Heyo! I'm Nikki (yes, I'm a girl), and I am a first-year member of the WMAS Presidency Council. I'm 28, and I'm married to my awesome husband, Will. We currently live in South Weber, Utah, which is right beside Hill AFB (where we are stationed.)
I've been in the aquarium hobby for as long as I can remember. Most of the time I was in freshwater and bred show guppies, and I entered the saltwater hobby accidentally about 6.5 years ago. The most tanks I've ever had was 11, and I've only been without a tank for very brief periods. I'm not sure what I'd do without an aquarium; it's just a part of who I am.
My favorite part of reefkeeping is actually studying coral diseases and pests. I absolutely love rescuing dying coral, and I run a for-fun website dedicated to teaching others what I learn (www.reefdup.com). I've rescued a few hundred coral (I lost count a long time ago), and it's very rewarding to see what was nearly dead repopulated throughout the hobby.
I currently have a 200g main system (150g display, 50g sump), a ~60g hospital/growout system (40g display, ~20g sump), a ~25g coral quarantine system (20g display, 5g sump), and 3 x 10g fish quarantines. In 2011, we moved our SPS-dominant 200g system across the country (from Ohio to Utah) with almost no losses (even though Delta lost our boxes for a few days).
I always like to say that my main hobby is collecting more hobbies. I'm an avid beader and scuba diver, am rebuilding a 1989 Ford Mustang GT (5.0 engine), enjoy sewing/gardening/reading, and love outdoorsy activities (snowboarding, hiking, camping, offroading). As the saying goes, "Jack of all trades; master of none."Â
My husband and I are both engineers for the Air Force (he's military, and I'm a civilian.) So, that should explain some of the social awkwardness. I will finish my graduate degree in engineering this year, but I plan to start right back to school on a second master's degree.
If you ever need help or have questions, please feel free to contact me. I love helping out, especially when the person I'm helping loves to learn too. I joined WMAS to share some of the knowledge I've gained through the years and across the country and to gain new insight as well.
My favorite piece of jewelry I've made:
My second-favorite piece:
My favorite rescue, before and after:
Another rescue, before and after: