April 2009 - Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Fins & Tales
Serving Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area since 1960
In This Issue: Volume 49, Issue 4
The Minimalist Aquarist in Israel - page 5
PlantED Tank: Backyard Aquariums - page 8
From Beginner to Planted Tank Specialist - page 12
More Than a Hole in the Ground - page 16
Remembering Miecia - page 26
Official Publication of the Kitchener-Waterloo Aquarium Society
Next Meeting:
Tuesday, April 7 th at 7:30pm
Setting up a Pond
Complimentary Copy
Welcome to our club!
Visit us at http://www.kwas.ca

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This Issue Contains...
TMA in Israel (part 2)
More Than Just a Hole...
Shop Hop 2009
Remembering Miecia
From The VP’s Desk &
From The Editors’ Desk
Page 4
Junior Jar Show Contest
Page 7
TMA returns again to
the Underwater
Observatory Marine
Park in Eilat, Israel.
Capturing the beauty of
a outdoor pond, a large
shark tank and more
turtles. Also, check out
the image at the end of
the article and see if you
can devise a good
caption. Email
editor@kwas.ca with
your ideas :).
Page 5
Ed delights us with a
double feature this
month. Not only does
he dive in to plants for
your backyard
aquarium in The
PlantED Tank (on page
8) he goes off the deep
end with an article
about how to construct
your backyard
aquarium. Just in time
for the spring/summer
reno planning season.
Enjoy.
Page 16
At the end of February
a small group of our
dedicated KWAS
Finatics braved a
threatening blizzard,
the US border guard
and each other for a
shop hop to “That Fish
Place” in North
Tonawanda. Zenin took
his camera and of
course we have
pictures. Take a look.
Page 20
The smile, the laugh,
the dedication and most
importantly the
friendship. Saying
goodbye to a close
friend, a long time club
champion and one of
the most dedicated
volunteers any
organization has ever
known: Miecia Burden.
Page 26
The PlantED Tank
Page 8
Interview with Cam Turner
Page 12
CAOAC Convention Details
April Exchange Report
Name That Fish
March Jar Show Results
Page 19
Page 22
Page 23
Page 25
Upcoming Fishy Events
• Apr 7th - KWAS General Meeting
• Apr 14th - KWAS Business Meeting
• Apr 18th - Sarnia Auction
• Apr 19th - Durham Show and Auction
• Apr 19th - CAOAC Meeting
• Apr 20th - CDAS General Meeting
• May 2nd - St. Catharines Auction
• May 3rd - London Auction
• May 5th - KWAS General Meeting
• May 12th - KWAS Business Meeting
• May 15-18th - 50 th CAOAC Convention
On the front cover
This photo of a Blue Turkquoise
Discus was taken by Jerry Doucette
and tied for first place (with another
of Jerry’s photos) in March’s Fish of
the Month contest.
On the back cover
This 75 gallon planted discus tank is
owned by Mary Lynne Lucier and
won March’s Tank of the Month
contest on our forums.
Get your cameras out! Your fish or tank could be featured in an upcoming
edition of Fins & Tales! How All you have to do is win the monthly People’s
Choice Photo Contest on our forum. Submit pictures to webmaster@kwas.ca
before the 1 st of each month then vote between the 1 st and the 7 th .
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A P R I L 2 0 0 9
KWAS Mission Statement
The Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society (KWAS) is a nonprofit
organization whose primary goals are to:
• Further the hobby and study of tropical fish and related
endeavours
• Inspire the preservation of aquatic life
• Maintain a meeting place for its members
• Develop and maintain a library on aquatic life
• Promote fellowship among its members
• Seek out and establish a kinship with other clubs with
similar objectives
KWAS is a charter member of CAOAC:
The Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs
Fins & Tales is published 10 times each year between the
months of September and June for KWAS members. Opinions
expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not
necessarily those of the Fins & Tales editors or KWAS. The
mention of any product does not constitute an endorsement by
Fins & Tales or KWAS members.
Reprint Policy — Articles from this publication may be printed
in a not-for-profit publication provided credit is given to both
the author and KWAS. Copies of the reprint must be sent to
both the author and KWAS. Any other use is prohibited without
the written consent of KWAS.
Exchange Program — KWAS exchanges newsletters with other
clubs across North America. If your club is interested in
becoming a part of this program please contact our exchange
editor by mail or e-mail zenin@golden.net
Correspondence — Please send all correspondence to the
Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society, Box 38037 256 King
Street North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2J 4T9.
Submission of Articles
Cover images and articles can be submitted for publication in
Fins & Tales by all hobbyists and must be submitted digitally.
Priority is given to KWAS members and to topics that have not
been recently covered. Not all submissions will be printed in the
month they are submitted. The editors of Fins & Tales may be
required to edit your submission for length, spelling, grammar
and/or clarity. Please indicate if you would like to proof read
the edited version prior to official publication.
Submissions are due via email to the editors (editor@kwas.ca)
by the 15 th day of the month for publication in the upcoming
issue of Fins & Tales. Please contact us if you have any
questions or would like suggestions or feedback on possible
article topics.
KWAS Officials 2008 - 2009
Executive
President ** To Be Elected in May **
Vice President Geoff Money (gmoney@golden.net)
Treasurer Brad McClanahan (nasfan@3web.com)
Secretary Lezley Smith (scarlett_0767@hotmail.com)
Past President Al Ridley (pyrofish@sympatico.ca)
Board of Directors
Editor/Publisher Cameron Turner, Tanya Morose
(editor@kwas.ca)
Exchange Editor Zenin Skomorowski (zenin@golden.net)
Membership Chair Mary Lynne Lucier (marylynnel@yahoo.ca)
Auction Chair Ed Koerner (edkoerner@sympatico.ca)
Oktoberfish Chair Al Ridley with Ed and Geoff
Librarian David Bradley (davesolo29@sympatico.ca)
Lunch Committee Katie McClanahan (nasfan@3web.com)
Programs Al Ridley (pyrofish@sympatico.ca)
Raffle Chair ***** Open *****
B.A.P Chair ***** Open *****
H.A.P Chair Filipe Martins (filipem@rogers.com)
CAOAC Reps Phil Maznyk (and one position open still)
Name That Fish Zenin Skomorowski (zenin@golden.net)
Jar Show Anthony McAslin (mcspetworld@sympatico.ca)
Webmaster Phil Maznyk (webmaster@kwas.ca)
Pet Store Liaisons Al Ridley (pyrofish@sympatico.ca)
Zenin Skomorowski (zenin@golden.net)
Advertise in Fins & Tales
Please contact the newsletter editor if you are interested in
advertising in KWAS Fins & Tales. Rates apply for ten (10)
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Advertising of any hobby related items in Fins & Tales is free to
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Join KWAS
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Adult Family
1 Year $25 $30
2 Years $48 $58
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4 Years $92 $112
5 Years $100$120
Junior Members (18 years and younger) $10 per year
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A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Hi All,
From the Vice President’s Desk
Hello All,
From The Editors’ Desk
We have a busy meeting coming up this month, we have to vote
on the changes to the by-laws that where published in the last
newsletter, a 2/3 majority vote is need for them to be accepted.
The Executive and Board of Directors will also be looking for a
vote on a motion made at the business meeting, to go ahead
with a project to have KWAS calendars made up for 2010, and
be ready by November. This would be a great way for
promoting the club and make a great calendar for home.
A motion to open nominations for Executive positions will also
be made. Anybody who would like to contribute to running the
club is welcome to put their name forward. The Executive
positions are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
These positions will be voted on at the May General Meeting. If
you wish to stand let MaryLynne Lucier know, she is running
the elections.
Once the elections are over the new executive will appoint the
Board of Director positions, once again if you have an interest in
any of these positions you need to make yourself known to the
new executive.
This month’s Jar show is Catfish; this is a big category including
Plecos, Corydoras and Synodontis, so let’s see a table full for
catfish.
I would like to thank MaryLynne Lucier for taking over the role
of membership chairperson, she is working hard to get up to
speed in the role, so please have patience with membership
cards and picking up your newsletters.
See you at the meeting,
Geoff Money
Vice President, KWAS
First, we’d like to start this column with a moment of silence for
our beloved friend and club member Miecia Burden:
May we never forget those who came and went before us.
Second, we’d like to thank this month’s contributors. When we
started this issue on the 10 th of March, we had only Phil’s article
and Zenin’s regular items. Within a matter of days Ed had both
his regular column and a bonus article for me and Rein had
taken time out of his busy move to ensure TMA didn’t skip a
month. Thanks Guys! Instead of a 12 page issue, we have 28!
Lastly, we also want to thank the rest of the newsletter team.
This month was the perfect storm of distractions preventing us
from putting this together. Everything from a trade show at
work, to out renovations (you try living in ⅔ of your house!), to
some family stuff. Regardless, when we got the team the draft
at the very end of the month, they all had their corrections
submitted within hours, instead of the days we usually try to
give them. Thanks again guys for stepping up when we were
down.
The upside of the delay is that we were able to add in the
tribute to Miecia on pages 26 and 27. Be sure to read it. We dare
you not to choke up. We read it dozens of times and it still gets
us.
See you at the meeting.
Cam Turner & Tanya Morose
Newsletter Editors, KWAS
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A P R I L 2 0 0 9
The Minimalist Aquarist
Israel Beckons
Doing more with less and keeping it simple: TMA’s visit to Israel (part 2)
— Article and Photos by Rein & Char Breitmaier, KWAS (mrrein@gmail.com)
TMA continues this month in Eilat, Israel at the Underwater As promised our second day’s admission was free and the big
Observatory Marine Park. The view from the top of the Sea marine cube just inside the front gate welcomed us back. Some
Tower shows how the naturally occurring coral heads hug the of you know that TMA has a soft spot for artificial ponds and
shoreline, how the arid mountains fringe those crystalline blue koi ponds in particular especially having built and rebuilt my
waters of the Gulf of Aqaba and how the theme park cuddles own from scratch several times. This love was about to be
that remaining periphery between the two. Like much in the eclipsed in one beat of my pounding heart. Right along the sea
Middle East, it is a delicate balance of life. Cactus and coral! shore on a raised patio lay a magnificent ‘marine’ pond. If that
looks like a dinner plate sized Mono swimming by at knee level
I believe you would be correct.
5

Of course the ground level glass inserts made this pond
something the home aquarist with his rubberized pond liner
might only drool about. If this were a home project on a closed
water system, even without a desert in the back yard,
evaporation would be a problem. However when the Gulf of
Aqaba is at the front door and the pure blue waters simply flow
through, this opportunity clearly beckoned Eilat’s designers. As
a pond it was way over-populated, but as a show piece it held
foot long puffers, 2 inch damsels and all sorts from tangs to
triggerfish between those extremes. Oh and did I mention
corals Live of course and not just one or two but stacked in
plentiful supply so the fishes within the ‘pond’ could feel at
once comfortable and at ease while captive in an artificial sea
which was barely thirty inches deep.
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
lighting made the great outdoors happen within. Of course
there were the usual feeding displays with a suited-up diver
complete with scuba gear, but from a technical standpoint it
differed mostly because here finally a working filter system was
needed due to the huge bio-load presented by the sharks, manta
rays and other large fishes kept together in the one system. A
three stage sand filter incorporating down flow, then upflow
through the middle chamber, and finally down flow again at the
end was Eilat’s choice. The constant water changes
incorporated in all of the marine park displays were enough to
eliminate any need for ultraviolet lighting or ozonation, while
good old fashioned mechanical filtering did the rest. Okay there
was probably something biological happening in those sand
filters as well but primarily their function was pooper-scooping.
The open top predictably invited splashing by little fingers and
yet not one among the ever vigilant staff ever dissuaded that
interaction. This was a play zone like no other for the young
and for the very young at heart. Like any world class museum,
touchy feely learning was encouraged here.
Next up TMA got caught up with the Sea Turtles once again.
Maybe it was the wet-suited staffer chasing a four and a half
year old turtle around his environment because it was
grooming day that captured my attention. Think of the
difficulties you might have on fish-show day netting your prize
specimens for display and judging. Now add a few pounds (to
the quarry) and a lot of strength in those forelegs and imagine
the task then. And once again you heard it here first folks, we
have yet another utility for the ubiquitous recycling blue box.
Set it on top of a digital scale, zero out the reading and plop in
one wiggly toddler turtle. Presto, a captive weigh scale.
Next up we visited the pre-requisite shark tank. Check out that
lighting! To create a controlled environment the shark display
was domed with a tent-like enclosure and the high intensity
6

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
After the weigh in and general health inspection, the carapace is
measured and the painstaking process of algae removal begins.
A watery vinegar solution is employed to loosen the green
growths and then soft scrub brushes and plastic ice scrapers
with elbow grease aplenty tackle the bigger patches. It comes
out the same in any language: some turtles resist this procedure.
Just another day for the staffers here at the Marine Park.
Lastly, their spa day all but done the sea turtles look forward to
their special diet and treats. Check out the contents of this
feeding pail – we’re talking squid, fish guts, bits’n pieces that
defy naming and yummy stuff like that. It is just the ticket to
put the kilograms onto these captive yet spunky loggerheads.
Surgical gloves are optional, dig in. And your spouse cringed at
live white worms huh
To close out this month – I offer a caption photo and a
confession. First the confession, we’re going to visit Eilat one
more time next month for the world’s largest indoor reef. And
lastly, doesn’t it just itch you to write a caption that fits our
parting shot Forgive the blurring as I had to aim the lens
through two different tanks to capture the image, but I’m
thinking those young adult angels are wishing they had better
neighbours here in Eilat. Perhaps its a pantomime of Middle
Eastern politicking - TMA
Calling All Junior Jar Show Enthusiasts...
Hi to all you Junior Fish Hobbyists,
Here is some encouragement for
you to take part in our monthly
show jar competition.
If you show your fish this year,
you will have a chance to win this
16 gallon Tetra Water Wonders Kit.
So come on out to our next
meeting and show off your fish.
Looking forward to Seeing You,
Anthony
7

8
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The PlantED Tank: Backyard Aquariums
A Regular Column by Ed Koerner, KWAS (edkoerner@sympatico.ca). Photos by the author.
As promised this month, we will spring past the snow and cold
and focus on taking some plants outside for some fresh air - or
water, as it were. I will be talking about pond plants of all sizes
and colours to wet your whistle and ease you out into the new
season.
Pond plants are really divided into 3 categories based on the
function they provide – floating or cover plants, oxygenating
plants and marginal or edging plants. I will describe each in its
role and function and list some examples that I have
experienced over the past few years. Most are considered
perennial, which is to say that they can be left planted for the
winter and they will survive our climate conditions and regrow
starting in the spring. So, once you invest some money on
these plants they are quite hardy and after a few years will have
multiplied and spread to the point you may be finding new
homes for them. These plants can be propagated in various
ways, many by simply splitting or dividing the plant into
several smaller versions that will grow on their own. Some will
flower and produce seed that will create new plants each
spring. Some will send out runners and will create a small
jungle underneath the surface that will literally choke the life
out of the water.
Floating and Cover Plants
As the name suggests these plants will normally float on the
water surface and provide cover. There are many purposes to
these plants. Some have wide surface leaves like water lilies
that will provide shade and cooling to fish below. This is
important on hot summer days when the sun is at its peak and
fish would cook a bit if they were exposed. Other floaters have
fine root structures that provide shelter and hiding areas for fry
and tadpoles and other water creatures. Without these most of
the insects and other small animals would be simply eaten very
quickly and the water would become dead and fail to support
much of the life it does. As that life develops it also pollutes the
water and other floating plants are specialized to absorb
nutrients and dissolved waste and act as bio filters that cycle
and refresh the life feeding them.
Lemna minor (duckweed)
This is an easy to grow floating plant that will overwinter and
can be found naturally in the wild or in many of our indoor
aquariums. Its small star-like leaves will multiply quickly and
will be grazed on by most koi and goldfish. If left unchecked
this plant can spread to cover a pond and will choke out life
going on under the surface and will hinder water flow. This is a
good plant to have in limited and controlled amounts.
Salvinia
Another small leaved plant but larger and more easily
controlled than duckweed. It will develop roots underneath that
will offer a bit of cover to very small fish and water life. This
plant is not as hardy as duckweed and may not winter as well.
Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)
This is a popular floater as it serves many purposes. It is known
for its water filtering properties. The roots are long (over a foot)
and absorb many impurities and wastes while providing very
good shelter to small fish. If given full sun they will develop
attractive blue flowers that look similar to the garden hyacinth.
Individual plants are about 6 inches across and will propagate
by sending out runners and new plants. Three or four plants
purchased in the spring can cover a 5x10 pond by the end of the
summer, but at first frost they will be killed off as they are a
tropical species. Take them out of the water and compost them
as they will foul the water over time if you leave them in the
pond to rot. They can be brought inside and overwintered if
you have a good high light source.
Pista stratiotes (water lettuce)
This is another tropical plant that will not winter. It has the look
of a small crinkled head of lettuce and forms new clone plants
much like the water hyacinth. It may produce small
uninteresting flowers but is used more for a simple floating
plant to offer some cover. It does not provide near the same bio
filtering and its root structure is much finer than the previous
plant. It too will be killed off at first frost.
Nynphaea species (Water lily)
The water lily is not a floating plant but used for surface
coverage. The root or rhizome is potted at the bottom of the
pond and leaf stems will grow to the surface and float large
round dinner plate-like leaves. There are many cultivars and
colours to water lilies and far too many to describe in one
article. Flowers can be found in reds, yellows, pinks, whites and
purples with some varieties that will even change colour as they
mature. Lilies will be found in assorted sizes as well, ranging

from dwarves that will grow 18 inches deep with a coverage of
2 or 3 square feet to monsters that can be potted 4 feet below the
surface and cover a surface area of 25-30 square feet or more.
Most lilies purchased are hardy but there are also tropical
species available. They are often more vibrant in colour and
may be fragrant. Another twist is that there are night blooming
tropical lilies that can be interesting. These are usually one
season specimens as they are difficult to keep over the winter
without adequate space and lighting needs but are worth a try
for something different.
Lilies serve another important purpose in the pond. They are
very heavy feeders – as in, they absorb large amounts of
nutrients from the water. Many people will worry and complain
about the amount of algae in their ponds early in the season.
This is a natural cycle as there is fresh water in the pond, heavy
in nutrients in the spring, with very little plant life ready to
absorb these nutrients. An algae bloom takes place until either
the nutrients are used up or other sources compete for them. As
lilies are heavy feeders, once they become active they will suck
up those extra nutrients and compete with algae and the pond
will stabilize and the algae will subside more quickly. To help
produce more flowers you can add fertilizers tabs into the pots
near the roots but I have found that once lilies become
acclimated, fertilizing is not something you need to worry
about.
Hardy lilies have a long life and are very easy to propagate.
They have a large rhizome than can get quite thick and woody.
A potted plant can be pulled out and the rhizome chopped and
cut and any place there is an eye it will send out a stem. I have
grown plants that became so large and thick that the whole
weighted pot started floating because there was so much
floating plant growth. The leaves of a water lily will provide
very good shade for fish and other pond life. The leaves will
often have varied colours and patterns on them as well and can
be quite attractive. Keep them away from fountains or
waterfalls as the leaves do not want to be constantly wet on top
once they have developed into surface growth. Many fish will
like to use the undergrowth for hiding and spawning as well
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
and of course if you have frogs in the pond they will use the
leaves as their own personal tanning beds.
Water lotus fall under the same species name as water lilies and
are quite similar. Plants tend to grow from bulbs or tubers
instead of rhizomes though. There are tropical and hardy
versions of water lotus to be found and even the aquarium
version of the red tiger lotus can be grown outdoors during the
summer.
Oxygenating Plants
These plants are placed into the pond to provide a gas exchange
for the fish being kept much like we were taught way back in
the dark ages of aquarium keeping (I’m certain that some of
you can remember reading that in an old scroll or tome
somewhere). The good thing is that most of us have all seen or
heard of many of these plants already and may have them in
our tanks. Many are North American species or have come from
other parts of the world and will manage to overwinter in a
pond that does not freeze solid to the bottom. This makes the
plants perennial varieties that don’t have to be replaced each
year (unless of course the fish enjoy them a little too much and
chew them down to nothing). Most of these plants will also
provide cover for small fish to hide in and will make very good
spawning mops for goldfish and koi or whatever fish may be in
the pond. When using these in a pond it is best to plant them in
a pot with some pond soil and fill the top with stone or gravel
to keep fish from uprooting or tearing them apart. While most
of these plants will winter, many people will harvest them in
the fall. Please be wary and careful when doing so. If you put
them directly into an aquarium there are several pitfalls that
you may be dealing with. For one by the time you bring it in at
the end of the season most plants will have acclimated to cooler
temperatures. Putting them into a heated aquarium will shock
them and very often kill them. Additionally, many varieties of
parasites and diseases will piggyback along with them as well
and plants are better quarantined for a while. Snails, insect
larvae and even predatory insects could get into your aquarium
and cause havoc. Also keep this in mind when bundling things
up for those fall auctions. Quarantine, quarantine quarantine!
Ceratophylum demersum (hornwort)
Yes, this is the ever popular and simple plant that we all know
and love for saving our livebearer fry and it works in the pond
too. Hornwort will overwinter and come back each year to
provide shelter and oxygen. You may even need to pull out
excess plant material a few times a season as it will get a bit too
thick. It will often grow heavier in a pond and sit near the
bottom rather than all floating as we are used to. This is both a
very inexpensive and handy plant.
Vallisneria species
There are many varieties of vals that can be grown in a pond.
Giant (gigantean), Italian (spiralis) and corkscrew (americana)
all are good choices. These will grow and propagate just as they
9

would in an aquarium and can overwinter if they are kept deep
enough. Smaller plants will be chewed on by goldfish and koi
which may rip them out of pots or they may eat them down to
the crown so giant val is the best plant for fish like these.
Hygrophila species
Hygrophila polysperma is a plant that I was rather surprised to
find wintered and came up very different than I was used to. In
the pond it sprung up from some pieces left at the bottom the
year before, to form a thick burgundy mass with crinkled leaves
floating on top of the pond covering about 10 square feet. It was
quite attractive and was a favourite spot for spawning
shubunkin.
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
more textured look through the winter months. It also offers
more places for non-fish residents to find homes until spring.
All of these plants are perennial unless otherwise noted.
Iris pseudacorus (yellow water iris)
One of the more common marginal plants the water iris is an
easy to maintain plant looking like its dry cousin. The roots
need to be kept wet or they will start to rot or decay. The blades
will grow up to 3 feet tall and a simple yellow flower is
produced that will form a seed pod. Seeds will winter and find
anchors in the spring and shoot up where-ever they can find
hold. Over time these plants will form large tight clumps and
need to be broken apart as they can be quite dense and woody
(I wore down a serrated steak knife last season). Roots will
grow a foot long in open water and provide some hiding areas
and food for fish.
Elodea species
10
Natural sunlight turns hygro into a different plant
This is a native plant which can be found under various names
– elodea, anacharis or even egeria. It used to be one of the more
common aquarium plants but is not seen nearly as often today.
This will grow in nice tight bunches and gives good cover for
small fish.
Marginal and Edging Plants
Marginal is a term used for plants that do not grow completely
in water but not completely out of it either – they are marginal.
They can live in either set of conditions. A bog plant is a
marginal plant although bogs don’t usually go dry and most of
these plants will suffer if kept too dry. In a pond setting most of
these specimens will be kept around the edge of the pond to
soften the look and provide some transition between the pond
and the rest of the landscaping. In general keep their roots wet
and in 0-4 inches of water. Use a heavy soil – commercial pond
soils are available but I have used rose soil or clay. Plants can be
divided in the spring before they shoot up or in the fall when
they are dying down. Don’t remove canes from the reeds or
rushes in the fall and leave the grasses as they are. This will aid
in oxygen being pulling into the pond water and will leave a
Iris versicolor (blue water iris)
Looking quite similar to the yellow water iris this specimen is
slightly less hardy and not as vigorous a grower. It will give
blue flowers in late spring and early summer.
Iris sibrica (Siberian iris)
The Siberian iris will survive in dry gardens quite well but is a
bog plant by nature. It does better with its feet wet and looks
quite different than other iris. The leaves are much narrower
and form soft arching plants over the growing season. They
produce tall spikes that are topped off with flowers that can be
found in blues, yellows and whites. Their rhizome is much
smaller than other iris and is not as pushy and invasive to other
plants.
Typha augustifolia (graceful cattail)
This is a more delicate cousin to the familiar cattail or bulrush
which are seen in marshes and even roadside gutters. The
leaves and stems are narrower and more “graceful” and do not
grow as tall. They can handle being in up to 12 inches of water

on a constant basis and will grow to 6 feet being topped with
their brown fluffy seed pod late in the season.
Sagittaria lorata (Arrowhead)
Most aquarists are familiar with sag but not to the size this
plant will grow. Plants will root in water 2-6 inches deep and
the plant will grow to 24 inches. Arrow shaped leaves are
formed and small clusters of white flowers form in late summer.
The plant will spread by runners or seed and is not invasive.
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
a seasonal plant. It will root in shallow areas along the pond’s
edge and will form long feather-like stems that will float along
the surface and provide lots of soft cover. This is an interesting
specimen plant to use in a still area of the pond.
Nasturtium officinale (watercress)
This is one of the more interesting plants to get your hands on.
Not because it is all that special to look at or has a spectacular
bloom but more its bio properties. It is a fantastic natural bio
filter and will naturally filter ten times the amount that water
hyacinth will. It is so efficient in taking out impurities including
some metals that some communities have planted it in their
water purification systems instead of using heavier doses of
chemicals. I have seen a koi and goldfish system with
watercress growing in the sumps and holding tanks to help
filter the water to great effect. It has naturalized in the Great
Lakes region so if you can find it at a plant store it will winter. It
will root in shallow water and spread slowly along the top of
the water. It can also be used to make salads and fancy little
sandwiches.
Juncus species (Rushes)
Top to bottom: Water Iris, Arrowhead, Blue Rush
These are reed plants that will grow 18-36 inches in height. I
have glaucus (blue rush) and effusus ‘spiralis’ (corkscrew rush)
growing and they make the edge of the pond look like a true
wild aquatic environment. They grow narrow, hollow
segmented spikes that are topped with clusters of non-descript
flowers late in the summer. The corkscrew variety will form a
very gnarled and twisted formation and is an interesting
specimen. What I find interesting about these plants is that they
seem to be favourites of dragonflies who are seen buzzing just
above them or resting on the tips of their stems. There are
several other varieties of rushes that will bring a different look.
Scirupus tabernaemontani with it striped segments brings it the
name of zebra rush and the interesting tufted flower of
Equisetum hyemale gives horsetail rush its name.
Lysimachia nummulularia (creeping Jenny)
Well….. the sun is setting on another chat over plants that I
continue to enjoy and it’s time to set back on the deck and think
about what I will write for next month. Thanks for reading and
see you next time. - Ed
Welcome to our Newest Members:
This is a small low growing marsh plant that flowers
throughout the season. It will grow out onto the water and float
along the surface if given the opportunity only reaching 2 or 3
inches in height. It makes for an easy fill in for tight spots that
need a bit of growth.
Myriophyllum prosperpinacoides (parrot feather)
This is a tropical plant that may survive protected and sheltered
ponds in our area. It can survive to zone 6 but is best considered
Tim Everett
Brian White
George Driscoll
Also, welcome to all of our guests. We hope you
find good friends and a fun time here.
11

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
From Beginner to Planted Tank Specialist
An interview with Cam Turner and Family
Submitted by Phil Maznyk, KWAS (pmaznyk@rogers.com). Photos by the author.
I first met Cam on February 7, 2007 through our club forum.
Cam was what you would call a complete newbie to the hobby
(albeit one who had done considerable research ahead of time).
His very first post that night was his introducing himself and
his desire to setup his very first aquarium, a 56 gallon bow front
tank that would fill a small void in his home. He had loads of
good questions and was not ‘afraid’ to ask. I believe this is
important for any person just getting started. Do not be afraid
to ask. As the days went by it was clear Cam was really doing
his homework. Not only was he asking questions about
different types of hardware but also different types of fish even
going as far as talking about a planted tank! I guess the forum
members did a good job because after 5 days of asking
questions Cam announced that he was going to join our club
the very first chance he got.
computers. Fast forward to Christmas 2007, my brother got a 30
gallon tank and I said to myself “you know what I‘ve always
wanted a fish tank too” so I went and bought a 56 gallon corner
tank and started planning that. Things have just happened
from there. I’ve only been in this hobby for just over 2 years.
Q. Your 3 year old son Owen seems keenly interested in tropical
fish and even some of your recent projects. Does he have a
favourite fish or type of fish and what else does he like about
the aquarium hobby
Specialist Cleaner Caridina japonica
This brings me to this interview and the article. In a brief period
of just over 2 years, Cam has gone from someone who knew
very little about the fish keeping hobby to someone who now
grows difficult and somewhat hard to get plants, has multiple
tanks and is breeding several species at the time of this writing.
He is even doing guest lectures on his DIY projects. His very
latest project is an attempt to breed his own Cardinal Tetras.
Cam, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed today.
Q. What got you interested in the Aquarium Hobby and when
exactly did this happen
A. Well, before I went to high school I was considering a career
in either marine biology or computers. For a long time I was
interested in fish and that sort of thing but I chose to pursue
Owen and Cam at KWAS Oktoberfish 2008
[Phil: At this point in the interview Owen took me to show me his
current favourite fish, Blue German Rams. He also showed me how he
helped his dad paint the tanks.]
A. Owen first took a liking to brown bristlenose plecos. He
affectionately named one of them ‘Monkey’. Owen is constantly
interested in helping me clean tanks, change the water, etc. One
of his favourite pass times is asking to catch fish. He’s always
asking me if he can help move fish. Owen currently goes to a
pre-school early education centre and just the other week the
teacher was asking the class if anyone kept fish and what were
their names After the other kids had answered with some basic
replies like we have goldfish, Owen piped up and said we have
Plecos and Cardinals and Labs and basically named off several
species. The teacher asked if they had any names and Owen
replied, nope only George the guppy. I am constantly
encouraging Owen, showing him things and telling him the
proper names of the fish when he asks.
12

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Filter Schmutz by yours truly) to help seed your newly planted
tank. I could clearly see you had the bug.
Owen’s current favourite: Blue German Rams (4 month old juveniles)
Q. How did you hear about KWAS, and how do you feel about
this type of organization and the benefits it provides to the
hobbyist both beginner and experienced
A. Google. Being from the internet industry I went to Google
and did some reading. I then did a search for “aquariums
Kitchener - Waterloo” and KWAS came up at the top. From
there I discovered the forums, started asking lots of questions,
did a lot of searches on the forum and read a lot of older posts.
After that we just dove in, eventually purchasing a membership
for the whole family.
Q. What has been your favourite fish to keep and why
A. Cardinal tetras because they are peaceful, have nice colours
and nicely offset the live plants. We’ve certainly had our
challenges with them, losing a few batches here and there. A
word of caution, it is a bad idea to get Cardinal tetras flown
through many different airports during the winter months. All
of my current cardinals came from a breeder in Barrie, Ontario
and I’m just about ready to gear up and start trying to breed my
own.
Cam’s first tank 56 gallon planted corner tank
A. For the record, I didn’t actually decide to go for a planted
tank. My wife Tanya suggested we get some real plants instead
of the less aesthetically pleasing artificial plants. We looked over
the costs to setup my new corner tank with live plants and
found it wasn’t too cost prohibitive. That tank started out with
DIY CO2, average lighting etc., but then it just got more and
more high tech to the point where it was a lot more expensive.
We learned to have a lot of patience with that first tank,
suffering through a lot of algae outbreaks. Thankfully we had
the KWAS forums so we didn’t panic too much.
Q. How much of your success with your first setup can you
attribute to what you have learned on the club’s forum and
from other hobbyists
A. Basically we would have given up a bunch of times if we
hadn’t been able to post to the forum and ask what’s going on.
The answers were always quick and concise telling us to stick
with it, giving lots of encouragement and it if hadn’t been for
that help we would have probably gotten out of this hobby.
Instead we have setup another eleven tanks since then.
Q. At what point did you decide you wanted to expand beyond
your first tank and begin experimenting with breeding different
types of fish
Cam’s big tank with about 130 Cardinal Tetras
Q. In December of 2007 you wrote an article for this newsletter
entitled ‘Beginner Planted Tank Success’. For anyone who
hasn’t read that article yet, you and your wife basically decided
pretty much right out of the gate to go for a fully planted
aquarium and you were successful! I remember meeting you for
the very first time in the early spring of that year. You came to
my house to pick up some old filter floss (affectionately named
Two of Cam’s early experimental tanks
13

A. Well, the expansion from the first tank to the second was
simple. We needed a quarantine tank. [Phil: Cam’s wife reminds
me it was a 30 gallon quarantine tank]. Then I thought it would be
cool to have a place to quarantine plants too so we set one up
with eco [complete], fluorite & powerful lights. We then
thought we had better keep some fish in that tank to keep the
filter going while we wait for any possible quarantine fish.
Shortly after putting fish in that tank we decided we liked how
it looked as a show tank so I went and bought two more 10
gallon tanks for a real quarantine. [Phil: At this point Cam’s wife
mentions that at one time you couldn’t use their downstairs bathroom
unless you were willing to sit sideways on the toilet because of all
these tanks and buckets and hoses etc. ]
Q. If someone wants to breed fish and raise they fry, what tips
do you have for the beginner
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
this tank is setup, I can leave it alone for 4 to 8 weeks, other
than the occasional glass cleaning and some plant trimming.
This tank has pressurized injected CO2, lots of filtration, power
heads and very powerful lighting (over 350 watts of T5 High
Output), over 10 bags of Flourite and EcoComplete, special pH
monitoring equipment and UV sterilizing, multiple timers etc.
So it’s definitely not cheap. The benefit is that this tank basically
runs itself other than having to feed the fish and some trace
element fertilizers.
Q. Recently you did a presentation for the club on building a
custom 6 tank compact fish wall. It’s obvious you and your wife
are very keen on this hobby. What sort of tips can you offer
someone wanting to follow a similar course
Yellow lab from Cam’s breeding colony
A. Pick easy fish first. Pick fish that are okay with the type of
water your house has, rather than changing the water to match
the type of fish. The first fish we bred were Kribs, but the fry
didn’t survive. Then we were successful with bristlenose plecos,
then yellow labs.
Q. Over the past year or so you have put together a large 540
litre (135 gallon) high-tech planted show tank. What sort of
challenges have you faced in creating this beautiful show piece
and what tips can you offer the reader should they want to
create a similar tank
A. Cash! It’s very expensive to go big. It’s probably not as
expensive as salt, but it is costly. I don’t like doing a lot of
maintenance and having to constantly check on things. The way
180 gallon custom fish wall
A. Well, we worked with the space we had, and we tried to find
tanks that would maximize the volume of water for the space
we had. We had custom built tanks that allowed us to do this.
I’ve over engineered the actual wall stand with a lot of extra
2x4’s but I wanted it to be built strong. This is called being
14

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
‘Turner’d’ in my family. Some consider it a genetic defect, I
think it’s just being safe than sorry.
Q. Do you have any additional thoughts for people considering
setting up their first aquarium
I’ve got it bad. There is no known cure as far as I can tell, with
the exception of the amount of living space available in your
home, so I guess there are some theoretical limits at least.
Some of Cam’s Mixed Malawi Cichlids
Lethrinops letrinus
On that note, I would like to conclude this interview and wish
you all the best in your future endeavors. Once again, thank
you Cam, Tanya and Owen for your time today for this
interview and photo shoot. - Phil
A. Perseverance is the difference between success and failure.
Also, I don’t think I would still be in this hobby if it weren’t for
KWAS. This is why we like to give back, but at the same time
we did a lot of early learning from books and from talking to
staff at fish stores. We received a lot of contradictory advice, but
learned that it’s up to the hobbyist to ultimately decide what
they want to believe and go forward with. Also, more
information is definitely better than less. We took about 6 weeks
from the time we decided we wanted our first tank to the time it
was actually running, so impulse purchases are probably a bad
idea, if not for your pocket book then a least for your long term
enjoyment of the hobby.
Q. Who invented the phrase ‘MTS’ which in our hobby is short
for Multiple Tank Syndrome Do you feel you suffer from it,
and is there a known cure
A. I actually learned the term on the KWAS forum, so I have no
idea who actually invented it. After the purchase of our fourth
tank within 8 weeks, I decided that MTS needed a mathematical
definition for clarity and severity. So I started a poll on the
forum that defined MTS as the number of gallons in your tanks
divided by the time in months you’ve been in the hobby. The higher
the number, the worse you’ve got it. So as time goes on,
dedicated hobbyists are going to need more and more tanks. If
it’s slow and steady I wouldn’t call this MTS, but if there is a
rapid escalation in gallons then this I would classify as MTS and
15

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
More Than a Hole in the Ground...
Submitted by Ed Koerner, KWAS (edkoerner@sympatico.ca). Photos by the author.
Well, it is spring and a young man’s fancy turns to….. pleasing
mom and dad so that he can get the car and go out chasing his
true fancy. But until then he is there taking care of the grunt
work for this year’s project that has been put off 4 times already
because it seemed too daunting a job. I’m here to help things
along and give an outline of what you need to look for and
bring home to make sure that it’s more than just a hole in the
ground.
There are a number of questions to ask before undertaking a
new pond. Where should it go How big should it be What
purpose will it serve Will it house livestock How much will it
all cost Let’s start with the where and see if it makes sense to
even continue with the other questions. Look for a location that
gets a fair bit of sun, especially mid day and evening sun, as
this is best for any plants growing in the pond. Also avoid areas
too close to mature trees as this will cause several problems –
roots and leaves. A pond has to be dug into the ground usually
(there are some options, but I’ll touch on that later) so you have
to have a spot to dig up. Roots will make digging harder and
can eventually grow into or through a liner. The easiest
situation to work in is a sand base under your lawn as it is
simple to dig and shape your pond where as clay is very dense
and hard. Clay though gives a very solid backing when shaping
the pond structure and won’t erode over time but you may find
you end up with drainage problems in the spring or during
very heavy rains because water cannot drain away like it can
with a sand or gravel base under the liner. You also want to
avoid too many leaves falling into your pond in the fall as this
will lead to excess decomposition occurring on the bottom of
your pond through the winter and make it harder for livestock
to survive for the next spring. Take into account how you and
the family use the yard space you are going to put a pond into
as well. You may not want to put it in the middle of a natural
path to the shed or back door or you might want to be able to
have a vantage point from your favourite leisure spot on the
deck.
Now that you have a better idea of where you want it you have
to decide how big you will want it. This is critical to decide
before you start. We know that when we brought home that first
aquarium it was fine for a while, but how many of us needed
something bigger after we got the hang of it Well, it is much
harder to do with a pond once you have one dug and set up.
Believe me when I say that you should go bigger than you first
planned because a pond will seem much smaller after you have
landscaped and aquascaped it and things grow in after a year or
two. It isn’t that much more expensive to purchase a little
longer piece of liner and materials now either. This is when you
get yourself a simple cheap can of marker paint and start
making a mess where you plan on building. Outline the shape
of your pond and mark any features that you would like such
as waterfall or bog and some landscaping thoughts and stand
back and see how it strikes your sight lines. Also consider at
this time that you will be unearthing a fair amount of soil and
you will want to do something with it, so you can incorporate
some landscaping features around the pond. Another thing to
consider is your aquascaping at this time. Before you dig you
need to know where you will have shelves and ledges dug for
plants as it is very hard to backfill a ledge after you have cut
and dug away the hard packed soil. It will usually erode on you
and give you grief later.
By this time you will be developing an idea of what you want to
do with your pond project and what purpose it will serve. Some
want a pond that will be a simple landscape feature. Others
want to extend their hobby outdoors. Some may want a
backyard oasis instead of travelling in the summer. Or maybe
just an investment in their home’s net value. All of these are
options that can be combined in the final result. It can be a very
good investment to a home’s resale value and can add 5-10
times the initial material outlay to a sale price. The cost will
depend on the size of the project obviously, but the main things
that you are going to spend money on is the liner and underlay,
pump, possible filter, and lumber, stone and landscaping
materials. A fairly simple 5’x10’ pond can be done for under
$500.
Digging In
You are ready to start. Decide on your shape and shelves. I find
that if you build your pond a little above ground level you can
eliminate some drainage issues later when water tries flowing
under your liner. You also have to make sure the top edges of
your pond will be level. If not, when you add water you will
find that one end of your pond will seem full while the other
will show more liner. You don’t want to have any liner exposed
for several reasons. It doesn’t look attractive or natural, and
sunlight and UV rays can damage and reduce the life of the
liner. I use landscape ties along the top edge of my ponds now
as this gives a solid structure to form the pond and acts as a
16

etaining wall. It also gives something solid to attach the liner to
and stonework can be laid on the edge without fear of erosion
dropping them into the pond or making them unsafe. Use your
painted outline to guide your work and dig and dig deeper and
keep digging – don’t worry, you aren’t going to end up in China
although it may seem like it. Cut your shelves to the depth you
will want them to be and if you cut outcroppings or islands into
your design (I personally like these as they can create little bog
areas that plants and critters can utilize) cut a shallow
depression in them to hold soil later. If you are working in an
area that has a slope you can also use wood ties to create walls
for your pond that you can backfill later when you landscape
around it.
You will have to decide how deep to dig your pond as well.
This may be determined by whether you are going to keep
livestock in the pond and whether they will stay outside for the
winter. Also, you should check your local by-laws to see if there
are any rules for ponds in your area. Some municipalities have
decided that a pond deeper than 18 inches requires a fenced
yard, much like for a pool. If you have children or pets this may
also be a factor. The frost line in this part of the country is
between 2-2.5 feet so any over wintering fish need to be deeper
than this to keep them from becoming fishcicles. Having at least
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
a small well area that is 3 feet deep makes a good spot for fish to
settle into and a spot to place a water pump for water features
and basic movement. You may wish to consider whether you
will get wild visitors to your pond over time and this can make
a difference on your edge design. Shallow sloped edges can be
quite attractive but provide easy access to your pond for
racoons and herons who can go fishing. Steep cut edges will
help deter them from getting close to any fish you have.
The Liner
This is the essential part of any pond and should not be
skimped on. I would say that 40 ml rubber is the one that
should be used. It is thick enough to not to puncture easily and
most have a 20 year warranty. Do not try saving $5 by
measuring too little either. If you have to cut some excess liner
when you are finished it will be a lot easier than being six
inches short on one corner. When determining your needs here
is the basic rule of thumb for say that 5x10 pond I mentioned
earlier. Take the width of the pond, and add twice the deepest
part of the pond (say 3 feet here) and then allow 6-12 inches on
each edge for overlapping the sides so that stones will hold it in
place and water can’t get underneath. That would make our
pond liner 5+6+2 or 13 feet x 10+6+2 or 18 feet for a total of 234
square feet. Now most liners are sold in set widths of 10, 15 or
20 feet so you could purchase a piece 15x18 (270 SF) or 13x20
(260 SF). Also purchase underlay. This is a simple cloth or felt
material to lay down under the liner and help prevent sharp
stones or roots from poking any holes in the liner. Also, before
laying the liner smooth out any edges on the earth and remove
any stones you can feel. Adding some sand to the bottom will
help protect the liner and give some drainage as well. Add your
liner and make sure it is over the pond edge. You can use
staples or roofing nails to secure the liner over the landscape
ties. I recommend adding water to the pond before totally
securing your liner to help tighten and stretch the liner as much
as possible and form your corners. Hint – install your liner on a
very sunny warm day. Lay it out on the driveway several hours
first. This will heat it and make it softer and more pliable to
make working with it much easier.
Water Features
These perform an important purpose for the life of a pond as
well as adding aesthetics. Water flow helps cool the pond when
it heats up in warm weather. As water ripples down through a
waterfall it becomes oxygenated and purified. This is a natural
filter for a closed water system like a pond. Another very useful
water feature is a bog pond. This is a shallow side pond that has
some water circulated through it. Heavy bog plants are grown
in here and they help filter impurities from the water and add
some vegetation to soften the look of the pond edge. These bog
areas also become home to frogs and toads and other beneficial
water creatures. Then there is a spray fountain effect that will
shoot a shower up into the air and will again help oxygenate
the water and provide physical beauty. All these features
17

equire a water pump to be implemented. When choosing a
pump remember that you can always add a valve to reduce
your flow, but you can’t increase it if the pump isn’t large
enough. Check the flow rates at the height you will need to be
pushing your water to, including the depth the pump will be
sitting at. A flow rate of 1000 gallons per hour is rated at 0 feet
of flow height – if you have a waterfall at 4 feet, you may be
lucky to get 200 GPH and at 6 feet it will be nothing. When you
build a waterfall or bog pond you will need to use liner for
these so you may wish to add that to your initial purchase and
use pieces that you will be cutting from your pond trimming.
Landscaping
Usually people will line their ponds with rock of some sort.
There are many varieties that can be found in landscape yards
like slate and waterfall rock. Stone can add up very quickly. One
of the ponds pictured here used several tons of stone. When
placing stone around the edge of the pond make sure that it is
secure and safe. It should be level or lean away from the pond
edge instead of into it. If you over hang stone over the edge of
the pond you will soften the look and keep it more natural.
When backfilling soil, keep in mind that rain can wash loose
soil that is higher than the edge, down into the pond. It will also
compact over time and the height of any new landscaping will
lessen as this happens. Any waterfall or rock work will be
affected by this as well if the soil is not well packed. Plants can
be chosen for the pond itself and around the wet edges (more
on these in another article) and for any landscaping to tie the
pond into the rest of the yard. Remember that you will have
heaps of soil to put somewhere.
Livestock
You have set up your pond with thoughts to having fish in it or
not. If not, you can skip this because it doesn’t matter, but if you
want to keep fish there are some things to take note of. You
need to decide if they will stay in the pond all year or if you
wish to pull them out. It can be stressful to pull fish out of a
pond late in the fall when they are almost hibernating to put
them into a much smaller and restrictive tank hidden away in
18
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
the basement. But if you keep them outside you have to make
sure the depth is well below the frost level or cover and insulate
the pond to keep it from freezing completely. If you have made
the pond at least 2.5 feet deep, the fish should be okay but you
should be keeping an open hole in the ice to allow for a gas
exchange. During the winter there will be decomposition taking
place and a build up of lethal gases that must be released. More
fish in ponds will die because of this than from freezing. There
are many makes and styles of heaters that can be found to place
in the pond or running the pump or a small bubbler will keep a
small hole in the ice surface as well.
There are many kinds of fish that can be kept in ponds. There
are several types of goldfish that will do well, such as comets
and shubunkins and then there are koi. Koi are more
demanding of water quality and oxygen, but are glory fish of
the pond world. There are a variety of tank fish that can be kept
in ponds as well. Livebearers can be kept from late spring to
early fall, as well as many South American and African cichlids.
These need to be brought in of course and should be
quarantined to prevent parasites and any unwanted guests
from coming into your aquariums. Frogs and toads are also
frequent inhabitants of ponds and will often stay once they
have found a home. Snails are welcome inhabitants in a pond
and there are several that will winter very naturally, such as the
trapdoor snail. They help eat and control algae in the pond and
add another level of life and health with their presence. A
backyard pond will also fill up with natural water insects, from
beetles to dragonfly larvae to mosquitoes (which will be taken
care of by any fish); a living science project all season long.
Two levels of pond. Top is 5’ x 10’, lower is 10’ x 18’
So, this is just an outline on some basics to building a pond.
There are other details and there are certainly many ways to do
things, but it isn’t as scary a project as some people may think it
is. If some of you have questions there is an area on the forum
that you can put them forward. If one of those questions is
whether I do any consulting or pond design, the answer is yes. I
hope at least one of you takes a step towards grabbing that
shovel and digging into this very rewarding experience. - Ed

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
50 th CAOAC Convention Details…
May 15, 16 & 17, 2009
Fanshawe College in London Ontario
SCHEDULE:
Friday Night
4:00 – 7:30 pm: Registration and Show Set-up
7:30 - 9:00 pm: Speaker – Heiko Bleher, Heiko's Amazing
Adventures in India
9:00 - Bed Time: Mix & Mingle – Have a social meeting
with all our speakers in the Whatsits bar.
Saturday
8:00 am – 4:00 pm: Registration and Show Set up
9:00 – 10:15 am: Speaker - Anthony Calfo, Conservation of
Species
10:30 – 11:45 am: Speaker - Heiko Bleher, Newly
Discovered South American Cichlid
Species
12:00 - 1:00 pm: Lunch
1 - 2:1 5pm: Speaker - Gary Lange, Collecting in New
Guinea
2:30 – 3:45 pm: Speaker - Bob Fenner, Algae Can be Your
Friend
4 – 5:15 pm: Speaker - Heiko Bleher, Geophagus and
Dwarf Cichlids
6:30 - 9:30 pm: Dinner/ Speaker - Rein Breitmaier, Our
Great Mediterranean Expedition
9:30 pm: Judging of the show begins
9:30 - Bed Time: Light & Lively - Calfo & Fenner in the
Hospitality Suite
Sunday
8 – 9:30 am: AGM and elections
9:30 am: Brunch and Awards
12:00 pm: Giant Auction starts! Be There!
AUCTION:
ALL DONATIONS HAPPILY ACCEPTED & WELCOMED!!
Contact Tony Bernard (tbernard@krway.com) or Carl
McCleary (boxturtlesrule@sympatico.ca) for questions, forms
and details.
TICKET PRICES:
Full Weekend: $75
Saturday Speakers (5) ONLY: $50
Children (Under 16YRS): $30
SUNDAY EVENING WRAP-UP PARTY:
Social evening following the auction for those who are
staying the evening. Cost per person is $10 and is NOT
included in the weekend ticket price!
ROOM RATES
The two bedroom suites are $59.95 per night.
The four bedroom suites are $119.90 per night.
Each two bedroom suite can be supplied as a kitchenette or
living room suite. Each four bedroom suite comes with both a
kitchenette and living room.
To book a suite please contact Terry Little, 519-752-8642 or
tlittle28@rogers.com. Payment will be made directly to the
college upon check-in to the Convention.
SPEAKERS:
Heiko Bleher: World-famous Ichthyological Explorer
Anthony Calfo: World-famous Reef and Invertebrate
Specialist
Bob Fenner: World-famous Marine Hobbyist
Gary Lange: World-famous Rainbowfish Guy
Rein Breitmaier: World-famous Traveller and Minimalist
Aquarist.
19

On Saturday February 21st at 9:00 am, a small but dedicated
group of 7 fish “finatics” in 3 vehicles embarked on an
international trek for tropical fish. The weather was generally
overcast but no snow or rain in the forecast for most of the day.
Our KWAS vice-president Geoff fell to a flu a couple of days
earlier and could not make it. Along the way, I detoured a bit to
Hamilton to pick up Catherine and soon we were on our way to
the Niagara frontier of Western New York. We chose to cross
the Niagara River at Lewiston where the US border crossing
was very quick and easy with a Canadian passport. The border
guard gave us the once over when I said we were going to
North Tonawanda to buy some tropical fish. When he spotted
the box with the large angel fish on it, he waved us on.
Less than 20 minutes later, we passed Niagara Falls and had
arrived at North Tonawanda, near Buffalo. This is the home of
“The Fish Place” at 141 Robinson Street North. The red brick
building has aquarium murals painted on it, so it is easy to find.
This independent store has hundreds of aquariums with fish
and plants for sale. Everything from common tetras, angels,
guppies to unusual fish like gars, large cichlids and apistos can
be found here, even turtles. There is a wide variety of marine
fish, corals and other creatures. Several tanks are set up for
display only to showcase the fish and plants. There is a 2,000
gallon tank with large specimens of Peacock Bass, Knife fish,
Gars and Red Tail and Shovel Nose catfish. There is a large
selection of aquariums and kits along with all the décor, lighting
and other dry goods you could ever need. I purchased some
Orange Nose Rasboras and Dwarf Neon Rainbows. Griffin
bought most of the female bettas just as Catherine arrived
looking for some too. Griffin also bought some Emperor tetras
on sale and a few bags of other fish. Brad was going to stop on
the way back for some plecos and other fish later in the day.
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Shop Hop 2009
Submitted by Zenin Skomorowski, KWAS (zenin@golden.net). All photos by the author.
Good selection of Discus:
Lots of Cichlids here:
After lunch at Tim Horton’s, the next stop on our journey was 5
minutes away at “Salt Water Paradise”, located at 54 Main
Street in Tonawanda. This shop had many colourful fish, corals,
frags, and other marine creatures in two showrooms. I had fun
watching the shrimp and gobies even though I do not keep a
marine tank.
Three types of Bubble Eye Goldfish:
The Horseshoe crabs looked awesome:
20

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Clownfish in an Anemone:
Pink Tail Trigger:
With his KWAS shirt on, Griffin was mistaken for an employee:
Plants were sold potted, rooted in the gravel or weighed down:
Next on our tour less than 10 minutes away was “The Niagara
Aquarium Company” located at 1345 Military Road in the
Kenmore area of Buffalo. About 1/4 of the shop was for lizards,
snakes, birds, and small mammals. The rest of the shop was
mostly for fresh water and some marine fish. They had lots of
dry goods, complete aquarium kits, cabinets and stands.
A wide variety of Angels were available:
Since the weather forecast was calling for snow, we headed back
home. The border crossing was fairly quick. The Canadian
customs agent asked where we had been and what we bought.
I mentioned that we only bought some tropical fish and let him
look at the receipts. After he mentioned his 90 gallon reptile
tank, we were on our way.
If you would like to see the rest of the photos, visit the KWAS
forum photo gallery and look for ”KWAS trip to New York State
fish shops 21 Feb 2009”. You can also send me an email, and I
will return a link to view them.
These Shop Hop tours are a fun way of seeing different places,
set ups and fish.
If you have any suggestions for next year’s KWAS tour, send
them to any member of the executive. - Zenin
21

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
April Exchange Editor’s Report
Submitted by Zenin Skomorowski, KWAS (zenin@golden.net).
The newsletters featured in this column and others are available to
you. Please let me know by email, or at the monthly meeting, which
ones you would like to read.
Are your plants giving you grief by turning yellow or melting
away Your lighting and temperature may be fine, but how is
your substrate Alesia Benedict writes about “Substrates and
Plants” in the January 2009 issue of Hi Fin from the Peel
Region Aquarium Club. Types of gravel, soil and special
formulated substrates are compared.
The Banggai Cardinal is a small marine fish that was
introduced to the hobby in 1996. It is a mouth brooder that is
easy to keep and have spawn in your tank. Read all the
details of Dave Unruh’s experience with these marine fish in
the February 2009 issue of The Scat from the St. Catharines
and Area Aquarium Society.
February/March 2009 issue of Tank Topics from the Greater
Akron Aquarium Society. Also in this issue, Wayne Toven wrote
about “Sex Amidst the Ferns – Java Ferns That Is”. These plants
propagate in three different ways. Bob Miller wrote about
Archocentrus myrnae, a 10 cm ( 4 inch ) cichlid from Costa Rica.
They are docile, and not picky eaters or on water conditions, so
they make a great beginner fish.
Surf’s up ! This month’s web site to explore:
Lots of information on invertebrates (like shrimp, crabs, snails,
crayfish, lobsters etc) for the aquarium here:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/inv/
Crayfish Anatomy from The Missouri Dept of Conservation:
http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/arthopo/crayfish/distrib.htm
Norman Petrie wrote about the South American dwarf
cichlids known as Rams in “The King of Rams” in the
February 2009 issue of Fins and Friends from the Regina
Aquarium Society. He details the conditions that make these
fish happy enough to reproduce.
Have you ever had an infestation of Blue Green Algae in your
tank Rick Glencross has written an article after he had a
nasty bout of this “lime slime”. Read about the causes and
how to clean up the mess in the February 2009 issue of Tank
Talk from the Durham Region Aquarium Society. His photos
document the improvement in his tank. Also in this issue,
Derek Tustin writes about some Azoo products and “The 7
Balls”.
An interesting long nose cory catfish is Corydoras simulatus.
They are similar to Corydoras metae. Charlie Drew wrote about
his experiences spawning them in the February 2009 issue of
The Monthly Bulletin from the Hamilton and District
Aquarium Society. Also in this issue, Larry Johnson wrote
about Cyphotilapia frontosa. These large ( 30 cm, 12 inches ) but
generally peaceful cichlids come from various places in Lake
Tanganyika.
The February 2009 issue of Pisces Press from the Nassau
County Aquarium Society contains 4 articles that I want to
highlight. “Care of the Cherry Barb”, “Breeding Corydoras
gossei”, “Invasive Fish Species” and “Nutrition Tips for Your
Aquarium and Avoiding Stressing Your Fish” are all good
reading on a variety of topics.
Some tropical fish hobbyists also keep invertebrates. One
such creature is Macrobrachium sp. “Red Claw” Shrimp. Joe
Reich wrote about his experience keeping them in the
The Fish Sempai
www.fishsempai.com
info@fishsempai.com
(519) 648-9992
• Show quality goldfish: Ryukin, Ranchu, Oranda,
Butterfly Moors, Jikins, Pearlscales, Tosakin
• Japanese & Malaysian Koi
• Arrange to visit the fish farm to see one-of-a-kind,
rare and marvelous specimens
• Hobbyist Club members receive 10% off purchases
• Wholesaler inquiries are welcome
• Visits by appointment ONLY
1268 Kramp Road RR 2, Breslau, Ontario N0B 1M0
22

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
March Name That Fish
Submitted by Zenin Skomorowski, KWAS (zenin@golden.net). All photos by the author.
Dwarf Flag Cichlids ( Laetacara curviceps ) Family of Brevis ( Neolamprologus brevis )
This month’s first “Name That Fish” was a group of four
Dwarf Flag Cichlids guessed by Jamie McDougall.
They originally come from slow moving tributaries in the
Amazon basin. Most of these fish seen in the hobby are captive
bred on commercial farms or by hobbyists. They are
omnivores, so part of their diet should contain meaty high
protein foods like pellets, flakes and occasionally live and
frozen foods. Vegetable flake, spirulina and shelled frozen peas
should also be given. Sexing is difficult, but you may notice the
typical longer dorsal, ventral and anal fins in males. Adult
males can grow to 7.5 cm (3 inches), females will grow to 6.5 cm
(2.5 inches). Females may be stockier when carrying eggs.
They form monogamous pairs and are substrate spawners,
usually depositing eggs on a flat rock. They are diligent parents
and will chase away much larger fish when protecting eggs and
fry.
A minimum of 20 gallons should be provided with driftwood,
floating plants and a dark substrate. The water should have
minimal movement and be in the acidic range of pH from 5.5 to
7.0. Temperature range is 24 to 29C ( 75 to 84F ). Companions
can be tetras, and
pencil fish. In larger
tanks, they can be
with other relatively
peaceful cichlids such
as angels, discus and
rams. Corys and
dwarf plecos may eat
the eggs.
This month’s second “Name That Fish” was a pair of
Neolamprologus brevis guessed by Ryan Barton. The fish along
with the conch shell were donated by Geoff Money.
These shell dwelling dwarf cichlids originally come from the
Rift Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. Most of these fish
available in the hobby come from local breeders. These fish are
easy to breed. Provide a shell and a devoted pair will take up
residence and you will have fry very soon. Males grow to
about 6 cm (2.25 inches), females are smaller at 4 cm (1.5
inches). They have a brown body and slightly yellow belly
with 9 tan vertical bars on their sides. There is usually a
florescent blue line under the eye. A dark fringe on the tail is
preceded by a lighter colour band. They are not picky eaters.
Give them flake, micro pellets, frozen bloodworms and brine
shrimp.
They rarely go more than a few inches from their shell. If you
provide small shells, make sure there is a sand substrate so they
can rearrange the sand and the shell to their liking. Water
parameters should be hard with a high pH, Kitchener-Waterloo
tap water is ideal. Temperature should be 25-27C ( 77-80F ). A
10 gallon tank is
plenty for a pair. If
kept in a larger tank,
try them with White
Cloud Mountain
Minnows, or other
small fish that will not
compete for territory
along the bottom of
the tank.
23

Meeting Minutes
Submitted by Lezley Smith, KWAS
General Meeting on March 3rd, 2009
Welcome guests. There were 55 people
present along with 1 new guest.
Announcements:
• Welcome guests
• Brant Aquarium club show and
Auction Mar 29 th , Paris Fairgrounds
• 50 th annual CAOAC convention May
15-17 th Fanshawe College in London
• Newsletter see Cam and Mary Lynne
• Miecia is sick. Please keep her in your
prayers.
• Constitution changes will be voted on
in April.
• Beanie boxes $3.00 each. See Zenin.
BAP:
• None to report looking for a new
chairperson
HAP:
• None to report
Name That Fish:
• This month’s first “Name That Fish”
was a group of four Dwarf Flag
Cichlids ( Laetacara curviceps ) guessed
by Jamie McDougall.
• This month’s second “Name That Fish”
was a pair of Brevis ( Neolamprologus
brevis ) guessed by Ryan Barton. The
fish along with the conch shell were
donated by Geoff Money.
Program:
• Catherine Salmon speaking on Bettas
Show Jar:
• 5 people showing with 15 entries,
details will be in the newsletter and on
the web.
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Library Draw:
• Proceeds of $15.00 will go to CDAS for
purchasing books. Marianne Boulton
won $15.00
Raffle:
• Victor Dinh won a 100 power filter,
Mary Lynne Lucier won a Hi Tech
Pump of 30 to 80 gallons and Cindy
Butler won a Pond Food Kit.
Business Meeting on March 10th 2009
Held at the home of Mary Lynne Lucier
Executive in Attendance:
• Geoff Money (Vice President)
• Lezley Smith (Secretary)
• Brad McClanahan (Treasurer)
• Al Ridley (Past President)
• Zenin Skomorowski (Exchange Editor)
• Phil Maznyk (Webmaster, CAOAC rep)
• Katie McClanahan (lunch Committee)
• Anthony Mc Aslin (Jar Show)
Regrets:
• Cam Turner (Newsletter)
• Charity Gilmore (Raffle)
• Filipe Martins (HAP)
• David Bradley (Library)
Motion to approve February’s business
meeting minutes as published.
Motion: Al Ridley
Seconded: Ed Koerner
Voted on and Carried
Motion to approve March’s general
minutes as delivered (e-mail).
Motion: Phil Maznyk
Seconded: Brad McClanahan
Voted on and Carried
Future Business Meeting Locations:
April: Cam’s House
May: Undertermined
June: Zenin’s House
Treasurer’s Report (Brad McClanahan):
• Going well
Motioned: Phil Maznyk
Seconded: Zenin Skomorowski
Voted on and Carried
Correspondence:
• None to report
Committee Reports:
NL Editor/Publisher (Cam): Absent
Webmaster (Phil):
• Going well
• Al Ridley and Phil Maznyk are working
on the KWAS buy/sell section
Program (Al):
• New Meeting Format: We will keep
going as stated.
• April: Setup a pond
• May: Katherine talking about Shrimp
• June: Pizza party and a tank draw
Oktoberfish (Al):
• Planned Date: November 1, 2009
• Auction chair: Ed Koerner
• Show chair: Geoff & Sue Money
• There will be a meeting scheduled in
June on the third Tuesday
Exchanges (Zenin):
• Going Well
• Take over responsibility of sending out
exchanges
CAOAC (Phil):
• Nothing to report
Membership (MaryLynne):
• Will send out email copies of
newsletters
• Has the laminator
24

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
• One new family membership along with
one new adult membership for March.
Auction (Ed):
• Going well
Library (David): Absent
• $15.00 goes to the Cambridge and District
Aquarium Club towards books for their
library. We are still looking for doubles of
books for them.
Raffle (Charity): Absent
HAP (Filipe): Absent
BAP:
• Need a chairperson
NTF (Zenin):
• Going well
Show Jar (Anthony):
• Going well.
Lunch (Katie):
• Going well.
Pet Store Liaisons (Zenin & Al):
• Going well.
• Zenin will give Al more flyers.
Old Business:
March Jar Show Standings
Judged by Anthony Mc Aslin
Characins Species Points
Geoff Money
Bleeding Heart Tetra4
Zenin Skomorowski Black Skirt Tetra3
Geoff Money
Columbian Tetra2
Ryan Barton
Bleeding heart Tetra1
Zenin Skomorowski Columbian Tetra1
Juniors
Johnathan Samson Congo Tetra4
Griffen Quigley Emperor Tetra3
Johnathan Samson Diamond Tetra2
Griffen Quigley Black Skirt Tetra1
AOV
Zenin Skomorowski Dwarf Clown Pleco4
Zenin Skomorowski Whiptail Cat3
Juniors AOV
Johnathan Samson Sunset Platy4
Griffen Quigley Crowntail Betta3
Johnathan Samson Sunset Platy2
Griffen Quigley Dalmation Betta1
Peoples Choice
Johnathan Samson Congo Tetra2
• Al Ridley motioned and Ed Koerner
seconded that KWAS proposes that the
club to purchase calendars at an estimated
cost of $1500 which will be launched at
Oktoberfish. Will take to the general
meeting in April.
New Business:
• We discussed an email from Dick
Mattinson regarding Special Long Service
Award
• Mary Lynne will look after nominations
for Executive positions. Please contact her
if you wish to nominate anyone.
Totals
Zenin Skomorowski
Geoff Money
Al Ridley
Alan Smiley
Tony Gibbons
Ryan Barton
Junior Totals
Griffen Quigley
Johnathan Samson
31
22
7
5
3
1
34
25
• Al Ridley and Phil will look into a
portable PA system.
April’s class is Catfish which include all plecos, cories, synodontis, etc.
For future classes visit: http://www.kwas.ca/jar_show.htm
25

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Remembering Miecia
by the KWAS executive and BOD. Photos by Zenin Skomorowski.
It is with very heavy hearts that we must inform our
membership that one of our longest standing members has
passed away. Miecia Burden passed peacefully in her sleep in
the early morning of Wednesday, March 25th, 2009. She will be
missed very deeply. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies go
out to her family, her husband Brian, and every other person
she touched and enriched with her kind, caring and helpful
outlook on life. Rest easy Miecia. This club, and it’s members
won’t ever forget you.
Here we present a short bio on Miecia’s involvement with our
hobby, our club and our lives. Her full bio would easily fill a
book. She touched many people.
Miecia started with the aquarium hobby in 1975 with a single 5
gallon tank in the bathroom as a decorating idea. As is
inevitable with those deeply involved with the hobby, her next
purchase was a 65 gallon for the living room in 1976. Her
passion expanded from there to a fish room in 1978 with a total
of about 20 tanks in various sizes from 5 gallon up to a couple
of 65's.
Miecia discovered Bob and Dorothy Daniells’ aquarium
business in 1976 and through them learned about KWAS. She
promptly joined and volunteered to be the CAOAC
representative for the club. In 1978 she was elected as the
executive recording secretary and has been either an executive
member or held a board of directors position ever since -- well
over 31 years of unfailing service to our club and hobby. In
those years she held almost all of the available positions. From
president to newsletter editor, recording secretary to (most
recently) membership chair.
Her involvement in the hobby was not limited to KWAS. She
also held many positions -- including president and editor -- in
CAOAC.
She treated her fish with the same caring and compassion as
everyone else in life, growing all kinds of 'live foods' and
creating her signature Beef Heart Frozen Mix. She shared these
experiences, as well as all of her lessons in newsletter articles,
seminars and presentations for our club and others.
Through the years Miecia earned dozens of awards. A few of
the most notable were:
• Breeder of the Year (KWAS) 1979
• Service Award (KWAS) 1980
• Bob Daniells Service Award (KWAS) 1981
• CAOAC Service Award 1985 and 2003
• Junior BAP Merit Award (CAOAC) 1981
• CAOAC Past Presidents Award 1989
• Hobbyist of the Year (KWAS) 2001
• Honorary Member (KWAS) 2001
• President's Award (KWAS) 2003
• CAOAC 25 Year Service Award 2002
• CAOAC Newsletter Award 2003
• Miecia Burden Exemplary Service Award 2009
Miecia scaled back in 1987 to just five tanks as she became
involved with computers and took on various other more time
consuming positions in her two fish clubs.
At the time of her passing she had five tanks ranging from a 20
gallon up to a 65 gallon that house a "mixed bag of fish" ranging
from an oranda goldfish to a community tank of sharks and
loaches which also houses a large ghost knife fish. Her
remaining three tanks are devoted to classic KWAS African
Cichlids like Lamprologus brichardi, Neolamprologus multifasciatus,
Pseudotropheus saulosi, Labidochromis caeruleus and three large
synodontis catfish. Her interests always centered around
catfish, sharks and loaches although she also raised and bred a
variety of livebearers and egglayers. She even ventured into the
marine environment at one time.
We’ll miss you Miecia, Thank you!
26

Through private emails a number of people expressed an interest in
publishing short thank-yous to Miecia. Those are printed here. Also,
being from the Internet industry I know how fleeting web pages can
be. Even ones that seem permanent at the time vanish eventually.
Therefore I have also taken some of the words printed on our forum
and reprinted them here so they may enter the permanent record (at
least for our club). If you want to read more, or post something of your
own, please join us on the KWAS forum at
http://www.kwas.ca/forum/showthread.phpt=12538
..and remember the quotes printed here are but a TINY sample. - Cam
There was always a fun side to everything Miecia involved
herself with ... from skinny dipping at midnight in the cold
waters off the Bruce Peninsula, to sloshing through frozen mud
and mire in pursuit of fresh caught glass worms, to discovering
that a hotel light fixture held more liquor than their glassware,
to steadfastly refusing to believe that anyone made a better
computer than the good folks at Atari. Miecia I will miss your
smiles, your ever-present notebooks, your enthusiasm and most
of all your unwavering friendship. - Rein
My friend Miecia was a special soul. Her glass was always half
full but she sure did have her opinions. She led KWAS in every
way possible. Her friendly smile and contagious laugh could
lighten the room. My friend... I will miss you. - Al
I feel privileged to have known this very special person and
worked with her since I joined KWAS. Her spirit will live on
through her many friends and our club. - Phil
She was a very classy lady with the million dollar smile. She left
a mark in my heart and will be missed. - Brad
This is very sad news, she will be greatly missed. The meetings
will not be the same without her. Heck, the hobby will not be
the same without her. As I googled Miecia today, I am amazed
at how far reaching her influence was! The footprint she leaves
behind is truly large. We can all only aspire to have touched so
many people in our lifetimes. - Amanda
Million dollar smile indeed, she will be missed. - Terry
In any club there is always a core group of individuals
(generally a very small group) that work the hardest, have the
vision and make it all happen. The hard work and passion that
Mecia has contributed to this hobby will live on and inspire all
of us in the future. She was quick to make new members feel
welcome and always had a blast with our junior members -- the
future of our club. Her passing leaves a big hole to fill in our
organization. - Jude
Miecia and I were good friends and it seems it was just
yesterday that I was out speaking at the KWAS club and gave
her a big kiss on the cheek as I had not seen her in a while. I will
miss her dearly. - Larry
A P R I L 2 0 0 9
I doubt that there is a funeral parlour large enough to
accommodate all her friends that would be in attendance… well
maybe the Aud. I didn’t know Miecia very well, having only
met her in March 2008, but she made me feel welcome. She
always made sure to say hello, flash a great smile, and always
made me laugh. I am glad to have met her and will miss not
having the opportunity to get to know her better. - Dave
Let me tell you that there is a large amount of people and
organizations right now that are mourning the loss of this lady.
Anybody who considers how much she accomplished with our
club will know [… how involved she was in all of her other
organizations]. Remarkable is the easiest way to describe her for
sure. Our family will always have wonderful memories of
Miecia but the two that stand out are the famous picture of her
drinking from a light cover at one of the conventions and the
second was of a bill she submitted back when I first started
treasurer. Her and I haggled over costs constantly. One time she
had to meet my wife to hand over the disc to take to printing
for Fins and Tales. They met at a Timmies and Miecia added the
cost of coffee to her next bill to see if I would catch it. Of course
I caught it and started to squawk and she laughed herself silly.
When I did the math of course the coffee was not included in
the total just put there to get a jab in at the poor treasurer. I will
say it again, she was a remarkable woman. One that our family
will never forget. - The McClanahan Family
When Miecia was the newsletter editor, she always encouraged
me to write articles, and she especially loved to get photos to
publish. She always made sure kids in attendance at the
December meeting received some kind of gift. She was a very
special person, I will miss her a lot. - Zenin
Miecia was not only a club member, but a very good friend of
ours outside of the club. She was very gracious to have talked to
my wife Sue, when she lost her mother and helped her
emotionally through a sad period in her life. When we had to
leave for England in an emergency, she was there to look after
our fish and cat (Charlie). Whenever we went on vacation she
would look after the pets and house, in fact she felt so sorry for
Charlie, she fed him Tuna every day, so Miecia got the
nickname of “The Tuna Lady”. Miecia you are missed by so
many people and we will not forget you. - Geoff and Sue
27

A P R I L 2 0 0 9
Join our forums @ www.kwas.ca/forum
With over 4,000 unique visitors every month our forums are amongst the most active of any ‘local’ hobby club. With members
from all over the world, but especially all over Canada, the wealth of knowledge and advice is astounding. The moderators and
administrators take great pride in maintaining top quality discussion, debate and information and it shows. Thanks to everyone
who participates already. For everyone who hasn’t (yet), come join us and see what all the fuss is about!
Come to our meetings. We love to have guests.
KWAS meets on the first Tuesday of each month from September until June at the Adult Recreation Centre at 185 King Street
South in Waterloo (at the corner of King and Allen). We meet on the second floor in the large multi-purpose room. Parking is at
the rear of the building. The meeting room opens at 7 PM with the meeting starting at 7:30 PM sharp. Please feel free to come out
at any time and learn more about your hobby, KWAS and the many benefits of belonging to our club.
Guests are welcome any time.
Bring your friends and show
them what our club is all
about!
Meeting
Parking
28