LIVEBEARER EVOLUTION                                                                                

Since there are nearly 200 poeciliid species (of which guppies and swordtails are examples), it is a challenge for scientists to establish the relationships between them. That is, it is difficult to backtrack how they evolved.

Swordtail                                   Poeciliopsis Livebearer

One scientist, Jody L. Hoyes, has proposed a standardized developmental classification for comparison of species. Eleven distinct stages are delineated and include such things as “early – yolked ovum (egg)” and “embryonic shield/primitive streak embryos” Such a standard may help Ichthyologists establish the relationship between species and lines of descent, but they may also be of interest to livebearer hobbyists.

PLECO PUZZLE                                                                                                    

Studies by scientists of two species of the genus Hypostomus indicate some puzzling differences between the species. For example, males of the species Hypostomus affinis are bigger than the females.

Hypostomus affinis

 But such is not the case with H. luetkeni, as the males are the same size as the females, and at a certain size, they outnumber them. H. affinis is a very adaptable species, colonizing all manner of habitats, such as sandy bottoms, muddy bottoms and even rocky bottoms. However, H. luetkeni only lives in rocky bottom habitats.

It is believed that H. affinis reaches sexual maturity earlier than H. luetkeni. As a consequence of this early maturation, H. affinis colonizes all manner of habitats and exposes itself to higher mortality. By contrast, H. luetkeni has a later reproductive time and a probable lower reproductive rate, but it has a much smaller mortality rate, as the eggs and fry are guarded by the males.

The opportunism of H. affinis favours its predominance over H. luetkeni in the Lower reaches of the Paraiba do Sul River, eastern Brazil.. It’s a case of go with the flow to win in this Hypostomus competition.

SULAWESI RAINBOWS                                                                                       

Many aquarists are familiar with the Celebes Rainbowfish, Telmatherina ladigesi. To be sure, it is a lovely fish, but unfortunately it’s the only member of the genus in the hobby.

Celebes Rainbowfish

 An additional six species have been added to the genus by M. Kottelat. All are endemic to Lake Matano, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The species apparently have different habitat preferences and/or feeding specialisations, both of which tend to limit competition. For instance, one species, T. prognatha, is a fin and scale eater; another, T. sarasinorum, eats the eggs of other Telmatherina.

A number of the species are quite colourful, and at least one, T. antoniae, is seen in bright blue and bright yellow morphs.

Sources of information; B.B.C. Wildlife Magazine, Copeia, Journal of Fish Biology, Ichthyological exploration of Freshwaters, The Metro (care of Peter Burgess) and The Tropical Fish Hobbyist.

COLEMANBALLS                                                                                                 

Just thought I would round up this Christmas “Odds and Ends” with a couple of quotes from the Colemanballs section of “Private Eye”. They are from Rugby commentaries.

“He chanced his arm and it came off…..”

Brian Moore, B.B.C.

“He reached out with one of his two large left hands.”

Commentator, Radio 5 Live.

A MOST UNUSUAL FISH                                                      PETER BURGESS

I would like to give you some information about a very bizarre species which belongs to the family Celticidae (a primitive group of vertebrates) and possesses many extraordinary features.

The fish in question is Glasgowichthys mcmahonii, a species of livebearer which has a green tartan body pattern.  Its pelvic fins are incredibly long and each is covered with black spines, giving the overall appearance of two short hairy legs.  The eyes are small and close together and vary in colour from blue to bloodshot red.  The upper head is grey in the male fish.  This grey region is very pronounced and has curly projections which have often been mistaken for a fungal infection.

In the wild, most populations are found in temperate regions but the species is widespread, having first been described from the Stanley Pool in Zaire.  Hence, it is commonly known as the Stanley fish.

The Stanley fish has several physiological peculiarities.  For example, it has a very inefficient osmoregulatory system.  This means that it has to take in large volumes of fluids in order to maintain its salt and water balance, necessitating frequent migrations to the bogwood.

The male fish is strictly nocturnal.  In the early hours of the evening it becomes active and restless and travels upstream towards the discharge outlets of breweries and distilleries.  Here it congregates with other males, including those of other species (e.g. Rundellus williamensis, Rundellus johnii).  For reasons which are unclear, the Stanley fish dramatically increases its drinking rate during this time.  Sometime after 11 pm, the males disperse back to their individual hiding places.  Some retreat under dense vegetation or lie within mud pools, while others (notably Rundellus williamensis) have the strange habit of resting on their backs, gazing skywards (some Botias do this, but possibly for different reasons).

The male Stanley fish rests in a state of semi-torpor throughout the daylight hours. In contrast, the female G. mcmahonii is rarely seen and is thought to be diurnal.  This nocturnal/diurnal difference between the sexes means that males and females are rarely observed together, which could explain the small brood size (typically two offspring).

G. mcmahonii has another distinctive physiological adaptation which is typical of the genus Glasgowichthys.  Its air-filled swimbladder connects directly with the mouth, enabling the fish to vocalise by pumping gas into the pharynx.  In fact, this species is one of the noisiest of its kind and can sometimes be heard over great distances.  These vocalisations are most frequent and much louder at night, particularly after 11 pm.

Unfortunately, the Stanley fish is not recommended for community aquaria.  It is sometimes pugnacious, especially to species of the family Rangersidae.  G. mcmahonii can also be a bit of a fin-nipper among their own kind, often when males gather in social "play -groups" of five or eleven per side).  German fish biologists refer to this behaviour as "Der futballen phenomenon".

In summary, Glasgowichthys mcmahonii is an interesting fish with many unusual characteristics.  It is best kept in a sound-proof aquarium with a tight cover.  As a result of its special fluid requirements it is, however, expensive to keep in captivity.  A specimen may occasionally be seen resting beneath an aquarium at Plymouth University.

Rundellus williamensis, Glasgowichthys mcmahonii and Rundellus johnii.

 PICTURE CAPTION COMPETITION 2006-     STAN McMAHON

Below is a picture of our leader, taken after an Albion rugby match (looks as if it had been raining?). The competition is for the best caption to go with the picture, same as last year. Can’t wait for Roy Johnson’s contribution! There will be a prize for the best (and most insulting! Sorry, I mean interesting!) Caption donated by Aquarian, through Peter Burgess, Just ask Richard Evans if it was worth the wait! He won the competition last year.

Please send entries (more than one per person if desired) to Stan or Ted. The results will be out in the New Year, depending on the response. Go on have a go!

Thanks for the picture John.