WTMRAC at MACNA XX

[DrPeaches]

Since Richard is a cheapskate and didn't want to spend $16 a day for internet access, club members couldn't see the excitement at MACNA as it unfolded. In any case, here are a few shots.

ORA with a rimless tank full of goodies. I wanted to take the setup and its contents home.

Marineland has this tank that's 36" front to back with Starfire glass. Because of the width of the tank they have to build the stand a bit too squatty for my taste (it has to be short enough to get in someone's front door). It's a beautiful setup.

Here's the new nano skimmer from Deltec.

Cool lemonade anyone?

 

[DrPeaches]

More photos

More photos

WTMRAC's daddy and dealmaker extraordinaire.

Look Ma! It's two in one.

Cool fish.

Ramiro choosing dinner.

The big tank at the Georgia Aquarium. I'm using this as a 3/5 model for my new setup.

A reef tank at the Georgia Aquarium. Notice the little eels sticking their heads up from the sand.

 

[DrPeaches]

Even More

Even More

The Pacific Barrier Reef display. It's just full of the same fishes we keep in our own tanks.

Some of WTMRAC's distinguished representatives to the MACNA banquet.

 

[sperry]

Looks like fun, no wonder Sanford hasn't answered my email. Out gallivanting around the country.

Didnt happen to snag a Picasso clown for me did you Richard?

 

[ducklabdad]

Thanks for sharing some of your photos!! Wish I could have made that trip.

 

[joeycadre]

richard's plaid shorts makes me feel better for not attending. i woul dhave been blinded........or would have been arrested for laughing too much in public.

 

[spshead01]

Man I was blown away by the Georgia Aquarium. The whale shark was amazing and so was the pacific reef. I have to take my kids there ASAP!

 

[spshead01]

I'll post some pic's tomorrow.

 

[Goibot]

Thanks for sharing the pics - awesome. Now you guys and gals come home safely and bring all the goodies to my house

 

[SShindell]

Great pics. We at the ARC are glad that you all had a great time and made it back home safely.

 

[Rendos]

I was sadly not as impressed with this year's MACNA. I am not sure why, but it seemed that everything had a price. The workshops had a price, the raffles were all different prices. There were not as meny livestock vendors at this MACNA as in previous ones I attended, and the ones that were there seemed to mainly have acans and micromussas for sale. Several of the vendors were packed up and gone by Saturday afternoon. The raffles weren't as good as in previous MACNA's.
The speaker during the banquet at the Georgia Aquarium showed film of a sperm whale baby being attacked by killer whales. While that may be part of nature...does it have to be shown while I'm trying to eat?
Oh, and I wasn't really blown away with the Georgia Aquarium. I enjoyed the Baltimore Aquarium, the Chattanooga Aquarium, and even the Aquarium of the America's in New Orleans much more than the Georgia Aquarium. Other than the Whale Sharks, and the Beluga Whales, I was kind of disappointed.

I did however see a few things of interest. The Deltec skimmer that Steve showed actually had a rotating brush that constantly cleaned the neck of the skimmer. You can see the black brush in the neck of the skimmer in this shot. The motor on top of the collection cup is what drives the brush.

This was an interesting little setup by H&S. You can specify how many compartments you want.

If you get the timing just right on two Vortechs, you can get this to happen...

There were several nice corals there. Here are a few...

 

[Rendos]

I really liked all the Frogfish, Rhinopias, and Leaf fish that Drs. Foster and Smith brought...but they would not sell them.

Oh yeah - there were quite a few Dendros for sale that were pretty nice (and expensive)

Dendros??? Anyone?

 

[Rendos]

Here are a few from the Aquarium...

But this one STOLE THE SHOW!!!
Sanford and Amy's daughter - Chloe.

 

[Reefdiver77]

Those were Garden Eels pictured. My husband and I saw lots of them while diving off Vieques. They looked like a huge sandbed full of little sticks sitting upright in the sand. Really cool.

 

[crpeck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13314761#post13314761 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rendos
I was sadly not as impressed with this year's MACNA. ...................Oh, and I wasn't really blown away with the Georgia Aquarium. I enjoyed the Baltimore Aquarium, the Chattanooga Aquarium, and even the Aquarium of the America's in New Orleans much more than the Georgia Aquarium. Other than the Whale Sharks, and the Beluga Whales, I was kind of disappointed.

I loved the Georgia Aquarium! We did the behind the scenes tour and I'll post those pics in another thread.

Here can be your new avatar, Richard (taken at the GA)

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VZifSI4fk2aYTesnYylnUw"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/cathyrpeck/SMXqD5B6sbI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/r0ERm9_4GzA/s800/DSC_0086.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cathyrpeck/GeorgiaAquarium">Georgia Aquarium</a></td></tr></table>

 

[joeycadre]

yikes!

 

[dzones]

This was my first MACNA and most likely my last unless there is one in Nashville or Memphis. I did enjoy myself but 3 days of it and I was very ready to go home. I think a day or maybe 2 is more than enough.

After hearing so much about this show over the last couple years I expected something more than what was there.
After attending electronic and computer shows where everything is designed to "wow" and "impress" I sort of expected that in MACNA but didn't get that anywhere. Perhaps my expectations were set too high.

I did enjoy the GA aquarium but glad I did not have to foot any extra money for it. Compared to other aquariums I have visited this one did have a better saltwater and reef setup than most. Also I was never told where or how to get in on the behind the scenes tour and when I finally was able to find someone to ask it was well under way.

I was kind of annoyed that there was such a lack of information or communication to the attendees. The trade show times did not match the book very well, announcements were made only a single time and at such a low volume there was just no understanding what was being said. Raffles were held all through the weekend but I was unaware of this until I missed two days worth of drawings already. Some key vendors never showed at all or just left real early.

I will say despite these things I did enjoy myself and some of the vendors had some really nice setups (ORA always has nice corals of which I won one and a fish) as well as the Live Aquaria (that zero edge triple tier was awesome).

 

[crpeck]

You know I'm just kidding about the crab, Richard. Your Jelly pics are amazing! None of mine came out. Looks like both of you agree about MACNA. I've never been to a MACNA before so I was really happy to see what little I was able to. My time was cut way short and I would have really liked to participate more.

The behind the scenes tour thing was a bit confusing. When the first announcement came, I thought you needed to buy online and make reservations. There was a discount being offered if you followed the MACNA link. So we paid for the tour and took it at 12:00 p.m. with a bunch of non-MACNA people. Then, after I'd already paid for that, I figured out that there were opportunities to do it before the banquet.

Did you register ahead, Dave? I thought they had an email that said you had to register ahead for the behind the scenes tour and that was limited to first come/first serve. I'll bet that filled up online before MACNA even started.

I didn't mind, though. My husband came with me and loved the Georgia Aquarium and even liked walking around MACNA. Maybe I can get him hooked on the hobby enough to give up some of his multimedia space in the den for a bigger tank.

 

[scarson61]

Raffle updates

Raffle updates

For those folks (Tim and Cathy) who's raffle tickets I was holding this is what you won.
Tim Copper - Nothing
Cathy peck - $50 Gift Cert from reef doctor
Amy and Sanford - Nothing

 

[crpeck]

Thanks Sanford!!!!

I don't remember even putting a ticket in that one, but if they called my name I won't complain.