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jimsflies
03-29-2010, 10:52 PM
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Share the Love
& Win a Full Conference Pass to the
Midwest Marine Conference






Here's a chance to win a full conference pass to Marine Aquarium Society of Michigan's premier conference, the Midwest Marine Conference. This is a three day event from May 21 to May 23 with tons of vendors and the following speakers:

Jake Adams
John Coppolino
Michael DeGruy
Charles Delbeek
Sanjay Joshi
Richard Pyle

Full information can be found here on MASM's site (http://www.midwestmarineconf.org/).

To enter this contest it's pretty easy...share your love of reefing by simply telling us why you love reefing in this thread. The contest will run from now until April 14. The responses will be judged by the MASM Board of Directors. And a winner will be announced by April 16.

vmbfreekz33
03-30-2010, 02:56 PM
The number one reason I love reefing is because it gives me and my family a chance to do something together that we all can be proud of and enjoy. Also reefing has also help build friendships that never would of happened if it wasnt for getting into saltwater. there is nothing better than coming home from a hard day and just sitting down and watching your fish swim around the tank and your xenia pulsing. It's like an instant stress reliever. Our reefs are something we can be proud of. Saltwater tanks become apart of you because u always wonder if everything is doing ok and your constantly buying something new for the tank. what has made me love reefing is being able to go to the swaps and different types of meetings and learning new things about the hobby and getting to see some of the items that you may not see in your local stores.

jimsflies
03-30-2010, 03:01 PM
There are many reasons I like reefing (e.g., gadgets, collecting, and challenge). But the reason I love reefing the most is sharing the hobby with friends. Ironically of all the hobbies I have had over the years, reefing has been the most social....forums, reef clubs, swaps, and striking up a conversation at an LFS are what keeps this hobby fun and interesting for me.

cmpenney
03-31-2010, 01:53 PM
I am not able to win this ( Being a judge) but I thought I'd throw in just for fun!

I think it would be hard to pick just one reason why I love this hobby. The constant challenge and the need to learn new information all the time is a big one for me. There are so many ways to do things and the hobby is always evolving and changing which means you need to learn new things just to keep up. It just never gets boring.

I love the social aspect of the hobby tremendiously as well. I have met so many great people across Michigan, the country, and from that matter the world, from my involvement in reefing.

Probably the last one would be the reward of success. Bringing home these critters and seeign them grow, thrive, and reproduce, right in front of my eyes is very rewarding.

ReeferRob
03-31-2010, 07:02 PM
Agreed, very tough to list all the reasons why I love this hobby.

Reading and feeding the soul and mind with new information. Laughing at all the know it all dummies out there too.

Meeting new friends to share ideas, trials and tribulations with. Trading and baby sitting corals and fish.

Taking corals Pete has nearly killed and nurturing them back to "Top Shelf" quality statues!!!

Scouring the weeds at the LFS for that "hidden gem"

But at the way top of the list, the look on my children's face while we gaze into the tank, and of course CaptiveReefs.com!

Tom@HaslettMI
04-01-2010, 06:46 PM
I can't make the conference... so please consider this a "non-entry".

I love reefing because I love the ocean and living in MI a tank is a close as I can get. Additionally, as a limnologist I dig the science aspect.

Sir Patrick
04-01-2010, 11:21 PM
Consider this a non entry also...I won last year, and would like to see someone else win!


I love this hobbie!

Its something that my dad instilled in me- fish tanks, including saltwater. Had a saltwater tank in my home since before I can remember- and I am 34 years old...It is also somthing for me, as a father, to instill into my daughter- for better or for worse...doesnt matter.

The joys or growing somthing, that not just anybody can grow.

The colors added to my house! My living room is pretty conservative contempoary ( wood and earth tones) but my tank is full of color and action- yet fits right in!

I am addicted to fragging- and not just beacause I want to...every time I frag something, I understand that that is one less coral that could have been baught and sold as a wild colected colony, passed along to another reefer.

The chalenge- and OH YES! Its a chalenge! Only a reefer can understand....There are so many ways to create a succesfull reef- But none are exactly the same as the next person. Getting there, and getting it right is all part of the fun, and challenge, presented!

This isnt just a hobbie. Its an evolving hobbie. You can "get out" or quit, for less than a year. When you come back- things have changed! Hobbies are meant to keep you busy, right? This hobbie will surely do that. Year to year, this hobbie is different, and with that difference- more time and effort (and most of the time $$$, lol) is spent in the persuit of doing well in this hobbie.

Collecting- There are many hobbies involving colecting, but this one- you cant just collect....after collecting, you still face the challenge of keeping. You cant just find somthing, purchase- and just HAVE for the rest of your life- like stamps.

The forums! Reef keeping forums are some of the geatest forums I have had the privilage of being a part of! Local, or global- they are great! I could go one for pages about this part, but I wont.

Local- I have met so many, and become freinds with alot, of people throughout my forum experiances, because of a couple forums- and found a place for me to be of service to many, due to one in particular. Local forums are a great place to share, localy, your experiances, get help in an extreme emergency, buy sell and trade, and create long and lasting freindships.

Globally- There is a wealth of knowlege globaly, that just cant begin to be described! And during digging into that wealth, there is much to be learned- and not just about reefing....not to mention those people, although far away- impact your reef!

The knowledge that you support someone (or many people) in your comunity. LFS's arent there for nothing.....they suply jobs, and spread the knowledge that breaths life into this hobbie! Everytime I spend, even a dollar, at my LFS- I know I have helped someone else get into it!

And cant not include-


Captive Reefs!!!!




I could keep going, but really want to see what others have to say!

Good luck all!

cmpenney
04-02-2010, 07:32 AM
This is all good stuff guys.. Keep them coming!

Hopkins
04-02-2010, 02:07 PM
I like gluing animals to rocks! ;)

jimsflies
04-06-2010, 07:39 AM
Come on guys....lets show your love here. The odds of winning tickets to the conferrence are looking real good!

tazzy695
04-06-2010, 12:26 PM
it is all about the colors that is the reason I love my reef everything else is just side bar to me

labman
04-06-2010, 04:15 PM
as a hobby to share with my daughter. I wanted something interesting also that involves science teach her about life and death etc etc. one of my favorites days when she was about 10 she asked if I help her setup a tank when she grows up! I love it when she helps me pick a fish or coral. Only problem I have is sometimes she is more concerned with the fish then if it's reef safe.

jimsflies
04-09-2010, 07:18 PM
Lets go guys! Less than a week to go!

Time remaining: Count down:

Sir Patrick
04-10-2010, 01:32 AM
Less thn a week??? I can think of lots of reefers that havnt submited, but would love to win this pass!!

Post up guys and gals!

cmpenney
04-10-2010, 09:44 AM
I agree...This is a once in a lifetime chance to see some of these guys in person.

reptileblvd
04-10-2010, 03:48 PM
Reefing not only brings me a personal satisfaction of a job well done, but it has introduced to me a great community and many, many new friends over the years.

pjr
04-10-2010, 11:26 PM
At first pass, the initial joy from reefing is that experience of viewing a piece of the ocean in your home. I've been fortunate enough complete a reef that is a true explosion of color! It provides me with a great level of peace, satisfaction, stress reduction. and fulfillment to just sit in the chair and watch the tank. It makes the worries of jobs, finances, and everything else just melt away.

But there is more than the tank itself. It is the trip to get there. I would NEVER have achieved this success to date without the many tips, support, and friendship from local reefers. People like Mustang, John Brancheau, George at Captive Reef, SaltwaterKid, Novi Tony, Mermaid, DLBerlin, Murph, Tim Tsezella, BeakerBob, Dick & Ray at the Trop, Fish Doctors (Dr. Juan, Dr. Marcus, and Dr. Tom) just to name a few... countless people that I would have never met without the web sites available to us that brought us together. And I must say, I like the community and the "vibe" at this site most of all!

Which leads me to so many great new friends that I've met through this site. People who have done me great favors, and those with whom I am able to help. It's a great community of superb people with a common interest... and they are always willing to lend a hand. I have friends here and other sites that are true gems of this planet. Wonderful people that I would not have met without the reefing common interest.

Finally, it's a passion that has helped my build relationships with my children. My oldest daughter loved going to stores every weekend to look at fish and corals when she was little. Currently, my youngest daughter, who is 15, has been going to frag swaps and the various shops for the last four years. She has become very schooled on marine biology through this hobby. She drags ME to the stores and swaps! It's a thrill to watch her talk about the differences between montiporas -- a digitata vs a capricornicus. Not many 15 year old girls can do this! This hobby has been educational for her, and has created a unique awareness of the ocean and the balance for conservation and maintaining our ecological balance to ensure the reefs survive. But more importantly, it has created quality time for us together, whether it's doing a water change, fragging a colony, or adding new livestock.

I have learned a lot, but have a lot more to learn. I look forward to continued growth in this passion of the reef.

cmpenney
04-12-2010, 07:47 AM
Good one Pat..


There are only 2 days left! Get those submissions in today.

thefishgirl
04-13-2010, 07:50 AM
How I came to love this crazy hobby...

As a kid growing up, I always loved animals whether they were furry, feathered, finned, scaled, or otherwise. My mom would never clean my room for fear of what she'd find in that shoebox on my desk. I grew up with a FW tank and a goldfish pond out back. The "goldfish" pond had a little bit of everything in it depending on what I could catch and bring home with me, including snakes much to my mom's horror.

I'd always been fascinated with saltwater after a few trips to the zoo and Shedd Aquarium as a kid. As an adult, I'd go to the local pet shops and fish stores just to see what animals and aquarium life they had. At one point, I had a boss that had a 1000g SW reef tank in our office. I would help him clean and maintain it. As a joke, he'd hide any dead fish in my desk drawer. My favorite was a yellow tang.... the one I found in my desk! Poor lil guy. That experience set me on the path to one day owning my very own saltwater tank. ..once I was rich like this doctor! *cough* I was 19 at the time.

Flash forward to a trip to Hawaii 4-5 years ago. That cemented my desire to finally have a SW reef in my house. After getting home, I did a lot of research, joined a few reefing boards and became a reader of anything SW related. What I found on the boards was a group of very knowledgeable hobbyist that were willing to share almost anything they had to help a new reefer.

I love the people in this hobby. I've met a lot of helpful, kind, and extremely intellectual people since starting my first tank. I've learned so much about this hobby from the people around me.

I love that every day.... EVERY DAY... I learn something new about something. Critter, equipment, lighting, etc.

I love that every day there is something new and different in my tank. I only have to go look for it. New growth, new critter, sudden coral regrowth on a seemingly dead piece of coral, a zoa polyp that I don't recall seeing before. New pest...ok...I don't "love" those so much.

I love that hobbyists love to barter and trade! Whether it's for coral, fish, photography, equipment, or help to set up something new....it's just a trade away if you don't have the cash.

I love that we can each do our own little part to help save a tiny piece of a natural reef by coral propagation, raising captive bred fish, or buying / trading for aqua-cultured and captive bred livestock. We make each other aware of environmental issues or events going on around the world.

I love that most people in this hobby are very generous with time, money, and frags.

I love that there is always a new challenge to overcome. Water parameters, a pest in the tank, lighting seems off, not enough money for that hot new coral, some piece of equipment stopped working, my banggais only want to eat and not make babies, etc.

And finally, I love that I can immerse myself into my underwater world for a few hours to escape the rat race of every day life. I can just stare at my tanks for an endless amount of time. The incredible kaliedescope of color...the movement...the peacefulness... and the thought that I've brought a piece of the ocean into my house...in Michigan. How can you not love it?

cmpenney
04-14-2010, 06:46 PM
Thanks to everyone that entered.

The judging has begun and we will post the winner on the 16th.


Good Luck everyone!

fishtal
04-14-2010, 08:21 PM
This is going to be tough to judge... Great entries everyone!

jimsflies
04-20-2010, 09:13 PM
Thanks for all the great reasons why you love reefing! :flower_rainbow:

The judges tell me it was a tough decision but we have a winner....and the winner is.... pjr!

I would like to thank MASM for offering up the ticket as a prize and also providing judging services. I'm looking forward to the conference next month! (Maybe Pat will help me out with the CR table... :) )

Sir Patrick
04-20-2010, 09:59 PM
Congrats PJR!

Pat- ya ever been to the conference part of the event???

Rabidgoose
04-20-2010, 10:10 PM
Congratulations pjr

pjr
04-20-2010, 10:58 PM
This is a very cool surprise! Very excited! A sincere thanks to all for this cool award! It is much appreciated! And Jim, I am sure I can help at the table!

thefishgirl
04-21-2010, 07:19 PM
Congrats PJR!

pjr
04-21-2010, 10:34 PM
thx Becky!