Club contribution

[northbay-reefer]

Ok, please excuse me for a second cuz am going to climb onto a soap box for a minute. :D :D

This club area was set up for us to exchange information, but so far only a handfull of people are actively checking, answering, conversing and contributing in this forum.

I hope you all will read this and start being more active contributing to the club forum and help this club grow so in the end it will benefit all of us local reefers. Things that you could do are:

sharing photos of your tank, corals photos, or other pets, dive vacation, ect
exploring new ideas
listing of local vendors with hard to find items
do it yourself projects
asking questions
Sharing frags, or selling frags
helping others with their projects (their is a 210gal build that could use some support)
listing used equipments that other members can buy or trade

Just some of the ideas to get this site going .... hope you all will join a handfull of us here keeping the interest alive.

Thanks.

Ps, if anyone have any other ideas that you think we should share, please list them.

[jkreefer]

I never thought of putting my dive vacation pics on, just got back from Mexico and have some great snorkeling pictures...I'll have mike help me post

[sulcata1619]

Sent email to whole group.

[coralfarmer]

Mike
are you sure you were on a soap box? because it sounded like a bully pulpit to me.

Keep on reefin'
james

[jkreefer]

That was Tom speaking

[coralfarmer]

Oh my bad.. Way to go Tom.

[coralfarmer]

I will step up I need to get to 100 posts to my own avatar.

[northbay-reefer]

coralfarmer, can you please help me get off the soap box cuz its starting to slip :D :D

[polyp monkey]

Hi Guy,
your absolutely right. It's just that I am not super tech savvy and don't often contribute to forums.
I was thinking for the February meeting we could:

* have James or Tom do a discussion on maintaining proper Ca and Alkalinity.

* have kind of a show and tell where everyone brings a picture of there tank, highlighting their favorite animals and talks about what they do to maintain alkalinity and Ca.

*Brainstorm ideas for future meeting topics

*SPS Zoanthid Ricordia only swap.
What do you guys think?

Chad
a.k.a. Polyp Monkey
:D

[northbay-reefer]

polmonk,

That sounds great. This way we can get more members involved.

* another idea is to select two members and have them do a show and tell of their tank on each of the meeting.

[coralfarmer]

"Polyp monkey" very creative

[dots]

I just wanted to let you guys know that I just discovered your "local" forum today and have subcribed to it for future reference. In addition to being a MARS member, I frequent the NVR, BAR, and now yours!!!

some suggestions to increase traffic and interaction:
"Show me your" threads get a lot of interest of people posting pics
"Let talk about" threads discussing a paticular point or topic.
"LFS pros and cons" Though not productive usually, get a lot of interaction.

Good Luck, and see you around the reef!!
dots (Doug)

[northbay-reefer]

Dots, Welcome and thanks for your inputs our club is small but growing so anything we can do to help it grows will be apreciated. I go to Sacramento quite often since most of my family live there and would like to find a nice LFS to visit when am there. But since the one on 65th closed down I havent found another good one. Since you live there can you please give me some reccomendation ?

TIA

[dots]

Sacramento has been fortunate to have had an explosion in our hobby in the last year or so LFS wise.

I can count up to three new stores during that time and a relocation and VERY large expansion of the fourth. "fishstorin" or the tour of stores one can take in the area can take up to all day if one is willing, and selection is getting better and better all the time.

Though, I don't like the "best LFS" arguement very much and is generally non productive, because in the end each store may lend itself to one aspect than the others. Currently, between the large and ever growing network between MARS,BAR,NVR members and now you guys, that alone can offer many avenues to finding that fish or coral one desires. Combined with the LFS stores in the Sacramento area, and the East Bay.....the possibilites are endless.

In sacramento there was a complete list on the old MARS website, but a new one is being constructed and am not sure that is there yet. Otherwise, I am lacking a complete list from memory. Was there something specific you were interested in I could point you in the direction of?

For starters:

Aqualife in Rocklin
Yourreef in Roseville
O st in Sacramento
Exotic in S Sacramento

these are my main places with about 3-4 more possibilites but these are the ones to check out for sure.

[northbay-reefer]

Dots, Thanks for the list. I been to yourreef several time already ..

As for the other three, I haven't yet. What I am looking for are mostly bright SPS corals, zoos, ricordia and clams at a reasonable price. I will look those up and check them out next time am in the area. If you have a reccomendation on your favorite store I would chech that out first.

[dots]

Yourreef is my favorite since I am into SPS heavily. He is in the process of setting up a large LE display and plans to have an operation simmilar to Atlantis in the next couple of years. Through the club I am able to find what I need rather than fight others. For instance in the last couple of weeks I was able to find: Ponape Torch, Eddies Purple Monster, Pink Lemonade, Lime in the Sky, and Oregon Tort.......been and expensive month or so you could say.

O st has a decient selection of LPS
Exotic has alot, but the store is still new and varies on selection, however VERY large.....10,000 sq ft? and has plenty of room to expand so put that one on your list for sure. Last time I went they had about 30 or so of the Chinese rose anenome and a very large stingray and pink carpet anenome.

Aqualife has a little bit of everything and is going through some changes.

If your club decides to come down as a whole, I am postive we could get a group from MARS to go around with you guys and show you the places.....just post a thread on the MARS page and I am sure you will get a good reception.

Heres a recent pic of mine, just to add a little color for you.....
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/fulltank107.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/right107.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/left107.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/dougspivey/leftend.jpg

[jkreefer]

love the tank pics, and i would deff be in for a group tour.....ROAD TRIP

[northbay-reefer]

Dots ... cool tank, what kind of lighting are you using ? a road trip could be fun. I agree with you about yourreef and the selection, I like to support the local bussinesses especially the small ones or the people working out of their garage. but every time am there at his new store his prices goes up to the point that I think is way over priced compare to what we can get here localy. so I havent been back since.

[dots]

Thanks, the lights are Coralife Aqualight Pro 250w MH w/ 14K Ushio bulbs and 2/96w PC Actinics. I had the 150w version, but browned stuff out. I wanted to go to more of the "high end" SPS and didn't want to worry about having enough lighting......now, I may have too much.

Too bad that you have had that impression about Yourreef, I find the prices pretty reasonable myself. Have your shopped at Atlantis lately because that is just about the only other place I buy SPS from, and they ain't exactly cheap so it hadn't crossed my mind. Considering he does have more of an overhead, employees and what not one has to expect his prices did go up to match this increase since moving out of his garage. What I like is that John does specialize in SPS more than the others and has obtained and is still gathering a large collection. He regularly has frags or will frag most anything in the store if fraggable unlike most other LFS, and they range from the dime a dozen digis to the LEs in the tank he just set up recently. Though it takes time, I expect with Johns attitude and interest as a hobbiest/collector, that in a few years he will be able to compete with the higher end stores. But, his stuff is sold at market price and he regularly makes deals in house if you are buying more than one or two pieces. I try to give him as much business as possible and find it to be my favorite store in the area. If you hadn't been there in a while I would suggest trying it again and as he gains momemtum I think you will find it to be a competive store as time goes on.

[northbay-reefer]

Dots yeah he does have alot of good stuff, maybe down the road I might try him again. Its two hour drive for me so ... I guess I had my hope up too much.. any way here is my full tank shot

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/northbay-reefer/IMG_1352.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/northbay-reefer/IMG_1368.jpg

[dots]

How long have you had the table? Nice piece. It looks like you have quite a number of frags in the tank and should be nice a full soon.

[northbay-reefer]

I had that for about 1 year, it had quadruple in size. This pix was 3 months ago. I added a bunch more frags and The tank is pretty full now. But thats not going to stop me from going to the bay area this weekend to get more :D :D

check out my bonsai and clam

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/northbay-reefer/IMG_1480.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/northbay-reefer/IMG_1478.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/northbay-reefer/IMG_1457.jpg

[culdublvd]

That Bonsai is AWESOME!!!

[dots]

Yes it is, which is that one?

I have the Atlantis purple bonsai, seen here five rows down

http://www.atlantisaquarium.net/frags1.html

And in the pictures of my previous post above and to the right of the green digi.

That was the piece that pretty much made me get hardcore into SPS which caused a lighting upgrade and all the rest that went with it. As you can see, its a spendy piece so I wasn't able to get something as large as your colony. But thats what most of mine are, small and expensive......One day they might be as large as that one.

Nice stuff!! Looks like you have a couple of clams there!!

[northbay-reefer]

Culdub thanks ..

Dots, am not sure which one, but when I got it was a tiny less than 1/2 inch frag 3 years ago and now its has grown and I even fragged several times. What am looking for is the tyree birdnest yellow with pink tips

I am looking for the one that is deep purple with simmilar growth patern but havent found it yet. I was going to stop by atalantis this weekend but didnt have time so I had to drive by it ... I know it was hard :D but I went to hiepatitis and picked up some nice zoos instead