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Newsletter - July 2004 The President's Pen: Has it been a month already? So much has occured in just a short time period. At last month's meeting, members voted for the new club president, and those duties are now mine. Thank you for your vote of confidence. Brad's hard work for the past 6 years will be a tough act to follow, and I hope to continue to lead DFWMAS forward as we do all that we can to make the club even better. Several weeks ago, storms blew through the metroplex, leaving many hobbyists without power for as much as four days. Generators were purchased, as well as battery powered air stones. Most tanks were able to weather the storm successfully, although it was both frustrating and harrowing for their owners. Club members helped one another through those difficult hours, which no doubt was appreciated. Also, the Board of Directors met to discuss upcoming events. Some things to watch for:
DFWMAS's first Tank Tour ever! We had our first one in the Tarrant area, and visited a few homes. It was a lot of fun and hopefully more will take advantage of the opportunity to attend future tours. The tours are organized on our message board, and an annoucement is sent out to all that are subscribed to our email mailings. During the coming months, heat will be an issue, so keep an eye on those thermometers. Cheap fans can make a huge difference and are available in most stores. Pointing them at the surface of the water will increase evaporation and cool those tanks down. Marc Levenson
Last month's meeting was held at Texas Instruments, and Bill Werner had a slide show presentation for us. Here are a few images from that meeting night...         Then we had the elections...
Don't miss our future meetings, because those two hours a month with other hobbyists is priceless!
Tank Tour The Tank Tour took place on July 3 and stayed in the Tarrant County area. We traveled from TCU to South Arlington, then to North Euless and finally into Irving before heading back to West Fort Worth. As our group was small, carpooling was quite easy to do. Each person we visited was very kind to open up their homes to us, and we thank you. Questions were asked and answered as members studied the various setups and livestock closely. Stopping by for about 30 minutes per location, the tour moved smoothly. Finally we ended at Marc's house to enjoy some BBQ before heading home...
Message Board News A FAQ page has been compiled to assist you Renewing your membership: Just click on the link for "memberships" on the FAQ page, select your payment option, and your status will be updated. If you are new to the club, you can join now with the same link. Occasionally a number of members like to participate in a "Group Buy" to save money on an item. Be sure to check out the Group Buys Forum, as it might save you a few dollars. Please keep in mind that there is always an element of risk participating in an online order for dry goods or livestock, compared to visiting your LFS. DFWMAS has a number of sponsors These vendors have purchased a forum from which they can offer their goods and make their names visible. They are in business with their own set of rules. If you have not had a transaction with a vendor yet, check with others from the club to see what their experience was. Sponsors are not club-sanctioned and members should not blindly assume they are "safe." Do your homework.
Featured Tank of the Month
Ron Salsini's beautiful 150g reef tank is a work in progress. With meticulous planning, Ron started planning this tank 9 months before he ever started adding water. The tank has been running almost 2 years, and with all the attention to detail equipment-wise, it will only grow more spectacular as time marches forward. His tank can be viewed from either side, as it is built into a wall that separates the dining area from the living room. The width of the tank is 18", which works out perfectly. The entire system is controlled via computer, and with the click of a mouse lights turn on or off, as well as a number of other pieces of equipment. This tank does have a glass cross-brace, which casts a slight shadow in the center of his reef.
He's bought all the toys: RO/DI unit, Kalk Reactor (DIY), Calcium Reactor, Sump, Refugium, Chiller, Aqua Controller, Ozone... If there is something out there that can be incorporated, he's done it or will be soon. ;) Ron and his family enjoy studying their reef for hours and hours. Who can blame them?!
Please contact Marc if you want to have your tank featured in a future newsletter.
My Anenome Spawned!! - by Steven Franks
Next Meeting: The meeting is scheduled to take place at Aquarium Services in north-east Dallas July 14th at 7pm. Be sure to check the Calendar of Events for specifics, updates or changes, and a map to the location |
in using the message board and more. Please use it.
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