12 replies to this topic

[lloydcole]

Hi Everyone,

 

I’ve lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for the last ten years, and been active in stream conservation (cleanups, streamside tree planting, water quality monitoring, etc.) as a volunteer with Trout Unlimited, the Willistown Conservation Trust, the Darby Creek Valley Association, and the CRC Watershed Association.  

 

I’ve been a member of NANFA at least a couple of previous times, and always enjoyed American Currents, and this forum.  Also have been an aquarist, off and on, since my teens—had tanks from the 60s through the 90s, but none since 2002.  “Kept up”, after a fashion, by reading FAMA, TFH, Amazonas and Practical Fishkeeping.

 

Now that I’m retired, I plan to set up a couple of aquaria later this fall, and have been considering native tanks.  (I’ve kept and bred Sunfish and Dace, but that was a long time ago.)  I’m fascinated with the Walstad method for setting up dirted substrate planted tanks, and have read a lot in the past about Tannin Aquatics’ approach.  So when I started scouring the Internet to see what was “new” in the last 20 years, I naturally got fascinated with Father Fish.  I find his approach to planted aquaria much more appealing than “high tech”.  Wondering whether anyone here has kept native fish using some of the ideas from the “Father Fish method” (or Walstad), and what their experiences have been.

 

I’d also enjoy getting involved in fish collecting again—haven’t done that since my teens!  But I think I’d want to wait until at least next Spring/Summer, and get aquariums started with fish from Zimmeran/Jonah/other places first…..

 

Also, I’ve never been to a NANFA convention (cancelled at the last minute once, due to work) and am very interested in going next year (too bad that I just missed one!).

 

Apologies for the long “intro”.  Looking forward to learning more here, and catching up with some great folks!  Thanks,

 

Lloyd Cole

[ShadetreeIchthyologist]

Welcome. Hopefully you can attend the next convention. They're a real hoot.

[El Todd]

I'm in Maryland, but I grew up near Philadelphia and go back to see family every now and then. I keep several different species of dace - they are all thriving and have been extremely hardy and low maintenance. I think father fish is really good, he offers good explanations on some things that others don't really talk about.

[El Todd]

Welcome. Hopefully you can attend the next convention. They're a real hoot.

 

Where is the next convention being held? There are a of NANFAns in MD, PA, and VA. We have lots of cool species, tons of plant, the bay . . . 

[ShadetreeIchthyologist]

I don't believe we know where the next one will be held.

[El Todd]

I don't believe we know where the next one will be held.

 

I vote for Columbia MD!

[Chasmodes]

Welcome back Lloyd! I look forward to reading about your upcoming adventures!

[AquaHobbyist123]

I don't believe we know where the next one will be held.

They gave options they were discussing at BOD meeting:
Florida Panhandle
Ohio
Alabama
West Virginia

Nothing for certain though. I personally hope for Alabama or Ohio, Florida Panhandle is interesting as well.

[El Todd]

They gave options they were discussing at BOD meeting:
Florida Panhandle
Ohio
Alabama
West Virginia

Nothing for certain though. I personally hope for Alabama or Ohio, Florida Panhandle is interesting as well.

 

West Virginia is kind of close, but why go to West Virginia when you have so many things close to Columbia MD :

 

- Glen Echo Park Aquarium (local aquarium dedicated to regionally native fresh and brackish species)

- DC Zoo has an exhibit with native fish

- Baltimore aquarium is not too far away

- Several active aquarium groups in the area to coordinate with for lectures etc. such as GWAPA and PVAS

- Columbia is not far from the bay, so people can collect brackish and freshwater fish.

- Fish species in the area include:

• Longear sunfish
• Mountain Redbelly Dace (have to travel a bit for those)
• Satinfin Shiners
• Rosyface Shiners
• Bluespotted Sunfish (hard to get but they're in the area)
• Banded Sunfish
• Rainbow darter
• Tessalated Darter
• Greenside Darter
• Fantail Darter
• Longnose Dace
• Rosyside Dace
• Eastern Blacknose Dace
• Margined madtom
• Tadpole madtom
• Skilletfish
• Blennies
• Striped Killifish
• Rainwater killifish
• Sheepshead minnows
• Central stoneroller
• Common Shiner
• Silverjaw Minnow
• Bluehead chub
• Creek chub
• River Chub

I've caught an abundance almost all these species except for the bluespotted and banded sunfish. 

 

Anyway, just some for thought for future convention sites.

[Michael Wolfe]

 

I vote for Columbia MD!

 

Are you volunteering to host?!?

[Michael Wolfe]

Welcome Llyod,

 

I keep a few Enneacanthus sunfish in a Walstead tank, and most of my other tanks are heavily planted and "dirted" as you say (although the red georgia clay can not really be considered dirt).  Probably not deep enough to be fully Walsted, but I get a huge benefit form the natural planted tanks.

 

As far as conventions, there has not been an announcement yet, but there is something in the works for the summer of 2024 (we had the 2023 convention a little earlier this year).

[El Todd]

 

Are you volunteering to host?!?

 

Uh, . . . what would that invovle, exactly?

[Michael Wolfe]

 

Uh, . . . what would that invovle, exactly?

 

If you have ever been to a NANFA Conventoin, it is a huge job and we are always looking for volunteers.  Contact me via messenger or email for more details.