2008 FAAS Publication Awards Winners
Congratulations to all the winners and the societies that participated in the awards! You can download the first place winner in most categories by clicking on the appropriate link.
Editors! All the PDFs have searchable text. You can copy text from these PDFs to your word processor or layout application. [ See note ]
Judging this year | Participation | Tips for Winning | Reprint Polcies
| Category | Description | Place | Author or Editor | Article Title | Publication | Society |
| 1 | Best Editor and Publication more than 6 issues | 1st Place | Pat Smith | N/A | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 1 | Best Editor and Publication more than 6 issues | 2nd Place | Mike Mazurkiewicz | N/A | Cichlid Chatter | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association |
| 1 | Best Editor and Publication more than 6 issues | 3rd Place | Dan Radebaugh | N/A | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 2 | Best Editor and Publication 6 or fewer issues | 1st Place | José M. Centeno | N/A | El Ojo de Agua | Asociación de Acuaristas de Aguadilla |
| 4 | Best Changing Cover, Original Art | 1st Place | David Fraguglia | N/A | Cichlid Blues | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 4 | Best Changing Cover, Original Art | 2nd Place | Pat Smith | N/A | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 4 | Best Changing Cover, Original Art | 3rd Place | Mike Mazurkiewicz | N/A | Cichlid Chatter | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association |
| 4 | Best Changing Cover, Original Art | Honorable Mention | Dan Radebaugh | N/A | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 5 | Best FAAS-Related Article | 1st Place | Pat Smith | FAAS News, September 2008 | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 5 | Best FAAS-Related Article | 2nd Place | Pat Smith | FAAS Report, March 2008 | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 5 | Best FAAS-Related Article | 3rd Place | Pat Smith | FAAS Report, April 2008 | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 6 | Best Exchange Column | 1st Place | Pam Chin | Cichlids in the News | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 6 | Best Exchange Column | 2nd Place | Kurt Johnson | Piscatorial Pearls | Tank Tales | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County |
| 6 | Best Exchange Column | 3rd Place | Mary Finnstrom | From the Desk of the Exchange Editor | Cichlid Chatter | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association |
| 7 | Best Review Column | 1st Place | Susan Priest | Wet Leaves | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 7 | Best Review Column | 2nd Place | Pam Chin | Cichlids in the News | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 7 | Best Review Column | 3rd Place | Kurt Johnson | Fish 'Net Findings | Tank Tales | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County |
| 8 | Best Spawning Article, under 500 words | 1st Place | Jeff Bollbach | Tan Never Saw These! | Pisces Press | Nassau County Aquarium Society |
| 8 | Best Spawning Article, under 500 words | 2nd Place | Ted Judy | Betta channoides: A White-seam Fighter Betta | Splash | Milwaukee Aquarium Society |
| 8 | Best Spawning Article, under 500 words | 3rd Place | Kurt Johnson | Cynotilapia afra "Puulu" | Tank Tales | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County |
| 9 | Best Spawning Article, 500-1000 words | 1st Place | Anthony Tu | Spawning Cyphotilapia gibberosa "Samazi Blue" | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 9 | Best Spawning Article, 500-1000 words | 2nd Place | Ted Judy | Nanochromis transvestitus̶ The Clown Dwarf Cichlid | Splash | Milwaukee Aquarium Society |
| 9 | Best Spawning Article, 500-1000 words | 3rd Place | Richard and Brandon Kong | First Time Breeding and the Sciaenochromis fryeri (Electric Blue) | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 10 | Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words | 1st Place | Alexander A. Priest | A New Star in the Galaxy: The Celestial Peral Danio, Celestichthys margaritatus | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 10 | Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words | 2nd Place | Dan Radebaugh | The Banded Severum (Heros efasciatus) | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 10 | Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words | 3rd Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | What I (Accidentally) Did this Summer (A Kinda BAP Report but Not Really) | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 10 | Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words | Honorable Mention | Harry Faustmann | Breeding a South American Killifish | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 11 | Best Article on a Genus of Fish | 1st Place | Dan Spielman | They're Not Just Convicts Anymore | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 11 | Best Article on a Genus of Fish | 2nd Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | Eyeballs on Oddballs̶ Freshwater Jellies | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 11 | Best Article on a Genus of Fish | 3rd Place | Mike Garibaldi | Petrochromis, My Way | Cichlid Chatter | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association |
| 12 | Best Article on a Species of Fish | 1st Place | Frank Fallon | The Case of the Hanging Cichlids | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 12 | Best Article on a Species of Fish | 2nd Place | Alexander A. Priest | Are You Truly My Honey? The Honey Gourami, Colisa chuna | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 12 | Best Article on a Species of Fish | 3rd Place | Dan Radebaugh | The Banded Severum (Heros efasciatus) | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 12 | Best Article on a Species of Fish | Honorable Mention | Eric Rogne | The Signifier Rainbow | Splash | Milwaukee Aquarium Society |
| 13 | Best Marine Article | 1st Place | Stephen Sica | The Bahamian Lionfish | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 13 | Best Marine Article | 2nd Place | Stephen Sica | French Angelfish of Aruba and Bonaire | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 15 | Best Continuous FAAS Column | 1st Place | Pat Smith | FAAS Report | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 15 | Best Continuous FAAS Column | 2nd Place | Pat Smith | FAAS Report | Pisces Press | Nassau County Aquarium Society |
| 16 | Best Article on Aquascaping/Design | 1st Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | Cyptic Emersion̶ Part One of Ten) | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 16 | Best Article on Aquascaping/Design | 2nd Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | My Green Wet Thumb̶ Going Topless | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 16 | Best Article on Aquascaping/Design | 3rd Place | Sharon Barnett | Takashi Amano, I am not, but I love my Jungles! | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 17 | Best Article on Plant Maintenance/Cultivation/Reproduction | 1st Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | My Green Wet Thumb̶ Summer Flowers | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 17 | Best Article on Plant Maintenance/Cultivation/Reproduction | 2nd Place | Stephen Sica | My Favorite Aquarium Plant: Rotala rotundiifolia | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 17 | Best Article on Plant Maintenance/Cultivation/Reproduction | 3rd Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | My Green Wet Thumb̶ Silly Salvinia | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 18 | Best Show Article | 1st Place | Pam Chin | ACA 2008 Recap | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 18 | Best Show Article | 2nd Place | Claudia Dickinson | The Pirates of the NEC: The Event That We Have All Been Waiting For! | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 18 | Best Show Article | 3rd Place | Margaret Peterson | "Behind the Scenes" in View . . . From the Other Side of the Glass | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 18 | Best Show Article | 3rd Place | Pat Smith | Weekend Workshops | Pisces Press | Nassau County Aquarium Society |
| 20 | Best How To or Do It Yourself Article | 1st Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | My Green Wet Thumb: Floating Gardens | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 20 | Best How To or Do It Yourself Article | 2nd Place | Kevin Plazak | African Cichlids for a Tiny Tank | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 20 | Best How To or Do It Yourself Article | 3rd Place | Tara Miller | Spreading Roots: Tools and Tricks from Tara's Fishroom | Tank Tales | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County |
| 21 | Best General Article on Society Management | 1st Place | Joseph Ferdenzi | A Greater City Memoir | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 21 | Best General Article on Society Management | 2nd Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | Audience Etiquette̶ Something "Non-Fishy" to Ponder | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 21 | Best General Article on Society Management | 3rd Place | Jon Schweikert | Don't Forget to Sign Up! | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 21 | Best General Article on Society Management | Honorable Mention | Ken Smith | Introduction to the Board | Pisces Press | Nassau County Aquarium Society |
| 22 | Best Article on Health/Nutrition | 1st Place | Alexander A. Priest | My Microworm Recipe | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 22 | Best Article on Health/Nutrition | 2nd Place | Joseph Ferdenzi | The Chlorine Storm | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 22 | Best Article on Health/Nutrition | 3rd Place | Pat Smith | Raising Adult Brine Shrimp | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 23 | Best Collecting Article | 1st Place | Tom Mason | Visiting Caňo Palma - A Trip to a Mini-Paradise | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 23 | Best Collecting Article | 2nd Place | Dan Radebaugh | Catfish Hunter or As Long as You're Going to Florida . . . | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 23 | Best Collecting Article | 3rd Place | Margaret Peterson | View . . . From the Other Side of the Tank: Seining in the Great South Bay | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 24 | Best Traveling Aquarist Article | 1st Place, Junior Level III | Sam Borstein | John G. Shedd Aquarium High School Lake Ecology Mentorship | Cichlid Chatter | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association |
| 24 | Best Traveling Aquarist Article | 1st Place | Dan Radebaugh | Catfish Hunter or As Long as You're Going to Florida . . . | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 24 | Best Traveling Aquarist Article | 2nd Place | Susan Priest | My Trip to Madagascar | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 24 | Best Traveling Aquarist Article | 3rd Place | Stephen Sica | Of Sharks and Democrats | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 25 | Best Humorous Article | 1st Place | Michael Foran | If you Build it, They will Come | Pisces Press | Nassau County Aquarium Society |
| 25 | Best Humorous Article | 2nd Place | Undergravel Reporter | Fish-Flush Foolish | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 25 | Best Humorous Article | 3rd Place | Margaret Peterson | The View . . . From the Other Side of the Tank (March 2008) | Paradise Press | Long Island Aquarium Society |
| 26 | Best Original Art Work | 1st Place | Pat Smith | White Cloud (Drawing) | Pisces Press | Nassau County Aquarium Society |
| 27 | Best Cartoon | 1st Place | Bernard Harrigan | Caption: "My best friend, my wife, AND my cichlids?!" (10/08) | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 27 | Best Cartoon | 2nd Place | Bob Kulesa | The Topical Fish Tank | Tank Tales | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County |
| 27 | Best Cartoon | 3rd Place | Bernard Harrigan | Caption: "Deep in the rivers of Asia, the Archerfish are on the hunt" | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 28 | Best Continuing Column, Single Author | 1st Place | Rick Borstein | Cichlid Ramblings | Cichlid Chatter | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association |
| 28 | Best Continuing Column, Single Author | 2nd Place | Pam Chin | Ask Pam | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 28 | Best Continuing Column, Single Author | 3rd Place | Susan Priest | Fishkeepers Anonymous | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 29 | Best Article, All Other Categories | 1st Place | Dennis Heltzel | Aquarium Filtration | Tank Tales | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County |
| 29 | Best Article, All Other Categories | 2nd Place | Jannette Ramirez | The Fishkeeper Who Was Kept By Her Fish! | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 29 | Best Article, All Other Categories | 3rd Place | Richard Kong | More Than Just a Hobby | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 29 | Best Article, All Other Categories | Honorable Mention | Claudia Dickinson | The GCAS Presents Greg Steeves | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 30 | Author of the Year | 1st Place | Derek P.S. Tustin | N/A | Tank Talk | Durham Region Aquarium Society |
| 30 | Author of the Year | 2nd Place (Tie) | Alexander A. Priest | N/A | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
| 30 | Author of the Year | 2nd Place (Tie) | Pam Chin | N/A | Cichlidae Communiqué | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association |
| 30 | Author of the Year | 4th Place | Stephen Sica | N/A | Modern Aquarium | Greater City Aquarium Society |
About the Judging Process
We had several judges participate in this year's awards. Many thanks to Greg Steeves, Steve Edie, Neil Van Asch and Joe Fleckstein who participated as judges.
Participation is Up
The majority of clubs this year sent in their entries vis CD or Email. That was nice to see and a lot greener!
Tips for Winning
Unlike years past, all awards were well organized. Thank you editors for making it easy for us to evaluate your entries. While judging is, ultimately, a subjective process, we generally find the folloiwng to valuable if you want to increase your chances of winning:
- Enter in the Correct Category
Each year we are dismayed to receive entries in the wrong category. The most common mix-up is entering an Best Article about a Species of Fish (Category 12) in the Best Article about a Genus of Fish (Category 11). A genus is made up of one or more species. A species, however, is a single animal.
- Write a Good, Catchy Introductory Paragraph
Writing a good introductory paragraph is one of the best ways to hook a judge!
- Technical Articles vs. Hobbyist-friendly
While a technically accurate and factually written article might be good for a scientific journal, these generally don't score as well with judges. Practical, hobbyist-friendly articles with easy-to-understand scientific principles often are better received.
- Editors: Please Edit
We read several articles that were interesting, but poorly edited. Grammar is important. Spelling is important. If we had a buck for each time "there" and "their" was mixed up, we'd have enough for a new colony of Tropheus!
- Enter Your Best Articles
We have enough entries in the Pub Awards that it is unlikely you will win with a throw-away article that is a simply a listing of BAP winners, or only a short paragraph. Submit your best work. Note that judges do not have to award a winner if they do not feel the article is worthy of the award.
Reprint Policies for Winning Societies
Please note the following when reprinting articles from the FAAS Publication Awards:
Aquarium Club of Lancaster County
Anyone using original materials from any Tank Tales must return two (2) copies of the original article to our exchange editor below.
Bob Kulesa
331 Sunset Road
West Reading, PA 19611
Durham Region Aquarium Society Reprint Policy
Unless otherwise stated, any non-profit organization may reprint from Tank Talk provided that credit is given to the author, Tank Talk, and the Durham Region Aquarium Society (DRAS) and that two copies of the reprinting publication are sent to the Durham Region Aquarium Society's mailing address. Any other use is not permitted unless written consent from the Durham Region Aquarium Society and/or author is obtained. Please forward all correspondence to:
Durham Region Aquarium Society
c/o 1079 Willowdale Avenue
Oshawa, Ontario
Canada, L1H 1W7
Greater Chicago Cichlid Association, Cichlid Chatter Reprint Policy
Publication Editors: Save time retyping and request any article via email at chatter@ mskippym.com. Reprints of articles appearing in this publication, unless specifically requested by the author, is permitted for noncommercial use provided that proper credit is given to both the author and this publication. Two copies of the publication containing the reprint should be forwarded to the GCCA at:
Mike Mazurkiewicz
GCCA Chatter Editor
1501 Ostrander Ave
La Grange Park, IL 60526
USA
Greater City Aquarium Society Reprint Policy
Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies are sent to the Exchange Editor of this Magazine.
Stephen and Donna Sica
80-40 223 Street
Hollis Hills, NY 11427
USA
Long Island Aquarium Society
Permission to reprint original articles is hereby granted to other non-profit organizations, provided proper credit is given to both the author and the Long Island Aquarium Society and two (2) copies of the reprint are sent to the editor.
Long Island Aquarium Society
P.O. Box 849
King Park, NY 11754
USA
Nassau County Aquarium Society
Permission to reprint original articles is hereby granted to other non-profit organizations, provided proper credit is given to both the author and NCAS and two (2) copies of the reprint are sent to the editor.
Nassau County Aquarium Society
64 Westwood Road South
Massapequa Park, NY 11762
Pacific Coast Cichlid Association
Pending . . .
Reusing Articles
Most articles are PDF originals submitted by the authoring society. Some articles were scanned and Optical Character Recognized (OCR). OCR is an imperfect process, so you may need to edit the text for incorrect spelling or words. Using Adobe Reader, you can copy text from the PDF to the clipboard and reuse it. If you have a full version of Acrobat, you can save directly to a Word or RTF file. Some page layout programs (Adobe InDesign) can directly place PDFs.
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