Member Profile
David Patterson
| Age 32 How many years have you been keeping tropical fish? 5 years in total How long have you been a member of the Fry-Angle Society? 5 years in total How many aquariums are you currently running and what sizes are they? Four, (125 gallon, 55 gallon, 20 gallon, 10 gallon) What type(s) of fish are you keeping? Discus, angel, fire mouth, microgeophagus ramirezi, diamond tetras, cardinal tetras, rummy nose tetra, bristle nose catfish, Siamese algae eaters and goldfish What are your favourite fish (type or species) and why? Discus and German rams. I always had an attraction for discus. Discus seem to always stand out. The different color variations will brighten up any show tank. One of the most amazing things is watching the parents raise their fry. Seeing the fry seeing the fry feed from rthe parent’s body slime-coat is definitely a highlight when owning discus. One of the reasons I am where I am now in the hobby is because of this fish. I just got into mircogeophagus ramirezi (German blue rams). I consider them one of the most beautiful dwarf cichlids. They go well in a community tank large or small. I like the fact that they always interact with their environment right in front of you. Always busy doing something. I especially like when they start to spawn. This is when they look their best and they get their worst. The colors seem to jump out at you and for such a small fish they will defend their territory from a fish 10 times it’s size. Hopefully I can finally raise some fry. Have you had success in getting your fish to breed? If so, what species have you had spawn? I have had Discus, Betta splendens and rams breed but only had spawns with the Discus and the Betta splendens. Are you maintaining a live-planted aquarium? If so, what equipment are you using and what type of plants do you currently have? I have a 125g tank with 6x65watt compact lights that are on timers, co2 injection with a reactor that is timed with the lights and two canister filters (Eheim and Fluval). I currently have the following plants - Amazon Sword plants, Dwarf Sagittaria, Crytocorynes, Baby Tears, Anubias and Rotala Do you maintain an outdoor pond? If so, what size is it and what type of fish are in it? I would like one. Do you have any favourite aquarium books? If so, what are they? No, I like all of them. What Fry-Angle Aquarium Society activities do you enjoy the most? I like all of the club activities but, if I had to pick one, it would be the Annual Home Show. I like to see the aquatic displays that other members have created and to see what techniques they have used. Have you participated in any overseas activities related to the fish hobby (conventions, collecting trips, visits to fish farms, etc). If so, could you tell us about them? I have participated in two ACA conventions, Chicago and Atlanta. The convention in Chicago was my first convention and was the best of the two by far. I was blown away by sheer size of the event. Seeing all of those tanks and the quality of the fish was unbelievable. I enjoyed the talks, the Dark and Stormy party and, for me, the largest fish auction to date. One thing I found out at the ACA is that the price is always right. I planned on only buying a couple of fish but I ended up spending way more than I was supposed to. Being at the ACA Chicago allowed members to go ‘behind the scenes’ at the Shedd Aquarium, a must see if you’re in Chicago. ACA Atlanta offered some interesting talks and some nice fish on display. It wasn’t as big as Chicago but it still turned out great. I managed to spend more than I was supposed to, again! The highlight was seeing the Georgia Aquarium and the four whale sharks they have on display. What would you say to someone who keeps fish in Bermuda but isn’t a member of the Fry-Angle Aquarium Society? First I would let them know that we have a local club. Then I would tell them about all the benefits that come from being a club member. Lastly, I would invite them to one of our meetings. Anything else you’d like to tell other members about? I’d like to say to other members “Thanks for all your help. Without your guidance, I would still be emptying out all the water from my tank, cleaning the gravel with soap and still wondering why my fish keep dying.” I am looking forward to many years of successful fishkeeping. Keep the hobby alive. |