ARC reef tank at the Georgia Aquarium?

[phoenix20]

Hey ARC

I was walking through the Georgia Aquarium yesterday and thought that it would be a really cool idea if we could have a dedicated tank up there from all of us.

We could donate frags and have a super awesome SPS dominant or mixed reef tank. The Georgia Aquarium has a lot of really cool fish displays, but I think we've got them beat on their corals. :sad:

So what do you guys think? We could promote the Atlanta Reef Club to other Atlantans, maybe attract some new folks to our club, all the while striving for a reef tank that would compare to something like the tank of the month on Reef Central?

Anyone in the club actually work for the Georgia Aquarium so we could ping them and ask if they would even be down with the idea? I thought it would be a fun thing for the club to do, since our city does have one of the coolest aquariums in the world. :thumbs:

 

[lilrobb]

If we could convince them - that would be awesomest!

 

[weaglereefer]

I think there were plans to have one in the gift shop sponsored, but I think it was the stocking plan that caused the downfall. If I remember, they wanted a school of tangs in a tank not big enough for that...

 

[keithb]

You could always donate to my newbie tank. ha

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Keithb;403385 wrote: You could always donate to my newbie tank. ha

Become a member and Id donate to your tank.

 

[weaglereefer]

Yup, I've donated whole colonies to new members before.

 

[keithb]

I am next friday when I get paid! I go to school tuesday so could never make a meeting till after next june. But discounts look nice! and so are the members!

 

[phoenix20]

Seriously, I think we should follow up on this. At the end of the tropical reef section, right after the clownfish display, there is a semi cool tank on the left, but the tank on the right is down right retarded.

I think the Georgia Aquarium would be really cool with the local reefers having a display. It shows that they're actively supporting responsible / educated reef keeping and promoting the hobby.

+1 for a reef tank in the tropical section! Come on Georgia Aquarium, you know you want to!
:yay:

 

[snowmansnow]

I think regular upkeep and basic husbandy would be an issue. Not that the guys there don't know what they are doing, but we all know a nice looking reef takes a lot of dedicated work. Now if the arc would stock, maintain and pay for everything I think it would work.

B

 

[phoenix20]

Yeah, so i'm pretty sure that filtration and water changes are covered. We'd need to supplement calcium to maintain a massive ton of corals, because they probably don't supplement that (I really have no idea) or other minerals / trace elements. Maybe they do -- that massive reef area does have quite a few scattered corals, so this could be something that would be easily tied into their existing stuff.

Maybe this is something we should bring up as a topic for discussion at the next meeting?

Sponsors could participate? Maybe folks would be willing to donate basic equipment?

I think upkeep might not be that bad. If we worked it out with the Georgia Aquarium that someone from ARC would swing by on the weekends and do whatever maintenance was necessary. We could work out a rotation for those folks that were interested.

 

[jennm]

I don't know for certain but I think there would be quarantine issues with private individuals bringing livestock into the aquarium - even if it is in a separate system. Maybe Sally or someone could chime on on that...

Jenn

 

[cliscum]

Could the same benefit be accomplished from a high gloss image of a member tank?

I think the aquarium would be more inclined to let us have a lit display of an image with a handout promoting the club and its sponsors. We could get a life size picture of a several hundred gallon member tank reproduced...

If done correctly it would be beautiful, simple, and send the right message.

-Cl

ps. Do we currently have any presence in the aquarium?

 

[phoenix20]

Well, I think it would be an awesome way for ARC to get its name out there. I was in the reef hobby for like 6 months before I had even heard of ARC. Luckily, I ran into some random dude at a LFS and he told me about the club. Ever since then, its changed how I keep my tank.

There are TONS of folks in the atlanta area that have no idea that we exist. Yet, I can guarantee you that they'll go see the georgia aquarium in the next year or two -- ESPECIALLY with the dolphin exhibit opening up.

Carpe Diem ARC! This would be a win-win situation for our club and the Aquarium.

 

[phoenix20]

Cliscum;403418 wrote: Could the same benefit be accomplished from a high gloss image of a member tank?

I think the aquarium would be more inclined to let us have a lit display of an image with a handout promoting the club and its sponsors. We could get a life size picture of a several hundred gallon member tank reproduced...

If done correctly it would be beautiful, simple, and send the right message.

-Cl

ps. Do we currently have any presence in the aquarium?

I dont think so man. Folks go to the aquarium because they want to see real sea life, not pictures. They could turn on the discovery channel and watch some documentary on reef keeping for the same effect.

A picture of a reef tank and actually standing in front of one -- there isn't a comparison.

 

[cliscum]

Hey phoenix, I fully support an effort to have a club presence at the GA aquarium. If that was the objective, I think that the members could achieve a very nice finished product.

-Cl

 

[snowmansnow]

While I think it would be cool for u guys to have a tank there snd have members maintain it, it just sounds like trouble. Also those who maintain it would somehow have to be "picked" out if all the members. While I can appreciate that a lot if folks HAVE "reef tanks" but we are all at differing lvls of "reefhood". I can see how this could be a pretty hefty burden on only a few "leet" reef keepers.

 

[rockdog]

I am not sure what percentage of people I am in...

Jason

No comment needed..

 

[smoothie]

It would look nice with my favorite 3 letters all over it.
ARC and MRC. Now that's some good advertisement.

 

[snowmansnow]

Agreed. The Atlanta aquarium doesn't exist for education or any other reason other than to make money. Sure it hides under the guise of conservation and such, and I'm sure many ppl offer their expert services for that very reason, but it's a tourist attraction in the simplest form.

As the above post states if the arc tank doesn't somehow have a $$ draw they will never take on the resonsibility.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[dkelly]

There's a reef tank upstairs in the office area. I saw it during a behind the scenes tour to the top of the ocean tank.