Marine Conference of North America XXVI

Denver | 2014

Sponsored by:

from Rob Mougey • Chair, MACNA 2014 & President, C.O.R.A.L.

WELCOME! to Denver and MACNA 2014 We are excited to have you with us and look forward sons Ballroom. UPG is underwriting this event, which to sharing our beautiful city. We have planned many fun features Mitch Carl as our emcee, the MASNA and educational events and activities. Over 140 exhib- of the Year Award, the MACNA 2015 presentation, and itors will introduce the latest products and some truly keynote speaker Dr. Luiz Rocha of the California Acad- amazing corals, and our many speakers and workshops emy of Sciences, whose appearance is made possible by will be educational and informative. the generous financial support ofCentral Aquatics, our MACNA brings together hobbyists, professional Gold Keynote Sponsor. , manufacturers, retailers, and scientists from Full Conference Pass holders can attend the Friday re- around the globe. Together we will explore the current ception at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, a block west of state and future direction of marine aquatics and learn the Colorado Convention Center. Thanks to the generous about new husbandry techniques. support of Gold Reception Sponsor Boyd Enterprises, we As you enjoy the Exhibit Hall, the presentations, and will take a nostalgic trip back to the Denver of the 1920s, the parties, it’s important to understand what makes it all complete with an old-time speakeasy, vintage gaming, possible. MACNA has several long-time sponsors whose and historic libations. If you like to dance, visit the lower generous financial support allows the show to continue. level of the Ellie, where “roots rock” band the Octanes Seachem, which has been our Platinum Event Sponsor for will keep your toes tapping (cowboy boots optional). many years, provides significant funding and great prizes CoralVue is our Gold Prize Drawing Sponsor. Their for our drawings. We heartily thank Seachem for provid- support has allowed us to offer some amazing prizes. Be ing seed money and for their unquestioning support. sure to swing by the drawing area and check out the cool United Pet Group (UPG), maker of Instant Ocean products that our sponsors and exhibitors have lined up and Marineland products, has been our Diamond Ban- for you. Walt Smith International has donated a 10-day quet Sponsor for years. If you are a Full Conference Pass trip to for two. Wishing for a new aquarium? Marine- holder, you’ll enjoy a gala evening of food, fun, and land has generously donated a complete 300-gallon Deep

entertainment at the Saturday banquet at the Four Sea- Dimension setup. Drawings will be held every day; you DENVER CRECELIUS/VISIT STEVIE

4 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 5 must be present to win. The grand prize drawing Sprung and a scintillating roundtable discussion. Carib- Jon Garnett, and Jake Adams. Their efforts and hard will take place on Sunday. Sea has provided saltwater for the tanks and reef life at work are evident in the success of MACNA 2014. It In this Program Book, sponsored by Gold this year’s MACNA. Media Sponsor Reefs.com has been requires more than four dedicated (dare I say crazed?) Program Book Sponsor Neptune Systems, you helping us to get the word out all year. Proaquatix threw individuals to run an event of this size, and we have a will find an excellent article by Martin Moe on a party for the exhibitors during a very long setup day, support team that is made up of people with a variety the history of MACNA, a history of the evolu- and Two Little Fishies provided our badges and bracelets. of skill sets, working diligently to bring the best possible

tion of aquatics in Colorado, and some beautiful DENVER OBERT/VISIT STAN If you are enjoying the great products and giveaways in MACNA to Colorado. The core members of our team are shots of local reef tanks. The book also includes your sturdy tote, thank the fine folks at Reef Nutrition! Larry Leszczynski, Heather McNeill, Liana Mougey, Ca- the Exhibit Hall floor plan, directions to the Fri- It’s fun to spend time on the show floor, but the pri- rissa Garnett, Chris Campbell, Brie Brasch, Jeff Harris, day reception at the Ellie, maps of the facility, mary focus of every MACNA conference is education. Scott Chase, and Mike Drumm. Their tireless effort and and a list of local attractions. We hope you will The speakers bring a wealth and depth of knowledge that months of work have truly paid off. spend some time with our speakers; their bios they are happy to share, both in the Speaker Room and You’ll also notice many volunteers helping out ev- and speech topics are on page 30. We want to in personal encounters. You’d be hard pressed to find this ery day at MACNA. You encountered them when you extend special thanks to James Lawrence, Linda many published aquatic experts together in one room checked in or purchased drawing tickets. They may help Provost, Anne Linton, Judy Billard, Louise Wat- anywhere else. Thanks to the support of Fluval, Hikari, you find your way around. If you win something, one son, and Matt Pedersen at CORAL Magazine for AquaMedic, Piscine Energetics, Ecotech, and Fritz of them will hand you your prize. Many of them work creating and publishing this Program Book. Aquatics, we are able to bring some of the most influen- behind the scenes, supporting the exhibitors. They in- The workshops will take place just outside tial and knowledgeable experts in the world to MACNA. clude club members from the Colorado Organization for the Exhibit Hall’s main entrance and next to the The Denver Downtown Aquarium: In addition to our generous sponsors, a group of Reef & Aquatic Life (CORAL), the Soci- prize drawing area. Sponsored by Gold Workshop Meet a grouper up close. dedicated, hard-working hobbyists have volunteered ety of Colorado (MASC), the Southern Colorado Marine Sponsor Proline Aquatics, they will include infor- thousands of hours to put the show together. To accom- Aquarium Society (SCMAS), the Denver mational how-to sessions, fun, relaxed presenta- plish this monumental task, they have worked many Area Reef Club (DARC), the Colorado tions, live from the Downtown Aquari- late nights and long weekends for over two years. We’re Aquarium Society (CAS), and the Rocky um, and some unusual demonstrations. You never know sored by AquaIllumination/AI, you’ll enjoy many quality thankful for such a great team, and grateful to their fam- Mountain Cichlid Association (RMCA). who—or what—might show up here! presentations. Support from Kessil is allowing us to use ilies for allowing them to spend time away from home. Thanks to all of you fantastic volunteers Our Silver and Bronze sponsors also contribute to some interesting new speaker formats this year, includ- The Colorado Organization for Reef & Aquatic Life and sponsors for making this interclub the success of the show. In the Speaker Room, spon- ing a debate between our own Jake Adams and Julian (CORAL) Board of Directors includes Adam Monchak, MACNA a success.

6 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 7 THURSDAY28 29FRIDAY SATURDAY 30 31SUNDAY Early Registration only — Exhibit Hall closed 8 AM MASNA Member Meeting 8 AM How to Host a MACNA 8 AM MASNA Club President’s Meeting

THINGS TO DO: 9 AM Exhibit Hall open for MASNA members 9 AM SPEAKER START TIME 9 AM SPEAKER START TIME • Visit the Downtown Aquarium; bring your 9 AM SPEAKER START TIME 9 AM DR. SANJAY JOSHI: 9 AM NICK KLASE: LED Lighting in “C” card and go for a dive! Conversion of a 500G Reef, Metal Halide 9 AM TONY VARGAS: 10 AM Exhibit Hall open to attendees • See the Denver Zoo & Tropical Discovery What Makes a Great Reef Tank? to LEDs: A Personal Experience at City Park 10 AM LAURA BIRENBAUM: • Ha ve fun at Elitch’s Amusement Park 10 AM Exhibit Hall open to attendees 10 AM Exhibit Hall open to attendees Keeping and Breeding • See the Chihuly Exhibit at the Botanic Gardens 10 AM KEVIN KOHEN: Establishing and 10 AM JIM WALTERS: Rants and Raves the Dwarf • T ake the kids to the Children’s Museum Maintaining an NPS from a 37-Year-Old Fish Store • P et Rosie at the Butterfly Pavilion 11 AM RICHARD ROSS: • V enture to the Museum of Nature & Science 11 AM TEA YI KAI: For the Love of Wrasses 11 AM DR. CHARLES MAZEL: What’s Up with Phosphate? at City Park The Function of Fluorescence on the Reef 12 PM MICHAEL PALETTA: Aquarium History: • See the Pop Art exhibit at the 12 PM JAMIE CRAGGS: Intentionally Spawning 12 PM VINCENT CHALIAS: Oh, How Far We’ve Come! Denver Art Museum Stony Corals in the Aquarium Coral Diversity Is All About Habitat • Shop till you drop at Cherry Creek Mall 1 PM Debate: JAKE ADAMS v. 1 PM JUSTIN CREDABEL: A Six-Pack • Ride the Light Rail to Park Meadows 1 PM RUFUS KIMURA: Wonders of the Deep of Marine and Reef Aquarium Trivia • Ha ve dinner at the Buckhorn Exchange, 2 PM MENEEKA GURROBY: A Family-Run Denver’s Oldest Restaurant (Liquor License #1) Fish-Collecting Station in Mauritius 2 PM DR. TODD LAJEUNESSE: 2 PM JULIAN BAGGIO: Sustainable Marine Zooxanthellae, Coral, and Symbiosis Livestock Collection by Cairns Marine in FURTHER AFIELD: 3 PM EHSAN DASHTI: • T ake the free Coors Brewery tour in Golden Getting Critical about Water Chemistry 3 PM JOHN CIOTTI: Modern Aquarium • Visit Estes Park Aesthetics from a Champion Aquascapist 3 PM WALT SMITH: Following the Sun: • Dr ive over Trail Ridge Road 4 PM DR. JEAN JAUBERT: 25 Years of Journeys of a Sea Dreamer • Mar vel at the Red Rocks Amphitheater Uninterrupted Growth for a Captive Reef 4 PM JULIAN SPRUNG: Roundtable Discussion: • Visit the Gardens of the Gods Kept at Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum Proposed Endangered Species Act Listing for 4 PM Live Grand Prize Drawing start time • Dr ive to the top of Pikes Peak Stony Corals 4 PM Exhibit Hall closes 5 PM MARTIN MOE: • Ha ve a Mountain Pie at the original Beau Jo’s 5 PM  TOM BOWLING: New Fish Culture in Palau Pizza in Idaho Springs The Foundation of Marine Aquaristics • Quaf f a brew at the Bucksnort 6 PM Exhibit Hall closes 6 PM Exhibit Hall closes There is no better high than discovery. • Disco ver Left Hand Brewery in Boulder 7 PM Banquet — MITCH CARL, Emcee —E.O. Wilson, • Visit the Air Force Academy 7 PM Reception • Ellie Caulkins Opera House Biologist & Naturalist DR. LUIZ ROCHA, Keynote Speaker

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MACNA 2014 Program Guide Book [2p spread, bottom � pHorizontal of Schedule of Events]-1408.indd 1 7/24/14 3:47 PM 10 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 11 by Martin A. Moe, Jr.

If the start of the “modern” aquarium in his home, and his marine aquarium hobby can be sister, Miss Elizabeth Emerson given a specific date, it is probably Damon, was among the first NDER G 1842, when Dr. George Johnston freshwater aquarists in America. U L published his History of British Julio Perez wrote an interesting S A Sponges. Dr. Johnston describes history of freshwater and marine S keeping a 6-ounce jar of seawater aquariums for the 2013 MACNA N S stocked with coralline , fila- program publication. A mentous green algae, Ulva, small Fast-forward to the 1950s. mussels, annelid worms, and a World War II was over, tech- E . After eight weeks the nology was advancing quickly, C water was still clean and clear. and the freshwater hobby was In 1847, Mrs. Anne Thynne rapidly coming of age. Marine of England reported on her suc- aquarium–keeping was fasci- O cessful experiences keeping a nating, but weird and difficult. 6-gallon marine vivarium in One of the major books at that London: Martin Moe collecting Longspined time was the Handbook of Tropi- “I had a quantity of micro- Sea Urchins in the Florida Keys for cal Aquarium Fishes, written by scopic corallines, which mul- his captive breeding research. two distinguished authors, Her- tiplied very fast; serpulae, that bert R. Axelrod and Dr. Leonard readily elongated their stony cas- P. Schultz (Curator of Fishes at es; some nereis, ophiurae and a the Smithsonian Museum). This great many beautiful little things for which I could find book, published in 1955, consisted of a whopping 718 no name. On one piece of rock was the first germ of pages and covered the entire scope of the aquarium hob- a living sponge. It was very fine, and grew to the size by. Marine aquariums? Not so much—only four pages of a hazel nut, coming to maturity in about six weeks.” were devoted to that topic, and aquarists with marine (Please note that these words, written over 150 years aspirations were duly cautioned. ago, could very easily have been written yesterday by a “Elaborate systems of filtration have been worked out modern reef tank aquarist.) in various public aquaria. Owing to the great care and Mrs. Thynne kept her little aquarium alive and well difficulties inherent in showing marine fishes and the by keeping a small reservoir of seawater on hand and scarcity of suitable specimens, the New York Aquarium 6 instructing her handmaiden to remove water from the has not contained any marine forms for several years. 2 vessel every other day, replace it with seawater from the Since it has an excellent filtration system and still finds A reservoir, and then refresh the old water by pouring it the job a difficult one, the hobbyist should proceed fair- N back and forth from one vessel to another for half an ly cautiously.” And proceed cautiously they did—but the C hour before storing it in the reservoir. She also sent lure of keeping marine fishes in a home aquarium was ir- Th A someone to the coast every three months for a fresh sup- resistible. In 1958 Helen Simkatis came out with a book, ou f M ply of seawater. Salt Water Fishes for the Home Aquarium, containing gh e o black and white photos, diagrams, and instructions on ts ev An extensive history of aquarium-keeping and how to build a sub-sand filter, also termed a biological of th the freshwater fish–breeding—and, much more recently, ma- filter based on the understanding that bacterial action e past on rine fish and invertebrate culture—runs from the mid- transformed waste material into nutrients. With 1800s to the marine reef tanks of today. It makes for the information in that book, an aquarist could set up a interesting reading for modern marine aquarists. One successful marine aquarium if he or she had the patience of the early adventures in the hobby occurred in 1856: and/or good luck to work through the run-in period re- I recall the beginning of the modern marine aquarium hobby. I was there. Well, maybe not at the the great showman, P. T. Barnum, “borrowed” two cura- quired to establish proper populations of the then un- very beginning—marine life has been kept in captivity since antiquity, which was before my time. The earliest re- tors from the Zoological Gardens of London, bought a known nitrogen-fixing . number of glass tanks, and exhibited sea anemones and Robert P. L. Straughan was pretty much the first full- corded account of keeping fishes captive is apparently from the Sumerian culture, about 4500 BCE. Fishes were other marine animals at his American Museum in New time marine aquarist, collector, and seller of marine maintained for food in ponds and enclosures but were not farmed or propagated. The Assyrians, and probably York, the first “public” aquarium in the new world. Then life, as well as a prolific writer on the subjects of ma- the Babylonians, also kept fish ponds, and the Egyptians of 1000 BC kept tilapia in ponds, where they probably Barnum sponsored the first expedition to capture tropi- rine aquariums and marine life. His book The Salt Wa- reproduced and provided a supply of fresh fish. The Chinese, however, were the first real fish culturists. They cal marine fishes. In 1861, under his direction, William ter Aquarium in the Home went through three editions Damon and Albert S. Bickmore sailed from Bermuda in (1959, 1964, and 1970) and was the early “bible” of the began with carp as early as 3500 BCE; when the Christian era began, goldfish culture derived from carp culture a small fishing boat, carrying 600 live tropical marine marine aquarium hobby. The word “nitrogen,” however, was well established in China. By the time of the Sung Dynasty (960–1278 CE), goldfish were truly domesticat- fishes for display at Barnum’s American Museum. Da- does not appear in these books, and bacteria were some-

ed. Koi were derived from a different species of carp and were first bred in Japan in about 900 CE. SHUTTERSTOCK BLUEHAND/ CLOWNFISH: CALVETTI; LEONELLO EARTH: PROVOST. LINDA MONTAGE: WITTENRICHL MATTHEW mon was one of the first aquarists to keep a saltwater thing to be avoided at all costs. Frank de Graaf, Curator

12 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 13 DOWNLOAD TODAY!

of the Artis Aquarium of the Netherlands, wrote the Pet with—well, with glue. For the most part, people stayed a using as the main filtrate for nitrogen manage- Library Marine Aquarium Guide in 1968 (English edi- healthy distance from the display, well out of the “splash ment and intense lighting of the proper spectrum for tion 1973). He had a much greater understanding of the zone” that it would create if it broke apart. It never did the growth of photosynthetic-capable organisms. This chemistry at work in a successful marine aquarium and break apart while it was on display. No, that happened opened the doors to coral culture, and the hobby never You can included a “diagram of the bacterial decomposition of ni- when the truck drivers dropped the box off the back of looked back. trogenous organic matter (aerobic decomposition),” thus the truck! By the late 1980s the marine side of the aquarium the stage was set for the growth of the marine aquarium Such was the state of the art of marine aquarium hobby had grown so much that clubs were getting to- hobby. All of these books contained instructions on what technology in the mid-1950s and 1960s. Soon, however, gether and hosting joint events. The first Marine Aquar- take it salts and how much of each to use to create several gal- the situation was to change. The years between 1955 and ium Conference of North America (MACNA) occurred lons of . (I knew Bob Straughan fairly 1965 were formative ones for the fledgling marine branch in 1989 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was co-hosted by well and talked with him frequently, and he published my of the aquarium hobby—they saw the early stages of the the Cleveland Saltwater Enthusiasts Association (C-SEA) technological developments that made keeping a marine with you. first article on breeding clownfishes in the March/April and the Marine Aquarium Society of Toronto (MAST). 1973 issue of his Salt Water Aquarium, The International aquarium possible. These were, in no particular order, Helmut Debelius and I shared the keynote speaker spot, Magazine for Marine Aquarists.) widespread availability of artificial sea salts, the all-glass each giving two lectures, and Tom Frakes, Dr. Peter Ru- aquarium, the shipping by air of bec, and George Smit were the other speakers listed on commercially available marine fish- the program. Forrest Young and Albert Thiel also gave es and invertebrates, sub-sand/un- presentations. A great time was had by all. dergravel filter technology, external I recall two young aquarists, J. Charles Delbeek and hang-on-the-back marine filters and Julian Sprung, whose enthusiasm for reef tanks was media, knowledge of the nitrogen cy- dripping from their pores and entangled in their hair Visitors marvel at aquatic life in the cle in marine and freshwater aquari- (especially Julian’s hair—it couldn’t withstand the stim- Jardin Zoologique d’Acclimatation, ums, and appropriate lighting. There ulation and went away). Great things were to come from Paris, 1860. The aquarium was was much more to come, of course, those two. I had just finished writing the firstMarine opened by Napoleon III and later but these developments turned keep- Aquarium Reference, and a manuscript copy of that book became notorious for displaying live ing a marine aquarium from a sci- was auctioned off at the conference. Now, 26 years later, humans from native African tribes. ence project into a hobby. Another I’m finally completing an expanded rewrite of that book new concept born at this time was as five e-book volumes. the formation and activity of marine At about this time, John Janssen, the president of aquarium societies and clubs, which the Midlands Marine Aquarium Society (MMAST) in would have a great impact on the Columbia, South Carolina, had the idea for a national hobby in the not too distant future. organization of marine aquarium societies. He couldn’t attend the first two MACNA conferences, but the idea The Florida Marine Aquari- caught hold and the Marine Aquarium Societies of um Society (FMAS), formed in North America (MASNA) was formed. At first MACNA, 1955, is considered the oldest ma- the annual conference, and MASNA, the national par- Dive into the breathtaking world rine-only aquarium society and re- ent association, were separate, but at the fourth MAC- of coral reefs and astonishing marine mains one of the largest with 300 NA conference in Miami, Florida, MASNA “adopted” aquariums in a format as mobile members. Other areas soon began MACNA and has helped select the host society for future as you are! to host marine aquarium–oriented MACNAs and given the host society support in the huge clubs and societies. I gave my first job of producing a national conference. Today MASNA talk in 1972 at a marine aquarium has many member aquarium societies, many commer- CORAL is now available on your smart club formed in Tampa, Florida, by cial sponsors and partners, and thousands of individual phone and tablet—Apple or Android. Bob often claimed the distinction of having built the Billy and Laurie Causey. (I came home from that meet- members, and is active on many fronts of the modern Wherever you go, stay informed, stay first all-glass aquarium held together with nothing but ing with a puppy instead of fishes, and our three kids were marine aquarium/reef movement. silicone sealer. Perhaps he did; I cannot contest his claim. very happy.) Over the next 40 years, I gave frequent talks inspired and stay in touch with your I built my first all-glass aquarium in 1965, when I was a at marine aquarium clubs from to Mexico, from The first marine aquariums used what we call favorite magazine. New and back issues fishery biologist with the Florida State Marine Research Canada to England, and all over the U.S. the “natural” method, and this analysis of the natural at the touch of a finger. Laboratory in St. Petersburg. Creating markets for Florida As marine aquarium societies began popping up in environment, blended with basic scientific knowledge seafood was a major thrust of the agency at that time, cities and towns all over the continent, larger events last- and experimentation, is at the heart of the hobby. When

and I was asked to create a live display of Florida sea- ing all day and featuring several speakers began to occur. I 1860/SHUTTERSTOCK PARIS, UNIVERSEL, JOURNAL , Anne Thynne kept her tube worms, polychaete worms, food, fishes, and spiny lobsters for conventions and trade visited many marine aquarium societies back then—after and bristle stars alive in a 6-gallon marine vivarium, Get the App now — shows. We built a 50-gallon all-glass aquarium and a big all, I had clownfish to sell. there was no separation between science and hobby. just $14.99 per year. wooden box for its transport. It was spectacular! Few peo- Another sea change in the hobby began with a series In the nineteenth century, hobbies and pastimes were ple at that time had seen an all-glass aquarium. It occu- of six articles written by George Smit in 1986 for Fresh- the vehicles of science, and advances in scientific un- pied a sturdy table in front of the booth, and lobsters and water and Marine Aquarium Magazine. Among other in- derstanding were usually first developed by those who

fishes swam around in this big glass case held together novations, George introduced the European method of L’ILLUSTRATION IN PUBLISHED “tinkered” with nature and combined knowledge of the

Apple, the Apple logo, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. 14 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 15 natural world with mechanics. In this way, basic prob- lems were solved and new fields in science and indus- try were created. Thinkers and experimenters such as Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, and the Wright broth- ers turned the world upside down and sent science and technology scurrying to catch up. This is also both the history and the current state of Your One Source for the marine aquarium hobby. Many of the advances in culture and captive husbandry have been conceived in Aquarium LED Lighting the basements, living rooms, and garages of the hobby- ist marine aquarists of yesterday and today. Both marine VISIT US AT BOOTH #917 –breeding and captive coral maintenance and propagation began with marine aquarium hobby- ists. Science today has its own culture and language, and there is a porous barrier between the scientific hobbyist Stop by our booth and the hobbyist scientist. Nowhere is this barrier more and ask about porous than it is at MACNA conferences. our incredible Scientific hobbyists and hobbyist scientists rub shoul- ders, break bread together, and learn from each other at show specials every conference. At first the science world was a bit… on LED lights! oh, let’s say skeptical about the advances in the science of keeping and breeding marine organisms, but that skepticism has, for the most part, turned to mutual un- derstanding, respect, and exchange of information. The hobbyist literature has evolved from mimeographed (do www.ReefRadiance.com you have any mimeographed papers and reports in your files? I do!), hand-stapled society newsletters to profes- sionally produced scientific books with beautiful color photos and powerful websites. And MACNA was, and is, at the crossroads.

The only constant in the marine aquarium/reef hob- by is change. The people, the technology, the communica- tions, and the place of the hobby in the public and scientific arenas change to keep pace with the times. Unfortunate- ly, the marine life that is the core of the science and the hobby is also changing, and not for the better. Sometimes what’s in your good things happen—new species are found, we discover new ways to keep well-known but delicate species, and we box? make advances in captive propagation that result in new domesticated forms of common species basic to the hob- by. But at the same time, the planet is changing and the coral reefs are in trouble on many fronts. Marine aquarists are on the front lines of the battle to preserve and understand the beauty and intricacy of our tropical marine life. Preservation and restoration of the environment and the functional ecology of coral reefs are key themes in our publications and at our con- ferences. One of our most potent weapons is the effect that we can have on public knowledge and public opin- ion. We are legion, and we must take the information and ideas we gain from MACNA and other conferences and meetings, our literature, and our own experiences and use them in what should be a worldwide effort to protect and restore our oceans and seas. They are, after UniqueCorals.com all, where life on Earth began and where it might end.

16 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 17 by Jake Adams

MACNA: Why Denver?

Reef exhibit at Denver Downtown Aquarium

As the editor of Reef Builders, I travel to all the corners of the earth in search of new products, ex- quisite aquariums, and the sources of the exotic marine life that we all adore. Everywhere I go, when they learn that I live in Colorado, a landlocked state in the central U.S, people ask me why it is that I don’t live in Florida or California.

I’ve lived in Colorado on and off for most of my life. I long winters are conducive to keeping aquatic animals graduated from a marine science program in South Car- in vessels of varying shapes and sizes. Colorado, too, has olina, a coastal state with plenty of marine life, and then long winters and plenty of annual snowfall, and many of did an internship studying spawning corals in Puerto its citizens have adapted to this climate by creating and Rico, a Caribbean island with arguably a lot of beauti- thoroughly enjoying both freshwater and marine aquar- ful corals and reef life. But when those two experiences iums for a great many decades. I’ll skip the trivia about were over, I knew that I wanted to return to the Mile how prevalent SCUBA diving is in Colorado and how our High City because it has long fostered a very progressive Colorado Aquarium Society is over 65 years old, and go aquarium community. straight to the marine aquarium details. Indeed, Colorado is an unlikely place to find such a dense concentration of marine aquarium activity, but it actually follows a global geographic Corals under LED lighting in one of the author’s trend. The beginnings of marine aquarium–keep- experimental nano tanks. ing are rooted in northern Europe during Victori- an times, when it was noble to appreciate nature in all its forms. Let it snow The aquarium hobby was especially popular in En- gland, France, Holland, and Germany, countries where long winters force the population to spend a

significant part of their time indoors. In particular, ADAMS JAKE

18 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 19 As a teenager in the late 1990s, I was amazed to see how many great Colorado marine aquarists already had thriving reef aquariums and how passionate most of the fish stores were about the reef aquarium specifically. I learned to propagate corals from a local coral farmer in 1999, when coral frags, grown by reefers as more than a hobby, were already starting to appear in local fish stores. One store used to order box lots of SPS corals, which arrived almost every Friday, and the fuzzy-stick-heads could get downright aggressive about who was going to take home which piece. Coral frag fever I can still acutely remember the fever pitch of enthusiasm that was felt in the local community when the store at which I worked was due to receive a box of the first-ever maricultured corals from the Solomon Islands. Keen to avoid the chaos that sometimes ensued when lots of juicy corals appeared at once, we did a mini-lottery to deter- mine who would be the first to select corals. I can’t speak for the reefing in other regions, but in Colorado SPS cor- als were so precious and prone to RTN (rapid tissue ne- crosis) that we all made a massive effort to share frags of as many of our corals with as many friends as possible to ensure their continuation in the local community. This culture of sharing, learning, and communing about marine aquariums goes way back to a time before reef clubs were a thing, and it has led to many local strains of highly prized corals being distributed all over the coun- try. One notable example is the neon-green Sarcophyton leather coral that was wait-listed as long ago as the year 2000. Our green polyp leather coral was “discovered” by a certain author many years later and turned into a “lim- ited edition” coral strain, but it has now been relegated to being a beginner’s coral frag at many LFSs. Colorado sunbursts Another special aquarium that came from the Rocky Mountain State is the Colorado Sunburst Anem- one, a beautiful orange form of the Bubbletip Anemo- ne that has grown in popularity and become one of the Learn the secrets of small-scale Banggai Cardinalfish most highly coveted strains of Entacmea quadricolor. breeding ◗ Visit the fishrooms of successful breeders ◗ Get the basics as well as advanced tricks for: ◗ Establishing Fast-forward to 2014: this year, the marine aquarium broodstock ◗ Conditioning and spawning ◗ Rearing community in Colorado has reached its zenith by hosting healthy fry ◗ Marketing and selling your captive-bred the most prestigious marine aquarium event in the world. Banggais. On the last weekend in August, the world’s most passion- ate marine aquarists and progressive reefers will converge on the Mile High City to enjoy the kind of enriching ma- A manual for aquarists, rine aquarium experience that only MACNA can offer. We’re very excited to be hosting the divers, and breeders 2014 Marine Aquarium Conference of Purchase Direct from Publisher North America, and once you arrive and Hardcover: $44.95 • Softcover: $34.95 see what a great event we have in store, www.reef2rainforest.com/banggai-rescue-project/ you’ll understand what makes Denver and Exclusive Trade Distribution the Central Colorado region such a special www.twolittlefishies.com place to be a reef aquarium enthusiast.

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CorAffix™ is an ethyl cyanoacrylate bonding compound with viscosity similar to honey. Use it for attaching stony corals, gorgonians, and other sessile invertebrates in natural positions on live rock, or use in combination with AquaStik to attach larger coral heads. CorAffix Gel and CorAffix Pro cyanoacrylate bonding compounds have a thick gel consistency that makes them very easy to use for attaching frags of stony corals, zoanthids, and some soft corals to plugs or bases. AquaStik, CorAffix, CorAffix Gel and CorAffix Pro work on dry, damp, or wet surfaces, cure underwater, and are non-toxic to fish, and invertebrates. Developed by aquarium expert Julian Sprung.

Two Little Fishies

22 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 23 MACNA XXVI • 2014 • DENVER Convention Center Area

24 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 25 MACNA XXVI FLOOR PLAN Couches Couches

731 131 231 331 431 531 631 831 Stone 931 Cairns Red Sea Finnex Cobalt CPR Aquatics The Fish Crew inTank Aquatics Tecous Marine

329 Doctor 529 Walt 629 Sea & 729 Pecan 929 Aznnutty 129 Aquarium Sea 228 Ruby 328 Addicting 428 Reefer’s 628 Taam/ 728 Glass 928 Equipment Dwelling Eco Smith Reef Grove Saltwater Reef Systems Corals International Cove Aquaculture Rio Solutions Cages Factory Creatures 429 Rod’s Connections 229 Dirk’s Foods 829 ZooMed 127 Aquatic Crystal 226 Oceans 426 527 Acrylic Reef 626 627 Jason Fox Sticks 726 Bashsea 926 Experience Clear Paradise JBJ 528 & Glass Breeders Signature & Stones Zetlight 828 Marine Chicago Aquatics Build 326 Exhibits Coral Corals 727 Design My LED Omega Sea 327 625 Gonzo’s Endless 424 525 Aquatronica Lifegard 624 925 Elite 125 open Brightwell Ocean Aquatics Coral ReeFlo 924 Aquatics Aquatics Frags Fluid 224 425 World 825 Reef Designers 225 Schuran Wide Puratek 724 Blue 422 Mind 522 H20 Corals 623 Reef 723 Living 922 923 Ocean’s 123 open Life Blowing 523 Real Reef Milwaukee 622 Edge USA Corals Koi Marco Rocks Color AMS

121 221 321 421 521 621 721 821 Orphek Two Little Drs. Fosters Reef EcoTech Piscine High Def New Life Fishies and Smith/ Wholesale Marine Energetics Corals International LiveAquaria 919 Tropic Marin 117 417 717 817 Eye Catching 217 317 Hikari Sales 517 519 617 Titan Aquatics Sustainable ORA Unique Corals Aqua Carolina Ecoxotic 917 Reef Coral USA, Inc. Medic Aquatics Exhibits Aquatics Radiance

The 214 715 Reef Route 66 514 515 Ecological Coast 814 815 My Reef Ocean 914 115 ReefLive Coral Hobbyist Aquacraft 414 Marine Labs Tropicals To Yours Revive Shop 215 DFW 314 315 415 Living 614 GHL/ 714 Magazine Giesemann Color 615 New Aqua Dr. Tim’s Aquarium Eshopps Era Aquaristic Aquariums Digital 913 Exotic Exotic 212 Aquatics Supply San 412 Aquatic 512 Digital 812 113 Spectrapure Reef Francisco 513 Aquamart 813 Cermedia Fish & Reef Art, Inc. Aquatics Imports Creations Bay Brand 713 Champion Midnight 912 Lighting & 311 Marine Royal 510 Mariculture 111 Coldwater 211 The Dr. G’s 610 Supply Co. 911 Ocean Reynolds 210 Aquarium 411 Sicce Exclusive 511 Reef Marine 611 Fragtastic 710 Marine Polymer Alternative Builders Reef zoanthids.com 811 Aqua FX Inspirations Aquatics Reef Reef 310 Expo Smooth 410 USA Aquaculture Brite On Hydor 810 Reef 708 209 Alga 309 Instant 609 4 Guys 709 Aquatic Triton 908 Frenzy Realm 809 Prodibio Aquatics 109 Gen Reef 407 507 1 Tank Foods International Fluval Boyd CoralVue 307 Enterprises 607 707 807 907 V20 Aquarium 207 CORAL Magazine Reefs.com Reef open Proaquatix Fritz Foods Nutrition Aquatics

101 201 202 301 601 701 801 802 Kessil Triton Panta Proline 401 501 Neptune Central Aqua Carib Reef Rhei Aquatics United Pet Group Seachem Systems Aquatics Illumi- Sea nation

Public Elevator MASNA Event MACNA 2015 Entrance Speaker STAIRS Room STAIRS upstairs ➥ The Great MACNA BUTTON HUNT Get at least 25 different button pins from various vendors on the show floor. Present them at the registration booth ➥ ESCALATOR for a free BUTTON HUNT DRAWING* ticket. PRIZES!! Lim- ited to the first 200 people to enter, so get your hunt on!!

Drawing *No need to be present to win. Winners will be Area contacted daily by phone. You must submit your Workshop name and phone number on the back of your drawing ticket. Your information will not be sold Restrooms Area or used for any reason other than contacting a winner. One entry per attendee. Don’t be lazy, no sharing buttons! MACNA XXVI • 2014 • DENVER Reception List of Exhibitors & Banquet

609 4 Guys 1 Tank 117 Eye Catching Coral 511 Reef Builders Reception at the 527 Acrylic & Glass Exhibits 231 Finnex 708 Reef Frenzy Foods Ellie Caulkins Opera 428 Addicting Corals 224 Fluid Designers 825 Reef H2O House • 7–11 pm 209 AlgaGen 109 Fluval 715 Reef Hobbyist Magazine One block west of the 811 Aqua FX 611 Fragtastic Reef 307 Reef Nutrition Convention Center 414 Aquacraft 807 Fritz Aquatics 917 Reef Radiance • Food, beverages, and 513 Aquamart 714 GHL / Aqua-Digital 421 Reef Wholesale fun 517 Aqua Medic 315 Giesemann 310 ReefBrite • The Octanes @ 8 pm 129 Aquarium Equipment 928 Glass Cages 628 Reefer’s Cove in the Chambers Grant Salon (lower level) Factory 625 Gonzo Coral Frags 623 Reefkoi • Gaming tables and food on all other levels 512 Aquatic Art, Inc. 721 HighDefCorals 115 ReefLive • Theme is 1920s Speakeasy. Dress in your 127 Aquatic Experience Chicago 417 Hikari 924 ReeFlo favorite pinstripe suit or flapper dress…or not. :) 709 Aquatic Realm Intl 810 Hydor 207 Reefs.com 801 AquaIllumination 309 Instant Reef 210 Reynolds Polymer Sponsored by BOYD 525 Aquatronica 631 inTank 429 Rod’s Food 929 Aznnutty’s Saltwater 627 Jason Fox Signature Corals 514 Route 66 Marine Saturday Banquet at the Four Seasons Connections 101 Kessil 510 Royal Exclusiv Ballroom in CCC • 7–11 pm 926 Bashsea Marine Design 624 Lifegard Aquatics 328 Ruby Reef • Plated dinner for 1,600 422 Blue Life USA 321 Live Aquaria/Dr. Foster 412 San Francisco Bay Brand • Master of Ceremonies: Mitch Carl, Curator at 407 Boyd Enterprises & Smith 225 Schuran Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Stony Coral Sexual Reproduction Researcher Sponsored 327 Brightwell 614 Living Color 629 Sea & Reef Aquaculture with the SECORE Project by UPG 326 Build My LED 922 Living Color AMS 228 Sea Dwelling Creatures • Presentation of MACNA 2015 931 Cairns Marine 723 MarcoRocks 501 Seachem 802 CaribSea 609 To Be Announced • Presentation of MASNA Aquarist 411 Sicce of the Year 701 Central Aquatics 311 Marine Aquarium Expo 410 Smooth-On • Drawing for Fiji Trip from WSI 813 Cermedia 912 Midnight Mariculture 113 SpectraPure • Keynote Speaker: Dr. Luiz Rocha: 713 Champion Lighting 622 Milwaukee 726 Sticks & Stones Corals & Supply Co. Speciation in Fishes 522 Mind Blowing Corals 731 Stone Aquatics 814 Coast Tropicals • Bars open at 6 pm in the Pre-Function Space 815 My Reef to Yours 817 Sustainable Aquatics 331 Cobalt 601 Neptune Systems 728 Taam/Rio 111 Coldwater Marine Aquatics 615 New Era 831 Teco US 407 CORAL Magazine 821 New Life International 211 The Alternative Reef 507 CoralVue 911 Ocean Inspirations 531 The Fish Crew 431 CPR Aquatics 914 Ocean Revive 214 TheCoralShop.com 226 Crystal Clear Aquatics 923 Oceans Edge 717 Titan Aquatics Exhibits 314 DFW Aquarium Supply 426 Oceans Paradise 528 Transworld Aquatic (JBJ) 812 Digital Aquatics 727 OmegaSea 908 Triton Aquatics 229 Dirk 217 ORA 201 Triton Reef 329 Dr. Eco Systems 121 Orphek 919 Tropic Marin 610 Dr. G’s Marine Aquaculture 202 Panta Rhei 221 Two Little Fishies 215 Dr. Tim’s 729 Pecan Grove Solutions 317 Unique Corals 515 Ecological Labs 621 Piscine Energetics 401 United Pet Group 521 Ecotech Marine 707 Proaquatix 907 V2O Aquarium Foods 617 Ecoxotic 809 Prodibio 529 Walt Smith International 925 Elite Aquatics 301 Proline Aquatics 425 Worldwide Corals 424 Endless Ocean 724 Puratek 828 Zetlight 415 Eshopps 523 Real Reef 710 Zoanthids.com 913 Exotic Fish and Reef Imports 131 Red Sea 829 ZooMed VISIT DENVER VISIT 212 Exotic Reef Creations 626 Reef Breeders

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Jake Adams Jake Adams is a professional marine aquarist, reef aquarium author, and speaker from Colorado. He is best known as the senior editor of the popular reef aquar- ium news blog Reef Builders. Jake has a Bachelor’s degree in marine science and has research experience with spawning corals in the Caribbean. He has consulted on the design and installation of jumbo reef tanks, retail stores, aquaculture and mariculture facilities, and research aquariums. When he isn’t speaking to reef clubs or writing for marine aquarium publications, Jake also enjoys working with freshwater fishes and planted aquariums. As one of MACNA 2014’s organizers, he CaribSea, Inc.| phone: +1-772-461-1113 | caribsea.com | [email protected] will bring some innovations to the conference, including a series of Flash work- shops and a head-to-head debate on one aspect of aquarium husbandry. TOPICS: Discoveries of the Fluval Sea Flores Expedition (with Vincent Chalias) Refugiums: Why Bother? — A live debate with Julian Sprung

Julian Baggio Julian is a senior manager at Cairns Marine, Australia’s largest and leading ma- rine livestock supplier, based near the Queensland coast with easy access to the Real aragonitic base rock, no cement, no Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Julian completed his degree in marine sci- curing. Extensive macro and micro-porosity ence at the University of Queensland, majoring in marine parasitology. First em- infused with spored bacteria for outstanding biological performance. Clean and safe ployed by Cairns Marine in 1997 as a collections diver, Julian shifted into the for all fi sh and inverts, environmentally role of facility aquarist, specializing in the care and transport of Cairns Marine’s responsible each piece being very unique. public aquarium animals. Over the past seven years he has overseen export sales 40 lb box #00376 20 lb box #25376 and freight logistics, more recently focusing on the growing demand worldwide for Australian SPS corals and the challenges involved with their care and success- ful transportation. TOPIC: Sustainable Wild Collection of Australian Fish & Corals Proud water sponsors of Laura Birenbaum MACNA Laura is a proud owner and co-founder of ReefGen, the wholesale coral and fish aquaculture company in Riverhead, NY. Laura and her business partner, Justin Credabel, propagate a diverse selection of coral frags in collaboration with the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center. Laura has successfully bred four generations of dwarf using 15 dedicated cuttle propagation tanks, all on a 20,000-gallon reef “.” She has worked many sides of the aquarium trade including retail, wholesale, and manufacturing. She co-owned a reef aquarium shop in Bellingham, Washington, while earning her B.S. in from Western Washington University. Laura is presently Vice President of the Long Island Reef Association. TOPIC: Breeding Dwarf Cuttlefish ( bandensis)

Tom Bowling Tom Bowling is a marine scientist, former commercial diver, and current head of Biota Aquaculture in Koror, Palau, where the company is culturing marine fishes for restocking reefs on islands where these species have been overfished. To date they have succeeded in raising Bumphead Parrotfish (a world “first” for the family Scaridae), Twin-Spot Snapper, Blue-Lined Seabream, and others from eggs collect- ed in the wild. Tom studied marine science and aquaculture in Australia and has previously owned several businesses there, including Ocean Oddities, which was one of the first commercial seahorse farms Down Under, and worked at Marshall Islands Mariculture Farm with ORA. One of his goals is to supplement the trade in wild-caught aquarium fishes with sustainably cultured reef species. TOPIC: Starting a Marine Fish Aquaculture Business on a Pacific Island and Finding Success with Bumphead Parrotfish and other species

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Vincent Chalias Vincent Chalias is a marine biologist based in Bali, where he has helped develop coral mariculture methods. He and several Indonesian colleagues are working together to produce hundreds of species for Amblard S.A, a leading European live- stock importer. Vincent has a degree in marine aquaculture from the University of Montpellier (France) and continues to develop new techniques for culturing new and different species. He is credited with the discovery of a new species of frogfish (Histiophryne pogonius) and is currently working on the description of new Euphyllia coral species. Vincent is also a passionate underwater photographer and a contributor to CORAL and other magazines. TOPIC: Discoveries of the Fluval Sea Flores Expedition (with Jake Adams) Presented by Fluval Sea

John Ciotti Johnny Ciotti is a Los Angeles–based commercial advertising photographer and creative director who has produced national ad campaigns and commercials for such iconic brands as Butterfinger, Pepsi, Pampers, HotPockets, The Sharper Im- age, and Reebok, as well as such aquarium brands as Ecoxotic, Current-USA, Nep- tune Aquatics, Reef Nutrition, and Unique Corals. Johnny has worked hand in hand with the likes of world-renowned freshwater artists Jeff Senske, Mike Senske, and . His aquascapes, which have been noted to shake things up a bit, have been published in numerous online sites and in an array of international aquarium magazines. TOPIC: Modern Aquascaping

Jamie Craggs Jamie Craggs is a coral biologist and currently the Aquarium Curator at the Horniman Museum & Gardens, London, UK. Since arriving at the Museum in 2008 he has been improving the working practices, animal welfare standards, and captive breeding programs within the aquarium. His main research interest is the reproductive biology of reefbuilding corals, and since 2012 he has been running Project Coral, a multi-year research initiative focusing on inducing broadcast- spawning corals to spawn predictably in captivity. Taking advantage of the latest microprocessor technologies, he was able to orchestrate and document the spawning of two species of Acropora within the museum’s coral research system in South East London. TOPIC: Induced Acropora Spawning in Captivity

Justin Credabel Grabel Justin Credabel Grabel is co-founder, with Laura Birenbaum, of ReefGen, a wholesale producer of captive-grown corals, fishes, and other marine livestock. Their farm is located at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, New York. Work- ing with aquarium director Joe Yaiullo, ReefGen is producing premium corals as well as other livestock, including Candy Basslets, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, and Chain Catsharks. Justin’s particular passion for notoriously hard-to-keep Gonio- pora stony corals led him to develop Goniopower, a specialty food manufactured by Two Little Fishies. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, he is a frequent contributor to aquarium magazines and a speaker at marine events. TOPIC: Justin Credabel Six Pack (Thraustochytrids—The Unsung Symbiont Hero; Hy- drogen Peroxide and Algae Control; Grafting and Fusion; Potassium Dosing; Unusual Coral Propagation; and “Whatever I Happen to Be Jazzed About at the Moment”)

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Ehsan Dashti Ehsan is the co-founder and owner, with his wife, Linda Dashti, of Triton Ap- plied Reef Bioscience in Düsseldorf, Germany—a company with an international water testing service that uses “cutting edge technology to analyze artificial and natural seawater for aquarium professionals and hobbyists.” Eshan says he is “a reef and chemical geek out of a real biochemical family” who is trying to push the boundaries of reefkeeping by, for example, measuring and reporting trace and macro elements that have been previously ignored, as well as exploring old and new techniques to mimic the natural seawater habitat of corals. TOPIC: High Precision Testing of Seawater, Trace Elements in the Reef Aquarium, and Comparisons to Natural Seawater of the Flores Sea and Komodo

Meneeka Gurroby Meneeka Gurroby is a member of the family-owned Ornamental Marine World, a purveyor of rare fishes endemic to the waters of the Indian Ocean Republic of Mauritius, volcanic islands ringed with pristine coral reefs. Working with her father, Chabiraj Gurroby, her brother Mohesh, and longtime family friend Suresh Liloo, Meneeka exports fishes to North America, Europe, and other areas. “My mom even helps out on occasion,” she says. The company works to fill special orders only, collects with nets, and takes pride in collecting responsibly and sus- tainably. Meneeka says, “We truly love what we do and love sharing our beautiful and bountiful marine life, and of course, a bit of a picture of our amazing island home with all of you.” TOPIC: The in Mauritius Presented by Schuran Seawater Equipment

Professor Jean M. Jaubert Jean Jaubert, Ph.D., is a world-renowned coral reef researcher, emeritus faculty member of the University of Nice, France, and longtime director of the nearby Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. His work at the Monaco Public Aquarium has included numerous studies of coral growth, as well as water treatment meth- ods in aquariums. He is well known for inventing the so-called “Jaubert Method,” ything in which a plenum or void area under a bed of works to reduce dissolved er Aqu nitrate naturally and without mechanical assistance. Professor Jaubert has writ- Ev atic ten about reef restoration and is past chief scientist and expedition leader of the under o Cousteau Society. He is presently General Manager of Bio-Eco Sciences & Tech- ne nologies, Ltd. roof TOPIC: 25 Years of Uninterrupted Growth for a Captive Reef Mesocosm at Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum November 7-9, 2014 | Chicago, Illinois Marriott Renaissance Hotel, Schaumburg Convention Center Professor Sanjay Joshi www.aquaticexperience.org In real life, Sanjay Joshi, Ph.D., is a professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Penn State University. He has been a self-confessed “reef addict” 60,000 Sq Ft of Exhibit Space and Displays + Latest New Products Aquatic Competitions + Show Specials + Networking + Education Seminars since 1992 and currently keeps several marine aquariums at home, including a 500G small-polyp stony coral–dominated reef. He also co-manages the 500G Speakers include aquarium at Penn State. He is actively involved in educating aquarists on vari- Anton Lamboj | Bob Fenner | Brandon McLane | Charles Delbeek | Chris Lukhaup ous topics such as lighting, aquarium system design, and general reef husbandry Eric Bodrock | Francis Yupangco | Heiko Bleher | Jake Adams | Jen Reynolds Joe Olenik | Jonathan Dooley | Julian Sprung | Karen Randall | Kevin Kohen through lectures and publications in reef magazines. He has published articles in Oliver Knott | Oliver Lucanus | Patrick Dontson | Rusty Wessel magazines such as Advanced Aquarist, Reefs Magazine, CORAL, Marine Fish and Reef Sandy Moore | Sanjay Joshi | Steve Lundblad | Ted Judy Annual, Aquarium Frontiers, and Aquarium Fish. He received the MASNA Aquarist of the Year award in 2006 for his contributions to the marine aquarium hobby. Use the promo code MACNA and receive 20% off the All Access Weekend Pass. TOPIC: Conversion of a 500G Reef from Metal Halide to LEDs: A Personal Experience

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Speaker Bios

Tea Yi Kai Known online by the alias “Lemon,” Yi Kai is 22 this year and is pursuing his INTRODUCING THE degree in biotechnological sciences. Like many, he started toying around with the freshwater hobby but quickly grew into a proficient hobbyist on the marine scene. He has a passion for fish and wildlife photography and has a commendable amount of knowledge with regard to reef fishes. Yi Kai is the youngest editor on NEXT ReefBuilders and is best known for his articles on uncommon and deep-water fishes, both in the wild and in the Asian aquarium market. Living in Singapore, he is at the epicenter of the rare fish mecca in the Far East and often gets news GENERATION stories from Asia, especially those from Japan, faster than most. TOPIC: For the Love of Wrasses OF AQUACULTURED ROCK Rufus Kimura Rufus Kimura and his Hawaii-based dive team, Kaiohi Tropical Fish, are recog- © nized as some of the foremost deep-water collectors in the aquarium industry. A portion of REEFROCK sales helps support He spent his formative years devising ways to capture the local tide pool inhabit- REEFPROJECT2.0© and the ADE (Aquaculture ants on Molokai. Starting at the age of 11, he had “a rough, rocky, comical, and more often than not dangerous beginning” as a commercial fish collector. After Development for the Environment) programs. an inexcusable number of near-death experiences, Rufus says he realized that he was not invincible and started listening “to the voice of reason (probably my mother’s) and decided to do things the right way.” Using closed circuit rebreath- Read more about this on ers and tech-scooters, they routinely log dives in excess of 480 feet in search of fishes like Genicanthus personatus and Paracentropyge boylei. ReefProject2.com C TOPIC: Wonders of the Deep—a video and slide presentation focused on the deep-water M collection of rare aquarium species Y

CM Nick Klase MY Nick Klase is a lighting industry veteran and the co-founder and CEO of Build CY My LED in Austin, Texas. Prior to founding the company, he was the VP of Hor- Visit us at ticulture Lighting at a global LED manufacturing company, where he led a team CMY Booth #529 focused on creating “the world’s most efficient photosynthetic lighting systems.” K Mr. Klase also held a variety of management roles at Acuity Brands Lighting, in- cluding a nine-year tenure as General Manager of Outdoor Controls. Mr. Klase received his MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Theology from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. TOPIC: LED Lighting in Aquarium Applications © A DIVISION OF Kevin Kohen WALT SMITH INTERNATIONAL Kevin Kohen is Director of LiveAquaria.com in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where he oversees the operations of the facility and is responsible for the acquisition of the animals, as well as their husbandry. He led the venture to launch Live Aquaria and designed and oversaw the installation of the Drs Foster & Smith Aquaculture Coral & Marine Life Facility, where more than 20,000 gallons are devoted to coral and marine fish culture. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science degree from Wright State University and is an avid marine life photographer and fish enthusiast for some 30 years. He was one of the early pioneers who maintained live corals in captivity in the early 1980s. He writes articles for various aquarium publications and he Photos of Actual Rock was the MASNA Aquarist of the Year in 2012. TOPIC: Establishing and Maintaining a Thriving Non-Photosynthetic (NPS) Reef Aquarium REEFROCK2.0/2.1 36 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 37

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Speaker Bios

Dr. Todd LaJeunesse Todd LaJeunesse, Ph.D., is a tenured professor in the Biology Department at Penn State University. His laboratory relies on molecular-genetic analyses to charac- terize the diversity, ecological niche, and geographic range of coral symbionts, Symbiodinium spp. and how they are adapting to changes in global climate. When he was a boy living on the coast of Maine, he cultivated a fascination and personal connection with nature, especially marine invertebrates. He has Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Bar- bara. He has published approximately 60 research articles in peer-reviewed inter- national journals, and his research is funded by the National Science Foundation and by The Pennsylvania State University TOPIC: Zooxanthellae, Corals, and Symbiosis

Dr. Charles Mazel Charles Mazel, Ph.D., is the founder of NightSea and a Principal Research Scien- tist at Physical Sciences, Inc., in Andover, Massachusetts, developing equipment for viewing and imaging fluorescence and instrumentation to measure fluores- cence and other optical characteristics. His research focuses on the biology of fluorescence and inventing new tools for studying and recording fluorescence in corals, anemones, mantis , and other animals. He has made fluorescence dives in numerous locations around the globe, measured fluorescence properties underwater, and made the first deep-sea dives to explore the phenomenon of fluorescence from a manned submersible. He has a special interest in fluorescence and its effect on the color of corals, in nature and in the aquarium. TOPIC: The Function of Fluorescence on the Reef

Martin Moe Martin A. (Skip) Moe, Jr., is a marine biologist and aquarist who has developed the basic technology for the captive culture of Pompano and many marine tropi- cal fishes. With his wife, Barbara, in 1973 he founded Aqualife Research Corpo- ration, the first company to produce hatchery-cultured marine tropical fishes in commercial quantities: Ocellaris Clownfish, Neon Gobies, Porkfish, and Carib- bean angelfishes. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of South Florida. His basic book The Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder is the bestsell- ing aquarium book of all time and has been a primary reference for new marine aquarists since 1982. He is currently developing the techniques for culturing the keystone herbivore of the Atlantic coral reefs, the Long-spined Sea Urchin, Di- adema antillarum. He was MASNA Aquarist of the Year in 1995. TOPIC: The Foundation of Marine Aquaristics

Michael Paletta Michael Paletta works in genomics in breast and colon cancer for Genomic Health. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and a Master’s de- gree in psychopharmacology from Yale University. He has been an avid reefkeeper since 1984 and has personally kept reef aquariums ranging in size from 20 gallons to 1,200 gallons; he has also helped build and set up other reef aquariums up to 4,000 gallons in size. He currently maintains several reef aquariums, including a 300-gallon SPS-dominated tank and a 75-gallon LPS tank. He has consulted for The National Aquarium in Baltimore as well the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Michael is the author of more than 100 articles on various aspects of reefkeeping, AMAZONAS as well as the books Ultimate Reefs and the bestselling The New Marine Aquarium. TOPIC: Aquarium History: Oh, How Far We’ve Come!

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NewEra_Ad.02.07.14.indd 1 2/10/14 2:17 PM Speaker Bios

Dr. Luiz Rocha Luiz Rocha, Ph.D., a native of Brazil, is the Curator and Follett Chair of Ich- thyology at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Luiz’s research interests center on the evolution, biogeography, and ecology of coral reef fishes. His overarching goal is to understand what drives the extremely high biodiversity found on tropical reefs. His field work and research, in which he uses DNA and modern genomic techniques, have led to the discovery of numerous new species, including wrasses, gobies, parrotfishes, and angelfishes. Luiz is a Specialist for the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Species Survival Commission. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Universi- dade Federal da Paraiba in Brazil, and his Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. KEYNOTE SPEAKER TOPIC: Speciation in Coral Reef Fishes

Richard Ross Richard Ross is a Senior Biologist at the Steinhart Aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, where he maintains many exhibits including the 212,000-gallon Philippine Coral Reef. He also participates in ongoing field work in the and ongoing coral spawning work in the Florida Keys, and continues to try to push the boundaries of coral husbandry and the breeding of marine fishes and inverts. He has kept saltwater animals for more than 25 years and has worked in aquarium maintenance, retail, and wholesale, and has consult- ed for a coral farm/fish collecting station in the South Pacific. Richard is a regular author for trade publications (he is very proud of his Skeptical Reefkeeping series) and a frequent speaker at aquarium conferences, and was a founder of one of the largest and most progressive reef clubs in Northern California, Bay Area Reefers. TOPIC: What’s Up with Phosphate?

Walt Smith Walt and his wife, Deborah, are co-founders of Walt Smith International in Fiji, where they are engaged in marine livestock collection, natural coral farming, and live rock manufacturing. Their experiments in mariculture started in 1998, mak- ing theirs the first commercial coral and live rock farm in the world. Walt started as a marine fish enthusiast “way back in 1970, when technology was limited to an undergravel filter and air stones. At that time there were no reef tanks, coral, or live rock available to the hobby.” When Walt opened his Tonga collection station in 1989, he had already spent over 17 years as a wholesaler in Los Angeles and has had a first-hand view of the explosive growth of interest in reef aquariums. TOPIC: Following the Sun, Journeys of a Sea Dreamer: Starting a Marine Aquarium Collecting Station in a Third World Country

Julian Sprung Julian Sprung is the owner of Two Little Fishies, based in Miami Gardens, Florida, book publishers and manufacturers of specialty foods for fishes and invertebrates and accessories for aquariums, water gardens, and paludariums. He is the co-au- thor, with Charles Delbeek, of the bestselling three-volume The Reef Aquarium set. Julian is a graduate of the University of Florida, with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. Julian has been keeping marine aquariums for more than 30 years and has dived in various Caribbean locales, as well as in the Red Sea, Australia, Solo- mon Islands, Fiji, Japan, France, Croatia, Maine, and Oregon. He was the 2004 MASNA Aquarist of the Year for his contributions to the marine aquarium hobby. TOPICS: Roundtable Discussion: The proposal to list stony corals under the Endangered Species Act Refugiums: Why Bother? — A live debate with Jake Adams

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Tony Vargas Tony Vargas is the author of The Coral Reef Aquarium and numerous magazine articles. In the mid-1980s he began experimenting with keeping marine inverte- brates. In the late 1980s, he and a handful of other amateur aquarists in the New York City area were among the first in the U.S. to successfully keep and maintain Acropora alive—long term—in captivity. Tony shared this experience with others through a popular column called “Feature Coral” for FAMA Magazine. One of the Acropora articles in FAMA was acknowledged in Carden Wallace’s textbook Staghorn Corals of the World. Today, Tony SCUBA dives around the world taking underwater photos and observing many of these creatures in their natural envi- ronment. He lives and keeps a large reef aquarium in West Palm Beach, Florida. TOPIC: What Makes A Great Reef Tank?

Jim Walters Jim Walters is co-owner of Chicago’s Old Town Aquarium, one of the nation’s leading aquatic emporiums and a supplier of livestock, including new and rare animals, for leading public aquariums, museums, and advanced hobbyists. He says he “has literally spent his life with his hands in the water.” Jim has worked in the aquarium industry since his early teens; he has over 30 years of experience in the retail and wholesale aspects of the hobby. He is also an avid diver and has ventured on many tropical collection trips, giving him the opportunity to learn yet another facet of aquarium-keeping: responsible collection. Jim has had the chance to handle and care for some of the most rarely imported animals, includ- ing many firsts, some of which have never been scientifically described. TOPIC: Rants and Raves from a 37-Year-Old LFS

42 MACNA XXVI MACNACORAL XXVI 4397 AROUNDPLACES TO EAT TOWN& SEE ARAUJO’S From foie gras and charcuterie and 303-399-5353 MARCO’S COAL-FIRED PIZZERIA OSTERIA MARCO Denver’s Cuisine Scene 2900 W. 26th Ave. cheese to rabbit, grilled beef heart, Steaks, fin fishes, crustaceans, 2129 Larimer St. 1453 Larimer St. 303-455-3866 and Colorado lamb tartare. fondue, macaroni and cheese. Live 303-296-7000 303-534-5855 Denver may be renowned for Mexican; famous for $1.50 break- music. www.marcoscoalfiredpizza.com www.osteriamarco.com its fabled Wild West history, near- fast burritos. CHOLON MODERN ASIAN BISTRO Creative coal-fired New York and Family-style Italian, pizza, artisanal permanent sunshine (300 days 1555 Blake St. EUCLID HALL Neopolitan pizzas, gluten-free op- house-made cheese. each year and counting), healthy BEAST + BOTTLE 303-353-5223 1317 14th St. tions, legendary lemoncello chicken lifestyle, endless outdoor pursuits, 719 E. 17th Ave. www.cholon.com 303-595-4255 wings. POTAGER and booming singles scene (just 303-623-3223 Contemporary Southeast Asian euclidhall.com 1109 Ogden St. ask Forbes Magazine). But the Mile www.beastandbottle.com menu including pork ribs with Innovative international pub food MECCA GRILL 303-832-5788 High City, looming 5,280 feet Rustic American restaurant serving smoked tamarind barbecue sauce including house-made sausages, 270 Downing St. www.potagerrestaurant.com above sea level and framed by the craft dinner and brunch, includ- and green papaya salad, asparagus poutine, schnitzels. Extensive beer 303-722-4100 One of Denver’s original farm-to- snow-capped Rocky Mountains, ing lamb sweetbreads with root and mushroom salad with soy selection and creative cocktails. meccagrilldenver.com table restaurants. has never been particularly famous vegetable hash, English pea souffle, truffle vinaigrette. for its restaurant scene. Food snobs monkfish with braised leeks. FRUITION RIOJA from other cities have thumbed DUO 1313 E. 6th Ave. Colorado produces 1,413,242 1431 Larimer St. their noses at what they call our BISTRO VENDOME 2413 W. 32nd Ave. 303-831-1962 barrels of beer per year (3rd in the 303-820-2282 “cowboy cuisine,” jeered at our ap- 1420 Larimer St. 303-477-4141 www/fruitionrestaurant.com U.S.) and has 175 craft breweries— www.riojadenver.com parent lack of sophistication, and 303-825-3232 www.duodenver.com New American cuisine. that’s 4.7 per capita. Inspired by Mediterranean ingredi- wondered what, if anything, they www.bistrovendome.com Creative local-farm-to-fork New ents, local and seasonal products. could possibly eat in a city that Classic French bistro fare made American cuisine. 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While they were 303-480-1877 EL TROMPITO TAQUERIA boursin, arugula, and choice of Sandwiches, pastas, entrees includ- sneering and giggling behind our www.cafebrazildenver.com 1540 W. 70th Ave. meats) or corn fritters to mahi ing house-made porchetta, duck backs, however, we were patting Inventive South American cuisine 720-540-3483 mahi with eggplant (dinner). liver mousse with fig compote. our backs and rolling our eyes. including lomo embuchado, Fei- www.taqueriaeltrompito.com Over the last several years, joada, xim xim, and fried bananas. Tacos, burritos, tortas (Mexican JACK-N-GRILL SUSHI SASA Denver restaurants and chefs have sandwiches), sopas, and dinner 2524 N. Federal Blvd. 2401 15th St. #80 given us myriad reasons to shut COLT & GRAY combination plates. 303-964-9544 303-433-7272 up and eat. We’ve experienced a 1553 Platte St. www.jackngrill.com www.sushisasa.com restaurant boom that has diners 303-477-1447 ELWAY’S CHERRY CREEK Popular Mexican spot. Called the “best sushi restaurant in frequenting these restaurants in www.coltandgray.com 2500 E. 1st Ave., Suite 101 Denver” by many critics. droves, proving that eating out in THE KITCHEN Denver is more than just a pastime; 1530 16th St. Mall Middle Eastern kababs, falafel, TABLE 6 it’s a certified passion. 303-623-3127 sandwiches, lamb entrees. 609 Corona St. Here’s a starting point for thekitchen.com/the-kitchen-denver 303-831-8800 MACNA visitors who want to ven- Farm-to-table bistro serving classic MIZUNA www.table6denver.com ture out for a break from a weekend comfort food. Raw bar, meat, fish, 225 E. 7th Ave. Classic American bistro serving of hotel dining. seasonal vegetarian dishes. 303-832-4778 fried duck meatballs with rice —Lori Midson & Louise Watson mizunadenver.com crepes, pasta, fish, meats, gluten- LOLA DENVER Comfort foods: Burgundy escargots, free fried chicken. ACORN 1575 Boulder St. French onion soup, lobster maca- 3350 Brighton Blvd. 720-570-8686 roni and cheese, veal sweetbreads. Z CUISINE AND À CÔTÉ 720-542-3721 www.loladenver.com 2239 W. 30th Ave. www.denveracorn.com Coastal Mexican food made with NEW SAIGON 303-477-1111 Oak-fired oven and grill with fresh and seasonal ingredients and 630 S. Federal Blvd. zcuisineonline.com seasonal New American menu seafood. Family style paella on Sun- 303-936-4954 “Farm to fork” Parisian/American of family-style small plates and day evenings, weekend brunches Since 1987, widely recognized as bistro famous for various cuts of entrées. Larimer Square—Denver’s oldest (from chicken and waffles to crab the best Vietnamese restaurant Colorado grass-fed beef; À Côté is

and most historic section, a few blocks DENVER VISIT DENVER CRECELIUS/VISIT STEVE and avocado benedicto). in town. an after-dinner absinthe bar. from the Convention Center.

44 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 45 Colorado Marine Aquarium Shops

Colorado boasts some world- AQUATIC ART INC. class aquarium and pet retail 9337 Commerce Center stores, and MACNA attendees are Circle #3 encouraged to visit them in their Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 spare time. Several shops will also 720-253-8660 have booths in the Exhibition Hall www.aquaticartinc.com at the Colorado Conference Center during the show. ESSENTIAL PET 17930 Cottonwood Dr. DENVER METRO • NORTH Parker, CO 80134 ABOUT FISH 303-805-5451 7236 N. Federal Blvd. www.essential-pet.com Westminster, CO 80030 303-429-1941 FANTA-SEA www.about-fish.com 16522 Keystone Blvd. Parker, CO 80134 AQUA IMPORTS 720-484-5343 2690 28th St. #C www.fanta-sea.com Boulder, CO 80301 303-444-6971 FLUID DESIGNERS www.aqua-imports.com 2721 W. Oxford Ave. Unit 4 Sheridan, CO 80110 ELITE REEF 303-927-7379 8410 Wadsworth Blvd. Unit F www.fluiddesigners.com Arvada, CO 80003 720-379-8076 KEY’S ISLAND www.elitereef.com 1800 W. Oxford Ave. Englewood, CO 80110 EXOTIC AQUATICS 303-783-0697 3216 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder, CO 80303 NEPTUNE’S TROPICAL FISH 303-442-5363 1970 E. County Line Rd. NORTHERN COLORADO SOUTHERN COLORADO VALLEY PETS Cris Capp’s outstanding 500-gallon Find us on www.Facebook.com Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 ANIMAL ATTRACTION MR. AQUA USA 6380 S. U.S. Highway 85–87 (1,900-L) SPS reef, established 303-798-1776 2518 11th Ave. 105 E. Fillmore St. Fountain, CO 80817 three years ago with some corals FISH DEN www.neptunestropical.com Greeley, CO 80631 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 719-390-4583 migrated from a previous smaller 5055 W. 144th Ave. #3 970-353-3400 719-577-9898 aquarium. A long-time aquarist who is very active in aquarium forums, Denver, CO 80212 SOUTH BROADWAY TROPICALS www.monsterreef.com www.mraqua.com WESTERN SLOPE Cris successfully switched from the 303-458-0376 3372 S. Broadway FISH CONNECTION ranks of hobbyist to professional www.fishdendenver.com Englewood, CO 80113 ALPINE KOI & REEF PET PARADISE 810 E. College Dr. aquarist, parlaying his husbandry 303-762-1856 2715 E. Mulberry St. 1115 Pueblo Blvd. Way Durango, CO 81301 skills into a successful retail store LIQUID KINGDOM INC. www.southbroadwaytropicals.com Fort Collins, CO 80524 Pueblo, CO 81005 970-259-3474 (Aquatic Art in Highlands Ranch, 6470 W. 120th Ave. #D5 970-224-3663 719-564-6191 www.fishconnectiononline.com under Denver Metro South). He has Broomfield, CO 80020 TODD’S TROPICAL FISH www.alpinekoi.com www.pueblopetparadise.com a special love for small-polyp stony 303-460-8487 10015 E. Hampden Ave. J & M AQUATICS corals, as evidenced by his ability Find us on www.Facebook.com Denver, CO 80231 GREAT WHITE AQUATICS SEASCAPE AQUATICS 2851 North Ave. to grow them like weeds. 303-338-1331 4112 S. College Ave. 5038 N. Academy Blvd. Grand Junction, CO 81501 —Rob Mougey www.toddstropicalfishdenver.com Fort Collins, CO 80525 Colorado Springs, CO 80918 970-245-2526 DENVER METRO • SOUTH 970-267-3474 719-388-8504 www.jmaquaticsandpetcenter.com AQUAMART TROPICAL PET OASIS www.greatwhiteaquatics.com www.seascapesaquatics.com 3255 S. Wadsworth Blvd. 10366 S. Dransfeldt Rd. #12 MARINE TECH WESTERN SLOPE AQUATICS Lakewood, CO 80227 Parker, CO 80134 THE FISH CREW TROPICAL TREASURES 2478 Patterson Rd. Suite 26 2650 North Ave. #117 303-716-5700 303-590-5040 1414 E. Harmony Rd. #1 2212 E. Platte Ave. Grand Junction, CO 81505 Grand Junction, CO 81501 www.aquamartonline.com www.tropicalpetoasis.com Fort Collins, CO 80525 Colorado Springs, CO 80909 970-255-8600 970-245-6987 970-286-2245 719-577-4311 www.marinetechstore.com www.wsapetshop.com

www.fishcrew.com MOUGEY ROB www.coloradotropicaltreasures.com

46 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 47 by David Marriott SHOWCASE Reefing History in Colorado MACNA VISIT OUR BOOTH: # 307 After moving from sea-level San Diego to mile- which most Colorado reefers continue to aspire. high and dry Denver in 1991, I truly thought my time Steve Chang was one of the pioneers in growing and For FIRSTS in Superior Feeds, in the aquarium industry had come to an end. Little fragging SPS/LPS corals in the mid-90s. He couldn’t Look FIRST to Reef Nutrition did I know that I would discover a reefing mecca hid- grow pulsing Xenia fast enough! I think I was num- den in the Rocky Mountains. One day I happened ber 30 on his waiting list for a thumbnail-sized bit of Reef Nutrition was the first to develop and market upon a company that was manufacturing trickle fil- bright green toadstool leather that he sold at the time easy-to-use, refrigerated, concentrated zooplankton ters. After a quick look around, and finding no one in for $350. SPSs were way too intimidating for me then. feeds. And we haven’t stopped innovating since. sight, I made a note of the address and the business The late, great Steve Hurlock was one of the most We offer superior feeds for healthy, eye-popping reefs that name: Amiracle Plastics. At the time this was one of dedicated and passionate reef enthusiasts I have ever are cultured on-site with our own nutritious, marine the largest filter manufacturers in the country. had the pleasure of meeting. A trip to Steve’s house “Instant Algae®” — using bio-secure, proprietary processes My curiosity got the best of me and, one evening, allowed visitors to experience a huge cold-water tank, of our parent company, Reed Mariculture. while thumbing through the Yellow Pages to find out a 600-gallon reef, and a pair of Weedy Sea Dragons. Reef Nutrition Firsts: * Live copepods what aquarium shops were in the area, if any, I was In 1999 I was the general manager of Reef Gallery, * Rotifer-based feed * Copepod-based feed impressed by the selection of stores that sold saltwater a store that catered exclusively to saltwater aquariums * Refrigerated oyster-based feed * Artemia-based feed fishes. They included Neptune’s Tropical Fish, South back when freshwater fishes were still considered a * Marine fish egg-based feed * Mysid-based feed fish store’s bread and butter. Luck was * Packaged live macro-algae * Marine microalgae with us and as the economy boomed, To become a dealer, please contact us at [email protected] or call 1-877-732-3276. Win Farnsworth’s six-year-old, our little store became busier than we Visit us at www.reefnutrition.com 1,500-gallon office reef, installed had ever imagined it would. Reefing was by Cris Capp of Aquatic Art. here to stay. It was around this time that Jake Adams first visited our store. A few years later he worked for me after fin- ishing college, and we have been good friends ever since. Though times have changed and the

Internet has forever altered the way we © 2014 Reed Mariculture Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reef Nutrition, We Feed Your Reef, and Instant Algae are registered trademarks of Reed Mariculture Inc. do business and get our information, reefing in Colorado is not only surviv- ing but thriving. Visit one of our local reef clubs, like MASC or THESCMAS or DARC, and it won’t take you long to see how strong the Rocky Mountain reefing community is. Colorado still has some WE 100% Captive-Bred Marine Ornamental Fish of the best local fish stores in the coun- Sea & Reef Aquaculture specializes in culturing only the try and acrylic manufacturers like Lif- OBSESSIVELY highest-quality marine ornamental fi sh. Through careful Broadway Tropicals, Aquaria, Dolphin Tropicals, ereef Filter Systems and others. Cris Capp of Aquatic research and dedication, our team of marine biologists Todd’s Tropical Fish, Exotic Aquatics, and Sherman Art and Will Lindquist of Premier Fish and Reef set the COVER bring you saltwater fi sh of optimum health and vivid color. Tank—and this was just in the Denver metro area. Sev- standard that other aquarium maintenance compa- eral of these stores are still thriving today. nies strive for. Cris has built a national reputation for THE That was it: I had to get back in. As I started re- his quality SPS corals and very large custom aquariums. searching my new direction I discovered that most of Some of the newer players on the block, who have SALTWATER the major players in acrylic filter manufacturing were learned to take advantage of online sales, are the coral here in my own backyard, including Amiracle Plastics, dealers Gonzo’s Coral Frags, Reefkoi Corals, and Mind INDUSTRY U.S. Aquarium, Lifereef Filter Systems, Aquaricare Al- Blowing Corals. They and many others have spoiled gae Scrubbers, Reef Tech, Debron Aquatics, and others. Colorado reefers forever by providing a constant se- In the years to come, my reefing adventures would lection of some of the finest corals you will find any- Visit us at allow me to work in every aspect of the aquarium in- where. Booth 629 dustry right here in Colorado. Working for Amiracle As for me, I still get to go to work for a chance to win and U.S. Aquarium gave me the opportunity to build at my shop, Fluid Dynamics, every day one of our Lightning relationships with dealers, manufacturers, and dis- and play with fishes and corals, main- Maroon Clowns! tributors throughout the country and introduced me tain awesome reef displays, design cool to the likes of Steve Hurlock and Steve Chang, who acrylic products, and meet and associ-

played major roles in establishing the standards to ate with incredible hobbyists. CO RANCH, HIGHLANDS ART, CAPP/AQUATIC CRIS BY INSTALLED SYSTEM MOUGEY. ROB facebook.com/Seaandreef | [email protected] www.seaandreef.com www.reefbuilders.com

48 MACNA XXVI MACNA XXVI 49 S&R_Ad 3.1875X4.5625.indd 1 7/15/14 2:31 PM Advertiser Index

AquaIllumination...... 7 MACNA...... insert www.aquaillumination.com www.macna2015.org Aquatic Experience...... 35 MASNA...... insert www.aquaticexperience.org www.masna.org Banggai Cardinalfish ...... 20 Pacific Aqua Farms...... insert www.reef2rainforest.com www.pacificaquafarms.com Bashsea...... 42 Pacific Sun...... 19 www.bashsea.com www.pacific-sun.eu Boyd Enterprises...... 10, 11 Pecan Grove...... 41 www.chemipure.com www.pecangrovesolutions.com CaribSea...... 31 Proline ...... 22 www.CaribSea.com www.vertexaquaristik.com Coralife...... 21 Puratek...... 41 www.CoralifeProducts.com www.puratek.com CoralVue...... 5 Real Reef Rock...... 17 www.CoralVue.com www.realreefrock.com CORAL Magazine...... insert Red Sea ...... 43 www.coralmagazine.com www.redseafish.com CORAL Magazine App ...... 15 Reef Builders ...... 49 www.reef2rainforest.com www.reefbuilders.com Drs . Foster & Smith. . . inside back cover Reef Nutrition...... 49 www.DrsFosterSmith.com/fish www.reefnutrition.com EcoTech Marine ...... 6 Reef Radiance...... 16 In the end, we “keep” aquariums www.ecotechmarine.com www.reefradiance.com because we are human . Our FishChannel .com...... 20 Sea & Reef...... 49 www.FishChannel.com www.seaandreef.com argument is that “it is worth it” Hikari...... 8, 9 Seachem/aquavitro . . inside front cover, 3 to become much more aware of www.hikariusa.com www.aquavitro.com the real world . For those who rail Instant Ocean...... 33 Tunze ...... 21 against zoos and any keeping www.instantocean.com www.tunze.com of wild species, consider these Lifereef Filter Systems...... 35 Two Little Fishies ...... 22, 50 www.lifereef.com www.twolittlefishies.com truths: humans only love what Marine Breeding Initiative...... 49 Unique Corals...... 16 they know; and people do not www.mbisite.org www.uniquecorals.com destroy what they love . Neptune. . . . . 25, 27, 29, back cover Walt Smith International...... 37 www.neptunesystems.com www.waltsmith.com —Robert M. Fenner New Era ...... 39 ZooMed ...... 23 MagFeederHalfPageMACNA_LayoutThe Conscientious Marine Aquarist 1 www.neweradiets.com 7/11/14 3:42 PM Page 1 www.zoomed.com

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