Aquarist - the Regulator
Two Sides of the Same Hobby
Written by Monday, 20 July 1998 01:00
Introductory Remarks by George J. Reclos
In early June, Vassilis Iliopoulos and I had the chance to meet Peter Orphanos, a fellow hobbyist from Ontario, Canada and exchange our experience on this hobby. Very soon it became apparent that although the principles of fish keeping are the same all over the world, still there are vast differences between Greece and Canada. We are indebted to Peter both for sharing his invaluable experience with us as well as sending us his comments and remarks.
Unfortunately Peter (see photo below) was quite pressed (as far as his time was concerned) during his visit.. a plan to visit many islands in Greece didn't allow for a longer meeting. However, he managed to make the best of it.. He even became the first member of the Greek Cichlid Society who is not a Greek resident. His long experience in keeping and breeding tropical fish is reflected in the photos of his fishroom and display tanks. All photos and comments belong to the author. Enough with the introduction. It's time to let him tell the story. Thanks Peter. Looking forward to meeting you again either in Athens or in Ontario.
In my recent trip to Greece I had a chance to talk to a couple of dedicated tropical fish hobbyists in Athens and to research some tropical fish stores. Also I did some research on the internet on clubs in Greece. While there are scores of generalist clubs in Canada and that amount again in specialty clubs, all I could find on Fish Link Central was this inclusion under Greece, "Anyone interested in starting a club, contact Costa at 01-9313946 or tel/fax 01-9817 622. What was on the internet said it all. Quite simply, the tropical fish hobby in Greece has not caught on. In Canada it ranks second or third in popularity, depending on what statistics you read.
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the warmer climate in Greece encourages people to go out of doors for their leisure time activities. A once a week family outing to a taverna is a habit in many cities and towns. Also, people look forward to evening walks when the weather is sweltering during the daytime. In Canada the cold winters shift activities indoors. Even in Canada, the hobby slows down a bit between May and August.
Secondly, there is a different attitude in Greece to animal husbandry. There seems to be less interest shown towards some types of animals such as dogs, cats and others. In every place I visited, I noticed stray dogs and cats roaming the streets at all hours . These were mostly ugly mutts who were abandoned and managed to find an area where store owners or passers by would give them the occasional morsel of food. Following that line of thought there is less likelihood for the average Greek to want a few fish taking up space in their home. This is not a criticism of the Greek personality which is very empathetic and warm but it speaks more of a traditional way of thinking about certain animals. The interest is not there. Most of my relatives in Greece consider my fishroom a curious obsession but of little practical value. In Canada, the U.S.A. and in many northwest European countries the hobby is a source of immense pleasure aesthetically and scientifically.
Thirdly, Greece has not seen the business opportunities of the hobby. It's own country's lack of interest plus the lack of abundance of pure fresh water discourage commercial ventures. However, I do see the day when interest will increase as the leisure generation increases in numbers and when foreigners will motivate the locals.
The hobby can be expensive, difficult and requires plenty of patience. Even in the most developed of countries most novices quit the hobby after losing many of their first tank mates. The cost of the hobby and the amount of time required to take care of fish are deterrents to the average Greek family.
Lastly, the internet which has diverted plenty of hobbyists in North America has taken away many of the potential hobbyists in Greece. The electronic age is both an advantage and a disadvantage to the hobby. It has motivated and inspired many through sharing as in my case when I visited George Reclos in Athens but it has also taken away the time we used to spend studying our fish.
I believe there is great potential in Greece for this hobby. Its positive effects on stress, its natural beauty and educational value, if effectively marketed to the average citizen will motivate many to become enthusiasts. As the EU strengthens and communication improves and as its influence increases in Greece so will hobbies like tropical fish attain a higher profile. A good thing sells itself, sooner or later.
This is my show tank. I custom built it to fit the space. It is about 250 gallons and has been established for about a year. It contains a wide variety of plants. No CO2 or RO is used, just straight tap water. Some plants are in pots and some like the vals are in straight gravel. It is 7 feet long, 29 inches wide and 24 inches deep. Two deluxe daylight fluorescents and two gro-lux fluorescents do a food job. The vals need frequent cutting back every week or they would take over the whole tank. I have angels, tetras, catfish and clown loaches in it. I keep live bearing snails in the tank which till the gravel and their numbers are kept down by the clown loaches. The pots are individually made up of contents that plants need. The crypts get a mixture of peat moss, topsoil and gravel. I use no fertilizers.
Part I: The Works
In the left hand side photo you can see the entrance to the fishroom. The floor is cement and the ceiling is covered with a 6mm plastic. Stands are made out of 2X4 inch wood. There are about 100 aquariums of various sizes from 10 gallon to 250 gallons. The photo on the right shows the other side of the room. The centre tanks are 35 gallons. The entire room is 14 feet by 20 feet. It was built to use space efficiently and to be versatile so that I can keep any kind of fish.
A yellow cap gold angel. This is a 4 month old juvenile. I use it with blacks to produce all black offspring. I consider an amazon sword (right hand side photo) to be part of almost every aquarium. It enhances water quality and produces anti toxins that combat diseases. This tank has some 5 week old marble angels.
My show tank again. I custom built it to fit the space. It is about 250 gallons and has been established for about a year. It contains a wide variety of plants. No CO2 or RO is used, just straight tap water. Some plants are in pots and some like the vals are in straight gravel. It is 7 feet long, 29 inches wide and 24 inches deep. Two deluxe daylight fluorescents and two gro-lux fluorescents do a food job. The vals need frequent cutting back every week or they would take over the whole tank. I have angels, tetras, catfish and clown loaches in it. I keep live bearing snails in the tank which till the gravel and their numbers are kept down by the clown loaches. The pots are individually made up of contents that plants need. The crypts get a mixture of peat moss, topsoil and gravel. I use no fertilizers.
Here is a mated pair of four marble angelfish spawning. The process takes about an hour. The female is the smaller fish in the foreground. The larger male is behind her. This mated pair will hatch these eggs and raise their young in the aquarium if left in peace to do so. They will protect their young from predators and clean the eggs to prevent fungus and other bacteria from harming the young.
Here is my female gold marble angelfish laying eggs on a piece of slate. Notice the ovipositor depositing eggs in a ribbon pattern. These eggs will be fertilized by the male as shown in the next picture. The slate must be in a near vertical position and at least 12 inches in length so that eggs may be laid away from the bottom which harbors bacteria. These eggs may be hatched artificially or by the parents.
Part II: Infrastructure
In the left hand side photo above you can see my fluidized bed sand biosystem which does the same job as my 5 foot bio tower but in one seventh the space. The right hand side photo shows my work centre. You need a deep sink, single leaver faucet and a water resistant counter. My brine shrimp hatchers are conveniently above the sink. One tap releases system water to clean my filter foam.
Left: My trusty Grunfoss circulator which does my show tank at about 1200 gallons per hour. All my circulators are Grunfoss because of their endurance and dependability. Right: The reservoir again. Notice the knee high nylon stockings that I use to pre-filter the water coming out of the returns. They also catch the baby catfish that sometimes slip into the pipes. I can then return them to their aquarium.
One of my upcoming black breeders. Blacks are a weak strain but I had them crossed with wild stock to strengthen the bloodline. These blacks are very strong, lay many eggs and survive well.
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