presentations for meetings

[Sir Knight]

I have a couple of ideas for presentations for meetings.
I feel that meetings should be more than just fragging corals. It should be a learning experience. If a meeting happens to be about fragging a particular coral, there should be a little presentation about the coral and the corals requirements for survival.

1) lighting (MH, PC, VHO, T5, NO)
2) water chemistry
3) Calcium reactors
4) top off water systems
5) Skimmers
6) Neilson Reactors
7) Deep Sand Beds (advantages, disadvantages)
8) water flow
9) water pumps (internal, external)
10) Refugiums
11) coral propagation

Let me know what you think.

[reewik]

That is exactly what we need. Not only should the meetings be time to meet fellow reefer but to educate reefers. We have so many different ways to successfully keep corals these days. No one way is better then another just different. I feel Joe is exaclty correct in that education should be a focus when at the meetings.

That said a meeting place is an important feature as well.

[SRA4031]

Great Idea. Can we have study material printed off for this? If so, can we hand it out the meeting before it is planned so we can go ahead and look over it? This way we do not get lost during the presentation, and can already have a list of questions on what we do not understand, and as the presentation is given, we can write down the answer if it is covered, and after the presentation ask what was not.

[Sir Knight]

I agree for a good learning experience, handouts should be provided. The length of the presentation should be limited to one hour. (45 minutes presenting, 15 minutes for questions and answers).

As far as when the material is giving out (before or during the presentation) I think that would be up to the presenter.

I personally wouldn't handout my presentation material before the actual presentation, but that is just me. Guess it comes from being a professor back in my NJ days. I just like my material to be fresh and stimulate discussion. I would be happy to answer any additional questions afterwards via email. However, I wouldn't mind giving a list of reference material.

[fishdoc11]

I think the original idea as far as fragging corals was to teach members how to frag different types of corals(sps, branching lps,soft corals etc...). This was intended to help encourage captive propogation. I agree that it should be a learning experience and also be limited to a reasonable period of time. Those are excellent ideas for meetings and I think everybody would learn from them. I know I would.
Chris

[SRA4031]

As an instructor I liked my students to read over the material and familarize themselves before the class, that is why I was suggesting handouts the meeting before. As a professor you have the time to cover alot of material, as a military instructor I was not afforded the time, and had to cover just as much.

[Sir Knight]

I here what your are saying. I been to those type of seminars 100 topics and 1 hour to cover them.

Maybe I should clarify. I was not going to be presenting all of these topics and this was just a small example to see if there would be interest. We need people to step up and present. I could do some of these, but not all. I don't have that kind of time. If I had to pick one for myself I would like to do one on coral propagation. That's what I used to do a few months ago. Here are a couple of pictures one of my greenhouse that I had soft corals, zoo's and mushrooms.

[Sir Knight]

here was my SPS room in my basement

[SRA4031]

Hey Joe, can I come over and play. LOL

Now that a serious reefer.

[SRA4031]

By the way, I do look forward to learning from you, as well as everyone else.

[Sir Knight]

Hey ,
Just so everyone knows I haven't been in business since January 1, 2004. But here is a idea of what I had in equipment (all sold a while ago)
I had a total of 3980 gallons of water. the tanks were 12 - 240's, 2 - 120's, 2 - 150's, 1 - 200, and 4 - 90's. I had 6400 lbs of live sand, 4000 lbs of live rock, 15 skimmers, 4 calcium reactors, a 200 gallon water tank, a 100 gallon water tank, 4 - 32 gallon Rubbermaid garbage cans for water, 4 -20 longs for top off water for the sps room, and 16 - 250 watts of MH lighting.

I did weekly water changes of 25% and changed carbon weekly and cleaned skimmers twice a week, packed orders daily and the best part I fragged daily.

It was a lot of fun talking to so many different people, working in the sun, even in the basement with all the MH lighting it was like being in the sun. but I was working 90 to 100 hours a week with maintenance and filling orders. it just became to much. Then I went down to one small tank, a 300 gallon (120"x24"24") mainly SPS tank and now because of the move I have none:( . So when I move I am getting a 75 gallon setup with a gold puffer and maybe a zebra eel. Then once we get settled into the new townhouse, I will most likely also setup a nice nano tank. I think a 15 gallon cube. I have had flame hawks for quite some time and like them. I think one would do just fine in a nano. Also I just can not stop having some kind of reef tank. I have never had a nano tank so that will be a new challenge for me.

[fishdoc11]

Those look like very nice systems Joe. I think I remember seeing you on frags.org. When I did a search on the site in TN you were one of the only ones that came up. Too bad you had to tear it down. I would be happy to do a couple of presentations. I should have a little extra time this summer. Maybe one on starting your first reef tank including it's evolution to a seasoned well established tank capable of suporting sps. I have been thinking about writing an article on that subject and my experiences for some time. I feel woefully inadequate in my own experiences to cover most of the other subjects but I could probably attempt chemistry or lighting.
Chris
Chris

[aquaman67]

I'd like a class on dripping Kalk and I'd like to see someone Kalk drip set up. I can read about it all day long, but until I see...forgetaboutit!

[reewik]

It is really rather simple. He is a pic of mine. It is simply a 2 gallon jug.

[reewik]

another

[Sir Knight]

Maybe one on starting your first reef tank including it's evolution to a seasoned well established tank capable of suporting sps. I have been thinking about writing an article on that subject and my experiences for some time. I feel woefully inadequate in my own experiences to cover most of the other subjects but I could probably attempt chemistry or lighting.

Now we are talking. Lets start talking about this at the meeting.

Any other volunteers?

Any other requests for different types of presentations?

[SRA4031]

I never have a problem volunteering to give a class, I love teaching, but I have more to learn first.

[reewik]

I too can teach but I have to say there is more experience here than what I have.

[wooglin]

I will teach a topic, how about auto-topoff

[fishdoc11]

Sounds good Wooglin.

[Sir Knight]

goldeneagle,
I like the way you did your rockscape maybe something on that.

reewik,
I think you have more then enough experience to do a presentation on a topic.

wooglin,
Good deal
:beer:

[coralreefing]

Good topic Joe. I agree the most important function of a reef club is teaching/learning. I have also wondered if our fragging has put sps corals in some inadequate tanks. Thats why I suggested we stop for a while & get organised. Once we have officers, a set meeting place & meetings scheluled for the next six months, we can set a topic for the meetings & organize presentations. Then to keep it fun we can talk field trips...

Chris

[reewik]

Looks like things are really coming together here. I am looking forward to what this will be!!!!