While you are waiting

[sanjay]

Sorry, I have been kind of busy working on a large proposal and have not had time to welcome everyone. The proposal gets out late tommorow afternoon and after a short rest I will be ready to start giving this course the attention it deserves.

In the meantime, why don't we all take sometime to introduce ourselves, our experience in the reef hobby (how many years, how many tanks, what kind of corals, etc), where you are from, what you intend to get out this course , your real life profession (I am always amazed at the range of people I have met through this hobby.. who knows someday you may be useful to me ), etc.

So, let me start.

I have been in the hobby for almost 15 years now. Have always kept fish when I was growing up in India, freshwater fish... but was always in awe of saltwater fish. After comming to the US as a student in Industrial Engineering straignt from Bombay to Buffalo. Imagine a tropical dude who had never seen snow in his life land in Buffalo 8O After getting my PhD from Purdue in Industrial Engineering, starting a job at Penn State as a faculty in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and buying my first house I finally had the space and permanancy of location to get back into keeping fish. After seeing a 30G reef in a store, I was hooked and set up my first reef around 1990. I now keep a 180G SPS dominated reef, A55G soft coral reef, A 60G junk/experimental/throw anyting in reef. More recently I have become enamoured by breeding clownfish and have aquired several different not so common clownfish to try and breed them. There is just so much to learn in the hobby.

As a professor of manufacturing, I have access to some nice computer controlled machines and to play with them I build and design (or copy designs) my own equipment. Getting into lighting was an accident... I was interested in satisying my own curiosity and penn state had some of the instrumentation that was needed to answer some of the burning questions with real data. I tested a few lamps for my own purpose (there was not a whole lot of choices then)... and I am still doing it 7 years later. I just do this for fun, and its my way of paying back to the hobby that has given me countless years of enjoyment, heartache and the opportunity to interact with a lot of wonderful people from all walks of life.

So.. there is your pre class assignment. Introduce yourselves in this thread. I will see you all on Sunday when we will have an informal chat to get things going. I will be traveling quite a bit unfortunately (Dallas, Baltimore, Seattle and London) so we willhave to work around these. These are all talks at reef clubs... I think I overbooked.. at least my family thinks so.

sanjay.

 

[bertoni]

Hello! Have you thawed out from your time in Buffalo yet? I wouldn't have...

My name is Jonathan Bertoni, and I'm a reefkeeper...

Well, I do software engineering to pay the bills. But enough of my dirty secrets. I live in Foster City, near San Francisco, and enjoy the complete lack of snow. We have strict laws that relegate snow to the mountains.

My educational background is in math (undergrad) and computer science.

I've been in the hobby for about 5 years. I, too, started with freshwater fish when I was small, and wanted a saltwater tank for many years before I took the plunge. Now I have a 75g tank in the making, and was looking at a 240g, both of which are a big step up from my two 29g tanks, and my 12g nanos. One goal was to get good lighting for the tanks, and that lead to questions, and more questions, and so this course sounded very interesting

That's one great aspect of this hobby: there's always more to learn and more to do. Fish breeding is one area of interest. Trying to breed anemones and corals (sexual reproduction) would be very interesting, too, although much more difficult. For now, getting my first real stony coral tank going is my big reef project outside this course.

 

[eclecticvibe]

My name is Jay Parks and I'm 26. I live in Indianapolis, Indiana. I had my first tank in high school, and got back into the hobby over a year ago after I finished my undergraduate work. I have a degree in political science, with minors in international studies and music. Since none of those degrees really qualify me to do much, I currently work for Premium Aquatics, and hence my desire to take this class. I want to be able to have a more thorough understanding of reef lighting. I also work weekends at a local nightclub/disco as a bartender so I can afford the hobby, so I have a busy schedule. Right now I have a 90 gallon mixed reef with fish. My tank is sumpless, so sometimes I have very unique challenges, though I enjoy the lack of plumbing!! Plumbing will have to be my next course. I've been looking forward to the class for a while and actually jumped the gun by showing up for our first chat 2 weeks early :? I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and learning new things about reef tank lighting.

 

[willyw]

Hi, my name is Willy.(not really but that's what everybody calls me) I also started very young with a 10g tank that all I could get to live in was guppies. That was way back when tanks all had slate bottoms and steel frames. I quit for many years untill about 1990, then started again with fresh water. My first marine tank came in 92 but circumstances forced me to quit again. I've been back into it now for 3 1/2 yrs. I'm running 2 75g wanna be reefs with all soft corals, hermits, brittle and serpent stars, and a few fish. I was given a 135g with a rusty old metal stand that I am currently encasing in wood. I'm deffinately a DIY kind of guy so I want to build my own equipment if possible.(especially when I price lighting systems from suppliers) So here I am.

 

[nemain]

Hello,

My name is Beth. I started into salt water tanks 2 years ago, a newbie! I currently have a 92 gallon reef, and a 40 gallon mainly invert tank - created especially for a ravenous chocolate chip starfish I acquired from another reefer. I started the 92 with mostly softies, and have been moving toward SPS and LPS for some time now; I adore the LPS in particular.

I am the manager of a small oilfield manufacturing company in Alberta, Canada. As for snow; it is currently snowing outside my window, we have it about 8 months out of the year.

 

[nctangman]

My name is Kirk. I have been in the saltwater hobby for 6 years. I currently have 3 tanks (90g, 37g, and 12g). My 90g is a mixture of fish (purple tang, foxface, maroon clown)/coral (frogspawns, torches,bubble coral). I am in Charlotte, NC where winter reared its ugly head today. However, spring temperatures are expected for the weekend. At the time I registered for this class, I was planning on upgrading my 90g to a 240g and thought it would be beneficial to learn everything about lighting specifically MH lighting. Now, my wife is waffling about wanting a bigger house; so the upgrade plans are currently on hold, however by the end of this class who knows I may or may not be getting a larger tank.

In the meantime, I still yearn for the knowledge that I can use in future decisions to the hobby. I really want to be able to interpret the data comparing two bulbs/ballast from the following Web site:

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/select2lamp.php

Kirk

 

[cabin]

My name is Wynne (female). I began keeping fish when I thought it would be cool to have a little pond in the flower garden during the summer, with a hardy goldfish (the kind I remembered from my childhood) in it to eat the mosquito larvae. Five years and two bulging bookshelves later (lot to learn in this hobby!) I have a 75g reef and a 30g seahorse tank, both lit with power compact fluorescents. I just took down my last freshwater tank this Fall, having run out of time for maintaining so many tanks. I dream of upgrading the 75g to a 180 or 220 and doing it all better than I did the first time around, hence the need to learn about lighting. I'm very interested in keeping a variety of macro algae, which has so far been more difficult for me than corals. In my freshwater tanks I specialized in planted tanks, and would like to have a saltwater tank that successfully combines the corals, algae and fish. To support this addiction, I write manuals/help systems for computer software.

 

[wade1]

Just wanted to say to you all.... :welcome:

Sounds like you all should get a great deal of benefit out of this course! Please remember to post any questions you have for your classmates benefit as well as attending the chats.

nctangman
Great website! (also linked from http://lighting.reefs.org ) Sanjay posts the data to and runs that website so he will certainly be able to (pun coming!) en-lighten you on the details.

 

[coralcliffs]

Hi, my name is Joe . I am 40 from connecticut , Have been into the hobby for thirty years now . 15 years fresh water , 10 years brackish water , 5 years salt water mainly growing and trading sps . My tanks have grown from ten gal , to my 200gal at present . taking this class to really learn how lighting in tanks should work , I got tirered of all the wrong advise that is generated out there even if given with the best intentions . the sps that I grow from frags do extremly well except for there color. It's always a bit dull and I know It has to do with the lighting . So I am taking this class for the sheer love i feel for this ( lifestyle lol! as my wife would put it). And I am a total perfectionist and just the thought of something being wrong drives me insane lol!. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

 

[finnipper]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Sue and I live in a little log cabin in the woods of the frozen tundra of Northern Wisconsin.

I have been in love with animals all my live, but the animals of the seas and reefs have held a special affinity for me. I started working for Drs Foster-Smith a pet supplier both through catalogues and on-line. Four years ago my dream job became available. I have worked in Live Aquaria/Etropicals with both freshwater and saltwater fish, corals, plants, invertebrates and live rock for the past three years. I have probably spoken with many of you. The more frustrating areas of my job is listening to people who have been given poor advice or who have not researched the needs of an animal before purchase.

I hope the information I get from this course will provide me with the knowledge to properly advise my callers so they can be successful in the keeping of reef creatures.

 

[Dan Cole]

Hi everyone. My name is Dan Cole and I live in Hamilton, Ontario. That's in Canada eh so you can be sure that I know a thing or two about snow! :roll:

I've been involved in the hobby for more years than I care to remember --- over 30 years and have keep freshwater, planted tanks, ponds and reefs at various times during those years. Currently I have a 75 gallon reef on the go and am in the process of setting up a small bank of tanks (6 X 20 gallon on a central system) to house assorted species...macros etc that I can't keep in a community setup.

About 8 years ago, my interest in the hobby lead me to founding Mail Order Pet Supplies, where I'm currently employed today. I hope the course will help better advise customers on their lighting needs and help me provide better environments for the animals under my care.

I look forward to that and also to getting to know everyone during the weeks ahead.

Dan

 

[jkstiles]

Hi all,

I'm Keith. I live in western North Carolina nestled in the beautiful mountains. I am just starting in reef aquariums. I am in the build stage of a new system. I just got my tank a few weeks ago: a 75-gallon Oceanic reef-ready tank. and oak stand. My plans are to keep mostly SPS corals with some softies and LPS along with a few fish.

I am also heavily involved with our regional organization: MASC (Marine Aquarium Society of the Carolinas). I currently serve as their newsletter editor. I'm looking forward to learning what to build in my lighting system during this course.

Keith

 

[MarthaM]

Hi everyone,

My name is Martha, and I live and work in Lausanne Switzerland (not far from Geneva). I'm originally from Toronto (eh?), and spent many years in Virginia before moving here to the land of cheese and chocolate. On the ubiquitous snow... this year we have had the most snow and longest winter in any year since at least 1970 (fantastic for skiing!), but this week it suddenly became spring. I'm a business school professor - one of the few professions I could find where I get to meet people who do almost everything.

I have always wanted to keep reef aquariums but moved around too much to do it. Last year my family decided we'd settled enough, and gave me a 450 litre (how many gallons?) aquarium for mother's day. I've been in learning mode ever since.

Currently I have a ton of live rock, some soft coral, a few fish, and an always-active hermit crab. And a voracious appetite for wanting to know more.

There is not much of a reef community here in Switzerland, at least in English, mail-order is almost impossible, and books are hard to get. Thank goodness for online!

Looking forward to learning more,
Martha

 

[angler]

Hi,

My name is Robyn, I live on the east coast of Virginia. Reefkeeping is one of my hobbies. I've started with my first saltwater fish tank about 10 years ago (20g from walmart). I now have 2 - 75g reef tanks and a couple smaller ones. I'm currently planning a 200-300g tank.

I'm interested in the color variations corals produce under alternate lighting conditions, and thought this class would widen my technical background on lighting.

I look forward to meeting everyone!
-Robyn

 

[vicmiller]

I am Victor from Louisville Ky. 51 years old, 31 year old daughter and 9 year old son. BS in business from IU. Work as a print broker. Wife teaches 2nd grade. Have a 3000 gl Koi pond and japanise garden. 20 gl fresh water tank in my sons room. Have always been interested in salt water and became more so when visiting the pet shop to set up my sons tank. Aquired a established system 14 months ago. 72 gl bow front, hang on back filter with air stone powered skimmer. I upgraded the flourescents to vho. Have soft corals and LPS with fish. Tank is doing fine but look forward to a bigger system with MH lighting to keep SPS and clams. If this course goes well look forward to other courses to speed up my aquisition of knoweledge on the hobby.

 

[tjos1]

How Ya'll are,(a little south Louisiana dialect)
Translation : Hey how are you?
Im Tim Osgood from New Orleans ,Louisiana
I got into reefing about a year ago and have a 55g high with mostly a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I'm still learning what I can and can't keep together in the reef but I'm getting better. I guess you learn from your mistakes. I would like to get a better understanding of lighting and the effects it has on my corals. No(definate) plans for a bigger tank just yet, but I have a lot of dreams. I figure if I take these courses I'll be a better reefer when I set-up my dream tank. look forward to the course and getting to know you all. See ya in class

 

[Steve Ruddy]

Hello everyone,

My name is Steve Ruddy. I was raised in Pgh. PA however I'm currently settled in Guerneville CA. I'm in the aquarium industry and owner of Coral Reef Eco-Systems. My business consists of aquarium design, installation and maintenance as well as commercial aquaculture and an internet lighting specialty store.

I received a goldfish from the fair when I was very young and have had aquariums ever since. My current personal display tanks are a 180 gallon mixed reef and a 40 gallon freshwater plant tank. I have had reef aquariums for about 15 years.

I'm sure I will learn something from this coarse however I can't think of anything specific I would like to get out of it right now. I'll chime in when I do.

Thanks