MTRC Frag Swap

[DMBillies]

You guys are close enough you'd probably hear about this anyway, but I thought I'd make an official anouncement and give you guys the heads up.

The Middle Tennessee Reef Club is planning our third annual frag swap in Nashville, Tn. on January 20th from 12:00-4:00. There will a table charge this year of $25 per whole table or $15 for half a table, plus we will be giving 5 raffle tickets for each table order (3 for each half table). We would like for interested club BOD members to contact us via PM to arrange for tables for those who only have a few frags to trade/sell. The reason for the table charge this year is due to an increase of costs for the room by almost 5X from last year.

Last year was a great success with around 200 people coming through the doors (we needed a bigger room) so we hope to make this year at least as good as last year. Please post to let us know how many to plan for this year, More information will be coming very soon.

Hope to see you all there.

 

[EvilMel]

Brian...can two members split a table for $25 or would it be $15 a piece?

Oh and how big is a table?

 

[DMBillies]

The tables are going to be either 6 or 8ft. Last year we had the swap at the Radisson by Opryland and the tables were 6 feet. They jacked the price of the room up on us (like 5x the amount it was last year), so we are looking into other options. It's looking like it is going to end up being at a community center in Goodletsville, in which case the tables are 8ft. Sorry about the ambiguity (and I'll be sure to let you all know for sure once we decide).

As far as splitting, YES... You can split the tables any way you'd like. If you want to jam 10 people onto a half table, that's fine with us. Or you can upgrade to the full table. However you want to split it is fine with us, we just want to know how many tables (or half tables) you (or your group) will need. The big thing for us is that we don't want people who just have a few frags to either not come or not bring their frags because they don't want to get a half a table by themselves. If you have enough people from the club coming, maybe have the club get an ETRC table for any "small time" members that just want to sell a couple frags.

We debated about whether to do a table charge or an entry fee. We had to do one because the price for any of our options was higher than last year. We figured that the table fee would be easily covered by selling one or two frags and that if you are reserving a whole table you're going to be selling a lot of frags. We want a lot of new people to come in and we thought an entry fee might turn away people who don't know what a frag swap is all about.

 

[EvilMel]

I know we'll need at least 2 tables for ETRC.

I'll bring frags and probably Art and Matt will bring frags/clownfish. We need to all decide for sure if we are going or not. I've decided already and so has Matt, I'm pretty sure. Not sure about Art yet.

Anyone else selling frags? Dave? Randy?

 

[ct_vol]

I'll just be doing some trades... Have a few in the works right now... I lost a bunch of my nicer SPS in the tank switch... I say **** on SeaChem Salt...

 

[EvilMel]

Is that the salt we have now Randy?

I've been having no problems at all...except for my one big montipora. The nice purple one is looking like crap! I think that was lighting though, not salt. I've been using that salt for a while now.

I don't think we'll be ordering that salt again...at least in some part due to the controversy.

 

[ct_vol]

Yeah, I'll admit its my own fault though... I openned the last bucket of mine to do the transfer... I should have mixed in some of my other salts, and used more of my old water, but I figured I'd do like an 80% water change... Because some of the sludge I stirred up while moving the rock over, looked nasty... And also I've been reading that its better to do higher volume changes... I didn't check any of my levels before moving over livestock besides salinity, figuring it was "new" water... And there in lies the mistake boys and girls... My alkalinity was all out of whack, and my pH was wicked high... I didn't realize this untill I lost a few corals and decided to further investigate... I don't know, I lost most of my SPS besides my Milleporas... Everything else has done great... Perhaps it was something else, but I'd rather blame the "Usual Suspect"... lol

 

[Fishboy42]

I'm going! I don't really have any nice corals to bring, but I'm putting some fish aside for this I guess 2-3 tables would be fine for ETRC Mel? I probably could use 1/2-3/4 of a table, but I wouldn't have a problem paying for a whole table and sharing with any ETRC members who wanted to trade/sell some frags. If they are 8' then that's a lot of space.

 

[cee]

I was planning on going, but probably won't sell a whole lot, so I don't need a tremendous amount of space, just 18" or so of table space. I'll gladly offer to chip in, though. I may be fragging some micromussas and acans for the event, though, if there's interest. I've got plenty of SPS to frag, but never know what the demand is so I'm always a bit gun-shy in fragging them.

Randy, I doubt the salt is to fault on your losses, but I understand your frustration. I'm still using it with no ill effects, but admittedly I mix it with Oceanic and IO to tone down the boron a bit.

Dave

 

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8744837#post8744837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cee
I may be fragging some micromussas and acans for the event, though, if there's interest. I've got plenty of SPS to frag, but never know what the demand is so I'm always a bit gun-shy in fragging them.

Whenever I get my tank stabalized and back where I want it, you know I'll be hitting you up... lol

I doubt the salt is to fault on your losses, but I understand your frustration. I'm still using it with no ill effects, but admittedly I mix it with Oceanic and IO to tone down the boron a bit.

I know... But like I said, I like to blame it... lol Makes me feel better having a scapegoat... It was weird though... They seemed like they were being burned... Did great the first day or two, then I started losing polyp extension, and then I started noticing tissue recession and it was all downhill from there... I dunno... Nothing to do but start over after the holidays...

And nothing like a FRAG SWAP to restock your tank!!!!!!! Whoo hoo!!!!! NASHVILLE OR BUST!!!!!!!!!

 

[geekdafied]

So is everybody going to be selling too? or just trading?

 

[Angela Short]

I would say most deals are sells. Lots of pre aranged trades but most people have tons to sell. At least it was that way at the ones I have went to.

 

[DMBillies]

ct_vol- Sorry to hear about the tank... hope it bounces back quick for you.

Dave- Hopefully by the time the swap comes around I'll have my new 92 up and running and I'll be able to make space for some more SPS in my 90... so you've got one Nashvillian interested in SPS .

 

[EvilMel]

Matt...I agree 2-3 tables for ETRC would be fine.

Me and you could easily share a table if Art decided not to go. Or we can each get one to make room for all the people who only want to sell a few frags. I am cool with either one.

Brian...when do we need to let you know by?

Btw...I wouldn't mind some sps frags Dave! hah hah. You know...if you've got any stray ones to sell.

 

[CKreef]

i would be interested in some acans

 

[EvilMel]

Art's going...so maybe we should just tell him to get us 3 tables.

Really though, if the only people selling stuff are gonna be me, Matt, Art, and Dave...we could probably get by with 2. Me and Art really just need room to stick our coolers behind the table and a place for the photo albums.

Anyone else going that wants to sell stuff? I am sure we could squeeze more people in there too if we needed to.

 

[cee]

My SPS are getting almost out of control, so I always have Xtras available. However, I don't like to frag them if there are no takers since I have no frag tank.

Dave

 

[RCS]

I've got plenty of SPS to frag, but never know what the demand is so I'm always a bit gun-shy in fragging them.

Dave, if last year was any indication, I don't think you'll have a problem getting rid of anything at all. I took a LOT loast year and was stuck with a small handful of things at the end I gave away...but I'm guessing out of 75+ pieces i brought, I had maybe a half-dozen at the end.

Last year was so much fun, my only wish was that I could have BOUGHT more. I was stuck at the table I had for the first three hours I was there. I'd even consider making the drive down there this year if I had stuff to bring with...

 

[geekdafied]

Well Im bringin lots n lots of cash! I need to stock another tank.

 

[DMBillies]

I wanted to check with Gary before posting on the table count. If you can give us a rough count sometime during the week of Christmas (sounds like 3 at this point) we can update from there.

Fred, thanks for the plug. I know I had a blast last year and we're hoping this year is going to be bigger and better. I know we're going for a lot more space because it was so crowded last year... so come along and help us fill it up.