While I don’t keep many cichlids anymore, it’s hard to pass up on a chance to visit the Ohio Cichlid Associations yearly Extravaganza. The event marks the end of the year here in Ohio for most of the hobby related activities. Continue reading At the OCA Extravaganza 2016
Author: Dennis Ball
Fall ’16 Spawning Plans
It would seem as though I’m in a bit of a rut. I had some big plans for work in the fish room this fall. I was hoping to redo the fish room layout, and add some more tank space, but I just can’t seem to pull the trigger and get started. Continue reading Fall ’16 Spawning Plans
Visiting Eric & Regina ( All Oddball Aquatics )
If you have spent much time in the aquarium hobby, you have no doubt heard of Eric Bodrock and Regina Spotti. In the photo above, that’s Regina on the left with Eric on the right and Stephan Tanner of Swiss Tropicals in the middle.
All Oddball Aquatics is the on-line company owned & operated by Eric, and is located in western Pennsylvania, just a bit south of Pittsburgh. Continue reading Visiting Eric & Regina ( All Oddball Aquatics )
Catfish Convention and new fry…..
My fish room was in ‘maintenance mode’ for about the last 10 months. By that I mean I was keeping up on water changes and regular feedings, but I wasn’t doing anything in the way of encouraging any of the fish to reproduce.
Everyone took the hint, except the plecos!
Even my L183 Starlight Bristlenose, Ancistrus dolichopterus got into the act. Their tank is very over-grown, but I believe there are 4 generations of fish in the tank at this time. The video shows the youngest two generations.
We all know how important high quality food is when growing out fry, but large frequent water changes are also every bit as important for steady, even fry growth.
As catfish are the topic of this post, I’ll be leaving tomorrow for the Catfish Convention in Herndon, VA. I’m traveling to the convention with my good friend Stephan Tanner of Swiss Tropicals . We are planning to stop over at Eric Bodrock’s All Oddball Aquatics. I’ve heard how Eric’s fish room is just fantastic so I’m excited to get the chance for a visit. Both Stephan and Eric are speaking at the convention.
Once at the convention, the plan is to meetup with Bob & Jeremy, my most excellent friends from CAFE. Bob is a lover of all things Corydoras, and Jeremy is the first person to have spawned Jaguar Catfish, Liosomadorus oncinus, in captivity. I seem to be surrounded by catfish royalty!!!
With a bit of luck, I’ll have photos and video to share when I return!
Returning to the fish room…
Terri, my high school sweetheart, my best friend, my wife of 39 years was told several years ago that she had a terminal illness. Much too soon, and despite our best efforts, it recently came time to pay the piper. Needless to say, my fish keeping has been put on the back burner for the biggest part of the last year.
My friend Pete Cottle, who lost his wife several years back, offered the advice that I, “Get back into the fish room and focus on them”. As I have always been a big proponent that fish keeping is very therapeutic, I must confess that it sounds like good advice.
I owe a big Thank You to all my friends in the hobby who have been so supportive during this difficult time. This goes double for the folks at CAFE, my local club. If you don’t belong to your local club, you should make an effort to attend the next club meeting to see what you’re missing. People in the aquarium hobby are some of the best folks you’re ever likely to meet.
In closing, to all the Clubs who had scheduled or inquired about me speaking at a meeting this past year, I’m sorry I had to cancel or turn down engagements. I’m hoping to use the remainder of this year to heal and return to the hobby with renewed enthusiasm in 2017.