Meetings/Newbi Topics

[poolkeeper1]

It seems to me there are a lot of new people that are using this Club/Website for information on setting up reef tanks.

There also seems to be a lack of basic understanding of how it all works and the equipment needed to do a successful tank.

There is also little knowledge of how to maintain the equipment that people already have in their possession.

Might it be a good idea to go over the basics of setting up, maintaining, purchase of said equipment, at the monthly meet.

These simple instructions could save people a lot of grief in setting up a reef tank, not to mention wasted money.

Anyone who has other ideas are welcome to comment. And encouraged to do so.

Thanks Bill

 

[waynesworld]

That is a great Idea some of us even talked about having a basic classes in the next years frag swap. I think the BOD will have to set up the next meetings location and we need to do more talks too. The one thing that I see though is there has to be some interest to come by the newer members. This may be that we do them for the meetings that draw more new people ie the store meetings and do other talks during the home meetings.

 

[TomStill]

I am very interested in coming. I havnt paid my dues to become a member yet, but I would do so at the next meeting if possible. I have read alot about reef keeping, however I am almost ready to set up my tank and I am hesitant to set it up for fear I might make a mistake. Topics for newbies would definately benefit me.

 

[crumbletop]

Welcome Tom!

Excellent idea, Bill! I agree with Wayne. We've done meetings in the past on 2-part, and salinity measurement, protein skimming, sumps, and other topics. Those could be recycled anew along with other newbie topics. My suggestion would be to start a list up for folks who want to host meetings, as well as potential topics people would be interested in at the meetings. The new BOD will need to manage the list and the meeting schedule. We generally have at least 3 LFS meetings per year, and the rest at folks homes.

I'll go ahead and get such a thread going

 

[crumbletop]

Excellent idea, and I agree with Wayne. We've done meetings in the past on 2-part, and salinity measurement, protein skimming, sumps, and other topics. Those could be recycled anew along with other newbie topics. My suggestion would be to start a list up for folks who want to host meetings, as well as potential topics people would be interested in at the meetings.

I'll go ahead and get such a thread going

 

[Angela Short]

Great idea poolkeeper! I threw out the idea of a newbi class at the swap and will go ahead and obligate myself to doing it at next years swap. I think it is an awsome idea and will help lots of folks keep from making bone head mistakes like I did with my first tank....like cycleing it with $120 worth of anthias and about 5 lbs of live rock to go with my sunken ship and fake root structure which trapped a anthia in the hollow root but that is a whole other story involving a power tool to free the "poor stuck fishy" :lol: :rolleye1:

I learned if they can get a crack they can probably get out on there own without the assistance of power tools.... :lol:

LFS's are great in much of the advise they offer but the #1 thing a new hobbiest needs to know is reaserch for yourself!! And paitence which is both as a #1 most important atributes to a sucessful tank IMO. You never know if the guy at the store knows even less than you or is just trying to make a sell. Our local stores are great but you never know if the hired help is giving you bad, uninformed advise themselves. This hobby is way to expensive to not reaserch it for yourself.

Whoever the new pres. is needs to just remind me often next fall about my obligation so I will be prepared with a talk and cheat sheet of terms... I can never remember which comes first in a cycle....trites or trates... but I know that the 2nd is BAD and the 3rd is tolerable but needs water changes to dilute but can never ever remember which is first. I have it written on my test kit boxes as OK and BADDD to know which is which!! .