We would like to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude
to those who have contributed to this site, our forum members, and to our Administrators
who maintain the forum! We would also like to thank our past administrators Stuart Chale
and Carla Gordon for their time and contributions.
Thank
You
for dedication and hard work!
Please feel free to communicate directly with any of the persons
below. We are available should you experience problems with this website or are
unable to log into the forum. For general questions, please become a member and
post to the forum.
If you are unsure as to whom to contact, email us at info_finarama@yahoo.com.
Michelle Ricketts
Michelle
Ricketts - Founder/Senior Admin.
Reno, Nv., US
Contact:
finarama@yahoo.com
Welcome to
Finarama. My
name is
Michelle
Ricketts and
since March
of 2000, I
have been
studying the
status of
our wilds
and the
origins of
our
domestics.
Although, I have taken a slightly different approach to the hobby, it is
my hope that
the
information
contained
within these
pages will
benefit the
Pterophyllum
enthusiasts
around the
world. I
would like
to know what
the
controversies
are, who is
involved,
what they
say, and if
there are
any current
studies.
At the start of my quest for information on wilds, my first goal was to
show that
our domestic
lines are
"not" pure
P. scalare.
Because
there is
absolutely
no
documented
proof of
such claims,
I studied
many
breeders and
the wilds
they used in
their
breeding
programs.
According to
the original
5 species,
it turned
out that
many
breeders
weren't
using the
same species
in their
breeding
programs,
thus our
domestic
lines could
only be
hybrids.
While researching this subject, I found that there were now only 3 valid
species with
several
different
species
variants
that were
considered
"possible
new species"
(Kullander,
1986). P.
Dumerilii
and P.
eimekei were
no longer
was valid,
and what we
thought were
P. Dumerilii
was actually
considered
to be P.
Leopoldi.
This was
breaking
news for the
angelfish
community
and created
a lot of
scientific
controversy.
Wild Pterophyllum systematics are problematic and the need for
further
research is
urgently
needed (Kullander,
1986).
Therefore, I
would like
to hear all
aspects from
hobbyist &
collectors
around the
world,
including
conservationist,
as well as
the
scientific
points of
view. I
believe that
in order for
us all to
understand,
improve and
maintain the
integrity of
the Pterophyllum
species, it
is
imperative
to be well
informed.
I've tried to keep a journal of the activity involved with my research,
but life
became a bit
too busy for
me to keep
up on
updates. You
are more
than welcome
to read it
for it shows
what little
information
there was
available at
the time I
began to
build this
website. You
can find
my journal
here.
I also became a founding
member of "The Angelfish Society"
(established in
Sept. 2000).
This group
is
dedicated to
domestic
angelfishes
and their
genetics. As
we were
forming the
association,
I found and
contributed
all 18
genetic
articles
written by
Dr. Joanne
Norton.
These
articles
were vital
to the
success of
the group
and is the
foundation
of which it
was founded.
I then
served on
its first "Standard's
Committee" (along
with four
other
members) and
we developed
a standard
set of
Genetic
Notations to
be used
worldwide.
From then
on, I
actively
participated
in genetic
discussions,
bred
domestic
angelfish,
and studied
the
interaction
of their
genes. In
2005, I made
my first
genetic
discovery.
It was
thought that
the Streaked
(St) gene only
expressed in
fish that
carried the
Dark (D)
gene. I was
able to show
that this is
incorrect
and that the Steaked (St)
gene
actually
does express
in light
colored fish
as well. See
this topic
on the TAF-II
Forum. To
find all
genetic
topics I've
participated
click here.
My participation in research topics on the forums have slowed
significantly
since 2005,
however I
still remain
dedicated to Finarama,
it's goals,
staff and
members. I
have been
quietly
working on
projects
with the
Administration
team and
hope to put
this
information
on the main
site soon. I sincerely
hope you
enjoy your
visit to Finarama!
-Michelle
Alec McFarlane
Alec McFarlane - Senior Administrator
Locataion: Manchester, UK
Contact:
A-MCFARLANE1@sky.com
Edgar Ruiz
Edgar Ruiz - Senior Administrator
Location: Salt Lake City, Ut., US
Contact:
stefanoruiz@yahoo.com
I have been keeping tropical fish since I was a child in Hialeah Florida. My Grandmother,
of Italian/American-Venezuelan origin, lived for many years in the Venezuelan Guyana,
where Orinoco Angelfish are/were very abundant. She would tell me stories of when she
was younger and went collecting ornamentals throughout our country of birth. Altum and
Cardinal Tetras were her favorite species and throughout the 1960's, and until her
death in 1974, she maintained a huge display aquarium containing fish she herself brought to the U.S
In the mid 1970's my family moved back to Venezuela for a short time (I stayed, I had river fever!).
I finished my High School at the Marist Brothers in Maracaibo in 1977. From 1978 through 1983 I studied
Aquatic Biology at Zulia State University (LUZ). In 83' I was offered an excellent opportunity to work
for a contractor of the Venezuelan State Oil Company (Petroleos de Venezuela) as an English translator.
At that time, Venezuelan State Universities went on a year long strike and I continued working as a
Translator/Interpreter until this day. Despite the fact that I did not go back to school to finish my
degree, I continued to collaborate with my professors, colleagues and the University collecting fish
in the field (I have collected 70% of the Venezuelan territory and part of the Caribbean Coast). From
1998 through 2003 (year I returned to the US) I worked for LUZ translating Scientific Publications and
continued collaborating with Biologist Wilfrido (Wil) Cabezas Saavedra collecting and supplying
specimens to the LUZ Museum of Science.
Wil is a man who has spent his life counting fin rays and scales. He was my mentor, best
friend and brother to this day. He pointed out the first Altum I ever saw while diving a
stream North of Puerto Ayacucho.
Dr. Donald C. Taphorn had a great influence in my early days in College. He taught
Ichthiosystematics at LUZ in the late 70's. Though I did not study directly under Prof.
Taphorn (Wil did), I did participate in several field trips with both of them.
Now, from the Salt Lake Valley, I continue to try and help diffuse knowledge relevant to
the Altum Habitat. Having lived in Puerto Ayacucho (my son was born there) for almost 3
years and explored/collected P. altum throughout Amazonas and Bolivar State, I have not
only deep knowledge of the territory and actual habitats the species live in, but I bred
the species in the early 80's while working with Wil Cabezas in a project. I hope to repeat
this, though it is a true challenge in such a different environment (in the Rocky Mountains).
I hope to see many more people achieving this goal with wild specimens. In Europe and Asia,
hobbyists are already breeding domesticated P. altum in increasing quantities... but that does
not mean the challenge is not there....I mean...Mt. Everest isn't getting any smaller!
Prof. Dirk Bellstedt
Prof. Dirk Bellstedt - TASG
Scientific Research Administrator
Location:
Stellenbosch,
South Africa
Contact:
info_finarama@yahoo.com
Hi
I am Dirk
(Dirk U.
Bellstedt).
I am of German extraction, although I have lived in South Africa all my life and I am fluent in English and Afrikaans and although
I still speak German, this is not as fluent as it should be. I am a professor in Biochemistry at the University of Stellenbosch, South
Africa. I completed a Ph D in Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University in 1988, part of which was completed at the Max Planck Institute of Immune Biology in
Germany. My undergraduate training included subjects such as Genetics, Animal Physiology and Biochemistry. Stellenbosch is an old
historic town about 50 km from Cape Town (which I am sure you would have seen on TV as a result of the Soccer World
Cup event held only a few months ago). I lecture in Biochemistry, Bioinformatics and Immunology. I am a specialist in highly sensitive testing
technologies utilizing antibodies and DNA-based detection techniques. Together with a team of students and a colleague, Dr Annelise
Botes, I conduct research into vaccine development for ostriches, development of detection techniques for potato bacteria and
viruses, and DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to research the evolutionary relationships of many organisms
including bacteria, plants and fishes. This research is conducted in a well equipped modern laboratory in the Biochemistry Department which is a large modern institute that can hold its own
against any institute in the world. DNA sequencing is performed at a centralized laboratory at the University of Stellenbosch.
I have published numerous scientific papers in international journals and have given presentations at national and international conferences.
I have kept fishes and aquatic plants since 1968 when I was at high
school. I was mentored by Mr Georg Reinhardt, a German who fled from former East Germany in the 1950’s, and who ran a small government hatchery in which many tropical
fishes were bred at the Jonkershoek Trout Hatchery, just outside Stellenbosch. Its is also through Mr Reinhardt’s contacts in Germany that
I had the opportunity to visit Dr Eduard Schmidt-Focke, one of the father’s of modern discus breeding. When my wife looks for me the first place she goes to is the garage in our home in which I keep 25 aquaria.
Other hobbies include gardening, hiking and travel (I have travelled extensively in Africa, Europe and
Australia). As a result of my experience and biochemistry background I have an extensive knowledge of water chemistry, fish
nutrition and aquatic plant fertilizers. I have bred many fishes including killie fishes, rainbows, tetras, dwarf cichlids, Geophagus,
angels and have bred discus on a regular basis since 1988. Currently I keep many tropical fishes including discus and P. scalare
angels, and my present passion is to breed the altum angels that I keep. In this area we have tap water which is very soft
and therefore ideal for keeping these extremely sensitive fishes, I often battle to keep the pH from dropping below 4.
Frustrated by the lack of frozen and high quality foods for his Discus, I started importing such food from Germany in 1991. I
have also developed an aquatic plant fertilizer for use in the soft water that occurs in many areas of South Africa.
I hope to be of service in the scientific realm on
Finarama and
it's forum in future.
I've been
a hobbyist
for 40 odd
years, keeping "wild fish
that make me smile." I started keeping Altum ten
years ago, which had to lead me to Finarama.
I have since developed a fascination
with wild form Pterophyllum and the
challenges of maintaining them in
captivity.
Jan Burzanovsky
Jan Burzanovsky - TASG Global Moderator
Location: Czech
Republic
Contact:
burzanovsky@centrum.cz
My interest in fish goes back a long time. I began keeping tropical fish while still in elementary school and began fly fishing for Trout at the same time. By the time I was 17, I already had the largest tropical fish shop in Idaho and bred wild Blue Discus. That was in 1969 . My interest in fly fishing taught me a lot about fish biology and I have done a lot of “field work“. That field work included catching fish but in the process of learning how to become a better fly fisherman and fly tier I became a proficient amateur aquatic insect entomologist. I discovered that the aquatic insects I was familiar with had their tropical counterparts.
Through the year since I have specialized in Discus but also Apistogramma species and bred over 150 different species of killifish. I also am interested in the small bubble nesting species of wild Bettas.
I have been through my big South and Central American phases of fish keeping but I have always been drawn back to Discus. It is hard not to like Discus, especially the wild species and not also be interested in the wild Angelfish. I have kept all three of the named wild Angelfish species at one time or another.
My most recent new area of interest is in the smaller species of Brazilian “Plec” species and to a lesser extent, the Corydoras species.
I now mainly keep wild Discus and breed Brazilian Hypancistrus species and Peckoltia sp L134.
I began my interest in Discus with only wild fish at first then for years I raised various domestic Discus color forms but things have come full circle and now I am only trying to breed wild Discus again.
I still try to raise a few South American Dwarf cichlids, Characins and S.E. Asian small wild bubble nesting Bettas when I can find a little free tank space. I only keep 15 aquariums going for my projects and it adds up to a little over 1000 gallons of water available for fish culture.
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