CONTENTS

Articles
Fish Gallery tour and
February Meeting p.1

Meet a fellow GHAC

NEWSLETTER
March 2008
member p.2

Fish of the Month

p.3
Fish Gallery Tour and February Meeting
Tank of the Month p.4 By Tim Bell

February Event Pictures Things are really gearing up! It seems like only yesterday that the
p.5 GHAC was formed. I enjoyed seeming many familiar faces and meeting
some new ones at the February meeting held at Roy and Heidi’s house.
Water Basics p.5
There was a small auction held after the meeting, where many great
deals could be had. I pigged out on some cookies, sausage, and hot dogs
Items of Interest (health food).
This past month we also had our very first event: the Fish Gallery tour.
We certainly made a statement. The employees/managers were not
GHAC Officers p.2 expecting nearly the turnout that they got (although they were warned!).
We are currently working to see if some sort of agreement can be
How to contact the reached for Fish Gallery to join Mike’s Tropical Fish & Pets as a
GHAC p.2 sponsor of the GHAC.
The GHAC is currently looking for members who would like to join an
Useful Websites p.4
Events Committee that will work closely with the Club Officers in
planning and working future events.

“Opportunities, many times, are so small that we glimpse them not and yet they are
often the seeds of great enterprises. Opportunities are also everywhere and so you must
always let your hook be hanging. When you least expect it, a great fish will swim by.”
-Og Mandino

…a food free-for-all… “I see some duboisi in there” I know I’m cute!

Meet a Fellow GHAC Member
This Month: Loretta Mitchell We want to hear from you. After all, you are the
reason that we are here. Email any suggestions,
As a child, my mother owned a fish shop in comments, or questions to Raul_GHAC [at] yahoo
[dot] com.
Cleveland, TX called “The Seven L’s Fish Shop”. I
remember all those tanks, but being so young I had no
idea of the passion that she possessed in keeping all
those fish. I remember her favorite fish were bettas;
she bred them and sold them with such pride. Little Your GHAC Officers are:
did I know that she planted the seed for my passion.

The first fish

r I ever had was a goldfish that I named Raul Turner
Mr. Worthington. I was given this fish by my first (rrocket2002)
boyfriend in the 7th grade. He won the goldfish for me President
at our school carnival. I found that he had passed on
when I came home after school in the 10th grade. It
nearly broke my heart. I never forgot him and most
certainly never will.

I became interested again in fish keeping in 1990,

when I acquired my first fish tank. It was a 40 gallon Tim Bell
hex tank. As with most people starting out, I put as (armthehomeless)
many different types of fish as I could in that tank. Vice President
My most memorable fish was an elephant nose. I
enjoyed watching him eat tubifex worms off the side
of the aquarium.

That seems like forever ago for me looking back now. David Abeles
I recently became reacquainted with fish-keeping (Tiapan)
thanks to CichlidFan. He found a deal on Craigslist Co-Vice President
for us to acquire our first tank together. Looking back
at that wonderful deal, we realized that we got ahead
of ourselves and paid way too much for that 29 Loretta Mitchell
gallon. Nevertheless, it opened the door to my current (fishlady)
obsession. That is when the tanks started going up all Secretary
over the place.

The Houstonfishbox forum further fueled my passion

for fish-keeping. My fish addiction flourished and I Mary Beth Petranek
started making new friends. I became aware that fish (Mzungu)
keeping wasn’t just a hobby, but a passion that lies Treasurer
deep inside me. I have always felt a love for these
precious life forms. Keeping fish showed me that
even at the end of a trying day there was something
that still made me feel that the day was a great gift. I
spend hours looking at my fish; I spend a lot of
money making sure they have the best I can offer Mike’s Tropical Fish and Pets
14203 Stuebner Airline
them in return for their gift they give me. Houston, Tx 77069
PH. 281-586-8787
Fax.281-586-8799
--- Continued on Page 6 --- E-Mail. RunOverHere [at] hotmail [dot] com
 Fish of the Month
Paradise Fish
Macropodus Operculeris
By Roy Flis

One of the oldest known “tropical” fish in the hobby, the Paradise fish has been kept in Europe and the US
and other parts of the Western World since the latter part of the 19th century! A detailed breeding “how to”
was published in The Aquarium magazine in the May, 1936 issue (below is a copy of the cover of that issue)

This is a very interesting fish which requires minimum maintenance, produces lots of babies, and thrives
under all types of conditions...

Unlike its cousin the betta, the male Paradise will show some aggression towards its tank mates, making it a
candidate for the moderately aggressive community tank. Joining fish such as Tiger Barbs, Red tail sharks,
Giant Danios, adult Swordtails and the milder tempered cichlids, the Paradise will make a colorful and
interesting addition to the 30 gallon or larger tank.

Breeding: The Male is a bubble nest breeder similar to the betta and gouramis. About 500 eggs will be
produced by a mature couple. The male will then become intolerant of the female. The female needs to be
removed for her safety unless they are in a large tank with many hiding places.
The male will tend to his nest and fry for 2 to 5 days after the eggs hatch and then, unless separated, will
consider them to be his dinner.

Summary:
Family: Belontidae
Classed as an Anabantid or Labyrinth (air breathing) fish,
the Paradise must have access to the atmospheric air or it
will literally drown.
Range: Much of Eastern Asia
Size: Typically to 4” in captivity
Colors: Male “Blue Paradise” – Orange/Brown background
exhibiting vivid blue vertical stripes on the body plus the
dorsal and anal fins – Female, a much paler version. There
is also a true, red eyed albino version showing a cream
colored background with pale red stripes and finnage. This
is not a different species.
Temperature range: 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Breeding Temperature: 75 – 80 degrees.
Temperament: Territorial, moderately aggressive and a
jumper.
Feeding: Omnivore with some vegetable matter required.
 Check out our great new website…
Tank of the Month
We want to see your tanks! Send us a photo of your tank
along with a brief description of the flora, fauna, water
parameters, equipment used, and anything else you want www.myghac.org
to include. We will post a new tank each month!! Let us
see what you are working with…

March TOTM
Charles and Traci’s 135 Gallon Tank

• Dimensions: 72" x 18" x 24"

• Fish: Tropheus nkonde
• Filtration: 1 x Rena XP3 Canister Filter, and 2 x Odyssea 350
(All 3 stocked with carbon, ammo-chips, ceramic rings, and sponges)
• Powerhead: 2 x Nano angled at water surface
• Heater: 300w
• Lighting: 2x54w T5 (Odyssea)
• Substrate: black sand-blasting sand
• Rocks: two large pieces Texas Holey Rock, plus several assorted rocks
• Background: Royal blue plastic table cover
• Plants: Anacharis and plastic plants
• Feeding: Pellets (Cichlid Excel), Flakes (Spirulina), Frozen (Mysis Shrimp) fed 1x daily
• Maintenance: Weekly 30%-40% water change
• Temp: 80 to 81 degrees
• pH: 8.2, Nitrates: < 20 at all times, GH: 179 ppm, KH: 161 ppm
 February Pictures
Water Basics -What’s Important and
What’s Not (Part 2)
Water changes and why to do them

The fish in our aquariums reside in what is called a “closed

system”. They swim in clean, healthy water if we provide it, or
swim in their own waste matter if we do not.

By now, most of you are familiar with the “Nitrogen Cycle” –

the process where waste matter in our aquarium is accumulated
and altered by a filtration system.

Filtration systems typically contain of two or three types of

filtration. The first is mechanical, where particulate matter is
collected (which we must remove from the system). The
second is chemical, like charcoal, which is sometimes
considered optional. We must remove and replace this type of
filtration periodically. The third type is biological filtration.
We must do water changes for biological filtration to work.

The filter first collects the waste and exposes it to bacteria

which consume this matter, converting it to a form of ammonia
(deadly to our fish). Then, other helpful bacteria consume the
ammonia and convert it to nitrites (also deadly to our fish).
Other helpful bacteria then convert it to (not deadly in small
quantities to our fish) nitrates.

As these bacteria convert nitrites into nitrate, the nitrates

accumulate continuously in our tanks, so our fish swim in
water that becomes more polluted daily. We start out with a
safe nitrate concentration that is perhaps 5 ppm (parts per
million) and it rises quickly to 50 or more ppm. This is a range
that now becomes deadly to our fish, giving rise to clamped
fins and generally deteriorating health as they are slowly being
poisoned. What do we do? We must remove the nitrate. There
are two ways to do it –
1. By additional filtration using equipment and chemicals
specifically designed for this purpose which are both
expensive and complex in their setup and maintenance
2. Simply use your fishes and your best friend – frequent,
inexpensive and easy to do — large partial water changes.
Mike’s Tropical Fish and Pets
14203 Stuebner Airline Water changes REMOVE nitrate and any other undesirables
Houston, Tx 77069 from the water and our fish quickly tell us how much they
Time: March 21th at 7:30PM
appreciate it by showing brighter colors, un-clamping their fins
and swimming about with overall renewed vitality.

---Continued on Page 6---

Water changes and why to do them
--- Continued from page 2 ---

The more frequently you can perform these large

(typically 50%) changes the more your fish will
prosper and reward you with better appearance and
remaining in good health. I encourage you to do them
at least once a week, twice is even better (I do mine
very early on Sundays and whenever possible also on
Wednesday evening).

Most professional breeders throughout the world do

not use ANY filtration system at all, instead they do
90% water changes once or more daily, some even Meet a Fellow GHAC Member
imitate nature with continuously flowing water
changes. I am not suggesting that you can do this, as
--- Continued from Page 2 ---
most of us have jobs and family responsibilities that
preclude it, but with the help of equipment such as a
I have learned so much so far, and I continue to grow
Clean ‘N Fill by Python or very similar products by
in my knowledge of these precious creatures. I have
Lee and others, it takes minimal effort on your part to
several other passions such as Bass fishing, bowling,
do 50% water changes weekly.
music, remote control sailplanes. But I can’t imagine
a day without the little friends in my life. I’m very
Maintaining high water quality is the most important
thankful to have them, as well as all my friends that I
step in having an aquarium that rewards you every
have made since joining the forum. I feel even more
time you or a guest looks at it and sees only happy,
honored to be serving as secretary in the GHAC and I
healthy fish.
thank each and everyone for allowing me to ask all
my questions of their knowledge. It is CichlidFan that
Water changes are a vital part of aquarium care,
I give the most thanks to for opening the door to the
which brings us to next month’s topic: Maintaining
peace and solace I get from all my little ‘fishies’.
the home aquarium. See you then.