September 2016 GPASI Regular Meeting
Friday September 30th, 2016
MARK DUFFILL ~ Loach Breeder Extraordinaire
Direct from the UK, we are honored to be the first group of hobbyist in the Unites States to hear Mark’s presentation:
Loaches for life, not just for snails!
Mark's passion for Loaches has seen him successfully spawn numerous species, which for some time Loaches were considered unbreedable but thanks to Mark and people like him, this myth has been dispelled. So far he has spawned 20+ loach species including Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki, Micronemacheilus cruciatus, Sewellia lineolata, Sewellia sp spotted, and Acanthocobitis zonalternans, also firsts such as Botia kubotai, Botia histrionica, Botia striata, Acanthopsoides species and Yasuhikotakia splendida.
Bio:
Mark Duffill was born in 1972, he has had an interest in fish from a very young age. He got his first fish when he was 6 years old and was 'hooked' immediately. As soon as he was old enough he became a junior member of the local fish keeping club and soon got the bug for showing fish and winning prizes, Mark progressed in the club as a committee member and eventually club secretary. As well as the fishkeeping Mark owns and helps out with several websites and Facebook groups including Loach Fanatics.
This aside he also advanced to become an A-class judge for the North East Federation of Aquarist Societies. The hobby of fish keeping took a back seat for a while due to work commitments, however unfortunately his career as an electrician ended in 1999 when he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and spondylosis in the spine. Since then he channelled his time, energy and passion for fish to keeping, breeding or catching and collecting them.
Mark works primarily with Loaches, Rasboras and other Asian species, although he has periodically diverted his attention to other fish including African Rift Cichlids, Characins, Corydoras, Discus, Livebearers of all descriptions and even at one point had nothing but Rainbow fishes, but no matter what he has kept he was always drawn back to Loaches, Barbs, Danios and Rasboras.
In 2009, Mark became the founder of the International Loach Association, formerly Loach Association of Great Britain. Mark has written books on loaches and also had his articles published in several magazines around the world and had them translated into numerous languages and has been invited to travel to clubs within the UK and now around the world to give presentations on Loaches.
October Speaker:
Joel Antkowiak: “CARES, Splitfins and More”
This program will discuss the CARES Preservation Society and focus on the family Goodeidae, a group of livebearing fishes where nearly all species are addressed in the CARES program. Joel will also share some insight into some of the other species of fishes that are currently on the CARES Priority List that he has kept over the last 40 years.
BIO: Born on the Southside of Pittsburgh in 1962, Joel's first brush with the organized hobby came in 1976 when he found an ad for the American Killifish Association in an old aquarium hobby magazine. Having always appreciated the beauty of these fishes from the color plates in the old "Innes book", and not seeing them in local stores, he joined in order to acquire some. A few years later Joel found the Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society, where he was a member for a few years before graduating from the University of Pittsburgh and moving out of the area. Joel is now living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where he is an active member of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County. Joel has earned the club’s Breeder of the Year award twice, it’s “Mighty Fin Award” for most points earned in the club’s Writer’s and Artist’s Award Program during a year twice, has been honoured with the club’s Hobbyist of the Year Award, and has been selected the recipient of the club’s President’s Award twice, and was the FAAS Author of the Year for 2012. Joel is also the only member of the ACLC to be awarded the club’s annual “CARES Member of the Year” award since the ACLC joined the CARES Program in 2011. Most recently, Joel has just been honoured with lifetime membership in the ACLC for completing the highest level of the club’s Writer’s and Artist’s Award Program. Joel has maintained anywhere from a few to about 60 tanks at any one time throughout his adult life and has kept many different species of fish. He is often amazed at how some species were once very common and now seem to be non-existent despite their attractiveness and ease of care and husbandry.
About Our Meetings
Club Address:
GPASI
P.O. Box 22452
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Club Email Address:
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DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM for those who want to get there a little early to socialize.
Meeting Starts at 7:30 SHARP!
|
2016 GPASI Monthly Meetings |
2016 BOD MEETING DATES: January 11 February 8 March 7 April 11 May 2 June 6 July 11 August 8 September 12 October 10 November 14 |
| Monthly Meeting Location: Phipps Garden Center 1059 Shady Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15232 |
Monthly Meeting Location: TBD All members are welcome to attend. |
December Speaker: Rob McLure: "An Overview of Spawning, Husbandry & Raising of Corydoradinae fish"
Rob will try to update you with the latest Corydoras news, let you know what Corydoras big and small like to eat, and show you breeding tips and tricks that have worked. The talk will show even the most dedicated aquarists something new about the Corydoradinae group and challenge you with Cory trivia!
BIO: Currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has managed to breed nearly 40 species in the Corydoradinae group to date, many 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". After a spawning spree of breeding 25 different fish in one year, out of all the fish spawned that year, the Corydoras paleatus were by far the most fun. Three years later he has more than 80 types of Corydoradinae fish in his home and likely qualifies as an addict of some sort!
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