Future Meetings and Suggestions

The new presidency will be meeting soon to discuss the future path of the club, as well as to plan out the next six months of meetings.  If you have ideas or suggestions please post them here. I will print out this topic and go over it during the upcoming meeting.

Thanks everyone.

Adam

I don't know how exciting that lecture would be.  For those who haven't heard, I am scheduled as a Headline Speaker for IMAC in June.  That appearance is basically confirmed at this point, and I don't see much chance of it falling through.  That article, and presentation are a little more of hobbyist interest. 

Thanks for the suggestion Will.  I'm not sure how the rest of the club feels, but I would prefer to not present to our club since I think most of you hear enough from me, and are probably tired of listening to me speak.  I'm sure we can find some better presenters.

Adam

I'd be up for a meeting on tank photography. Methods, tips, tricks, editing, framing shots, journal ideas (tracking growth/additions), etc. I know this isn't directly an aquarium topic, but what's the use of having a beautiful tank if you can't share it through pictures? (Other than just sitting in front of it for hours and enjoying it in person!) Is anyone else interested enough in this topic to dedicate a whole meeting to it?

Another interesting meeting topic might be to talk about all of the living things that go into our tanks... Fish, invertabrates, coral, etc. along with compatibility, recommended tank size and water parameters, and local club member experiences and recommendations.

I know not everyone's into small tanks, but I'd personally be interested in a meeting dedicated to nano reefs, maybe discussing everything from filtration and lighting options to tank inhabitants and special small tank considerations for stability.

Another idea might be a meeting for product reviews. We could pick several different types of items and have general group discussions on the brands/types people use in their tanks and their positive/negative experiences. It could be our "Consumer Reports" meeting. Items might include heaters, lights, foods, additives, filters, powerheads, etc.

Then, there are always the general "how to" meetings where we could discuss just about any aspect of setting up or maintaining a marine aquarium.

I'd enjoy a talk on collection techniques. Of course, I would LOVE to go on a group dive trip somewhere to collect some cool corals. Can't we say it's to fuel the WMAS Propagation Project and do a fundraiser or something?

Edited by dianatabor

I have one more idea, and I'd actually be willing to talk about this one...

We could have a meeting all about marine aquascaping (a.k.a. aquarium design).

We could start by covering the basics of tank layout (what to put where, according to lighting, compatibility, water movement, etc.).

Then, we could move onto some more advanced techniques and tips to add impact and tank interest. Rock, corals, invertabrates, and fish can all be used as mixed media as we create our marine masterpieces. We could cover artistic rock selection/arrangement and using show pieces, shapes, textures, and colors to add visual interest. We could also discuss various coral arrangement techniques to make the most of what we have, including grouping (all zoos, sponges, or 'shrooms together), layering (tall specimens with bright requirements over short lower-light specimens), and scattering (greatest impact from quantity).

We could even look at pictures of some of our local tanks and have the owner explain why they chose that design, what they would change (if anything), and what they would recommend to others.

By combining a little creativity and personal preference with a basic understanding of arrangement options, anyone can create a visually appealing tank that will make people stop and say "Wow!"

What do you think?

Jared - you now can pay your dues via paypal. Click the link on the left  "about wmas", then there is a link to pay online.

Edited by ssilcox

WoooHooooooo!!!!
I am a Paid Member!  Now you are all going to get the opinions that I've been holding back!

Jake one comment: 
It was difficult to use the payment link because it kept me in the wmas frameset.  I want to see the https:// and the little lock in my status bar.  I was going to go on and pay anyway but the paypal transaction had a cookie problem and croaked.  When I linked into the payment page outside the frame set everything worked fine.

Congrats on joinin' up Jared, and thanks again for the 'shroom bits, starting to shape out already.

If it's true that only 1/4 of the club members are here on this board, would there be any interest in a Question and Answer session?  Maybe have a panel of people who would offer answers/opinions on any question, but most of the answers and discussions would come from the group at large.  Kind of an organized bull session.  I would like to get to know and learn from the 3/4 that aren't here.

Edited by jfinch

I like the DIY acrylic bit.  And maybe something on specialty tanks--like sea horses, and predator/agressive tanks?

DVadar, this was done just two meetings ago. Haven't seen you at the meetings lately...time to renew

Here is a run down to give you some info.

Acclimation can be as quick as gently setting fish and water into a small container next to the tank and lifting the fish with a clean hand out of the container into the tank. (this is what I do) Water temperature may not be so important as we think for several good reasons that I won't go into unless you ask.

If the organism has been in the LFS bag for more than a couple hours there is a toxicity issue which makes it best to do the quick procedure above. Jake can explain this really well if you ask.

At the other end of the "acclimation spectrum" is slowly dripping tank water into the bag or container until the volume is doubled and then setting the bag/container in the water to release it.

It is VERY important to know whether the fish were in coppered water at the LFS. If so, do Not add that water to the tank.

But Do add water that comes with inverts/coral because that adds biodiversity of bacteria, etc. to your tank

Nets are damaging to fish scales and gills so I've stopped using nets whenever possible.