Gatortailale

Spring 2005 Frag Swap Location: Penn State University Whitmore Lab (rooms 105C and 106) State College, PA 16801 Cost: NCPARS Members - Free Non-Members - $10 $15 for an entire household. Membership signup available at the event. Event Schedule: (12:00pm to 4:00pm) * Frag Swapping: 12:00pm - 4:00pm * DIY Demo: 2:00pm

International Certification for the Quality and Sustainability of Marine Aquarium Organisms . from Reef to Retail MAC News 1st Quarter 2005 Director's Note The MAC News for the 4th Quarter of 2004 had already been finalized before the devastating tsunami of 26 December occurred. Fortunately, the immediate crisis and its aftermath have been, and continue to be, responded to with support for disaster relief and rebuilding. Although the images of the tragedy are fading from media attention and public view, it is important to keep in mind the relationship of the marine aquarium trade and hobby with the reefs, fisheries, collectors and communities in these areas - and similar areas in other developing countries with coral reefs. Coastal villagers in developing tropical countries, such as those affected by the tsunami, often survive in difficult, sometimes very marginal, living conditions. Ensuring that the marine aquarium fishery is responsible, safe and economically viable can be an important part of ensuring fishers and their families in these areas have sustainable livelihoods based on environmentally sound income generation. A marine aquarium trade based on sustainable use and conservation is also important in maintaining the health and functioning of coral reefs. Healthy coral reefs not only sustain a responsible marine ornamental fishery, and other well-managed subsistence or commercial use of renewable resources, but they are also critical in building beaches and buffering coastal areas from the impacts of the storm waves, hurricanes and tsunamis, as was seen in the events of December 2004. A sustainable trade and responsible hobby can provide incentives for maintaining healthy reefs and value-added fisheries that are important to the viability of the kinds of tropical coastal communities that became so well known to the world at the beginning of 2005. MAC Is working with the marine ornamentals industry and hobby to respond to the challenges and opportunities that this presents. MAC programs, such as the Marine Aquarium Market Transformation Initiative (MAMTI).described below, focus on building the capacity of communities and collectors in the Philippines and Indonesia that supply so many of the marine ornamentals in trade. COMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATION MAC Ad and Article Series Continues in Tropical Fish Hobbyist The productive relationship between MAC and Tropical Fish Hobbyist (TFH) magazine has continued with the series of quarterly ads featuring statements and photos from renowned marine aquarium keeping experts, and the series of quarterly articles related to MAC. The full-page ads, in space donated by TFH, are centred on the theme "Healthy Reefs, Healthy Fish, Healthy Hobby" and have featured photography and the following quotes by J. Charles Delbeek, Julian Sprung and Martin Moe: - J. Charles Delbeek: "As marine aquarists, it is our responsibility to ensure that our hobby conserves the reef ecosystems that provide us with many of the animals for our aquariums. We can do this by supporting the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) and the suppliers of MAC Certified organisms." (TFH, September, 2004) - Julian Sprung: "People involved in the marine aquarium hobby, reef aquarium keepers in particular, are very conscious of the natural environment and concerned about how their hobby might affect it. Our hobby has the potential to protect areas of wild habitat when the economic incentive of a thriving fishing industry is matched with a conservation ethic that promotes the use of environmentally sustainable harvest practices. Your support of the Marine Aquarium Council promotes this positive relationship." (TFH, January, 2005) - Martin Moe: "The hobby of keeping marine life in home aquariums teaches us many things. It gives us insight into the beauty and incredible biological diversity of the coral reef environment. It teaches us about the fragility and complexity if life in the sea, and above all, it inspires our respect and admiration and creates a desire to protect and preserve these wellsprings of aquatic life. But how can we be a part of the solution to the problems that beset our coral reefs and not contribute to the immense problems that face these fragile environments? The Marine Aquarium Council has taken on this daunting task and deserves our support and encouragement. The future of our hobby depends on it." (TFH, April, 2005) Public Aquarium Resource Kit Available, with Video Featuring "Voice of Nemo" The MAC Public Aquarium Resource Kit CD with resource tools to use in raising public, hobbyist and industry awareness about issues in the marine ornamentals trade and the benefits of MAC Certified marine aquarium organisms is available. The kit includes seven exhibit panels in high resolution pdfs. Also on the CD are: the MAC hobbyist brochure in five languages, the MAC card on responsible aquarium keeping, photo image examples from the MAC photo library, the MAC Certified example label, a special web version of the MAC logo for cross-linking purposes, two camera-ready ads, lesson plans, the 8-page MAC booklet for industry in five languages, the MAC booklet for hobbyist and selected fact sheets and FAQs. The Resource Kit CD also contains mpeg4 versions of the MAC 5-minute and 60-second public service announcements that feature Alexander Gould, the voice of Nemo in Finding Nemo. The PSAs summarize the marine ornamentals collection and trade story . from Reef to Retail and encourage a responsible hobby through MAC Certification. Please contact info@aquariumcouncil.org to obtain a copy of the CD. INDONESIA AND PHILIPPINES UPDATE Marine Aquarium Market Transformation Initiative (MAMTI) Program Begins In early 2005, following nearly three years of efforts, MAC and key partners have achieved support for MAC Certification and supply development work in the Philippines and Indonesia from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), an inter-governmental program of the World Bank, UN Development Fund (UNDP) and UN Environment Program (UNEP) for addressing global issues, including biodiversity conservation. The MAC project is entitled the "Marine Aquarium Market Transformation Initiative (MAMTI)" and will be implemented through a partnership of MAC, Reef Check and the Conservation and Community Investment Forum (CCIF), under the guidance of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank. The MAMTI project provides GEF support of USD 6.6 million over 5 years in Indonesia and the Philippines. MAMTI expands on MAC's existing efforts in these countries. The program will provide capacity building for marine ornamentals collectors to become certified and to improve their business skills and the development and operation of their small enterprises and cooperatives. Capacity building and training is also undertaken with community stakeholders, assisting them to work with collectors and other stakeholders to develop and implement certified ecosystem management plans. As part of the latter, scientific assessment and monitoring of the collection areas will be conducted, contributing to management planning to ensure the health of harvest areas through marine protected areas and reef rehabilitation. Indonesian Collectors and Exporters Prepare for Assessment In Indonesia, a group of collectors and exporters have been preparing for the first-ever "pre-assessment" leading up to plans for a formal Certifier visit. As such, everyone is feeling a little nervous and wondering: How strict will the assessors be? What will they ask? Some outsiders express the opinion that Indonesia may be too backward or corrupt for certification to work. Others say that if collectors and exporters in the Philippines - a country not too dissimilar from Indonesia in many ways - can become certified, then achieving certified status is certainly possible in Indonesia as well. There are also concerns due to the language barriers, high costs of importing even basic equipment, and the huge distances between collection areas within the country. There are already reports from some exporters that the quality of ornamental fish from collectors and suppliers involved in MAC's training program has improved significantly. These small but important changes are showing that the situation can and will improve with targeted efforts. Indications are that the certification of the first few exporters and the people who supply them is likely to have a significant positive impact on the trade in Indonesia. Once MAC Certified marine organisms start entering the market from Indonesia, it will be clear that the issues of destructive collection practices, high mortality rates, dive-related injuries and poorly trained and equipped collectors can be dealt with. Indonesian Collectors Actively Manage and Protect Their Reefs Capacity building for collectors to help them understand coral reef issues, reef management and how to form collectors cooperatives has helped collectors to take a more active role in managing their reefs. Representatives of the collectors attended the first Collection Area Management Plan (CAMP) meeting at Pejarakan village of North Bali in January. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure that the collectors group reviewed and revised the CAMP document, which they subsequently brought into the village meeting in February. During this meeting, the collectors discussed the management plan with village representatives, and identified proposed no-take areas within the CAMP. Capacity building for collectors in reef management has also helped them to take a more active role in protecting their reefs in very practical ways. The coral reefs of the Pejarakan collection areas were hit by an outbreak of the coral eating Crown-of-thorns starfish (COT), Acanthaster planci), that can decimate live coral cover. The collectors group, consisting of more than 30 fishermen, conducted a clean-up action to try to prevent further outbreaks of COT. The fishermen gathered over 3000 COTs off the reef, took them ashore and buried them as part of the management effort to protect the health of the reef areas harvested by the collectors. PACIFIC UPDATE Improvements in Live Rock Assessment and Management Under Development The MAC Pacific team is working with the industry, communities and other stakeholders in Fiji to develop and test improved methods for assessing live rock resources, creating management plans for collection areas and managing live rock extraction practices, following on from Fiji workshops on the coral and live rock trade in 2004. They conducted the initial research by familiarizing themselves with the techniques of live rock collection, observing village collectors and conducting interviewing collectors on their expertise in identifying the collectable live rock. In the second step, the live rock was examined, weighed and categorized after it had been delivered to a facility for screening and curing before export. MAC participated in several multi-stakeholder workshops that were conducted to develop improvements to methods for assessing and managing live rock. A first comprehensive live rock assessment using the revised methods was carried out at a collection site along the Viti Levu coast near Suva, Fiji in partnership with the company operating in that area, Water Life Exporters Fiji Ltd (WEF) and with active involvement of the company and enthusiastic assistance from the collectors in the community. The assessment was designed to provide baseline Information as a requirement for the development of a Collection Area Management Plan (CAMP), initiate MAQTRAC monitoring with recommendations for an on-going Monitoring Assessment and improve the site-based resource management of live rock collection. Canadian Supported Pacific Marine Ornamental Certification Project comes to a close The Marine Ornamentals Certification project, funded by the Canadian-South Pacific Ocean Development program, administered by the South Pacific Forum Secretariat and implemented by MAC, came towards the end of its project cycle in late 2004. Through the generous support of the Canadian government significant progress has been made in beginning to harness market forces to transform the marine ornamentals industry in the four targeted Forum Island countries of Fiji, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Vanuatu into one based on quality and sustainable use of coral reefs. The project achieved greatest success in Fiji where all five marine ornamentals companies have signed the MAC Statement of Commitment. One of the companies had been MAC Certified and another is very close to achieving MAC Certification. Three other companies in Fiji are committed to becoming certified and have made, to varying degrees, substantial efforts towards this. In Vanuatu, Cook Islands, and Solomon Islands, all operating companies in each country also signed the MAC Statement of Commitment and/or made similar levels of progress towards certification. MAC continues to work with these Pacific countries, and others, to the extent that resources are available and there is interest on the part of the companies. NORTH AMERICA and EUROPE UPDATE Sea Dwelling Creatures becomes MAC Certified Importer In March 2003, Sea Dwelling Creatures (SDC) achieved MAC Certified status following assessment by the MAC Accredited certifier Shizen Megumi Pacific Certification Services Ltd. The certification of Los Angeles-based SDC raises the number of wholesale facilities in the North America that meet the MAC Standards to five importers. As always, please check the "Stay Updated" section on the MAC homepage at www.aquariumcouncil.org for the only official and up-to-date listing of MAC Certified suppliers. MAC at Global Pet Expo in Orlando John Brandt, MAC Board member, represented MAC at the new Global Pet Expo (March 13-15, Orlando, Florida) and staffed the MAC booth. In a show of support for MAC, booth space was provided by the show's organizers American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). Pet Industry Stresses the Need for Voluntary Performance Standards In the discussion on 'Trends and issues that may affect the industry in 2005' (Pet Product News, January, 2005), Bob Vetere, Chief Operating Office and Managing Director of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) highlighted that "The industry must be smart enough to have standards of performance that are voluntarily adhered to. Self regulation within the industry is critical and never more so than right now." In the same article, Marshall Meyers, Executive Vice President, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) also noted that: "With continued growth, increased regulation is likely with respect to the live animal sector." MAC Presentation at Meerwasser Symposium, Germany Christiane Schmidt delivered a presentation on MAC Certification at the premier gathering of marine aquarists in Germany, the Meerwasser Symposium (Lunen, 11-13 March). Schmidt, formerly employed in the marine aquarium wholesale trade, is currently based in Germany and is working to increase MAC's efforts with importers and retailers in Europe. MAC Information Presented in Russia Aquarium fish expert Gerald Bassleer presented lectures at the International Aquarist Conference and the 5th Marine Aquaristic Professionals Seminar (5-6 February) that included information on MAC Certification, especially as it relates to acclimation and fish health. Bassleer has also included information on MAC in the latest edition of "Diseases in Marine Aquarium Fish: Causes, symptoms, treatment" (See MAC IN THE NEWS, below). OTHER NEWS World Aquaculture Society (WAS) and MAC MAC and the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) are increasingly interacting on a number of levels. Many WAS members are reviewing and commenting on the draft MAC Standard for Mariculture and Aquaculture (MAM) that are nearing completion. MAC will be presenting the MAM Standard at the World Aquaculture 2005 Conference (May 9-13, Bali, Indonesia), where MAC's Certification Systems Director, Peter Scott, will also be presenting the results of efforts undertaken from 2002-2004 to develop standards for the Live Reef Food Fish Trade. At the World Aquaculture 2004 Conference, which was held in conjunction with Marine Ornamentals 04 in Honolulu, Hawaii (March, 2004), the WAS generously donated the WAS '04 excess conference bags that remained after the event. We are very grateful for this donation to MAC who is distributing the bags to participants in the MAC "Training of Trainers" program (described in previous issues of the MAC News) and to the collector who are participating in training in the Philippines. MAC IN THE NEWS "From Cyanide to a Safe and Sustainable Trade in Indonesia". Sylvia Spalding, Ron Lilley and Paul Holthus. Tropical Fish Hobbyist. March 2005: 74-76. "Healthy Reefs, Healthy Fish, Healthy Hobby". Martine Moe (MAC ad). Tropical Fish Hobbyist. April 2005: 133. "Q and A". **** Stratton. Tropical Fish Hobbyist. April 2005: 36. "Improving Marine Ornamental Collection in Asia and the Pacific: Sustainable Fishing for a Sustainable Hobby" Paul Holthus. Proceedings of 7th Internationales Meerwasser Symposium (11-13 Mar, 2005, Lunen, Germany), pages 101-104. "Gesunde Fisch + gesunde Riffe = Gesundes Hobby + gesunder Handel". (MAC ad). Proceedings of 7th Internationales Meerwasser Symposium (11-13 Mar, 2005, Lunen, Germany), page 100. [in German] "The better aquarium: lights, coral - no cyanide". Mark Clayton. Christian Science Monitor. Jan 13, 2005. "L'aquariophilie et le commerce des poissons d'ornement." Michel Hignette, Aquarium du Musee National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Oceanie. Journal de la Societe Zoologique de France (in press). [in French] Success Like Never Before: The New Marine Aquaria in the Classroom". Sylvia Spalding. Marine Scene (Quarterly Publication of MASNA), Winter 2004. "Diseases in Marine Aquarium Fish: Causes, symptoms, treatment". Gerald Basseler. 96 pages. [MAC Certification on page 23] The Most Beautiful Aquariums of the World. Nilsen, A.J. and S.A. Fossa. 2004. Tectum Publishers, Antwerp, Belgium, 176 pp. ISBN: 90-76886-09-1 www.svein.no/author/author_interiorbook.htm. [MAC Certification mentioned in introduction (pages 6-8); and on page 111] [in English, French and Dutch] "Six Reasons to Invest in MAC Certification: A Retailer's Perspective". Sylvia Spalding. PETS International Magazine. December 2004: 69, 71. "Een gecertificeerde handel in tropische mariene aquariumsoorten". Paul Holthus. Ecologie and Ontwikkeling. NC-IUCN 2004 no. 65: 44-47. [in Dutch] "Fang en

Sweet pics. Thanks for posting & sharing. Where did you spell anemone wrong? (mod powers - I got your back :D ) Clown looks happy in the Rose

Meeting is Saturday May 14, 2005 - Larry Granier Xenia (2-3 frags) - it pulses - $free - Purple tip Monti. digita frags (5+ frags) - free - Green Monti digita frags (5+ frags) - free - VAreefman purple/blue cap (5 frags) - $20 each [recommend 20k lights] Under 400w 20k xm now. John kept it under radium when I got it from him - Iceman orange cap - (2 frags) - $20 each Borneman anemone 3 of them (green center / brown tents. - do NOT host clowns) - $25 each Will have to see what else I have All frags will be fresh cut day of meeting except for xenia which should be attached to small rocks or other stuff On hold so far - - BeltwayB - 1 blue/purple cap - Austin - Blue/purple cap

Happy Spring All! WHAT'S NEW? We received two shipments of corals in this week including lots of Star Polyps, Plate's, Long-Tentacle Plates, Xenia, Maze and Favia Brains, Euphillya's, lots more leathers, mushrooms, polyps, orange and red sponges and some nice yellow Sea Finger gorgonians. We also received in some nice smaller Flame angels, some Kole tangs, a Jewel damsel, and a couple cute Green Banded gobies great for smaller reef tanks. We are also expecting a shipment of Button Colony Fiji Live Rock this Friday. This rock has an assortment of orange, green and sometimes red zoanthids covering each piece so it makes a great splash of color to fill in an empty space. WHAT'S ON SALE? PurpleUp is still on sale at 10% off, great for those of you who are looking for a coralline algae booster. Instant Ocean 50-gallon bags and 160-gallon buckets are still on sale at 10% off. Visi-Therm heaters are still discounted at 20% off (excludes 25watt). Tahitian Moon sands are 20% off as well as Skilter Filter 400's. All sizes of Seachem Renew are 20% off. We also have an assortment of corals discounted 10-20% off including various leathers, LPS, mushrooms and polyps so stop by this weekend and check out the new and sale items! DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that a small water change may be better for your tank than a larger one? Small, frequent and regular water changes will keep the water in your tank more stable, clean and healthy. Water changes replenish the trace elements, dilute nitrate and help keep the pH and alkalinity stable. If you are doing large changes after long intervals your water may already be depleted of important trace elements, be dangerously high in nitrates and have a low pH. Over time your aquarium critters adjust to these conditions gradually. If you do a large water change you may bring the water parameters back to normal all within a few minutes. Your aquarium life may not be able to acclimate to this drastic change in water quality in such a short period of time. If you change a small amount, say 10% of the water on a regular, frequent basis, say every other week your animals may barely notice any change and live much happier, healthier and longer lives. Do you know if your water change schedule stressing out your fish and inverts? Hope to see you in this weekend! Melissa Sutton Assistant Manager The Marine Scene 293 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 (703)689-2815 www.marinescene.com

NorthEast Reef Aquarium Conference NERC Website 2005 is the Inaugural year for NERAC. NERAC will be held at Atlantis Marine World Aquarium, which is home to the largest indoor reef aquarium in the Americas. Seminars from at least six world renown speakers will be covering all the latest techniques, information and research on marine aquarium fish, corals and invertebrates. NERAC is designed to be a very intimate conference. No need to worry about missing a guest speaker session. All registries will have the opportunity to see each speaker on two separate occasions. If by chance you do miss one. DVD's of each presentation will be available in one complete set. NERAC is limited to the first 300 registries. This is to assure all attending the opportunity to see all speaker sessions. over a two day period. Meet with them socially, see exhibits by some of the foremost manufacturers and dealers in the aquarium hobby, and get some great deals on conference specials., while surrounded by wonderful aquarium displays. Check out all the NERAC Vendors for LOW PRICES AND GREAT SHOW SPECIALS. EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES, LIVE CORALS FOR SALE RAFFLE PRIZES!! Atlantis Behind the Scenes Tour BOOK NOW! CONFERENCE IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 300 REGISTERED PEOPLE

TGI Friday! We are hiring! We are currently seeking a full time candidate for The Marine Scene. This is an entry level position with the intent of this person to train and develop into a managerial position. Our managers earn an excellent salary with paid vacation, 401K, company paid health plan, generous discounts and performance based bonuses. If you are interested in a fun, busy and educational work experience, don't hesitate to give us a call. If you would like to be considered please fax, e-mail or bring in your resume or work history. WHAT'S NEW? A large shipment of corals arrived Thursday containing lots of really nice mushroom and polyp rocks, large and small Favia brains, a Blue Xenia rock, a beautiful branching Black Sun coral, some orange Sun corals, and lots of new leathers. We also received an Eightline wrasse and a trio of Pajama cardinalfish was dropped off on Tuesday. WHAT'S ON SALE? For those of you who are looking for a coralline algae booster, try PurpleUp which is on sale at 10% off. AragAlive Live sand is 10% off. Instant Ocean 50-gallon bags and 160-gallon buckets are 10% off. Lee's Gravel Vac is 10% off. Visi-Therm heaters are still discounted at 20% off (excludes 25watt). We also have an assortment of corals discounted 10-20% off so stop by this weekend and check out the new and sale items! DID YOU KNOW? Did you know our "weekend" sales are not only Saturday to Sunday, but actually start when we open on Friday! Rare and unusual corals sell fast, so for those of you who wait to come in on Saturday, get a head start and visit us on Friday. Hope to see you in this "weekend"! Melissa Sutton Assistant Manager The Marine Scene 293 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 (703)689-2815 www.marinescene.com

SPS Super Sale Starting Friday Until Sunday $49.00EA/2 For $89.00/3 For $119.00/4 For $139.00 New Fish Arrived Hippo Tangs Labouti Fairy Wrasse (eating) Lemonpeel Mimic Tangs Hybrid Angels Regal Angel Flame Angels New Clams Expected Friday http://www.reefstore.com http://www.dcreefs.com

ANNUAL CMAS SPRING SEMINAR See for details: CMAS-MD.org site On April 3rd 2005 we will hold our annual spring event. This is an all day event featuring 2 speakers, food, vendors, large raffle, etc. This year we will feature: Steve Tyree from Reeffarmers and Dynamic Ecomorphology and his topic will be Stony Corals and Their Needs http://www.dynamicecomorphology.com http://www.reeffarmers.com Steve has written many books and has been known for his Limited Edition corals. You can read more about him at http://www.dynamicecomorphology.com/ Sanjay Joshi from Penn State University and his topic will be Shedding Light on Metal Halide Lighting Sanjay has become an authority in spectral analysis of metal halide bulbs and effectiveness of reflectors. Sanjay has written many articles for online magazines such as Reef Keeping and Advance Aquarist just to name a few. Sanjay also runs the Penn State Aquarium You can read more about him at http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/s/b/sbj4/ Food We will supply a light breakfast, coffee, water and soft drinks Food will be catered by Beefalo Bobs which will include pit beef, pit turkey, pit ham, and a few side dishes. Cost Cost for this event will be: preregister for paid members $25 at the door for paid members $30 non members $35 preregister seminar+ membership $35 at the door seminar+ membership $40 We ask that everyone preregister because we need an accurate head count for the catering services. Schedule 9:00: doors open- sign in 10:00: first speaker 11:30: break for socializing and lunch 1:00: second speaker 2:30: break for socializing 3:00: raffle 4:00: adjourn ** tentative schedule subject to change** Location This meeting will be held at the Bureau of Utilities in Columbia. Directions are HERE Vendors Geocorals Geocorals Chideloh Chideloh More to come If you're interested in becoming a vendor please contact Tom DiNoto at tjd101754@comcast.net Raffle Items Some sponsors who have donated to the raffle: Seaswirl 3/4" seaswirl Clamsdirect $100 gift certificate DrMac 4 $25 gift certificates FloridaPets live stock PremiumAquatics fragging pliers, forceps, tongs, 4 $5 gift certificates Kentmarine suppliments Marine Enterprises 10 test kits Roozens 10 cleaner shrimp HouseOfTropicals 2 $50 gift certificates ExoticAquatics 4 $50 gift certificates OceanEncounter 175w 14000K EVC Tech metal halide bulb FarmsAtTheSea 4 $40 cift certificates Jeff Haddock (NAGA) custom made sump Mike, Tori Twigg (Mike& Tori) suppliments If you would like to donate an item to the raffle please contact Tom DiNoto at tjd101754@comcast.net and more to follow Registration Flyers have been mailed. For those who want to register now you can email Carl Huntley at cmasmembership@comcast.net Or use this form which is preferred. Print and mail to the address on the form.

The Spring Meeting of The Washington Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) will be on Saturday May 14, 2005 from 1:30-5:00 p.m. at Rock View Elementary School, Kensington, MD (immediately outside Washington, DC). Our featured special guest speakers are: Brandon Ghrist, Environmental Specialist, Artificial Reef Program, Maryland Environmental Service; and WAMAS Member Ben Frable. Brandon will be giving a presentation on the construction of artificial reefs. Ben will be giving a presentation on the history and importance of undersea research habitats & his experience last summer when he won a competition and got to spend a week in FL learing about corals and reefs. Along with Dr. Mac's son Zak, lots of frag swapping, and a great raffle, this is sure to be a meeting NOT to miss! For further information on WAMAS and the Spring Meeting, visit our web site http://www.wamas.org/ Who: W.A.M.A.S. (Washington DC Area Marine Aquarium Society) When: May 14, 2005 (Saturday) Time: 1:30 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. (EST) Where: Rockview Elementary School 3901 Denfeld Avenue Kensington, Maryland Cost: Members - Free / Non-members - $6.00 [Annual Membership = $20 - Individual; $35 - Family] Agenda 1:30 - 2:00 Sign in and Socializing 2:00 - 2:45 Ben Frable - "Importance of Undersea Research & Summer Experience" 2:45 - 3:00 Break 3:00 - 3:30 MACNA update / Club news 3:30 - 4:30 Brandon Ghrist - "Artifical Reefs" 4:30 - 5:00 Raffle 5:00 Adjourn Special guests - Brandon Ghrist - Ben Frable - Dr. Mac's Pacific East Aquaculture Miscellaneous - Light refreshments and snacks will be provided. - Raffle prizes: coral frags; gift certificates; Directions: Directions to Rockview Elementary School From the Beltway 495 Exit Conneticut Avenue, Head North towards Kensington about 3 miles. Conneticut takes a fork at University- stay to the left to remain on Conneticut. Go to the 3rd light which is Denfeld and Turn Left. � If you get to Adams Dr., you need to turn around. The school is immediately on the right hand side. Here's a map from Mapquest Map Link

add carbon if you got any. I had grape calerpa go asex. on me and turn water green. Carbon did the trick. Good luck

This year the trade show at MACNA is going to be bigger than ever. As a way for the Reef keepers to stay in touch with the latest and greatest of the new gear, The directors of this years MACNA have brought the best companies in the hobby in to display their products. Vendors who have already committed include:

The list of speakers is still growing and will include the most interesting and innovative experts in the hobby and the marine sciences/academic community. This years schedule has everything from the authorities on coral, fish, and all of the micro-fauna that lives in the reef, to the most knowledgeable people on the equipment needed to keep the livestock healthy and thriving. In addition, we have lined speakers to talk about K-12 Education in the classroom, Conservation and responsible reef-keeping, & Legislation

The theme of MACNA XVII is "Expanded Horizons" Reef Fishes, Invertebrates and Biotopes Advances in Technologies K-12 Education Reef Conservation and Regulatory Issues The core of the MACNA has always been the hobbyist. Advances in technologies and the Reef Fishes, invertebrates and biotopes tracks will definitely deliver on our core commitment to make this conference a leader. Expanding on this theme, we bring a dedicated track on K-12 education allowing educators, students and hobbyists with children to participate. In addition to the above listed speaker tracks, we also will be offering a track on Reef Conservation and Regulatory Issues. The Pew Oceans Commission has brought to light the serious nature of the challenges facing our world

MACNA XVII September 16-18, 2005 WAMAS member registration The Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) will be hosting the 17th annual Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA XVII), September 16-18, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from the Nation's Capitol. MACNA XVII is North America's largest Saltwater Aquarium Conference with over 25 speaker sessions and the largest indoor exhibit hall of marine livestock, aquarium and technology vendors. The main lecture hall for the conference event can comfortably accommodate over 1000 people, assuring easy access to sessions. This conference is the premier North American marine aquarium event of the year. Learn from the experts. See the latest in technology and systems. Meet the regulators who manage environmental issues. Meet the leaders and moderators of the leading discussion forums including ReefCentral and Reefs.org. Learn how to bring your excitement for reef keeping and marine animals into the classroom! MACNA XVII has something for everyone, including the family. Before and after MACNA we strongly recommend taking advantage of visiting the host city, Washington DC. The Smithsonian, the National Zoo, The White House and the Capitol Building are waiting for you to visit! Don

We are hiring! We are currently seeking a full time candidate for The Marine Scene. This is an entry level position with the intent of this person to train and develop into a managerial position. Our managers earn an excellent salary with paid vacation, 401K, company paid health plan, generous discounts and performance based bonuses. If you are interested in a fun, busy and educational work experience, don't hesitate to give us a call. If you would like to be considered please fax, e-mail or bring in your resume or work history. WHAT'S NEW? Lots of fish and corals arrived this week including some Kole Tangs, an Atlantic Blue Tang, some really nice Ridge Hammers, pink and green Frogspawns and Branching Hammers, lots of Leathers, awesome orange and green Zooanthids, Fiji Ricordeas, Acroporas, Sun Corals, Galaxys and lots more! Our captive bred shipment also arrived which included more clownfish, a couple of Black Seahorses, and more of those nice ORA Acropora Frags. WHAT'S ON SALE? Visi Therm heaters are still discounted at 20% off (excludes 25watt). All Orbit PC light fixtures are still 10% off. Take 10% off each coral with a purchase of a Supplement Set. Prizm Protein Skimmers are 10% off. DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that a protein skimmer can help you maintain water quality? Unlike a mechanical filter, a skimmer removes proteins and other contaminants from the water column before they have a chance to break down into more harmful elements such as ammonia and nitrite. Protein skimmers are designed to fit directly in your sump or to hang on the back of your aquarium so it is easy to choose the best type and size skimmer for your system. Don't forget that a new protein skimmer requires a break-in period of about 1-2 weeks before it reaches optimum performance. During this time you will need to make adjustments to optimize the air-water mix. Changes in performance are caused by the water level of your sump or aquarium, feeding, use of supplements, salinity, and the bio-load. Regular cleaning of collection cup, intakes, air tubes and inside shaft is also required to help keep your skimmer running properly. Do you have a protein skimmer and is it running properly? Hope to see you in this weekend! Melissa Sutton Assistant Manager The Marine Scene 293 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 (703)689-2815 www.marinescene.com

New Corals, Anemones, Fish , Inverts, and Live Rock Arrived This Week Pink and Green Cynaria Corals Large True Rose Anemone Red /Pink Carpet Anemone Purple Base Ritteri Anemone XLG and Healthy Peppermint Shrimp, Emerald Crabs, Snails, Trochus Snails Hermits, Including the Electric Blue Knee Hermits Ultra Maxima Clams http://www.reefstore.com http://www.dcreefs.com ONE OF OUR BEST CUSTOMERS AND "FAMOUS" REEFERS, JOHN NGUYEN A.K.A. VA-REEFMAN, HAS JUST OPENED A NAIL SALON IN LEESBURG, VA THEY HAVE 20% OFF ALL SERVICES THIS MONTH! VICTORIA NAILS AND SPA 300 FORT EVANS RD #105 LEESBURG VA 20176 703-669-1370 103-669-1371

Howdy fish lovers! We are hiring! We are currently seeking a full time candidate for The Marine Scene. This is an entry level position with the intent of this person to train and develop into a managerial position. Our managers earn an excellent salary with paid vacation, 401K, company paid health plan, generous discounts and performance based bonuses. If you are interested in a fun, busy and educational work experience, don't hesitate to give us a call. If you would like to be considered please fax, e-mail or bring in your resume or work history. WHAT'S NEW? A new shipment of fish and coral have arrived including more Black and Gold Damsels and Starks Damsels. Both of these damsels have somewhat aggressive temperaments and are great for aggressive reef tanks or fish only tanks. Some really nice Pagoda ridge corals, Mushrooms, Zooanthids, Green Star Polyps and Long Tentacle Plate corals came in the other day. We also had a customer drop off some Xenia, so for those of you still interested in some nice Long Bar Xenia, make sure to stop on by and pick a piece up...they go fast! WHAT'S ON SALE? Visi Therm heaters are discounted further to 20% off (excludes 25watt). All Orbit PC light fixtures are still 10% off, so if you are looking for an easy, nice looking way to upgrade your lighting, check out our Current USA light fixtures. We are overstocked on leathers, so we are putting all of our leather corals at 20% off! For those of you who enjoy reading and learning more on taking care of a saltwater aquarium and its habitants pick up a new book, they are all 10% off! DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that you don't need to "gravel vac" your reef tank? In fact you may be doing more harm than good with a "gravel vac". Your sand bed has different layers which different levels of toxins accumulate and your micro-organisms feed off of. When you stir up the sand, you end up releasing trapped toxins which could cause your tank to become unstable or even crash your tank. Also, when you apply suction to the bottom of your tank, you are pulling out all sorts of important critters. Think of all the micro-organisms that are such an important part of your tank's ecology. Don't pour them down the drain with the dirty water, keep the good and dump the bad by siphoning out water from the top of the tank. If your sand bed has algae blooming on or in it there are a few different critters that can help clean the algae such as Nassarius and Cerith snails, Sand Sifting starfish, and even hermit crabs can help keep your sand bed looking nice and pretty. So remember, don't vacuum, let the critters take care of that. Hope to see you in this weekend! Melissa Sutton Assistant Manager The Marine Scene 293 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 (703)689-2815 www.marinescene.com

Red Carpet Anemone Blue Carpet Anemone Purple Base w/Yellow Tentacle Ritteri Anemone Large True Red Rose Anemone Green and Orange Cynaria Long Spine Cardinals Green Chromis Electric Blue Hermits Red Hard Tube Worms Plus More! http://www.reefstore.com http://www.dcreefs.com

Sweet pics Leishman. Thanks for posting. Can you get a full tank shot & one of equipment - Last fall / early spring I saw the pics before you filled tank, must of missed any you posted with tank in final resting place. Keep up good work!

New Corals, Fish and Live Rock Just Arrived! This Weekend All SPS Corals Are $25.00 EA!!! http://www.reefstore.com http://www.dcreefs.com

T.G.I.Friday! We are hiring! We are currently seeking a full time candidate for The Marine Scene. This is an entry level position with the intent of this person to train and develop into a managerial position. Our managers earn an excellent salary with paid vacation, 401K, company paid health plan, generous discounts and performance based bonuses. If you are interested in a fun, busy and educational work experience, don't hesitate to give us a call. If you would like to be considered please fax, e-mail or bring in your resume or work history. WHAT'S NEW? Just received a shipment of over 70 corals including some really nice larger Favia Brains, lots of leathers, brightly colored Mushroom and Polyp Rocks, lots of Torch's, and of course lots more! On our fish and invert end, we received more Midas Blennies, Green, Black and Yellow Clown Gobies, a Large Picasso Triggerfish, a juvenile Garibaldi Damselfish, Green Chromis, Purple Lobster, cute little Pom Pom/Boxing Crabs, a Saron Shrimp and again, lots more! WHAT'S ON SALE? Tonga Ridge Live Rock is back on sale at only $6.99 per pound. That is a savings of $1.00 per pound! Visi Therm heaters are still 15% off (excludes 25watt). If you are looking for an easy, nice looking way to upgrade your lighting, check out our Current USA Orbit PC light fixtures which are all 10% off. Also take 10% off all OSI brand flake foods. DID YOU KNOW? All bulbs, whether they are; fluorescent, metal halide, power compact, or V.H.O., need to be replaced. The color you see when you look at a bulb is called its spectrum. All aquarium bulbs have a specific spectrum designed to mimic specific conditions. As bulbs get older the spectrum shifts and the new color the bulb produces is often not one that corals can use for photosynthesis. The corals tend to not survive as well and other problems can arise. In both reef and non-reef tanks, the aging of the bulbs usually causes the growth of algae that is undesirable and can make the tank look unattractive. Most bulbs need to be replaced about every six to nine months; however, some do not last that long while others can last longer. Just because the bulb is still functioning, it does not mean the bulb is still good. Do you know when the last time you changed your bulbs was? Hope to see you in this weekend! Melissa Sutton Assistant Manager The Marine Scene 293 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 (703)689-2815 www.marinescene.com

any other anemones / e-quads in the tank? Nice fish! Keep up good work

This meeting we have Barry Neigut from http://www.clamsdirect.com/ Location: Columbia Bureau of Utilities Directions Time: 7:00PM