Past PRAC Meeting:
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 7:00pm
Speaker: Josh Cunningham
Topic : Breeding Rift Lake Cichlids

Peel Regional Aquarium Club

Josh Cunningham has been keeping & breeding African Cichlids for 20+ years. He started with African Cichlids from Lake Malawi & Lake Victoria in a 400 SqFt basement. During this time, he was mainly breeding 4-5 kinds of cichlids & trading fry back to the pet shop for food & filter media. He then made a decision to move into a bigger house. Without cichlids for a couple of years he grew antsy & acquired a 55g tank, set it up, stocked it & then, BANG! Multiple tank syndrome kicked in again. At this point, he decided a fishroom in the basement was in order. Designs were made, tanks & fish purchased. A 'Fishaholic' was born again! His fishroom today has 94 tanks from 15g-180g & in total is over 5,000 gallons.

To date Josh has spawned over 140+ kinds of African Cichlids from all 3 rift lakes. He has achieved master breeder status in the Michigan Cichlid Association & Ohio Cichlid Association. He was also named Grand Champion breeder of the American Cichlid Association in 2015 for most spawns in a year. He spends his time in the fishroom doing water changes, tank maintenance & working with different species. In addition, he also runs a business called Cunningham Cichlids & can also be found on Facebook.com/CunninghamCichlids

Josh served 4 years on the Michigan Cichlid Association BoD (Board of Directors), President for 3 years & Co-Chairman of the 2017 American Cichlid Association Convention on July 13-16 in Novi, Michigan. Also on the BoD for the OCA (Ohio Cichlid Association) for 2 years & now serves on the BoD for the ACA (American Cichlid Association_ & is also Data Coordinator for the CARES Fish Preservation Program.

We hope that you will enjoy Josh's talk on Breeding African Rift Lake Cichlids at our monthly meeting. Please make every effort to join us.

Past PRAC Meeting:

Wed, Jan 17, 2024, 7:00pm
Speaker: Oscar Virgilio
Topic : Brackish Water Fish & Aquariums

This year we start with a discussion on Brackish Water Fish and Aquariums. Oscar Virgilio was born & and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina & and has lived in 5 countries throughout the world for professional responsibilities. Oscar has been an aquarium aficionado hobbyist since he was 5 years old. His passion for fish and the aquarium hobby started at a young age with daily visits to the coast of the Rio de la Plata ecosystem.

During all these years the hobby has kept and raised both freshwater & and marine fish, having extensive experience with South American Cichlids, particularly Discus and Angelfish, and has embarked on several trips into different areas of Amazonia & and Manaus

In the past 15 years has kept successfully several exotic fishes, Asian Arowana, Flowerhorns, and stingrays, that took him to visit several farms in Indonesia and Thailand.

During the COVID-19 pandemic initiated his research and experience on brackish water aquariums and fish and has been experiencing and learning about the specific biotope for the past 4 years.

Oscar was the organizer of the First Canadian Flowerhorn Show in 2015, manager of MA ON Line Tropical Fish, 2018 Arowana Canada Club moderator, founder of the UFA Canada Flowerhorn Group, distributor for Canada of SING and Feng Shui Arowanas Farms and administrator of Arowana Fanatics Canada, Discus Fanatics Canada, Halton Aquarium Buy and sale and recently Brackish Aquarium Canada Facebook aquarium related groups.

He's also done many speaking engagements at the "Reef and Rivers Aquarium Show" and several presentations at GTA Aquariums clubs.

He is currently keeping & and breeding several varieties of discus, and angels and keeping brackish and saltwater aquariums.

Peel Regional Aquarium Club Peel Regional Aquarium Club

Past PRAC Meeting:
Wed, Dec 13, 2023, 7:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Lujan
Topic : Two Decades of Armored Catfish Expeditions

Dr. Lujan will provide an exciting account of his 20 years of exploring rivers throughout tropical South America, from his first solo trip to Venezuela’s upper Orinoco in 2003 to his most recent expedition in August to the lower Ucayali River in northern Peru. Across 27 expeditions to seven countries, Dr. Lujan has discovered and described over 40 new-to-science fish species, has uncovered the evolutionary history of suckermouth armored catfishes or plecos, and has revealed distinctive aspects of their ecology that have helped make them of the most diverse fish families on Earth.

Peel Regional Aquarium Club Peel Regional Aquarium Club

 

Past PRAC Meeting:

Wed, Nov 15, 2023, 7:00pm
Speaker: Zena
Topic : Sea Horses

This month we are privileged to have Zena with us on a topic regarding Sea Horses. Zena is a past ontario fish transhipper, seahorse enthusiast. She has been breeding bettas since 2003 and is a Member of the Betta Breeders Canada Club. Zena has been keeping and breeding seahorses since 2017. They have always intrigued her because of the paternal care characteristics!

Peel Regional Aquarium Club Peel Regional Aquarium Club

 

Past PRAC Meeting:
Wed, Oct 18, 2023, 7:00pm
Speaker: Frank Aguirre
Topic : The Priapella Genus

This month we are privileged to have Frank Aguirre present a new topic on the Priapella group of fishes. We are privileged to hear this first at our October PRAC general meeting. Frank is now one of the most active speakers in Canada. With more than 25 years of experience, Frank has done almost every kind of project in the industry. His lectures are renowned because he brings the spirit of this exciting field to the floor every time and his audience loves it. Frank has worked with schools and the SPCA. He believes that having an ecological education is important for saving endangered aquatic life. Please join us for a fantastic and first-of-it's kind talk on these little known but beautiful fish. You won't want to miss out. Here's some references on the fish he will be talking about:

Peel Regional Aquarium Club

Frank is the newly elected President of CAOAC.

Peel Regional Aquarium Club

There are currently six recognized species in this genus:

  • Priapella bonita (Meek, 1904)
  • Priapella chamulae Schartl, M. K. Meyer & B. Wilde, 2006
  • Priapella compressa Álvarez, 1948
  • Priapella intermedia Álvarez & Carranza, 1952
  • Priapella lacandonae M. K. Meyer, Schories & Schartl, 2011
  • Priapella olmecae M. K. Meyer & Espinoza-Pérez, 1990
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    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Sep 20, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Brian Glazier
    Topic : Livebears & Swordtails

    Brian's presentation focused on the Xiphophorus Livebearers, including the swordtail & platy fishes. Brian Glazier is a very active member & judge with CAOAC / Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs & the American Livebearer Association. Thank you Brian for a very passionate, informative & fun talk.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Jun 19, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Josh Cunningham
    Topic : Cunningham Tropicals takes on Florida

    Josh Cunningham needs no introduction. Enjoy us for a wonderful evening discussing with Josh his "passion". We all appreciate his tremendous contributions to the cichlid world, but did you know... Josh has taken some very interesting trips to the Florida Ornamental fish farms and is now willing to share what he has experienced with us. Come and enjoy the fun.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

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    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, May 17, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Jessica Bullock
    Topic : An Introduction to Dwarf Cichlids

    Jessica studies at the University of Toronto in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She works as a lab manager maintaining multiple fishrooms of Trinidadian guppies for behavioural ecology work. She began her journey with cichlids as a child and gained momentum after her first collecting trip to the Peruvian Amazon at age 16. Jessica specializes in blackwater fishes but has an interest in all species, especially those with complex reproductive behaviour.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

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    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Apr 19, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Udo Rohmann
    Topic : Building a Fish Room

    Udo has been in the hobby for 45 years plus. Currently he maintains about 20 Aquariums with a total of 825 gallons. His experience includes keeping a variety of fish (livebearers, catfish, cichlids) to shrimp and plants. Currently Udo also serves as a CAOAC Judge and Auctioneer. Udo is also a member at BRASS, DRAS, KWAS, Hamilton, & PRAC to mention a few things that keeps him busy.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, MAR 15, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Alexandar Williamson
    Topic : 1,500+ Year Story of Betta Domestication

    Alexander Williamson of Seattle and the Podcast Fishtory, and Youtube Channel: "The Secret History Living in Your Aquarium". Alex has a background in local theater, and has worked as an artist and fishkeeper for over 20 years, with formal training in History and Archaeology. All of his talks triangulate where Experience meets Science, from Archaeology to Genetics and Life Long Fishkeepers, observations and techniques. He then works to find the repeatable processes and methods that are statistically significant and when both converge, includes it into "The Best Practices" of fish keeping. There is No One Right Way to Keep Fish... But There Are a Few Wrong Ways!

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

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    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Feb 15, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Mitch Dender
    Topic : Aquaponics

    Mitch Dender is a Fisheries Biologist with over 15 years of experience in the aquarium hobby. His talk will focus on Aquaponics and the system he has built at home.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

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    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 7:00pm
    Speaker: AquaMalik & FishEZ
    Topic : MEGA Fish room tour

    We kindly invite you to enjoy a tour of a 150+ Fish House tour where Angels, Discus and Plecos abound in every corner.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Nov 16, 2022, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Sarah Steele
    Topic : Work at the ROM

    Sarah Steele has participated in research expeditions from South America to Iceland, and now resides back in Ontario as an Ichthyology Technician at the Royal Ontario Museum. She has worked with a number of local organizations on the conservation of Ontario fishes, particularly in the GTA, and will give an overview of this work at the ROM and beyond.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Oct 19, 2022, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Nancy Egelton
    Topic : Guppies

    Mark your calendars! Wednesday October 19th 7pm at Save Max Sports Centre in Brampton. Nancy Egelton is currently the President of CAOAC and the TCGG (trans Canada Guppy Group) and former President of the London Aquarium Society. She has been keeping tropical fish for over 50 years. Specialties are doing DIY in the fish room and keeping guppies. We hope to see you there. If you are going to join via Zoom we will have that option as well. Of course, you won't want to miss the mini-auction and thus we recommend you try to make the meeting at if at all possible.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past PRAC Meeting:
    Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 7:00pm
    Speaker: PRAC Membership
    Topic : Welcome back PRAC

    We welcome back our new and established members to another great season with Peel Regional Aquarium Club. We will meet in person next Wednesday September 21st 7-9pm but at a temporary spot due to renovation work at what should be a regular location. So this month only, we will return to Professor's Lake Recreation Centre. The address will be for this one event, 1660 N Park Drive, Brampton, ON L6S 5S8. We look forward to catching up, updating the membership list and dues with lots of discussion on planning for our upcoming year. We hope to see you there. If you are going to join via Zoom we will have that option as well. Of course, you won't want to miss the mini-auction and thus we recommend you try to make the meeting at Professor's Lake if at all possible.

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Next Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Haydn Pounder
    Topic : Outdoor Ponds

    When Haydn Pounder was just a young child, his father gifted him with an aquarium along with a few guppies and swordtails and taught him the nuances of fish keeping. As Haydn grew older, his interest and fascination never diminished and he remained hooked. As an adult, he began studying books and journals related to fish, their habits and environments. Eventually he joined the Peel Regional Aquarium Club where he has held various Executive positions. All in all, Haydn has kept tropical fish for 45 years mainly breeding and raising different species of killifish. However he has also commercially raised rift lake cichlids and bred and raised west African cichlids as well. Currently his time is spent on keeping guppies, cory's, plants and some killifish. He lists his collection trip in 2018 to collect true fundulopanchax walkeri as a dream come true. Another member of the Peel Regional Aquarium Club, Peter deSouza, joined him on this dream trip and it was memorable for Haydn because the trip was originally a cichlid collection trip but ended up being hijacked by two Canadian killifish keepers. [READ MORE]

     

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Next Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Apr 20, 2022, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Gerald Griffin
    Topic : Labyrinth Fish - Anabantoids

    Gerald Griffin first started keeping fish at the age of nine and by ten had bred his first fish species Trichogaster lalia, followed shortly by Trichogaster chuna (sota), Trichogaster fasciatus and T. labiosus. At the age of twelve, he read All About Bettas by Walt Maurus and fell in love with wild Bettas. The only problem was that in the 1970s he was living in Oklahoma and could not find any wild bettas for sale there.

    By the time Gerald went to college, he found articles on wild Bettas in the school library. Gerald joined the International Betta Congress and started corresponding with various fish keepers. He was fortunate to find some wild Betta stocks and started collecting them and writing articles about them. Around 2000, Gerald once again got hit with the Betta bug and started keeping domestics again. As soon as he did, the wild Betta bug hit him again and he went crazy collecting them.

    As Gerald became more involved in his local fish club, the Oklahoma City Aquarium Association, he started keeping a variety of species; he has since spawned various Barbs, African Cichlids, Killifish, Native American fish, American Cichlids, Livebearers, and a number of miscellaneous fishes. He even also diverged into salt water fishes (clownfish and seahorses)! However, Gerald says that wild Bettas and Anabantoids will always be his first love and the primary fish he keeps.

    Gerald is currently the Judging Board Chair of the International Betta Congress as well as the President of the Oklahoma Aquarium Association as well as the President of the Oklahoma Betta Breeders Association.

    In addition, Gerald is also the editor for the Award Winning FOTAS Fish Tales Magazine and has had two articles published by Amazonas Magazine.

    We warmely welcome Gerald to our PRAC meeting.

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Next Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Mar 16, 2022, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Mark Denaro
    Topic : Outdoor Ponds

    Mark has been keeping freshwater aquariums since 1970 and marine aquariums since 1976. Mark has been keeping planted and biotope aquariums since the mid-70s and was keeping reef aquariums before that term was coined. He has bred well over 200 species of freshwater fish and propagated over 150 species of aquatic plants. He has spawned 10 species of marine fish and propagated over 40 species of marine invertebrates.

    Mark is a coauthor of Adventurous Aquarist Guide to the 101 Best Freshwater Nano Species, published by Microcosm, Ltd. in September of 2014. He has written articles for several national and international magazines and wrote the recurring column ‘Into the Labyrinth’ for “Tropical Fish Hobbyist” magazine. He is currently a Contributing Editor and writes feature articles for TFH.

    Mark has been involved in the organized hobby since 1984. He is a past president of the International Betta Congress, the Indianapolis Aquarium Society and the Bucks County Aquarium Society. He is a founding member and the inaugural president of the American Labyrinth Fish Association.

    He is a well-known speaker and judge and has lectured to over 50 aquarium societies in more than 20 states plus Canada and Bermuda and spoken at numerous regional and national conventions. Mark runs the fish room for Pets Plus in Lawrenceville, NJ. He also makes videos that he shares on YouTube as All Natural Aquatics.

    We warmely welcome Mark to our PRAC meeting.

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Next Zoom / In-Person Meeting:
    Wed, Feb 16, 2022
    7:00pm EST

    Speaker: Dr. Eric Thomas
    Topic: Catfishes

    Please join us for a special discussion on the subject: Keeping and Breeding Catfishes

    PRAC

    Topic: The discussion is about preferred tank setups, foods, and care habits which have helped Eric to breed a variety of plecos, whiptails, Corydoras, and woodcats; this is not a talk about particular species, but more an overview of tips to try with many species.

    Biography: Eric Thomas started keeping fish in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when he was about 8 years old. With his older brother Bill, Eric kept and bred mouth-brooding cichlids (Geophagus and several Lake Malawi mbuna species), along with Steatocraneus casuarius… and convicts (who doesn’t start with convicts?). Eric and Bill were members of the now-defunct Tri-City Aquarium Society of Southern California. In college, Eric studied captive husbandry of vertebrates; with his mentor Professor Rudolfo Ruibal at UC Riverside, in 1978 Eric was the first person to breed the Budgett's frog Lepidobatrachus laevis in captivity. In Dr. Ruibal’s lab, Eric learned about and began studying skin glands and their function. Eric went on to earn a Ph.D. under Dr. Paul Licht at UC Berkeley, studying reproductive endocrinology and the influence of sex hormones on frog skin glands. Currently, Eric is an associate professor of Biology, co-chair and director of graduate studies for the Biological Sciences Department at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Eric’s research is split between reproductive pheromone production Hymenochirus frogs and self-poisoning in Corydoras catfishes, and recently he’s started studying Microglanis bumblebee catfishes in Peru. At home, Eric’s interests are keeping and breeding catfish, primarily Corydoras, Loricariids, and most recently Microglanis. Between home and work, Eric runs up to 27 aquaria and currently has over 40 species of catfish. Socially, Eric operates a YouTube Channel (Bekateen) and FaceBook page (Bekateen’s FishRoom) for sharing his knowledge and experiences with fellow fish keepers; he is also the program coordinator for the Sacramento Aquarium Society and a moderator on PlanetCatfish.com.

    Next Zoom / In-Person Meeting:
    Wed, Dec 15, 2021,7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Mike Davies
    Topic: Paludariums

    Please join us for a special discussion on Paludariums: Is the tank half full or half empty?

    PRAC

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    Bio: Mike keeps fish. He also keep plants. But even better, Mike keeps fish with plants. Mike Davies is a long-time hobbyist who enjoys the challenge of breaking the mold when it comes to what can be kept where--from an unprotected cactus garden outside in the Canadian winter to a mixed reef tank in 3 gallons. Here’s a glimpse at how I’m housing fish, shrimp and orchids in a 12-gallon rimless aquarium.

    Next Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Nov 17, 2021,7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Gary Elson
    Topic: African Rainforest Aphyosemion Killies

    Please join us for a special discussion on African Rainforest Aphyosemion Killies.

    Bio: Gary Elson has had fish since age 8. He previously was a columnist and contributing editor to Tropical Fish Hobbyist, an Amazonas editor at large and currently is a Fluval youtuber, article blogger, and co-author of 3 published aquarium books. He has sold over 150 aquarium articles and has been published in half a dozen languages. He has edited a few fish books. Gary is also a member of both Montreal aquarium clubs, and of the Canadian Killifish Exchange. We know that you will enjoy hearing from Gary on this subject.

    Next Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Oct 20, 2021,7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Rick Borstein
    Topic: Sixty MORE Tips in 60 Minutes (New!)

    Please join us for a special rapid fire discussion on 60 Tips and Tricks for your fish room.

    Rick Borstein

    Bio: Rick Borstein is the Webmaster of the Greater Chicago Cichlid Association (GCCA) and President of the Chicago Livebearer Society (CLS). Rick was the Chairman of the successful 2006 American Cichlid Association Convention held in Chicago, IL. Rick has spawned over 250 species of cichlids and is one of only sixteen people to hold the title of Master Breeder in the GCCA. Rick’s basement fishroom has 42 tanks ranging in size from 10 gallons to 240 gallons. Rick is primarily interested in cichlids and livebearers.

    Unlike other aquarium talks, this talk is chock full of tips and techniques, do-it-yourself projects, and videos on how to save time, save money or be more productive in the fish hobby. This talk is an all-new compendium that builds upon Rick’s most popular talk, “Sixty Tips in Sixty Minutes”. At the end of the talk you will be given a link to a concise PDF which you can print or view after the talk.

    Next Zoom Meeting: Wed, Sep 15, 2021, 7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Ken Boorman
    Topic: Australian Rainbowfish and Blue-Eyes

    Please join us for a special discussion on Australian Rainbowfish and Blue-Eyes.

    Ken Boorman

    Bio: Ken is originally from Australia, but is now living in Chatham, Ontario. Ken has kept fish for over 50 years. A good part of this time he has dedicated exclusively to collect, keep and breed Australia and New Guinea native fishes in his numerous home aquariums. These fish belonging to several families. He has been a member of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Association for many years and is currently the North American President for that group. He is also President of the Chatham-Kent Aquarium Society and has been active in CAOAC and FAAS. He will be familiar to many people as the person who operates Lisa's Lair Bookstore with his wife Lisa. He is well-read on most aquarium and terrarium subjects.Ken has made presentations at many Canadian and an increasing number of United States’ clubs. Some titles of Ken's talks include: Beyond Rainbows: Other Great Australian Fishes, Ontario's Invasive Species, there are additional talks in preparation.

    Please join us for a special discussion on both special Plecos & the inside scoop on how he shares his knowledge using the YouTube Platform.

    Malik King

    Bio: Malik King began his fish keeping at around 3 years of age while still in his country of birth, Sri Lanka. Fish were a part of both parents and it seemed that most of his relatives also kept fish at the time. There was no shortage of inspiration for a young boy. Seems as though fish keeping was just expected. From fish keeping it became fish breeding and would only expand from there. At age 7, he was already breeding angelfish very successfully and fancy goldfish by 10 years old. Malik has been breeding fish his entire life since childhood. At about age 15 years, Malik moved to Canada and is now settled in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and it didn't take long to become reestablished with fish tanks again. In around 1997/1998 Malik was breeding and selling many German Blue Rams in order to expand his fish room. During the years 2000 to 2010 his large fish room was in his parent's basement. However, later after moving to a smaller place and then once more to his current location, Malik has maintained a small fish room for the past 10 years.

    Malik offers years of experience with breeding discus, angelfish, and now speciality plecos among an endless variety of other endeavors. With the growing phenomena of sharing such experiences with others on the YouTube platform, Malik now maintains his own YouTube Channel and invites any to join in him in live discussions about his plecos twice a week. His YouTube Channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/c/AquaMalik/

    Non-members are welcome, simply email us at PeelAquariumExec (at) gmail.com to get the link.

    Next Zoom Meeting: Wed, May 19, 2021, 7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Rob McLure
    Topic: Successful Corydoras Breeding Methods

    This month's presentation is an effort to share the methods that have worked for Rob in caring for and breeding Corydoradinae catfish. While there is no single right way to breed Corydoras, I have found some repeatable processes have allowed me continued success with many different species. Whether just trying to take better care of your Corys, or taking steps to reproduce them, the information in this talk will hopefully help! The talk is geared toward general aquarium society audiences (hold the science please), but I feel even the most experienced Corydoras breeders will be able to learn something new, or have some new information to take away from the presentation.

    Rob McLure

    Bio: Rob McLure is currently a member of the Milwaukee Aquarium Society in Milwaukee, WI. With over 35 years of experience keeping fish, he has tried virtually everything (especially in his college days) from big cichlids to mini reefs. Rob has bred more than 100 species of aquarium fish and currently maintains more than 50 tanks in his small basement fishroom. He has focused almost exclusively on Corydoras for the past 8 plus years and has managed to breed 70 species in the Corydoradinae group to date, almost all of those multiple times.

    Rob was introduced to Corydoras when his father bought a few"Julii catfish" at a local pet shop for his younger sister "Julie". These were fascinating to watch and throughout the years he always found room to keep some of the small and interesting bottom dwellers. Several years back, after a club breeding program started spawning spree of 25 different fish in one year, Rob decided he wanted more focus in what he was doing. Out of all the fish spawned that year, the Corydoras paleatus were by far the most fun so the choice of what to focus on was easy. Rob hopes to continue breeding and enjoying Corydoras for as long as he possibly can.This presentation is an effort to share the methods that have worked for me in caring for and breeding Corydoradinae catfish. While there is no single right way to breed Corydoras, I have found some repeatable processes have allowed me continued success with many different species. Whether just trying to take better care of your Corys, or taking steps to reproduce them, the information in this talk will hopefully help! The talk is geared toward general aquarium society audiences (hold the science please), but I feel even the most experienced Corydoras breeders will be able to learn something new, or have some new information to take away from the presentation.

    Non-members are welcome, simply email us at PeelAquariumExec (at) gmail.com to get the link.

    Next Zoom Meeting: Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Grant Eder
    Topic: How to Keep and Breed Shrimp

    Bio:  Come meet Grant Eder who is the owner and operator of "The Garden of Eder". Grant has been breeding shrimp for 7 years and has won several awards for his efforts. He and his fiancée (Shelby Brown) work together to care for over 180 tanks and over 40 ponds dedicated for freshwater shrimp. Their collection includes over 100 different varieties of shrimp. If that wasn't enough, they are presently working to produce even newer varieties. Please check out their YouTube channel entitled: "The Garden of Eder" or website at: http://tgoeshrimp.com

    Grant Eder

     

    Next Zoom Meeting: Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 7:00pm EST
    Speaker: Chad Clayton
    Topic: Clownfish Aquaculture with Emphasis on Live Feed Organisms

    Bio:  Chad Clayton grew up in Indiana and was inspired by Jacques Cousteau and his passion for all things marine. In 1984, armed with this newfound inspiration, Chad started his first marine aquarium at age 14 and kept everything from anemones to an octopus and jellies, as well as several different species of fish. After that, Chad decided that he would pursue a career in marine biology. Since there is no ocean in Indiana and he wanted to study marine fishes and invertebrates, in 1992, Chad left Indiana to attend Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida and quickly found interest in the emerging field of Aquaculture. After graduating in 1997 with a B.S. in Marine Biology and a B.S. in Aquaculture, he began working with fish, invertebrates, and live feeds in a variety of different areas. His goal was to eventually work in aquaculture breeding and rearing marine finfish.

    After graduating, Chad worked in the fish department of a pet store in Brandon, Florida to gain experience in the field and remain true to his career goals. At Creature Castle, he helped customers trouble-shoot their freshwater tank problems as well as working with customers on the art of fish compatibility and placing the right fish with the right person. After a year in the store, he set his sights on commercial aquaculture.

    In early 1999, Chad got a temporary job with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife Division. He lived at a fish hatchery in Avoca, IN. The hatchery raised freshwater game fish such as large-mouth bass, catfish, trout and sunfish. The game fish were cultured for stock enhancement of lakes, stream, and rivers in southern Indiana. He was also involved in lake, stream and river surveys which included electrofishing and setting fish traps to keep close tabs on how the fish populations were doing. When the position came to an end after 8 months, he sent his resume to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. He applied for an opening in a zebra danios (Danio rerio) laboratory as a husbandry and molecular biology technician position.

    Chad got the job and began working with zebra danios in a laboratory that studied the genetics of the animal’s melanocytes and ability to regenerate fins. During this time, Chad got his first taste of larviculture and fish husbandry. He quickly learned the art of in-vitro fertilization and keeping genetic lines of zebra danios alive and healthy for research purposes.

    After working in a laboratory setting for 2 years, in 2002, Chad sent his resume to Oceans, Reefs & Aquariums. He was asked to come down to Florida for a face-to-face interview and tour. A few months later, Chad was hired as a production assistant at ORA. His dreams finally came true and Chad quickly learned the process of culturing and selling multiple species of marine finfish including clownfish, seahorses, gobies, dottybacks, cardinal fish, and others. While at ORA, Chad immersed himself in every aspect of the business including quarantining broodstock, broodstock selection, improving growout techniques, live feeds production, research, larval rearing, growout, sales, trade shows, system design, water quality testing, and disease identification and treatment.

    After 4 years at ORA, the position of a lifetime opened up. In 2006, he applied for a broodstock technician position at Kona Blue Water Farms in Kona, HI on the big island. He got the position and sold everything he owned and moved to Hawaii to work in food fish aquaculture and live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Unlike the variety of species that he worked with at ORA, this farm had just one species (longfin yellowtail Seriola rivoliana). He became the Assistant Hatchery Manager overseeing copepod culture and larval rearing. When the economy tanked, the company decided to downsize which led to his next adventure. Luckily, shortly after moving to Hawaii, he met the love of his life. He decided he would get off the island and move to California to settle down once and for all and hopefully find a job in his field.

    In 2008, Chad moved to Santa Cruz, CA with his future wife, Sara. While job hunting, he remembered that Reed Mariculture was in the San Jose area because he had used their products at his previous jobs. He called up and sent in his resume. After an intensive interview process, he landed the job and remains there today. At Reed Mariculture, he was involved with product development, copepod culture, trade shows, biosecurity, sales, and educational presentations.

    During the past 20 years, Chad has successfully cultured 37 species of fish and invertebrates including marine invertebrates, freshwater fish, and marine fish. He looks forward to adding to the list and will remain dedicated to sustainability in aquaculture.

    Species successfully reared from egg to sellable size:

  • Clownfish: A. occelaris, A. percula, A. melanopus, A. clarkii, A. frenatus, A. sandaracinos, A. nigripes, A. polymnus, A. akindynos, A. bicinctus, A. perideraion, A. rubrocinctus, A. ephippium, Premnas biaculeatus

  • Dottybacks: Pseudochromis fridmani, Pseudochromis sankeyi, Pseudochromis flavivertix, Pseudochromis aldabraensis, Pseudochromis springeri, Manonicthys splendens.

  • Gobies: Elacatinus oceanops, Elacatinus figaro (randalli)

  • Longfins: Assessor flavissimus, Assesor macneilli, Calloplesiops altivelis

  • Cardinalfish: Pterapogon kauderni, Sphaeramia nematoptera

  • Damselfish: Chrysiptera taupou

  • Chad Clayton

     

    Past Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Feb 17, 2021, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Mark Denaro
    Topic : Nano Aquariums 101
    Freshwater Nano Aquariums Including Appropriate Inhabitants

    Mark has been keeping freshwater aquariums since 1970 and marine aquariums since 1976. Mark has been keeping planted and biotope aquariums since the mid-70s and was keeping reef aquariums before that term was coined. He has bred well over 200 species of freshwater fish and propagated over 150 species of aquatic plants. He has spawned 10 species of marine fish and propagated over 40 species of marine invertebrates.

    Mark is a coauthor of Adventurous Aquarist Guide to the 101 Best Freshwater Nano Species, published by Microcosm, Ltd. in September of 2014. He has written articles for several national and international magazines and wrote the recurring column ‘Into the Labyrinth’ for “Tropical Fish Hobbyist” magazine. He is currently a Contributing Editor and writes feature articles for TFH.

    Mark has been involved in the organized hobby since 1984. He is a past president of the International Betta Congress, the Indianapolis Aquarium Society and the Bucks County Aquarium Society. He is a founding member and the inaugural president of the American Labyrinth Fish Association.

    He is a well-known speaker and judge and has lectured to over 50 aquarium societies in more than 20 states plus Canada and Bermuda and spoken at numerous regional and national conventions. Mark runs the fish room for Pets Plus in Lawrenceville, NJ. He also makes videos that he shares on YouTube as All Natural Aquatics.

    We warmely welcome Mark to our PRAC meeting.

    Peel Regional Aquarium Club

     

    Past Zoom Meeting:
    Wed, Jan 2021, 7:00pm
    Speaker: Bill Shields

    Bio:  Bill Shields, a lifelong aquarium fish hobbyist who started keeping fish at the ripe old age of six, grew up in South Florida in the 1950's. During his youth, Bill's entrepreneurial streak had him collecting guppies and mollies from the town park's pond and trading them with the local fish store for other fish and supplies. After college and various jobs, Bill finally started working "officially" in the pet trade as a salesman, store manager and then, finally, general manager of three Docktor Pet Centers in the Harrisburg, PA area. During this time, an invitation to attend and join the Susquehanna Aquarium Society in 1974 became his formal introduction into the organized portion of the hobby. Not long after joining, he became Vice-President, President, and then member of the Board of the Directors; later he was named Hobbyist of the Year in 1976. After joining the American Killifish Association (AKA) in 1974, he realized he had jumped to the next level of the hobby.

    After a hiatus from the pet trade--during which he was an elephant handler and midwife for 27 Asian elephant births-- Bill's avocation became his vocation. His aquarium fish expertise earned him a position as a professional fish breeder at 5 -D Tropical Inc, an ornamental fish production and import/export facility, in Plant City, Florida where he worked from 1995 until retirement in 2010. Finding no organized fish club in Tampa, FL, Bill's life came full circle as he and eight other fish keepers founded the Tampa Bay Aquarium Society (TBAS; website: tbas1.com ) in 1992. Bill remains active with the TBAS and other hobbyist organizations. He has served on the committees for two national AKA conventions, in 2000 & 2006, as well as the 2009 North American Native Fish Association (NANFA) and the 15th World Guppy Contest 2015 all held in the Tampa area. In addition, Bill manages the annual Aquarium Beautiful Competition for the Florida State Fair. And as a bucket list trip travelled to Iquitos Peru in 2009 with seven of his long time fish friends and returned in 2017 with his fish friend Brian Skidmore to Puerto Maldanado, Peru going with Go Wild Peru. He maintains 960 gals from 125 gal to 5 ½ gal, 250 gal Tuffy tub, 3-20 gal tubs and a 20,000 gal Koi pond. And in the 2019 Sept/Oct issue of Amazonas magazine had an article published on his work developing and putting Glofish into the hobby.  

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    Bio:  Lucija Prelovac Bio: Lucija is an informal science educator currently working as a Science Producer & Communication Officer with Ocean School in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her background in marine biology & science communication has helped her foster ocean literacy in Canada, Croatia, and the US. Her love for the ocean drives her passion to help protect it by helping others fall in love with its wonders.   con't …

    When are PRAC aquarium club meetings held?

    Peel aquarium club meetings are generally held every 3rd Wednesday of each month (in December possibly 2nd Wed). We have a total of ten monthly meetings a year, with the first meeting held in September and the last in June where we hold our elections for the upcoming year.

    Want to see results from previous years? Past Meetings / Show Results

    Hope to see you out at our next meeting!

    What happens at a PRAC Aquarium Club Meeting ?

    Club Meetings consist of a speaker or a presentation, information about aquarium events, a social break, a bowl show, club affairs & our much anticipated Monthly Mini - Auction. There is sometimes a sales table with great bargains and we feature prizes & raffles occasionally. The December meeting is a family Christmas Social.

    We also encourage member events, from time to time, such as trips or tours to Members Fish Rooms. In the past we have even gone to Buffalo, N.Y., Local Fish Stores, Toronto Zoo. Or possibly we could arrange a trip to the New Ripley's Aquarium in Downtown Toronto.

    Monthly Meeting Mini - Auction

    Members can bring any surplus fish, invertebrates, plants, tanks, equipment, books or other aquarium related items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. All live items must be in good health & all used equipment must be in working order.

    PRAC club will retain a BUCK A BAG* fee per item auctioned & the remainder will go to the seller. So, if your item goes for $20, then the club gets $1 (members) or $2 (non-members & you get the rest. Another reason to join!). Auction Rules are similar to Our Annual Auction, except a little more casual with no pre-registration required.

    Our Elections are held each & every year at our June meeting where all members have a chance to vote for the Executive positions in the PRAC Aquarium Club. Nominations for the executive positions are accepted starting at our May meeting.

    Non-Members & Guests are encouraged to come to any our meetings. And, of course, first meeting is free. Come on your own, with a friend or a group & see how great it is to join with other like minded Aquarium Hobbyists. Membership is open to all Aquarium Enthusiasts and Hobbyists in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA, Golden Horseshoe or even abroad. Our members are not only from the Region of Peel (including, Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga), but also as far away as Barrie, Collingwood, Huntsville & the GTA. Anyone can become a member who wishes to share the excitement of fish keeping and the aquarium hobby.

    Our biggest event of the year is our Annual Auction which attracts fish hobbyists, both buyers & sellers, from far away as Montreal. All are welcome at our Annual Giant Aquarium Auction held in Early November.

    PRAC Club Links

    When are PRAC Club Meetings?

    Our Aquarium Club Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm. However, depending on venue availability it may sometimes change.

    PRAC … Aquarium Club Membership Benefits:

    • Great Speakers & Presentations at Meetings
    • Fish Room Tours & Annual BBQ
    • Member arranged trips to Aquatic Shops, Zoo, Conventions etc.
    • Monthly 'Mini Auctions'
    • Bowl Shows (bring your best fish to show)
    • Preferred Pricing at LFS's (Local Fish Stores)

    PRAC … Aquarium Club Membership Fees:

    • $ 25 individual (or family)
    • SEPT to JUNE
    • Join anytime, at any meeting.

    PRAC … Aquarium Club Guests & Non-Members:

    • Guests & Non-Members always welcome, anytime
    • 1st meeting is FREE
    • $5 each meeting thereafter or join PRAC Club
    • Great Value for quality speakers!

    PRAC … A Little Club History:

    A Fish Club was born in 1970 / 71 as The Brampton Aquarium Club. Over the years we've attracted many Aquarium enthusiats from other municipalities such as Caledon, Mississauga, Etobicoke & elsewhere.

    In early 2008, we changed our name from Brampton Aquarium Club to Peel Regional Aquarium Club to better reflect who we are and the community in which we meet.

    Most of our Aquarium Club members are from the Region of Peel, Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga, but we also attract member hobbyists from as far away as Barrie, Collingwood, Guelph, Huntsville & even Toronto. Anyone can become a member who wishes to share in the excitement of fish keeping, Whether you're a 'newbie' or a veteran hobbyist.

    Got A Fish Question?

    If you want to find out the latest information on fish keeping or have a problem that needs a solution, come to our meeting and ask the experts. Our friendly environment has attracted many new & experienced aquarium hobbyists. We hope you may be our next member.