a question for everyone to answer - Page 2

pixburg-reefer · #26 06/29/2006, 04:29 PM

I was able to secure my date for the presentation. It will be Saturday October 28 from 10 am until noon.

I pulled out my 29 bow front so it looks like it's in good condition to raffle off and I have a 10 gallon fuge to go with it

Kelly

fred says · #27 06/29/2006, 08:01 PM

I think that this is a great idea! You will not only be helping fellow novice hobbyists; but you will also be helping out the fish!

Great Idea.

Matt

pixburg-reefer · #28 06/30/2006, 06:52 AM

thanks

one last bump

Kelly

Billy1234 · #29 07/04/2006, 10:31 PM

Free bump for a great idea

pixburg-reefer · #30 07/05/2006, 09:33 AM

ste6168 · #31 07/05/2006, 09:52 AM

hmm... do you think i will be allowed to go even though i am a junior in college. i could really use a 29g bow. haha

seriously though this would have been great for me. I was under complete influence of the people at seahorse at first, but lets just say luckily i found RC before purchasing anything.

Mike

pixburg-reefer · #32 07/06/2006, 08:27 AM

lol sure you could come! That would be great! I have decided to make it open to everyone because I think it would be more effective that way. Are you a member of PMAS? Adam Cesnales and Steven Pro are going to help me create a great presentation.

Kelly

fred says · #33 07/09/2006, 11:22 PM

Bump for a great idea

pixburg-reefer · #34 09/16/2006, 06:48 PM

For anyone that is interested in attending the presentation:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=930483

Thanks!!!
Kelly

fantastic4 · #35 09/16/2006, 08:23 PM

What an excellent project.

just my two cents...

Perhaps you can get some local LFS and dry good suppliers to donate raffle items and have tank exhibits and dry good exhibits as well.

Would strongly suggest to borrow projector of some sort for a laptop and images of fantastic setups and the equipment behind teh scenes. I'm pretty confident if you show in-wall systems here on RC at the 200-2000 gallon range your students will be blown away. Pictures are worth a thousand words. That's why we all love RC picture posts right. I can't count how many unbelievable pictures I have seen on RC posts that are inspiring and educational.

perhaps create "just right" setups on hard paper. i.e. examples of equipment needed for balanced systems of various types. These would serve as check-offs and maps for your students to build setups on their own. i.e. setup "A" 10 gallon nano reef. setup "B" 30 gallon FOWLR cube. Setup "C" 60 gallon FO with live sand and so on.

pixburg-reefer · #36 09/16/2006, 09:41 PM

fantastic4- Thank you so much for your suggestions! I have decided to make it open to anyone interested in coming, not just students. Because I figured no matter what age you are, basically everyone starts on the same knowledge level at some point so the basic information would be helpful to everyone. The presentation will be a great slide show full of pictures and basic information, I will also have all equipment on hand to show how it all works for an aquarium system. This presentation will have a great emphasis on how important it is to learn all of the information you need FIRST before you go and buy what you want/need. So, I thought about raffle items but that doesn't necessarily go along with the planning ahead/budgeting theme. Although I did think it would be a good idea to raffle off books because people always need information. I will have lots of hand outs on the nitrogen cycle, I do have a check list for a reef aquarium and equipment but that is an excellent idea to make a page with all the different set ups for set up A, B, C, D, etc. Then people can see the cost difference and equipment difference to make each one work. I hadn't even thought of that! Thanks so much for your input!!

Kelly

fantastic4 · #37 09/16/2006, 09:50 PM

Kelly, I think what you are doing is a great thing. Your students / attendees will walk away with you as their inspiration and mentor. You will walk away with a great experience and a feeling of fullfillment, that I am sure. I wish you great success, it should be a blast to be in your class.

Also... perhaps have a friend or relative video tape the entire class (recorder on a tripod within a back corner?). You may be able to make DVDs and share wit a global audience. You will also be able to critique your presentation if you decide to host additional classes in the future.

Best wishes for success!

John

pixburg-reefer · #38 09/16/2006, 10:31 PM

Thank you so much that is really encouraging. I really hope some people do take advantage of this class. I think this could extremely help out a lot of people thinking about getting into this hobby. I was even able to get a participating LFS to donate 20% off coupons for the attendees. This should be a great program, even our public PPG aquarium is sponsoring this presentation.

Again, thank you so much

Kelly

CThomas609 · #39 09/16/2006, 11:32 PM

I had to do a grad project last year too... I just did a power point on setting up " a low maintenence marine aquarium"... gotta love to PA grad projects....

vessxpress1 · #40 09/16/2006, 11:46 PM

Pix:

I love this idea. You might really spark some interest in some of these kids. One thing you could mention that I think is one of the coolest things about the hobby is how it combines so many skills. Sometimes carpentry, plumbing, electrical, engineering, sometimes construction skills, mathematical formulas and chemistry. Maybe use some examples of how they could use some of the math they're learning on this some day. Or how some lame chemistry fact actually matters and they may need to know it for this some day.. You'd have some happy teachers I'd bet. You probably have all the finishing touches on it by now but thought I'd throw my .02 in the hat.

Good luck.

Sk8r · #41 09/16/2006, 11:58 PM

You might ask your lfs if you can bring some equipment and show people what a skimmer is, and what a sump looks like. I don't think it would be too commercial just to have a card on the table that says: equipment on loan from "Name of LFS".

xtm · #42 09/17/2006, 01:24 AM

When you got started into this hobby like myself, would you have gone to a workshop or a speaker about setting up your first aquarium?

Sure I would.

Do you think it would have helped?

Of course

What have you learned now that you wish you would have known when you started or before you started?

Many things... like don't buy cheap, shoddy equipments because it will break soon and you will have to spend money again-- this time to buy decent equipment..... also don't let the wife know how much that new chiller cost because that will result in endless argument. Don't put a Tang in a 30 gallon tank. Use vinegar to lower the pH. Hydros are good but 'Fracto's are better. Things like that....

I have to do a senior project to graduate from high school. I have been in this hobby almost five years and as my project I am going to have a "training program" of a sort at our local library for kids grades 7-12 that want to learn how to set up there first aquarium. I know I could have really used something like this when I first started but I would like to know what the rest of you think.

Good luck and thanks for doing this!

drummereef · #43 09/17/2006, 01:31 AM

Awesome idea. It's people like you that help this hobby progress.

pixburg-reefer · #44 09/17/2006, 08:43 AM

CThomas609- that's so funny that you did like the same thing. I am also doing a power point. Was yours public? How many people showed?

vessxpress1- That's a great idea to show all of the different skills used in this hobby! Although I have decided to open this presentation to everyone of any age, I think that would make a good slide in there! Thanks!!

sk8r- There is a participating LFS, Aquaworld. I will be borrowing equipment from the store and showing how all of the equipment works to create your aquarium

xtm- everyone emphasizes on how emportant it is to buy nice equipment the first time around. I just wonder how we can get more people to understand that the first time...

drummereef- Thanks

I have found one book that I want to raffle off so I will donate one of my books and I have sent an email to Mike Paletta for his book, The New Marine Aquarium, because I think it's one of the best for explaining things to a newbee. If I could get him to donate one or two that would be great!

Thanks!!
Kelly

pixburg-reefer · #45 09/17/2006, 09:55 PM

bump

mg426 · #46 09/17/2006, 10:26 PM

I can say for sure that I would have gone Had I had the chance. I also think its a great idea that will help hobbiests to learn and aide the hobby in general.

chrismunn · #47 09/17/2006, 10:32 PM

ii would have loved to attended a workshop, or training seminar, but.....
all the information, even the basic stuff, would have been in one ear and out the other. not because i couldnt pay attention, but due to the simple fact of being able to comprehend what was being taught!
its nice to be told what it all is and how it works, but it takes a great deal of understanding. in my opinion a workshop is a wonderfull idea! this hobby is hard as it is, starting blind is even harder!

Jounior · #48 09/17/2006, 11:05 PM

All I can say is WOW Kelly this is an amazing Senior Project. I wish that I would have been into the hobby when I was a senior in high school. I did mine on backpacking and the great outdoors. It was pretty sucessful but this is amazing. I think that all of the others have posted all of the general ideas and I wish that I would have chimed in sooner to give you some advise. Maybe the one thing that I can add is that to make sure you tell everyone to not get frustrated with this hobby, things will go wrong, things will die, and that the root of all of your problems is usually fairly explainable/repairable. Albet not chep sometimes but once you understand what is going on in your tank it is usually easy to figure out. I have been in this hobby and had my tank set up for more than 2 years and moved it 3 times, and NOW I am running into problems. The message i am getting to is that we ALL are constantly learning. No one knows it all!!

Good luck. You are a shoe-in for an A+++++++++.

JR

pixburg-reefer · #49 10/15/2006, 07:07 PM

ok well my slideshow is finished!!! And it looks great with all of the pictures everyone contributed!!!

Now for a new question...

If you wanted to recommend a website for people to go to for information other than rc, what website would you recommend and why?

Thanks!

Kelly

Monti · #50 10/16/2006, 12:46 AM

Really great idea kelly... kudos to you! My 2 cents would include warning people that this hobby is like crack... highly addictive, very expensive, and it will make you crazy!

Seriously though, I love this hobby but it ain't cheap. Let people know that cutting corners as a newb can be way more expensive long term... or cause you to drop the hobby altogether. As an lfs employee for years I've tried warning people about this and unfortunately many people think its just a sales pitch, like I'm trying to sell them something they don't need. But then they come back later wanting to know why things aren't going so well with their 55 with a NO bulb and biowheel, 10 fish, some corals, and tons of algae. I mean, the guy at Petco said it would work..... Coming from an unbiased person I think people might listen and do their homework before any purchase... fish, coral, or equipment. I'm all for DIY or cutting corners & costs whenever possible. But the average person needs to take it slow and get the basics down before they decide they're going to make that "Cheap Saltwater Dream System." But thats just my POV.
I sent my website recomendation to you via PM, since I can't remember if its cool to mention other sites on here...