Written by Phantom Phish <u>ARC General Meeting Minutes</u>
Date: 8 November 2005
Location: Aquarium Showcase, Alpharetta, GA
Minutes by: Chris Clark (ARC Secretary)
1. 7:35 p.m. : Meeting called to order by Steve Shindell (ARC President), who welcomed all in attendance, and thanked James and the staff of Aquarium Showcase for graciously hosting this meeting. Steve subsequently announced that there would be yet another set of raffles this evening, and that Aquarium Showcase would be offering additional discounts on select purchases made by club members during the meeting.
Steve then welcomed new members into the club, and asked those present to briefly introduce themselves.
2. <u>Sponsor Stickers:</u>
The ARC has made window stickers available to our Sponsors, to acknowledge those businesses for their support of our club. If any club member would like to have one of these window stickers, they are available to purchase for $5.00. Steve also asked, that if anyone notices that one of our sponsoring stores doesnÂ’t have an ARC window sticker, to please notify a BOD member, so that we can make sure they receive one.
The club wishes to thank and acknowledge Sara Kruger, for her tremendous talent and skill in designing these sponsor stickers
3. <u>Treasurers report:</u>
Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….SEPTÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…..OCT
Total IncomeÂ…Â…Â…$208.00Â…Â…Â…Â…$47.00
Total ExpensesÂ…Â….$314.13Â…Â…Â…Â…$192.24
Net Profit/(Loss)Â…..($106.13)Â…Â…Â….($145.24)
Total Bank BalancesÂ…Â…Â….$9,667.88
4. <u>Membership report:</u>
The ARC currently has 281 members. The prorated membership fee is currently $6.00 for the remainder of this calendar year. The club is also trying to automate the renewal of memberships for next year, in order to have a better sense of how many members we have in the early months of the New Year.
5. <u>New ARC Sponsor:</u>
Announcement was made of a new ARC sponsor, Nemo Tropical Fish.
Nemo Tropical Fish is located at 865 Indian Trail Rd., Suite #2, Lilburn, GA 30047 (678-754-6728). Their hours are Mon.-Sat. 10:30am-7:00pm, and Sun. 10:30am-6:00pm.
Nemo tropical Fish will be offering a 10% discount to ARC members on all fish, anemones, shrimp and lobster (note: dry goods are not included in the discount).
Club members are encouraged to stop by Nemo Tropical Fish and check out their livestock.
6. <u>Opening of the Georgia Aquarium:
</u>As club members are undoubtedly aware, the Georgia Aquarium will be opening in a few weeks. Preliminary reports indicate that it is an awesome display. Steve asks that any ARC members that purchase an annual pass to the aquarium, please e-mail him.
7. <u>Remaining general meetings for the rest of the year:
</u>Two meetings are currently planned for the remainder of this year (both in December).
a) <u>Tuesday December 13</u>- Holiday meeting at EdoÂ’s Restaurant. The ARCÂ’s donations to the Georgia Aquarium will be presented at this meeting. See the clubÂ’s websites for further details.
b) <u>Tuesday December 27</u>- Steven Pro Special Event, at the Palisades Conference Center. Steven Pro has graciously agreed to speak to the club again this year. See the clubÂ’s websites for further details.
8. <u>2006 BOD Office Elections:
</u>As per the ARC Constitution and Bylaws, nominations were held last month for next yearÂ’s officers. The following ARC club members were nominatedÂ…
a) ARC President- Chris Horne.
Chris is a nine-year hobbyist who has been an ARC member for approximately 2 years, and is well known in the club, posting as mojo on TRT.
b) ARC Vice President- Ray OÂ’Connor
Ray is also a long time hobbyist whoÂ’s very well known in the club, a previous Vice President, and a speaker at last years SWU.
c) ARC Secretary- Kayla Swart
Kayla, while juggling the demands of school, has been a club member for over a year, and has previous experience serving as Secretary in another club.
d) ARC Treasurer- Sharon Warning
Sharon, an ARC member for the last year, comes to the club from Chicago, and has experience as an attorney.
Steve Shindell (ARC President) presented voting options to the 40-50 club members present at the meeting. These voting options included a vote by show of hands, or a formal written paper ballot. An initial vote was conducted on the voting method to be used, and by unanimous show of hands, it was determined that the voting method for the election of next yearÂ’s officers would also be by a show of hands.
The vote was then called, and by unanimous show of hands of club members present at the meeting, the nominated officers were elected en bloc.
9. <u>2006 Committee Chairs:
</u>Volunteers are needed to serve as committee chairs for next year. Club members interested in serving as a committee chair should contact Steve Shindell and/or Chris Horne.
10. <u>2005 Photo Contest:
</u>Submissions for the 2005 Photo Contest are currently underway, with approximately 40 entries already received. If “snail mailed”, the deadline for submission is Nov. 16, and if e-mailed the deadline is Nov. 19. Voting for the winners will be by club members, and will be conducted on-line in the member’s only forum of the club’s website (http://www.atlantareefclub.org)">www.atlantareefclub.org)</a>.
11. [B]<u>Aquarium Showcase Meeting Specials:
</u>[/B]Announcement was made of the special discounts being offered by Aquarium Showcase during this meeting. Bags of the new Seachem salt were offered at $10/ fifty gal. bag (normally selling for $19/ bag), and coral frags were discounted to $9.99-$10.99 per coral frag. In addition, all Seachem products were offered at significant discounts.
12. [B]<u>Raffles:</u>[/B]
At approximately 8:10 pm, there was a brief pause in the meeting to allow attendees to purchase $1 tickets in preparation for the upcoming raffles.
Seachem, who was thanked for once again being a valued sponsor of the ARC and SWU, provided raffle items. Items provided for raffle included bags of the new Seachem salt, in addition to containers of matrix carbon, phosgaurd, garlic preparations, Strontium, Advantage Calcium, Reef Plus, Purigen, Iodine, Reef Complete, Reef Buffer, Reef Builder, and Marine Buffer, among others.
Virtually everyone present at the meeting went home with something form Seachem.
Following the raffles, there was a brief presentation by Brian (Seachem Representative), on some of the new Seachem products.
[B]<u>Seachem Presentation:</u>[/B]
Seachem has recently introduced two new salt mixes for the aquarium hobbyist, namely “Reef Salt’ and “Marine Salt”. Both have been formulated to replicate natural reef waters and the saltwater marine environment. Reef Salt is “specifically formulated for reef tanks and provides seawater concentrations of magnesium, calcium and strontium with proper alkalinity and pH for closed reef systems”. Marine Salt, which is intended largely for fish only and FOWLR systems (non-reef systems), provides “every major, minor and trace element necessary for even the most delicate marine fish, invertebrate and plant”. Both are reported to possess excellent solubility with enhanced alkalinity and pH stability, while containing no nitrates or phosphates.
In addition to these two salts, Brian discussed some of pH and kH issues often encountered in this hobby, and how different products might be used to address problems in these areas. He mentioned that kH is essentially a measure of the total ion concentration of a solution, which includes the sum of the carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and borate ions in the mix. He further noted that the final pH of the solution would largely reflect the relative concentrations of these ions. If a solution contains a lot of sodium bicarbonate, the pH will usually be close to 7.8. If a lot of carbonate is present, the pH is often near 8.8, and if large amounts of borate are in the solution, the pH normally hovers around 9.0. Seachem Marine Salt (for fish only tanks) contains relatively more borate, while Reef Salt is higher in sodium bicarbonate, and both salts are buffered to a pH of 8.4.
A question and answer session followed, during which several interesting points were made, including:
a) When mixing salt with water, always add the salt to the water, and not the reverse. The reasoning for this is that if you add water to salt, there will initially be a localized effect whereby the concentration of dissolved salt will be very high, causing elements in the salt mix to precipitate out of solution. By adding the salt to the water, precipitation will be minimized or eliminated.
b) Reverse osmosis water, which is stored in a sealed container, will remain “good” indefinitely, as long as it is protected from any contaminating substances, and the container it is stored in doesn’t leach any elements into the water. Before using RO/DI water stored in this manner, it would probably be wise to aerate it well with a powerhead or similar pump.
c) Salt-water mixes that are rich in trace elements will often have a slight yellowish tint, so you shouldnÂ’t necessarily be concerned if newly mixed ASW is not perfectly clear and colorless.
13. At the conclusion of the question and answer session, the meeting adjourned at approximately 8:40 p.m.
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Date: 8 November 2005
Location: Aquarium Showcase, Alpharetta, GA
Minutes by: Chris Clark (ARC Secretary)
1. 7:35 p.m. : Meeting called to order by Steve Shindell (ARC President), who welcomed all in attendance, and thanked James and the staff of Aquarium Showcase for graciously hosting this meeting. Steve subsequently announced that there would be yet another set of raffles this evening, and that Aquarium Showcase would be offering additional discounts on select purchases made by club members during the meeting.
Steve then welcomed new members into the club, and asked those present to briefly introduce themselves.
2. <u>Sponsor Stickers:</u>
The ARC has made window stickers available to our Sponsors, to acknowledge those businesses for their support of our club. If any club member would like to have one of these window stickers, they are available to purchase for $5.00. Steve also asked, that if anyone notices that one of our sponsoring stores doesnÂ’t have an ARC window sticker, to please notify a BOD member, so that we can make sure they receive one.
The club wishes to thank and acknowledge Sara Kruger, for her tremendous talent and skill in designing these sponsor stickers
3. <u>Treasurers report:</u>
Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….SEPTÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…..OCT
Total IncomeÂ…Â…Â…$208.00Â…Â…Â…Â…$47.00
Total ExpensesÂ…Â….$314.13Â…Â…Â…Â…$192.24
Net Profit/(Loss)Â…..($106.13)Â…Â…Â….($145.24)
Total Bank BalancesÂ…Â…Â….$9,667.88
4. <u>Membership report:</u>
The ARC currently has 281 members. The prorated membership fee is currently $6.00 for the remainder of this calendar year. The club is also trying to automate the renewal of memberships for next year, in order to have a better sense of how many members we have in the early months of the New Year.
5. <u>New ARC Sponsor:</u>
Announcement was made of a new ARC sponsor, Nemo Tropical Fish.
Nemo Tropical Fish is located at 865 Indian Trail Rd., Suite #2, Lilburn, GA 30047 (678-754-6728). Their hours are Mon.-Sat. 10:30am-7:00pm, and Sun. 10:30am-6:00pm.
Nemo tropical Fish will be offering a 10% discount to ARC members on all fish, anemones, shrimp and lobster (note: dry goods are not included in the discount).
Club members are encouraged to stop by Nemo Tropical Fish and check out their livestock.
6. <u>Opening of the Georgia Aquarium:
</u>As club members are undoubtedly aware, the Georgia Aquarium will be opening in a few weeks. Preliminary reports indicate that it is an awesome display. Steve asks that any ARC members that purchase an annual pass to the aquarium, please e-mail him.
7. <u>Remaining general meetings for the rest of the year:
</u>Two meetings are currently planned for the remainder of this year (both in December).
a) <u>Tuesday December 13</u>- Holiday meeting at EdoÂ’s Restaurant. The ARCÂ’s donations to the Georgia Aquarium will be presented at this meeting. See the clubÂ’s websites for further details.
b) <u>Tuesday December 27</u>- Steven Pro Special Event, at the Palisades Conference Center. Steven Pro has graciously agreed to speak to the club again this year. See the clubÂ’s websites for further details.
8. <u>2006 BOD Office Elections:
</u>As per the ARC Constitution and Bylaws, nominations were held last month for next yearÂ’s officers. The following ARC club members were nominatedÂ…
a) ARC President- Chris Horne.
Chris is a nine-year hobbyist who has been an ARC member for approximately 2 years, and is well known in the club, posting as mojo on TRT.
b) ARC Vice President- Ray OÂ’Connor
Ray is also a long time hobbyist whoÂ’s very well known in the club, a previous Vice President, and a speaker at last years SWU.
c) ARC Secretary- Kayla Swart
Kayla, while juggling the demands of school, has been a club member for over a year, and has previous experience serving as Secretary in another club.
d) ARC Treasurer- Sharon Warning
Sharon, an ARC member for the last year, comes to the club from Chicago, and has experience as an attorney.
Steve Shindell (ARC President) presented voting options to the 40-50 club members present at the meeting. These voting options included a vote by show of hands, or a formal written paper ballot. An initial vote was conducted on the voting method to be used, and by unanimous show of hands, it was determined that the voting method for the election of next yearÂ’s officers would also be by a show of hands.
The vote was then called, and by unanimous show of hands of club members present at the meeting, the nominated officers were elected en bloc.
9. <u>2006 Committee Chairs:
</u>Volunteers are needed to serve as committee chairs for next year. Club members interested in serving as a committee chair should contact Steve Shindell and/or Chris Horne.
10. <u>2005 Photo Contest:
</u>Submissions for the 2005 Photo Contest are currently underway, with approximately 40 entries already received. If “snail mailed”, the deadline for submission is Nov. 16, and if e-mailed the deadline is Nov. 19. Voting for the winners will be by club members, and will be conducted on-line in the member’s only forum of the club’s website (http://www.atlantareefclub.org)">www.atlantareefclub.org)</a>.
11. [B]<u>Aquarium Showcase Meeting Specials:
</u>[/B]Announcement was made of the special discounts being offered by Aquarium Showcase during this meeting. Bags of the new Seachem salt were offered at $10/ fifty gal. bag (normally selling for $19/ bag), and coral frags were discounted to $9.99-$10.99 per coral frag. In addition, all Seachem products were offered at significant discounts.
12. [B]<u>Raffles:</u>[/B]
At approximately 8:10 pm, there was a brief pause in the meeting to allow attendees to purchase $1 tickets in preparation for the upcoming raffles.
Seachem, who was thanked for once again being a valued sponsor of the ARC and SWU, provided raffle items. Items provided for raffle included bags of the new Seachem salt, in addition to containers of matrix carbon, phosgaurd, garlic preparations, Strontium, Advantage Calcium, Reef Plus, Purigen, Iodine, Reef Complete, Reef Buffer, Reef Builder, and Marine Buffer, among others.
Virtually everyone present at the meeting went home with something form Seachem.
Following the raffles, there was a brief presentation by Brian (Seachem Representative), on some of the new Seachem products.
[B]<u>Seachem Presentation:</u>[/B]
Seachem has recently introduced two new salt mixes for the aquarium hobbyist, namely “Reef Salt’ and “Marine Salt”. Both have been formulated to replicate natural reef waters and the saltwater marine environment. Reef Salt is “specifically formulated for reef tanks and provides seawater concentrations of magnesium, calcium and strontium with proper alkalinity and pH for closed reef systems”. Marine Salt, which is intended largely for fish only and FOWLR systems (non-reef systems), provides “every major, minor and trace element necessary for even the most delicate marine fish, invertebrate and plant”. Both are reported to possess excellent solubility with enhanced alkalinity and pH stability, while containing no nitrates or phosphates.
In addition to these two salts, Brian discussed some of pH and kH issues often encountered in this hobby, and how different products might be used to address problems in these areas. He mentioned that kH is essentially a measure of the total ion concentration of a solution, which includes the sum of the carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and borate ions in the mix. He further noted that the final pH of the solution would largely reflect the relative concentrations of these ions. If a solution contains a lot of sodium bicarbonate, the pH will usually be close to 7.8. If a lot of carbonate is present, the pH is often near 8.8, and if large amounts of borate are in the solution, the pH normally hovers around 9.0. Seachem Marine Salt (for fish only tanks) contains relatively more borate, while Reef Salt is higher in sodium bicarbonate, and both salts are buffered to a pH of 8.4.
A question and answer session followed, during which several interesting points were made, including:
a) When mixing salt with water, always add the salt to the water, and not the reverse. The reasoning for this is that if you add water to salt, there will initially be a localized effect whereby the concentration of dissolved salt will be very high, causing elements in the salt mix to precipitate out of solution. By adding the salt to the water, precipitation will be minimized or eliminated.
b) Reverse osmosis water, which is stored in a sealed container, will remain “good” indefinitely, as long as it is protected from any contaminating substances, and the container it is stored in doesn’t leach any elements into the water. Before using RO/DI water stored in this manner, it would probably be wise to aerate it well with a powerhead or similar pump.
c) Salt-water mixes that are rich in trace elements will often have a slight yellowish tint, so you shouldnÂ’t necessarily be concerned if newly mixed ASW is not perfectly clear and colorless.
13. At the conclusion of the question and answer session, the meeting adjourned at approximately 8:40 p.m.
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