Origami January 4, 2023 Share January 4, 2023 ==> ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE<== In accordance with WAMAS Bylaws, the Officers announce the WAMAS Winter 2023 (Annual) Meeting - McLean High School (McLean, VA) - February 4, 2023 (Saturday) The Winter Meeting of The Washington Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) will be on Saturday, February 4, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at McLean High School, 1633 Davidson Road, McLean, VA 22101 IN THE CAFETERIA. (Enter through Door #10 at the back of the school. Parking nearby. See post below.) Members get in free; non-members are $5 each (or join at the door - $20/year). Hilary Jaffe Speaker Biography Hilary is a marine biologist who has had a variety of roles in her career including fisheries biologist, educator, animal trainer, service and maintenance technician, and conservation ecologist. She has also taught AI programs, worked at public aquariums and for the last few years has been creating educational YouTube videos. Hilary has been a hobbyist for 15 years. Starting in freshwater and moving to saltwater aquariums, puffers and Boxfish have always been her favorite. She is currently building a new Red Sea 425 reef tank and also has 2 FOWLR tanks in addition to her mini pig and bearded dragon. Topic: Hobbyist and Public Aquariums: Similarities and Differences Remember the last time you were visiting a public aquarium? What kind of things were you thinking about? As hobbyists, we always want the best for our fish and corals, and often we look to the incredible biodiversity and stunning displays in aquariums like Georgia, Aquarium of the Pacific or the Long Island Aquarium. You might be surprised to learn that there are a lot of similarities between our home aquariums and the large scale public aquariums. This presentation will discuss some of the similarities and differences between home and public aquariums, from skills and experience to equipment and husbandry. ==>> WAMAS Elections <<== This is also our annual meeting. The offices of Vice President and Secretary will be filled at this meeting (two year terms). Nominations are now closed and, whereas we have only one candidate nominated for each office, we will move to fill the offices by acclamation at the meeting to make their election official. Meeting Agenda 1:00 PM Sign-in / socialize 2:40 PM Club business (including elections for Vice President and Secretary) 3:00 PM Speaker: Hilary Jaffe 4:30 PM Raffle! 5:00 PM Adjourn & Clean Up Miscellaneous - food & drink provided Raffle Donations The Plank, microdosing autofeeder from Avast Marine. A $209 value Hurricane Dual Home Reef 5-stage RO+RODI system donated by Air, Water & Ice. A $275 value. One $100 Gift Certificate from Reef Nerd Aquatics! (who will also be on site!) One $50 Gift Certificate from Reef Nerd Aquatics! 1-year subscription Coral Magazine. Donated by Reef2Rainforest Media. TEN chances to win! One 53-ounce tub of Cobalt Aquatics Complete Reef from Cobalt Aquatics. A $70 value. $100 livestock Gift Certificates from Blue Ribbon Koi (two chances to win!) $50 livestock Gift Certificates from Aquahaus (three chances to win!) Mystery Box worth $115 compliments of Supreme Reefs (two chances to win!) The Reef Boxx automatic backup switch from Puddle Aquatics. A $100 value! $50 Gift Certificates from Dr. Mac's Pacific East Aquaculture (five chances to win!) Two 50-gallon bags of AccuraSea salt by Two Little Fishies. A $54 value. (two chances to win!) Two Little Fishies Coral Dip and Foods Pack donated by SaltwaterAquarium.com. A $70 value! Three 5-oz size jars of Chemi-Pure Blue donated by Chemipure. A $50 value! One ME Coral Liquid Supplement Pack donated by SaltwaterAquarium.com. A $30 value! One member-curated Beginner's Coral Fragging Kit donated by WAMAS member, Combat Corals. A $64 value! $25 Gift Certificates from Reef eScape (four chances to win!) Ten assorted frags (worth $47.88 each), also from Reef eScape (ten chances to win!) $50 Gift Certificates from Capital Aquarium (that's five chances to win!) 2-pack of 120 grams of Maxspect Professional Coral Putty, a $40 value (2 chances to win!) Please come back to this thread for meeting updates (including raffle prize updates). Special thanks to theses sponsors. Please support them & say thanks next time you shop with them. You can find their website address by visiting their forum or the sponsor page on the WAMAS website. WAMAS Platinum Sponsors - Air, Water & Ice - AquaHaus - Avast Marine - Blue Ribbon Koi - Capital Aquarium - ChemiPure (Boyd Enterprises) - Dr. Mac's Pacific East Aquaculture - FishnReef.com - Frank's Tanks - ICP-Analysis - MASNA - Maxspect - Premium Aquatics - Puddle Aquatics - Reed Mariculture (Reef Nutrition) - Reef eScape - Reef Nerd Aquatics - Reef2Rainforest Media (Coral Magazine) - SaltwaterAquarium.com - Supreme Reefs WAMAS Banner-Only Sponsors - Cobalt Aquatics - Jellyfish Art - Two Little Fishies 2023 virtual meeting support provided by Eureka Strategic Consulting, Discover the Extraordinary. Sponsors on-site: Reef Nerd Aquatics Aquahaus FishnReef.com Blue Ribbon Koi & Marine Members selling on site: @gws3 @Mr.Chalice @Samayoa @TylerZinck @Combat Corals @ECreefer @dmatt56 @SkiCurtis Watch this space for more information to be made available as it arrives! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 10, 2023 Author Share January 10, 2023 If you're a sponsor or member that would like to sell on-site at the meeting, send me a PM (@Origami) requesting the space. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 10, 2023 Author Share January 10, 2023 Hilary's picture, biographical sketch, and topic/abstract have been updated in the first post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 15, 2023 Author Share January 15, 2023 Leading off our raffe announcements is a big one from longtime WAMAS sponsor, Air, Water & Ice who has generously donated a Hurricane Dual Home/Reef reverse osmosis drinking water PLUS 5-stage RO/DI system. A $275 value, the HURRICANE DUAL HOME / REEF (with Permeate Pump) is a five (5) stage RO/DI (Reverse Osmosis/De-Ionizing) reef keeping system that uses a 75 GPD (Gallons Per Day) FilmTec Membrane for truly great water quality and production rates. This model has been designed from the ground up to provide absolutely pure, lab grade RO/DI water for your reef, while at the same time providing you with a constant supply of exceptionally purified RO drinking water. The permeate pump gives you the extra water pressure needed for the new refrigerators. With (2) separate outputs already provided, you will never have to fuss with the connections, as with other systems. If you want BOTH great drinking water as well as absolutely the best source water upon which to build/maintain your reef tank, the Hurricane Dual Home/Reef setup is for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 18, 2023 Author Share January 18, 2023 Lynn at Reef Nerd Aquatics is donating two Gift Certificates for the raffle. One is for $100 and the other for $50. Thanks, Lynn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 19, 2023 Author Share January 19, 2023 Reef2Rainforest Media has just donated TEN one-year subscriptions to CORAL MAGAZINE to our Annual Meeting raffle! Each subscription is a $37 value and includes both a print copy mailed to your home and access tot heir current Digital Edition. Hailed by critics as “the world’s best reefkeeping magazine,” CORAL is written by leading aquarium experts and marine biologists, lavishly illustrated with breathtaking images, and filled with ideas and inspiration for beginning to expert reefkeepers. Every big issue brings information about • Fish & Invertebrate Species • Reef Life Rarities • World-Class Aquarium Systems • Marine Aquarium Advice — Beginners to Breeders • Tropical Travel & Discovery, Thought-Provoking News, Portraits, Interviews, Technology Updates, and much more. I've been a subscriber for over ten years now and each issue is a keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 20, 2023 Author Share January 20, 2023 For the raffle, from Cobalt Aquatics One 53-ounce tub of Cobalt Aquatics Complete Reef. A $70 value. Cobalt Aquatics Complete Reef is a broad-spectrum cleaner for saltwater aquariums is designed to combine the power of carbon media, organic removers and nitrate removers. It is developed to remove organics, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and metals without negatively affecting calcium, magnesium or alkalinity levels. This saltwater aquarium cleaner is crafted to clean up the pollutants that live rock and protein skimmers leave behind. Use with a cannister filter or media reactor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary January 20, 2023 Share January 20, 2023 John at Blue Ribbon Koi is donating two livestock Gift Certificates for the raffle. Both are for $100! BRK is known for its selection and is one of our longest and most loyal local sponsors. Thank you so much, John! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 21, 2023 Author Share January 21, 2023 The first 50 WAMAS members attending our annual meeting on February 4th (at McLean HS) will receive a free 2023 Reef Life calendar, compliments of Coral Magazine! Come and get it! Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 22, 2023 Author Share January 22, 2023 The raffle list is growing ever-larger! Aquahaus (Springfield, VA) has just donated THREE $50 gift certificates to the meeting. In addition, Aquahaus will be set up a table at the meeting, so you can cherry pick early on or, if you're a winner of one of these GCs, can leave the meeting enriched without having to drive any further! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 22, 2023 Author Share January 22, 2023 Avast Marine Works is not only a saltwater aquarium equipment manufacturer and WAMAS sponsor, but a company with deep roots in WAMAS itself as it was started by WAMAS members. Avast is donating their automated feeding system, The Plank (a $209 value) to the meeting raffle. Many reef fish and most corals have evolved as opportunistic feeders, eating small, plankton prey items suspended in the water column nearly continuously. As aquarists, our schedules normally don't allow us to microdose foods with this kind of frequency, nor do most autofeeders accomodate microdosing. That is, not until The Plank. The Plank was specifically designed to allow frequent, microdosed feedings of freeze-dried plankton to provide your tank inhabitants with a more natural availability of nutrition. Read more about The Plank here and come to the meeting to get your chance at winning The Plank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 24, 2023 Author Share January 24, 2023 Ben at Supreme Reefs (Springfield, VA) has donated two $115 "mystery boxes" to the raffle. The lucky winner will pick up their winnings at the store sometime after the meeting. Thanks, Ben! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary January 26, 2023 Share January 26, 2023 Todd at Puddle Aquatics has donated a Reef Boxx ($100 value) to our raffle! The Reef Boxx is a patent pending automatic backup switch that allows users to connect battery backup in many different configurations. It's what will save your fish in a power outage and is a dream come true for the DIY aquarium keeper. You simply plug in your power brick a battery source of your choosing and then the pump that you wish to back up and that's it. When the power goes out the Reef Boxx will automatically switch over to battery power and when the power comes back on it will automatically switch back. You can even charge your phone while the power is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary January 26, 2023 Share January 26, 2023 Our amazing friends at Dr. Mac's Pacific East Aquaculture have donated FIVE $50 Gift Certificates for our raffle! Thank you so much, Rachel and Dr Mac! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 27, 2023 Author Share January 27, 2023 Navigation post for McLean High School. We're meeting in the cafeteria at McLean High School on February 4th. The room is best accessed through Door #10 just off of Clearview Drive. As seen in the image, there's street parking and a couple of parking lots close by. Loading and unloading can be done near Door #10 and in the circle, but don't park there for extended periods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 27, 2023 Author Share January 27, 2023 If you've not yet noticed, the list of our sponsors and members who'll be on-site selling stuff is growing. A snapshot of the list at this moment includes Sponsors on-site: Reef Nerd Aquatics Aquahaus FishnReef.com Members selling on site: @gws3 @Mr.Chalice @Samayoa @TylerZinck @Combat Corals @ECreefer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 28, 2023 Author Share January 28, 2023 Two Little Fishies has donated four 50-gallon bags of their AccuraSea artificial seawater mix for the raffle at the upcoming meeting. AccuraSea is precisely formulated to simulate natural seawater and, developed by Julian Sprung, AccuraSea comprises pharamaceutical grade sodium chloride and high purity anhydrous salts. At a salinty of S=35, it yields Ca 420 ppm; Mg 1300 ppm; Sr 8 ppm; K 400 ppm; and an Alk of 8 dKH. We'll be raffling off two bags for two lucky winners at the meeting! (That is, 2 chances to win!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 29, 2023 Author Share January 29, 2023 Adding yet another donation to the raffle. This one is from our sponsor, SaltwaterAquarium.com and it's a Two Little Fishies Coral Dip and Foods Pack. The pack comprises 500 ml of Revive Coral Cleaner, 120 grams of Justin Credabel's Goniopower, and 30 grams of ZoPlan Zooplankton Diet The total value of this package is $70. Thanks SaltwaterAquarium.com! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 30, 2023 Author Share January 30, 2023 For the raffle: Three 5-ounce size jars of Chemi-pure Blue all-in-one filter media in a nylon bag donated by Chemipure. Featuring a mix of high-grade ion exchange resins and activated carbon, Chemipure blue significantly reduces organic compounds, odors, phenols, toxins, medications, disolved metals, phosphates and silicates. The 5-ounce size filter bags is perfect for tanks in the 35-50 gallon range. A $50 value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 31, 2023 Author Share January 31, 2023 We have another donation for the raffle from SaltwaterAquarium.com! This time, it's an ME Coral Liquid Supplement Pack comprising one 32-oz bottle of ME Coral Alkalinity liquid concentrate and one 32-oz bottle of ME Coral calcium liquid concentrate. MECoral liquid solutions are ready to use. MECoral uses only Pharmaceutical Grade raw material to achieve the highest quality, highest purity, and highest concentration possible. MECoral is crystal clear with no residual impurities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 1, 2023 Author Share February 1, 2023 We received a generous raffle donation from one of our members, Combat Corals, today. The item, valued at $64 on Amazon, is a member-curated Beginner's Coral Fragging kit comprising the following: A pack of 100 ceramic frag plugs A 2 ounce bottle of Two Little Fishies CorAffix CA glue A pair of 7.5" heavy duty frag cutters A 4 ounce stick of Aquamend Underwater Epoxy Putty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary February 1, 2023 Share February 1, 2023 Our friends at Reef eScape have donated four $25 gift certificates to the raffle as well as TEN assorted coral frags (valued at $47.88 each)! So count them - that's fourteen chances to win! Pickup for the coral is at the store, and you are welcome to swap for another of equal or lessor value if you see another that you like even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 3, 2023 Author Share February 3, 2023 Just in for the raffle, from Capital Aquarium (in Manassas): Five $50 gift certificates for use in-store. Thanks, Zack and the entire Capital Aquarium Team! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 3, 2023 Author Share February 3, 2023 Also for the raffle, we have two 2-packs of 120 gram jars of Maxspect Professional Coral Putty. That's a $40 value. A 100% reef safe Coralline Algae Colored Coral Putty that can be used underwater. This two-part silicone-based coral putty cures in 3 minutes. No foul odor, will not cloud the water, and will not cause the protein skimmer to overflow. Can be used for both marine and freshwater aquariums. The color of the putty allows it to blend in with its surroundings making it easier to hide than other forms of adhesives used in aquariums. It is recommended to use a minimal amount since most corals will grow over the adhesive in a matter of weeks. I've personally tried this stuff and like it a lot. It's softer than Aquamend but I use it similarly: I put a little dab of CA gel down on the frag plug or live rock, then place a ball of this on top, flattening it some. Then another dab of CA gel followed by pressing the coral frag into the epoxy. The ball of epoxy basically conforms to the shape of both the plug and the frag, making for a fit that's custom made for each frag. A 120-gram jar goes a long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 3, 2023 Author Share February 3, 2023 I also plan on bringing some boxes of WAMAS t-shirts for sale to the meeting. We have a wide variety of sizes and we'll be marking them for sale at just $10 each. Show you're pride at belonging to one of the largest, most active regional reef clubs in America. (Forgive me for the pictures, but they're of a wrinkled shirt pulled out of the box in our storage unit.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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