UPCOMING EVENTS:

The next meeting will be a cookout and fish food making event on July 31, 2010. The location for this is at Danny and Tracy's house. Directions will be provided via private message once members sign up to attend. There will be a special surprise at this meeting and we will also have door prizes. Please sign up for a fish food ingredient and a cookout item. In the post with your items please also include how many people will be attending with you so the correct number of supplies can be purchased. This is a kid friendly event. The club will be providing the hot dogs and hamburgers for the cookout.

Fish Food Ingredients Needed (amounts are suggested based on prior recipes) Broccoli (1-2 pounds) Carrots (2 pounds) Frozen Brine Shrimp (32 ounces) Frozen Krill (16 ounces) Frozen Silverside (1.5 pounds) Frozen Bloodworms (8 ounces) Rockfish (8 pounds) Lobster tail (8 ounces) Salmon (1 pound) (remove skin) Scallops (1 pound) Shrimp (2 pound) Soft Crab (4 crabs) Spinach (9 ounces) Blue Seaweed, Roasted ( 3.75 ounces Shredded Purple Seaweed Red Seaweed Brown Seaweed Green Seaweed Nori Garlic Xtreme Fresh Garlic Cyclopoids (0.8 ounce) Freeze Dried Rotifers (1 ounce) Brine Shrimp Eggs Freeze Dried Plankton Reef and Larval Fish Diet (50-100 micron) (0.75 ounce) Reef and Larval Fish Diet (5-50 micron) (0.75 ounce) Reef Plus Concentrated Vitamins and Amino Acid Supplement Quart size Ziploc bags

Club provided ingredients Ken's Premium Golden Pearls 500-800 microns - 2, 4 0z. packages Ken's Freeze dried mysis shrimp - 2, quarter pound packages Ken's Low Temperature Dried Daphia - 2, quarter pound packages Ken's Freeze Dried Superba Krill - quarter pound package

Other items provided by club Tarp Cleaning supplies (donated by Dana) Food processor

Cookout Items Needed Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Relish Hot dog rolls Hamburger rolls Plates Plastic ware Napkins Cups Chips Potato Salad Pasta Salad Macaroni Salad Desserts

Please feel free to sign up for items not on the list, these items are just suggestions though some are neccesities.
Posted: 2 July 2010
 

 

References from Reef Central:

  • Instant Algae Calc
  • Head Loss Calc
  • Sand Bed Calc
  • Tank Electrical Calc
  • Drain Overflow Size Calc
  • Sump Volume Calc
  • Tank Volume Calc
  • Water Change Calc
  • Unit Conversions Calc
  • Large selection of Calculators (Registration Required.).


     

     

     

    LIBRARY SCHEDULE:

    The library now has John Duckett on board with us and assiting with the Library Tank. He is performing genernal maintenance and answering questions daily from 9-11am daily.




     

     

     

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    CLUB PROJECTS:
    The SMMAS School program is now in full swing with TWO schools participating in our program to reach the next generation of Marine Hobbyist. Our goal is to teach these children about the dangers our natural reefs face today and what we can do as hobbyist to help.

    A very nice 75 gallon reef display was set up 3 years ago at the Little Flower School in Great Mills and is being supported by SMMAS members Mike Howell and Tracy Lumpkins. Classes are being taught to the 4th and 6th graders every week about the dangers our coral reefs face today and how we can save a reef by growing our own. They started with the quick and easy to grow coral xenia; now they are working with other corals as well and seem to enjoy every aspect of marine husbandry. We have discussed virtually all areas of starting and maintaining a saltwater aquarium, with the students actually doing the work themselves. The students have propagated many different types of corals and plan to sell them to help offset the cost of maintaining their reef aquarium. We have also started an after school reef club for those students that want to "kick it up a notch" and become more involved in the hobby.

    Our second school in this program started 2 years ago, with SMMAS members Dana and Cale Benefield, and Ben Wise supporting Kings Christian Academy. Dana is teaching the 4th, 6th, through 10th graders every week on all aspects of Marine aquarium keeping. She is also developing a lesson plan so that SMMAS can document and standardize our teaching program. A very nice 58 gallon Oceanic tank has been set up with donations from SMMAS members and MARCO Rocks to add all those key items that make a salt water aquarium function.

    There are other schools that have expressed an interest of starting a program in their school similar to the two we have now. Leonardtown High School is interested in an after school Reef Club which Shaun Elliot is heading up and Mark Powell has offered to help. St. Peters in Waldorf is also interested. We need at least 2 volunteers for each school to make this happen, if you are interested in helping and becoming involved in this program let Mike Howell know and he will be happy to get you going.

    Our first community project, the 75 gallon reef display at the Lexington Park Library has been upgraded to a 90 gallon reef tank and is a big success. The tank is flat out beautiful with compliments from library patrons as well as the staff. The library has set up a donation fund to help pay for the cost of maintaining the tank with SMMAS volunteers taking turns each week performing the necessary task of keeping it in such great shape. A special thanks to SMMAS members Jerome Burgess, Doug Lias, Mark Powell, Mike Howell, Ken Jordan, Frankie Riffle, and Tony Wolfe for their time and effort in keeping this tank beautiful. Stop by and check it out!

    If you would like to help out on any of these projects please contact Mark Powell (powell80) or Ken Jordan (ken) either by email or PM in the forum section.
     
    FEATURED SPONSOR:
    FIELD TRIP TIME: Reef Chief

    Date is still to be determined. We would like our next feild trip to head on down to Reef Cheif and check out his brand new state of the art coral facility.

    More info to follow soon.
    About Us
    The Southern Maryland Marine Aquarium Society (SMMAS) is a friendly gathering of folks from all walks of life that share an interest in Marine Aquariums.  It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an expert, we welcome everyone.  We have monthly meetings to exchange ideas, discuss current conditions in member’s tanks, share and trade corals, and plan field trips.  Our goal is to educate ourselves as well as the general public about the saltwater aquarium hobby and to raise awareness of the delicate reefs we take care of, in and out of our aquariums.
    more about us