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NEW LOCATION FOR THE APRIL 21 MEETING!!!

Howard Johnson Hotel Madison,
3841 E. Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53704

Same meeting time (doors open 11:00, meeting starts 11:30).

MAAH/MAGC 10-Gallon Aquascape Challenge

We are launching the club’s first ‘grow out’ contest at the April meeting. We hope that many people participate in this fun event, and we are inviting MAGC members to participate with us as well. I need to know how many people are going to play the game so I can have the plants available next week. I need to know by FRIDAY, APRIL 13. Send me a PM on the MAAH forum or an email at tjudy@tedsfishroom.com. The cost to participate is $10, payable when you pick up your plants. Please plan to be at the April MAAH meeting to support Kris Weinhold (he will be giving a talk about live plants and aquascaping… so this is a great meeting to start this contest) and pick up the plant package. If you cannot come to the meeting, make arrangements with me to pick them up sometime around the time of the meeting… I WILL NOT TANK THE PLANTS.

Please read the contest rules carefully. NOTE: JUDGING OF THE DISPLAYS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE FALL FISH FEST THE LAST WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER.

Description:
Contestants in the challenge will create an aquascape in a 10-gallon aquarium using a defined variety of aquatic plants, maintain the aquarium for a period of time, and then bring the display to the 2012 Fall Fish Fish (September 28-30) for judging. Winning entries will be determined by a combination of judging scores and ‘people’s choice’ ranking at the workshop. First, second and third places will receive awards.

Rules:
1) Entrants must purchase the prescribed package of plants and take delivery at the April 21, 2012, MAAH meeting; or make arrangements to get the plants around that time.
2) The entrant must use a standard 10-gallon aquarium (20”x10”x12”tall) for their display.
3) All of the plant species in the package must be used in the aquascape, but it is ok to use only some the plants of each that you receive (for example, if there are ten stems, you may use fewer than ten stems). More of the same species of plants may also be used, but the club will not provide them.
4) Each entrant is permitted one ‘wild card’ plant species, which can be any true aquatic plant in any amount… but only a SINGLE species other than what was provided for in the package. A different color form or cultivar of a species in the packages counts as the wild card (for example, if you are supplied with a red tiger lotus, the use of a green tiger lotus will count as your wild card).
5) All other aspects of the aquarium are at the discretion of the entrant… no limits. This includes fish, filtration, substrate, lighting, CO2… ANYTHING. The only factors in the aquascape that are defined are the plants that can be used and the size of the tank. Fish are not required, and judges will not deduct points for not having any fish in the aquarium.
6) The aquascaped aquariums must be on display that the 2012 Fall Fish Fest by 9:00 AM Saturday, September 29. The tanks are to stay on display until 6:00 PM that day, and need to be removed by 3:00 PM on Sunday, September 30.

Judging Criteria to be used by judges:

• All species of plants are used in the aquascape
• Condition of plants
• Aesthetic appeal of aquascape

Seems like February was packed with cub activity, and now we get a month before the March 17 meeting.  We will post more specifics later….

But mark your calendars for the Milwaukee Aquarium Society Spring auction on March 11.  For more information click here:  MAS AUCTION

The WI Garden Expo was a blast!  Thanks to everyone who helped out, and to everyone who stopped by the booth and chatted.  I hope all of you are reading this post!

The next general meeting of the MAAH is next Saturday, February 18, at Dream Lanes (13 Atlas Ct., Madison).  The doors open at 11:00.  Hopefully some (or all!) of the people we talked to at the Expo will show up.  If they do, this meting will be HUGE!!!!

Speaker Presentation by Chrystal Schreck – WI DNR

Chrystal is going to give a presentation about the WI DNR rules regarding invasive species in WI, and how those rules affect aquarium hobbyists.  She will leave plenty of time for questions and answers.

Also at this meeting:

• Grimey Award (come prepared to tell us about a mistake)
• Mini-auction
• BAP and CBP submissions
• Lots of fun!

Date: Saturday, Dec 10th

Time: 12-5 PM, food served at 12:30
Location: Ben and Dawn’s place located in Sun Prairie near the Cottage Grove/Sun Prairie exit on Hwy 94 heading East

Please RSVP in this thread in the forum and you will be sent the exact address:  Party RSVP

This will be a Pot Luck Meal. Ben and Dawn will provide Chili as the main dish, in addition to non-alcoholic drinks, plates, napkins, and utensils.
We need side dishes and treats. Please RSVP in this thread with what you are bringing. Bring your own alcohol.

Donation fish, BAP and CBP will be accepted. All bags are $2.00 each, no auction. The proceeds help pay for the party.

White elephant gift exchange. Bring a $10.00 fish related, wrapped gift and we will have a gift exchange between everyone that brings a gift.

Rachel O’Leary of Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania has been in the hobby since childhood but has gotten increasingly active in the past decade. She is currently operating over seventy tanks with interests that range from micro to monster. She has a special focus on dwarf freshwater invertebrates including snails, shrimp, crayfish, and aquatic crabs.

She is currently breeding catfish, shrimp,  snails, pseudomugil rainbows, dwarf crayfish, plecos, and several other central and south American cichlids as well as a range of livebearers and egg scatters. Her tanks range in size from ten gallon to 220 gallon.

Rachel is an active member and on the board of the Capital Cichlid Association as well as a global moderator on Aquaria Central and a moderator at MonsterFishKeepers. She actively attends conventions and travels to speak at clubs on her invertebrate and micro fish interests.

She imports from around the globe to redistribute and help share with hobbyists around the country.

A proud mother of three, she actively donates tanks and their inhabitants to schools around her area and the country.

Future projects include a lot more travel to increase awareness of invertebrates and microfish as well as furthering the growth of her fish room through increased breeding efforts and availability.

Presentation:  Breeding Tips for Invertebrates

Rachel will present a talk that is a culmination of her many years of trial and error learning about breeding invertebrates (shrimp, crayfish and snails).

Thank you to everyone who made this past weekend’s event successful.  I think that the fest went very smooth for out first event of this type.  I will have some numbers totals up on the forum shortly.

The next general meeting of MAAH will be November 19… Only 3 weeks away!

Speaker presentation:  Rachel O’Leary – Asian Shrimp and Snails

Rachel imports, breeds and sells many different invertebrates and small Asian fish.  She has become an authority on the invertebrates a great speaker.  Just as soon as she sends me a description of her talk, I will post it!

If you are planning to sell fish in the box sale or auction and want to print your labels ahead of time, send me an email at tjudy@tedsfishroom.com or contact me (tjudy) with a PM on the forum.  I will tell you your seller number.

We’re gettin’ close!!!!!!!!

Here we go…..!

The Fall Fish Fest is less than two weeks away.  Please take a look at the link in the menu bar above.  We have changed the cost structure, and now it is a lot less expensive to come and enjoy the event.

BIG REMINDER… make your hotel reservation TODAY!!!

A few things to remember:

• Box Sales… a great way to sell fish at the event without the work to do so.
• Support the speakers… it is very, very important that we get a great turnout to hear the speakers.  Please come on Saturday to learn learn learn.
• Raffles…. WOW… we have a LOT of stuff.  Raffles will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
• Silent auctions…. we have three tanks setups for silent auction… maybe more once the weekend starts!
• Open house at Ted Judy’s fish room… 7:00 PM Friday, October 28.  Maps at the registration desk on Friday at the hotel, or if you are local and not checking into the hotel Friday you can send Ted a PM on the forum to get directions.
• WE NEED YOUR HELP… lot’s of opportunities to lend a hand, especially at the auction on Sunday.  There is a thread on the forum titled ‘FFF Help’ to let you know what is needed.

We will meet at the regular time (11:30) and place (Dream Lanes – 13 Atlas Ct. Madison) on Saturday (Oct. 15)…

Presentation:  Video from ACA 2010 Convention (we will decide as a group which one we want to watch)

Also at this meeting:

• Fall Fish Fest Preview and volunteer schedule (we need your help!)
• BAP and CBP submissions
• Mini-auction
• Grimey Award

FALL FISH FEST ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The schedules are posted on the forum and on the Fall Fish Fest web page.
• We have changed the times for the Box Sales so more people can participate (sellers and buyers).  9:00 – 10:30 (AM Sat.) bag check in… 10:30 – 11:30 room open for weekend pass holders… 11:30 – 2:00 room open to everyone
• Friday evening there will be an Open House at Ted Judy’s fish room from 7:00 – 10:00, for attendees arriving on Friday.  Maps will be available at the FFF registration table on Friday afternoon/evening.  Ted lives an easy 20 minute drive from the hotel.

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Plant-a-Pa-Looza meeting.  Three excellent talks (thank you Gordon, Randy and Ted).  TONS of great fish and plants.  124 lots went across the auction!  That has to be a new record for a general meeting, and before you say, ‘Yeah, but most of those were plants the club brought in’, you should know that there were only 38 bags of plants that we purchased for the club.  The other 86 lots were all from members.  Way to go!

Lot’s of stuff is happening in the next two months, so get your calendar out and a SHARPIE… NO PENCILS!!!!!  The September general meeting (9/17) features David Boruchowitz, the Editor and Chief of TFH magazine.  October is all about the Fall Fish Fest…  October 29-30.  Registration is open, so follow the link at the right end of the top menu bar, fill out a registration and let us know you are coming.  And spread the word!!!!  The Milwaukee Aquarium Society also has a lot of events planned in September and October, so be sure to jump over to their website to see what is coming up.