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All posts for the month December, 2012

Club Meeting 17th December

Posted by admin on December 19, 2012
Posted in: Club Meeting Reports.

Tonight was the KAS Christmas night and chairman Colin welcomed the many attending members before running through the previous 12 months and thanking everyone for their efforts in making the last year a successful one.

It was then time for the presentations which Brian gave out, notable winners were Mike & Jill Dewar who lifted the Jimmy Gilbert Quaich, Stuart Christie who had the most best fish awards (3) in the past table show year and Colin and Susan Beavis who were the overall points winners and won the lions share of the first place certificates for the individual classes. A special presentation was then made to John Reid who recently completed his Supreme breeders certificate becoming the first person ever in the club to do so. A fantastic achievement which deserves a big well done from us all.

With club business now completed members then turned their attention to the excellent buffet provided by some of the members with a good range of savoury and sweet treats for members to enjoy. A bumper raffle was then held with some great prizes including hampers, spirits and plenty of other prizes. members took the opportunity to catch up and have a good chat.

The meeting then begun to wind down with members wishing each other a Merry Christmas and a happy new year before heading into the cold and back home. The club now takes a break for a couple of weeks before resuming in the new year.

Here’s hoping all members have a great festive season and that 2013 brings them every happiness.

Club Meeting 10th December

Posted by admin on December 12, 2012
Posted in: Club Meeting Reports.

Colin opened the meeting and welcomed those attending and reminded members who had put their names down for the meal that it was this Saturday at 7pm at the Amritsar High Street Kirkcaldy. Brian confirmed the KAS facebook was now up and running and available to all who wished to join.

Tonight was an informal meeting with the Christmas decorations being put up by the members featuring possibly the finest decorated christmas tree in Fife ! It truely has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The rest of the meeting room also looks very festive with carefully coordinated and colour matching decorations. a big thankyou to all the members who assisted.

Next week is the Christmas night and presentations which any paid up KAS member is encouraged to attend please don’t forget to bring nibbles and raffle prizes if possible.

It was Jean’s birthday last week so many happy returns from all at KAS she doesn’t look a day over 40 !

Multi spawning by Rab Rennie

Posted by admin on December 6, 2012
Posted in: Fish Breeding Reports.

Multi Spawning

By Robert Rennie

 

Over the last 30 years of keeping and breeding many species of tropical fish, I would like to share this article with other Aquarists.

On odd occasions in my fish house I don’t have many fry on the go so I like to experiment and try different things with my fish, and one of the things I do is what I term as double or multiple spawning using only one breeding tank.

Perhaps many other fish keepers or maybe even your ‘self may already be doing this. For those of you who have not but would like to give it a go, I will give you my account of what I do.

Using a small tank of 12″x8″x8″ after making sure it is clean I fill it up with fresh water (straight from my tap) and in this I place two large clumps of wool mops into the centre of the tank and spread them loosely. I also use a small used! Sponge filter with gentle aeration after leaving the tank to settle for a day, the following evening I choose the fish to put into the tank.

At present I have a tank with fry from scissortail Raspboras and white cloud mountain minnows from my most recent spawning using this method.

I chose Scissortails first and placed six in the spawning tank, these I left in the tank for two days and fed them as normal but sparingly. After two days I took them out and then choose my next fish which in this instance was white cloud mountain minnows. Again I left them in for two days and treated them as normal and fed them sparingly, and then removed them.

I then left the tank a few days or so, having an odd glimpse or two inside.

Personally I do not usually bother looking for eggs but instead wait two or three days and then use a magnifying glass and check for fry which are normally clinging to the tank glass by this time, if by the fourth day there is nothing I will either try different fish or wait a week and then try again, persistence is the key as these fish are normally regular and guaranteed spawners (as long as you have both sexes)

Another method that works is to drape a net over and inside a 2foot long tank and place both species of fish in at the same time for a few days. I have used this method and had similar success.

Point to remember is use any small tetras barbs, minnows in fact any easy spawning peaceful fish and your young fish will grow up together fine.

One of the most obvious advantages of doing this type of breeding set-up is when you are lacking space or tanks. It may also be beneficial if you are trying to achieve breeding certificates and your goal is to breed a lot of different species in a given time.

One of the disadvantages of doing this that it is not worthwhile if you are trying to achieve large numbers of fry. For example my most recent effort has yielded me with 20 white cloud mountain minnows and about the same amount of raspboras, but being a small amount of fish they are easier to rear.

I hope that you find this article interesting or useful, I am not saying that this is the only way of doing things and if you are breeding and raising fry successfully, then don’t change; this is only intended to let you know how I do it but there is many other methods, and many of them may even be better.

 

Lastly if you have read this far, Thank You for taking the time to do so, and feel free to comment, or ask any questions.

 

Robert Rennie

Club Meeting 3rd December

Posted by admin on December 6, 2012
Posted in: Club Meeting Reports.

Colin welcomed the members in attendance Colin reminded members that the list was up for the KAS meal at the Amritsar Indian restaurant in Kirkcaldy on Dec 15th at 7pm all welcome. Decorations up next week. Tonight was the first table of the 2012/2013. The club is still looking for a secretary and members are encouraged to put their names up for the role.

A McMillan Christmas tree card is up please donate and leave messages on the tree instead of cards it saves paper and supports a worthy cause at the same time.

The first committee meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 5thDecember

Tonight’s table show was disappointingly exhibited with only 3 members showing a total 8 fish meaning the judges made quick work of judging the entries. Best fish was a Lamprologus Meeli shown by Colin Beavis. There were no Junior Entries.

While the judges were carrying out their duties the club members took the opportunity to have a friendly chat about next years bus trip as well as the catching lake malawi cichlids without disturbing the tank. A humourous discussing then ensued including the preferred diameters of members hoses as well as why are fish scared of nets yet will swim towards a hose that is draining there tank.

Colin thanked Brian for standing in as table show manager at short notice and John and Eric for stepping in as judges, stand in table show manager Brian would like to thank Jean his glamorous assistant.

It was the Presidents birthday on the 4th December so we wish Colin a very happy birthday from all your friends at KAS. Jill reminded members it is the USA agm on sunday at 1pm in the AK Bell library Perth.