Eugene Zagnitko, MS
RESUME
Summary
- Designed and successfully
implemented methods of long-lasting freshwater aquarium system keeping
without degradation. Different approaches were used to maintain key parameters of system
stability, using the proper levels of decomposed organic substances concentration,
such as: optimal balance between producers and consumers (fishes, plants,
bacteria) of organic and inorganic compounds; a specific assortment of
plants which consume nutrition from water column and from substrate; and
optimal temperature and lighting conditions. This system has been optimally
functioning for more than 3 years.
- Successfully developed methods
of aquarium keeping with minimal maintenance using automatic gravel
cleaning and water filtering system. Such aquariums require no more than
30 minutes per week of maintenance time.
- Designed and implemented
the original substrate-drainage system. The system allows for the removal of organic
debris from the multi-layer substrates with no those substrates disturbance,
providing stability of water and substrate hydrochemical parameters.
- Designed and implemented
a virtually effortless system of automatic water changing.
- Successfully developed methods
of keeping fish tanks free of Compsopogon and Audouinella algae (“black-beard”
algae) by means of restriction of nitrogen. In contrast to widely
used Sears-Conlin method, where phosphates are
restricted, this method provides starving algae in phosphate-containing
tap-water.
- Developed iron-containing
fertilizers based on readily available substances, such as using citric acid
as a chelating agent and ascorbic acid as a reducer. These fertilizers
are less expensive than commercially-available ones and keep iron strictly
in bivalent form.
- Mastered methods of cultivating
various different aquarium plants, in
particular rosette plants (genus anubias, echinodorus,
cryptocorine).
Determined conditions which provide the ideal plant for function as well
as aesthetic qualities: optimal temperature and lighting, water column
height, concentration of carbon dioxide, micro- and macronutrients, iron
(II). Successfully created and used a ferriferous fertilizer formula.
- Developed methods for the
adaptation of difficult to cultivate anubiases (plants which are too large
for tank cultivation, such as hastifolia, gigantea,
heterophylla) to aquarium conditions by means of
grafting on rhizome of small species (nana)
and by selecting proper carbon dioxide concentration for gilletii, gracilis, gabon, which are extremely difficult
to grow when submersed.
- Mastered a technique of
propagating rarely flowering echinodoruses (barthii, portoalegrensis, horemanii,
and others) by dividing a rhizome.
- Determined conditions for
maintaining and promoting the complex spawning activity of various different
fish, characines in particular. Preparing of parents (keeping
them separate and special feeding), temporary changing of chemical parameters
(pH, GH, KH, conductivity) and temperature.
- Mastered a consistent breeding
of Impaichtis kerri (one of the first successful experiments in Russia),
Hemigrammus rhodostomus
and H. bleheru
(a difficult fishes in rearing, demanding selection and special preparation
of parents, having complexities in the growth of young fish), Akanthophtalmus kuhli (the
practice of hormonal injections is the normal method of spawning stimulation,
however, recent natural methods of breeding have been found by significantly
refreshing the water and changing its turbidity).
- Mastered up-to-date methods
of aquarium decoration. Won the first prize at the international contest
of 2001 on a site http://ukrop.info/.
(http://ukrop.info/html/aqua/contest/2001/result.htm)
1999 - 2002. Masan Corp., (
Responsible
for organizing of keeping and breeding fishes, plants propagation, aquarium
decoration.
1995 - 1999. Platon Co, (
Responsible for keeping fishes
and water plants.
1980 - 1995.
- Researched
equilibrium water-salt systems. Built phase diagrams of rear-earth metal
halides – water systems at wide range of parameters.
- Designed
and constructed a special device for investigation of water-salt systems
at temperatures up to 400oC and pressure up to 1000 bar.
- Designed
and constructed apparatus for extraction of biologically active substances
from natural raw material by liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide.
Extracted pepper, cloves, ginger, hops, etc. for the food-processing industry.
Education
1975–1980. Moscow State University, Chemical-Biological
department. MS
List of publications
- Anubias plants for beginners and hobbyists, 2002, http://www.toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/articles/aqua/anubias_en.htm
in Russian http://ukrop.info/html/aqua/plants/anubias/anubias.htm
- Anubias coffeefolia in
- Substrate: Importance of
cleanliness. Some ways of its maintenance, 2001 http://ukrop.info/html/aqua/gravel/drainage/drainage.htm
- Experience of "beard"
extirpation at conditions of phosphates surplus, 2001
- Iron in an aquarium and
something for a feeding of plants, 2001 http://ukrop.info/html/aqua/pmdd/iron.htm
- Creating of automatic water change
system in an aquarium, 2000 http://ukrop.info/html/aqua/water/flowtr/flowtr.htm