Michigan Cichlid Association
Announcements => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Rkik on September 26, 2013, 01:32:32 AM
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Hello there,
I am the current operations manager / curator of the Belle Isle Aquarium here in Detroit. We a are a bit of a small and misfit operation going on here but have sights set for the future. Each week now we have been adding at least one new exhibit and currently (at the time of writing this) the emphasis is on Rift Lake species. We are currently setting up exhibits of some of the lessor displayed species for a public aquarium. Examples being those that inhabit the sand and near shore areas rather than rock. Currently we have on display Enantiopus sp. "Kilisa", Lamprologus ocellatus "Gold", Cyprichromis leptosoma "Utinta" and Cyathopharynx furcifer "Ruziba". Another exhibit very soon to be opened will have Ctenochromis horei, Callochromis Pleurospilus "Kigoma Flame", Neolamprologus tetracanthus, Synodontis multipunctatus and Lamprichthys tanganicanus. Other fish are also on display but in a state of quarantine on exhibit and not in finalized aquascaped exhibits. Some of these being Malawi trout cichlids, Peacock bass, and Fossorichromis. Most are grow outs at this point as that is what will work best in the long run. Lots more going on but this is but a small list of the fishes currently inhabiting the aquarium. More arrive weekly.
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Good to hear that you guys are going to start adding cichlids. Cyathopharynx are one of my favorites so I'll have to come check that out. Welcome to the forum
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Welcome to the forum.
Have you been restoring tanks & adding the new fish? Or restocking the tanks that had Gary's personal fish?
It'd be nice to see all tanks with something in them & not all the empty ones like the club saw last April.
Feel free to PM me if you'd like any fry donated to growout & I'll let you know what I have.
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Welcome.
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Welcome !!!
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Welcome to the forum.
Have you been restoring tanks & adding the new fish? Or restocking the tanks that had Gary's personal fish?
It'd be nice to see all tanks with something in them & not all the empty ones like the club saw last April.
Feel free to PM me if you'd like any fry donated to growout & I'll let you know what I have.
Thank you all,
Yes, we are in the process of restoring and restocking the Tanks. Because the place was shuttered for 7 years just about all of the tanks need to be resealed and often the Plumbing in the back has corroded or became brittle. Like everything with fish it takes time. On average at this time adding a restored tank at a rate of about two a week.
Will send you a PM in a bit and thanks for the offer.
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Welcome...
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I bet a lot of people here would be willing to donate some fry. Glad you are getting things in order down there. I know the club did a road trip recently, but might be fun to do it again next year to see your hard work.
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Welcome!!
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I bet a lot of people here would be willing to donate some fry. Glad you are getting things in order down there. I know the club did a road trip recently, but might be fun to do it again next year to see your hard work.
Hopefully by next year we will have added much more to see and some of the current growouts will be of a size where they are in color and displaying. I'd love to have the MCA people drop by anytime though. If you do come by when we are open on Saturdays do tell the greater at the door to find me and I'd love to chat and show you around.
If anyone does have some fry or some fish you may wish to donate I would be more than thrilled as they come from a local source and will also help in promoting the MCA or other local Michigan hobbyist clubs. I'm not one of the typical stuffy academic curators that poo poo the work of hobbyists in the Education, Conservation and Research of fishes. Anyone has anything please do feel free to contact me.
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Welcome to MCA. A trip to the B.I Aquarium is something I have been wanting to do sometime soon as well. If not this year then for sure next.
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I went last year when it reopened before the club field trip i was bummed it was like a craft show in there. Good luck with your endeavors.
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Welcome to the forum. When you get a chance, why don't you throw up a bio?
Also, why don't you throw up a wish list of items you guys could use at the aquarium and perhaps we could organize an effort here and with our other local clubs to get you stuff that would bring things closer to 100% or just make life easier.
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welcome
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Unfortunately, I thought the Balle Isle Aquarium had closed. Am I wrong or did it reopen?
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I think its open to the public on Saturdays 10-3. I think that's what it was last time I checked.
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Welcome. Glad to see more work is being done. I look forward to seeing more fish the next time I visit with the family.
Could you post some progress pictures?
... Some of these being Malawi trout cichlids, Peacock bass, and Fossorichromis. ...
You have my interest!!!
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Welcome to the forum. I have some fry I can donate as well.
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To answer Steve's question, they're open Saturdays from 10-3.
They are making progress on restoring the tanks. Richard said that they're averaging about 4 a month (re sealing) and that they expected to have all of the tanks completed in the front in the near future. He also indicated that he believed they would have all of the tanks done by mid 2014 (this was a ball park guess, but things look like they're coming along nicely).
I asked again for a wish list for the aquarium (better to buy goods, fish or food, because if you donate money, the Belle Isle Conservancy determines where it's spent) and hopefully Richard will have a chance to do that.
I figured once he did, we could get together with the other two clubs and get it done.
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Thank you Marty,
It has been a bit busy here for a bit so I have not been able to check in.
We are in need of some materials and supples and I have been trying to figure our priorities on this. Right now the list is as follows.
55 gallon to 120 gallon quarantine tanks.. right now we need about 10 of each.
200 Watt to 500 Watt heaters.
Air driven sponge filters (any and all sizes)
NLS foods are used a lot here so any variety is welcome. Frozen and live feeds (or cultures) of any type are also welcome.
All of these items we can supply you with paperwork that allows you to use this as a tax write off as we are a Non-profit.
And most of all Volunteers that can help us really get things together. We are pretty much an all volunteer group so we need all the help we can get. The more volunteers we have the quicker we can get tanks restored and filled with water and fish. If interested in volunteering please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. It is some dirty monotonous work but I really need guys and Gals that are handy with tools to restore the tanks and help out in other ways such as building tank stands in the back, Plumbing in filters, etc.
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Just a quick photo of one of our new exhibits. This one is focused on Lake Tanganyika fish that inhabit the intermediate sandy Rocky areas near shore. Species are Ctenochromis horei, Callochromis pleurospilus, Neolamprologus tetracanthus and Synodontis multipunctatus.
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Too cool, I've been wanting to check it out since you guys took it over. Will have have too for sure.