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Fish Info At Meetings

tash

Members
Of course, you could write an article for the Biotope and then just keep the Biotope for a reference. Did Pat mention that we ALWAYS need articles for the Biotope!![/b]

my husband would kill me if I kept that much analog stuff around all the time :lol:
 

DeeCee

Members
I know that I've seen auction bags that give a print out of the name & basic info (size, temperment) on fish bags - some of them also had pictures of what the fish should grow up to look like, which I thought was pretty cool. When it came time to bag up fish for the last auction though, I forgot to be a copycat & steal that idea until it was time to leave -- UGH!

Whoever it was I was GOING to copy though - I think it's a great idea & I hope I remember to try it next time!

DC
 

SubMariner

Master Jedi & Past VP
Lol, I quite agree with the labels on the bag idea. I was thinking basically, someone could post a template, like:

Species: Labidochromis Caeruleus
From: Malawi
Temperament: fairly peaceful Mbuna
Max size: 5 inches
Keeper pH: 8.0
Other info: (such as a pic of the adult)

It would make every thing easier.

Later!
Amanda.[/b]


I like it! :D
 
So it sounds like we would want to add a Species Profiles subtopic to Species Talk or a species profiles Folder inside of each of the areas(New World, Old World, Bottom Dwellers, Oddballs) where members could submit the pertinent data on each fish set up kind of like the BAP participant folder. I think that would be awesome and lead many of us "newbies" to better recognize species when we see them.
 

longstocking

Members
If you are interested in knowing about a fish someone bred.... why not just post it in the bap folder under their post. I'm sure they would be happy to talk about it.
 
Was just thinking subfolders under the breakouts would be better organized and allow multiple contributions from members without the feeling that they were impeding on a member that bred the fish's BAP folder. Also think that it would make the information much easier to access because if it is under the BAP folders you will have to search each folder to find the fish compared to being able to find the fish by name and any contributions that correspond with it.
 

animicrazy

Members
My half cents worth - (Mike, money is devaluing - although in your case I'd pay the dime for your opinion):

1) a basic label is good - w/ a pic is better. What I really want to know is how has the previous owner kept the fish - Ph, Temp, salt or no salt (for African lake dwellers). Acclimation kills more fish then it saves - it's better to put the new fish in the same type of environment; the new owner can always change it later: gradually.

2) A sub forum, as per Robert Peterson, logically organized, is a great idea. Books are not always right, and there are more ways of doing things.

3) A sub forum for each months meeting would also be a good place for people to list what they plan to bring.: The info would be in one place and people could do their homework beforehand. Also might increase attendance.

An observation (Disclaimer: Do not read further if you are not psychologically sound)

This club has members with 60+ tanks (like me - only smarter) and dozens of species - and new members just starting
out. I seem to remember that someone important said that the number of 'casual aquarium keepers' was declining.
Slanting all of the club towards the very experienced will not help this problem. I feel we have a duty to the hobby to grow
the numbers of new people - whatever their level of interest. Plus, we breeders will have more potential customers !

Just my opinion - feel free to disagree (at your own risk :D )

Paul.
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
The auction represents a great and fun learning experience, especially for new members...and a great way for the club (and members) to raise money.

At least back in Sacramento (my old club), the monthly meeting auction items that drew the most competition and highest bids were the ones where people knew what they were bidding on and were excited about it. A guy (sorry I forget his name) gave a presentation on collecting fish in Papua New Guinea and showed picture of him collecting gudgeons. Bidding for babies of those gudgeons went sky high (vs. the collective shrug and strained $1 bid if a bag of 2 each 1" Tateurndina ocellicauda came up in the auction).

Nothing keeps people from bringing fish to club auctions more than consistently getting $1-2 for bags of fish that they could get $10-15 for at the LFS. It's just discouraging. Having excited and informed bidders keeps this from happening.

One way to provide a quick overview of the fish in the auction would be to have a rotating slide show on the overhead of a picture of the fish and some basic info. It would take a few minutes to build in PPT with a template and could be up and automatically flipping through during intermissions and the auction. It might even facilitate people to informally discuss experiences with a certain fish. As more and more profiles are created, we could post them to the web.

Here's an example of what the Chicago club does: http://www.gcca.net/fom/Aulonocara_jacobfreibergi.htm ...which is more than what I think is necessary for the auction...
 

marge618

CCA member
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dogofwar @ Feb 7 2008, 03:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
The auction represents a great and fun learning experience, especially for new members...and a great way for the club (and members) to raise money.

At least back in Sacramento (my old club), the monthly meeting auction items that drew the most competition and highest bids were the ones where people knew what they were bidding on and were excited about it. A guy (sorry I forget his name) gave a presentation on collecting fish in Papua New Guinea and showed picture of him collecting gudgeons. Bidding for babies of those gudgeons went sky high (vs. the collective shrug and strained $1 bid if a bag of 2 each 1" Tateurndina ocellicauda came up in the auction).

Nothing keeps people from bringing fish to club auctions more than consistently getting $1-2 for bags of fish that they could get $10-15 for at the LFS. It's just discouraging. Having excited and informed bidders keeps this from happening.

One way to provide a quick overview of the fish in the auction would be to have a rotating slide show on the overhead of a picture of the fish and some basic info. It would take a few minutes to build in PPT with a template and could be up and automatically flipping through during intermissions and the auction. It might even facilitate people to informally discuss experiences with a certain fish. As more and more profiles are created, we could post them to the web.

Here's an example of what the Chicago club does: http://www.gcca.net/fom/Aulonocara_jacobfreibergi.htm ...which is more than what I think is necessary for the auction...[/b]

Hey DogOfWar, I enjoyed your post. Had to follow the url to Chicago. Seems like everybody there took a fish as their 'homework'. They must have had a series of questions (template?) to follow. Most provided the info you would need up front, then added some personal touches.

Do we have to recreate everything. Why can't we access Cichlid-forum and Chicago ...and maybe Atlanta. Put in plastic sleeves the info could be pulled out for the meeting...just those pertinent to the auction in progress. Oh, right, :sign0129: that's what we're doing when we do our 'homework' to get ready for the meeting. I must admit, 4 out of 5 of the questions I would have asked during the auction were resolved before I ever walked in the door.

Also, later that night after the meeting it was hard to stay on task long enough to get every new addition 'tanked' in the right setting. It seemed almost easier to give them all water and an airstone and leave it until morning. With the bags already marked with name of fish, location, basic requirements it all went much faster. Also, there were no upsetting surprises in the morning. Fish were not likely to be misidentified, have incompatible tankmates, or water perameters that were inappropriate.

Net result, the February auction was a lot of fun!

Later,
Marge
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
I agree - with permission we should be able to use Chicago's profiles (maybe with a CCA background) or Cichlid-forum's.

Maybe instead of printing the stuff out, we could have the profiles projected on the wall (in a rotating slideshow) during the meeting intermissions and auction.

Matt
 

longstocking

Members
I don't know about using c-f's... I'm sure if I asked nicely they would say yes.... but my issue is the profiles aren't all correct. I pretty much know which ones aren't so, I guess I could speak up if something was wrong. I think Ron could probably tell as well... since I know he helped with it years back. IT is probably the resource for pics.... and info that we could probably use. But, don't you guys think this is going over board a little?
 

maddog10

Members
I do! :smashfreakB:

There are way to many fish out there to keep track of, especially with names changing on a monthly basis.

I do like the idea of posting what we are bringing on the Forum. Maybe Pat or I will send out an email stating that is what some of us are doing. Perhaps it will have the added benefit of getting some of the other members on the Forum a bit more regularly. :angel2:

Besides, the first time the book says this fish can be kept with that fish and they kill each other someone will try to blame the club (no matter what kind of disclaimer we have). It will happen eventually. Buyers should do a little research on their own. Its not like it is homework (ok maybe a little like homework)
 

cyradis4

Members
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (maddog10 @ Feb 12 2008, 07:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
I do! :smashfreakB:

There are way to many fish out there to keep track of, especially with names changing on a monthly basis.

I do like the idea of posting what we are bringing on the Forum. Maybe Pat or I will send out an email stating that is what some of us are doing. Perhaps it will have the added benefit of getting some of the other members on the Forum a bit more regularly. :angel2:

Besides, the first time the book says this fish can be kept with that fish and they kill each other someone will try to blame the club (no matter what kind of disclaimer we have). It will happen eventually. Buyers should do a little research on their own. Its not like it is homework (ok maybe a little like homework)[/b]

Spoken like someone who has been out of school a looooooong time.

Though I agree that people are getting a bit overboard. Having subforums with a species of fish and our individual experiences with them (with a general disclaimer) is a good idea, as this would not be the "club" making the claim, but individuals. This is, after all, a fish forum, and maybe that would get people to post a bit more! And having stuff on the bags at the auction is a great idea, and posting what is going to be brought is a good idea. (I KNOW I saw a whole buncha bags with pics and info on them! Good deal!). The most I think we should do at the meetings is bring a book or two. Thats what I did!

Amanda.
 

marge618

CCA member
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cyradis4 @ Feb 12 2008, 07:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (maddog10 @ Feb 12 2008, 07:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I do! :smashfreakB:

There are way to many fish out there to keep track of, especially with names changing on a monthly basis.

I do like the idea of posting what we are bringing on the Forum. Maybe Pat or I will send out an email stating that is what some of us are doing. Perhaps it will have the added benefit of getting some of the other members on the Forum a bit more regularly. :angel2:

Besides, the first time the book says this fish can be kept with that fish and they kill each other someone will try to blame the club (no matter what kind of disclaimer we have). It will happen eventually. Buyers should do a little research on their own. Its not like it is homework (ok maybe a little like homework)[/b]

Spoken like someone who has been out of school a looooooong time.

Though I agree that people are getting a bit overboard. Having subforums with a species of fish and our individual experiences with them (with a general disclaimer) is a good idea, as this would not be the "club" making the claim, but individuals. This is, after all, a fish forum, and maybe that would get people to post a bit more! And having stuff on the bags at the auction is a great idea, and posting what is going to be brought is a good idea. (I KNOW I saw a whole buncha bags with pics and info on them! Good deal!). The most I think we should do at the meetings is bring a book or two. Thats what I did!

Amanda.
[/b][/quote]


Yup. I have enjoyed every CCA auction I have ever gone to. This last one was the best. With the added help of members posts regarding the auction...well before the auction...and many well identified bags of fish in the auction. .. I was in my element. (Please, a word of caution....magic marker runs off bags before the fish get home.. So bring a notebook and copy it all down (from the bags you bought at the auction) before it fades away.

I like the idea of Ad Koning's books being available at the meetings. (I don't own them YET.)

I am looking forward to the next CCA meeting.
Later,
Marge
 

longstocking

Members
Konings books for the most part don't tell you how to keep them in a tank. Just about them in the wild. He has one book that slightly touches on it... but not in great detail... like tankmates.

Is there a south and central author that is like that as well? Just tells what they are like in the wild etc?

I'm not againts this idea.... infact we might be able to ask these publishers for donations.
 

cyradis4

Members
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (longstocking @ Feb 13 2008, 10:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Konings books for the most part don't tell you how to keep them in a tank. Just about them in the wild. He has one book that slightly touches on it... but not in great detail... like tankmates.

Is there a south and central author that is like that as well? Just tells what they are like in the wild etc?

I'm not againts this idea.... infact we might be able to ask these publishers for donations.[/b]

Great idea re donations! And older editions probably would work wonderfully as well. I believe that Konings is about to come out with the 4th edition of his Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat, so the publisher might have a number of the 3rd editions. And part of the reason I like Konings books are they DON"T tell you how to keep them, only their wild habitat. There are so many different ways to keep the fish!

The only one I personally know of for SA and CA is the South American Eartheaters book, but its a really good one. I would also LOVE a reference book to West Africans.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Later!
Amanda.
 

marge618

CCA member
:party0006: Is it time to start thinking and planning for the March CCA meeting? :party0006:


Anyone know what they might be bringing to the auction? :happy0012: :happy0012: :happy0012: :animal0028: :animal0028: :animal0028:



Suggestions needed for reference books that might spice up the meeting. :wub:



Remember, an educated bidder spends more money. :sign0134: :sign0134:



Everybody, especially the auctioneer, has more fun when we can do our 'homework' on the fish species to be sold at the auction...ahead of time. :party0018:

Later,
Marge
 

longstocking

Members
hmmm ... not sure yet marge. Maybe some P. typus ( the catfish you saw me buy at scales)

I'm not bringing them if no one is interested though.... too hard of fish to get a hold of. So speak up if you are.
 
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