RYEDALE AQUARIST SOCIETY AND THE AQUARIUM GAZETTE AT THE PETS AT HOME CLIFTON MOOR (YORK) BRANCH 'EVENING OF FISHKEEPING' 2010

Text by David Marshall

Photographs by Sue and David Marshall

The 25th Anniversary year of the Ryedale Aquarist Society began with the acceptance of an invitation to take part in the Pets At Home Clifton Moor Branch 'Evening of Fishkeeping', that was held within the aquatic department of the store on Monday
12th April.

Sue Marshall and Frank Tolomeo.	Frank and David Marshall

Ann Grayson looking around the accessorises section

While the members in attendance waited for the programme of events to begin they were able to browse around the retail area. The stock tanks house an excellent selection of tropical freshwater (where the emphasis is very much on cichlids and community fish), tropical marine and coldwater fish. The accessories section has all the items required both to start and maintain an aquarium of your choice.

Many types of cichlids were on sale

The Branch Manager had advertised the event within the store so as members of the general public gathered the programme of events began.

Our Secretary, Mr. David Marshall, was asked to give the first presentation and used power point to explain all about Ryedale Aquarist Society and show snippets from the events we held during 2009.

Our Show Secretary, Mr. Frank Tolomeo, followed with a talk about the breeding of the beautiful cichlid Archocentrus sajica. Frank had brought along with him small tanks that held adult sajica and fry/youngsters of various sizes and this caused great interest from the people present, who were soon asking various questions about how these fish were kept.

Frank's Sajica cichlids

Miss Sue Marshall and Mrs. Ann Grayson then gave a talk on their involvement within the Society and encouraged the people present to come along to forthcoming events and meetings.

Back to David, who showed the people present, through small show tanks, what wild type Guppies look like and then presented a scaled down version of the power point Guppy talk he gives to Aquatic Societies that features Guppy varieties old and new.

David then continued with a power point talk about both his work with, and Editorship of, The Aquarium Gazette CD magazine.

With our contributions at an end a young member of the store's staff took the people present on a 'walkabout' of the various tropical marine displays and explained how, with the advance in maintenance techniques, the keeping of marine fish is much easier today than it was a decade ago.

The staff member on his 'walkabout talk'	One of many tropical marine displays

Finally, we had the chance to view the very impressive filtration system that keeps the stock tanks up-and-running.

The Branch Manager and his staff were really pleased with the contribution we had made to their evening and invited us to return at a future date. Speaking for the members present I know that all had an enjoyable evening.

So, as the night shutters went down on the store, we headed home after getting our
25th Anniversary year off to such a good start.

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