Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, October 14th @ 7:30PM

Speaker: Terri from Vandermeer Nursery in Ajax will be speaking on Pond/Water Garden care

“In 1991 I was gifted my very first aquarium and made every newbie mistake there was. Over the next few years I learned a lot, acquired several more aquariums, dabbled in breeding, and became involved in several online message boards. I began my koi keeping adventure in 1996 when my husband and I dug our first pond, designed our first DIY filter system, and purchased our very first Koi. Learning about Koi and ponding was immensely enjoyable for me personally as I've always been intrigued by ecology/biology, and chemistry. There was so much to take in, again I became involved in several online message boards, meeting many Koi-Kichi to 'soak up the knowledge' they had to share. In early spring of 2003 I attended my first Koi show in Orlando Florida where I met Mat McCann of Quality Koi Company and his guest Lucy, an Evolution Aqua sales rep., as well as Brady Brandwood of Lotus Land Koi farm. A few months later my husband and I registered Canadian Koi & Pond as a business and began our journey into the pond and water garden retail industry as EA's Canadian distributor and LLKF exclusive Canadian dealer. After several years of hard work, many ups and some downs, in 2010 I chose to close Canadian Koi & Pond to allow more time spent with our 3 young growing children. I was hired into Vandermeer Nursery's pond and water garden department in March of 2011, which is where I still work today as the deptartment manager.”

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Annual Contest Results 2024-2025

Contest 1: BAP (Breeder Award Program) had 20 submissions this year and congratulations go to Keith Davy who won with 85 points! Keith gets a gift certificate to Kowloons, one of our amazing sponsors!

Contest 2: Blue Fish Contest had many submissions and a draw was made. Keith Davy’s name was drawn and he graciously asked for another name to be drawn, so congratulations to Paul McIntosh who also receives a gift certificate to one of our sponsors!

Contest 3: AHAP (Aquatic Horticulture Award Program) had some troubles getting off the ground this past year so we put it on hold. Watch for it this September though as we work through the kinks!

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Meetings are in person at Anderson CVI

400 Anderson St, Whitby, ON L1N 3V6

Paid DRAS members can access the talk on zoom if unable to make it in person (zoom waiting room enabled).

NEW** This meeting will be recorded and can be sent to paid DRAS members who are unable to watch live!

PLUS:

monthly auction

Fish in a Bag Game

Upcoming Meetings/Events

Monthly Meetings

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Annual Dinner Date TBD

Items available at monthly meetings

Sera Vipan Flake (bulk food from Angelfins)

This flake is a mix of earthworm, vitamin booster and egg fish flakes and it is designed to produce speedy growth of your juvenile fish.

1 pound (453 g)= $40

225 g = $20

100 g= $10

Please reach out to Tim McCaskie before hand if interested as only so much is brought to each meeting.

Fish Bags

Preorders encouraged to ensure availability

Sizes and $ are as follows:

25 - 2 mL 4 x 10” $2

50 - 2 mL 6 x 14” $6

25 - 2.25 mL 8 x 18” $4

25 - 2.25 mL 10 x 20” $5

Contest 1:
BAP Contest Running until our June meeting $100 Gift card

BAP CONTEST RULES:

1. You must be a paid member

2. Fill out the form https://www.dras.ca/conservation to enter

3. Points are awarded using the BAP point system

4. Fish must be added to the BAP (BAP rules apply)

5. If you have already bred that species for BAP you can still get the points for that species for the contest

6. There will be a separate section for points then BAP on the website

7. Advertise on our fb page or band what fish you are bringing in to try get more money for your fish and draw people in

   If you have any questions you can email contact.dras@gmail.com
   

Contest 2:
Best Tank Contest Running until our June meeting $100 Gift card

BEST TANK RULES:

1.     Eligibility and How to Enter

• Open to all club members in good standing

• Three entries per household

• Send a video that shows you with your tank(s) to contact.dras@gmail.com in order to prove the tank is yours and at your home

• Also email a photo that can be printed and used for judging purposes

• Each entry will receive a number in order to remain anonymous during judging

2.     Aquarium Size/Type

• Tank can be any size

• Freshwater or saltwater

3.     Aquarium Setup

There are no restrictions other than the following:

• Fish must be healthy, well-cared-for, and suitable for the size of the aquarium (at the discretion of the Executive)

• No harmful or invasive species (as per the Ontario Invasive Species Act)

4.     Judging Process

The contest will take place during the Year-End Club Meeting in June 2026 from 7pm, when the doors open, to 8pm, when the meeting starts

• The winners will be announced before the end of the meeting

• All members will participate in judging by voting for their favorite tank

• Members can only vote once, and they should not vote for their own tank

• Photos will be numbered to ensure anonymity

 5.     Judging Criteria

Members should consider the following when choosing their favourite tank:

• Aesthetic Appeal: Visual harmony, design, creativity etc.

• Aquarium Health: Water clarity, plant health, fish wellbeing etc.

• Aquarium Knowledge: Proper fish and plant species selection, equipment choice

• Maintenance & Cleanliness: Overall cleanliness and organization of the tank

6.     Prizes

• Prize of a $100 gift card to a sponsor of your choice will be awarded to the First-Place winner

7.     Deadline

• All entries must be submitted by the May Monthly meeting

These rules keep things clear, fair, and easy to follow, with a focus on both creativity and tank health.

If you have any questions you can email contact.dras@gmail.com

Contest 3:
AHAP Contest Running until our June meeting $100 Gift card

AHAP RULES:

1. You must be a paid member

2. Fill out the form https://www.dras.ca/conservation to enter

3. Plant must be added to the AHAP (AHAP rules apply)

4. If you have already received points for that species for AHAP you can still receive points for that species for the contest

5. There will be a separate section for points then AHAP on the website

6. Advertise on our fb page or band what plants you are bringing in to try get more money for your plants and draw people in
   
   If you have any questions you can email contact.dras@gmail.com