Friday, September 14th at 8 pm
Adam Leff, DVM, MS, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Kent State University will present his recent research on aquarium additive products that claim to aid in the nitrogen cycling of a tank. In his presentation, titled “Bacteria and the Nitrogen Cycle in Aquarium Systems: A Look at the Efficacy of Aquarium Supplements,” Dr. Leff will focus on the microbiology of biofiltration, with emphasis on the bacteria involved in nitrogen cycling. The talk will attempt to answer the following questions:
- What bacteria are involved in the nitrogen cycle of an aquarium system?
- What are the characteristics of these bacteria?
- What happens to these bacteria when the system is perturbed (in other words, when things go bad, why do they go bad quickly?)
- How can you optimize your aquarium system to achieve maximal “biofiltration”
- Do aquarium additive products that claim to increase the biological filtration and aid in the nitrogen cycling of a tank really work?
September’s Bowl Show:
Goodeids
AO New World Cichlids
Pairs (male/female)
Bio for Dr. Leff 
Adam Leff, DVM, MS
Dr. Leff received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and his Masters of Science degree in Medical Microbiology from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. His research focus at Georgia involved the immune response of Channel Catfish to the protozoan parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. He has been an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences for the past 23 years at Kent State University. While at Kent, his research focus has been in the field of aquatic microbiology including research studies on the microbiological cause of black shell disease in crayfish, the interaction of environmental bacteria with aquatic macroinvertebrates, and the bacterial composition of leachate from shredded tire landfills. Dr. Leff teaches a variety of courses at Kent State including Microbiology, Ichthyology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Medical Histology. He has been an aquarium hobbyist since he was eight years old.
June 2018 
Pat Hartman has been keeping fish for over 40 years. Although not a founding member, he has been a member of the Southwestern Michigan Aquarium Society (SWMAS) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, since early 1979, and is active with the Grand Valley Aquarium Club (GVAC) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
in conjunction with the 4th International Symposium on Viviparous Fishes and jointly with the Goodeid Working Group meeting, Pat visited the Fish Ark and collected Goodeids in the wild. He made his second trip to Mexico in February 2017 as a part of the First ever NAGWG Goodeid Study Tour.
