April Meeting Summary

Over twenty people turned up to the April GWAPA meeting. Before the presentation began, the president talked about having possible group buys for wood and plants. GWAPA also is offering a liquid fertilizer mix to members now.

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March Meeting Summary

March’s meeting was hosted by engineer John at his fabulous home in Reston. Congratulations to Luis and Damien who won the raffle! After a pizza lunch 25 lucky attendees heard a talk from Jacob Waters, an expert in breeding ornamental shrimp for the aquarium hobby. He gave us complete step-by-step instructions on how to set-up and run a successful shrimp tank. In addition to the beginner talk he gave he also went in-depth on shrimp genetics and the process used for developing lines. Jacob actually brought 2 of his own lines with him and we were fortunate enough to have in the club auction.  Other unique auction items were crystal red caridina for those inspired by the talk and some microsorum Black Forest, a rare and expensive species online but was available for less in our auction. We hope to see everyone at the April meeting. Click “more” to see some photos

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February Meeting Summary

Over thirty people attended our February meeting, which was hosted by Splashy Fish. Jen Williams, an established aquascaper, gave a talk about planted tank basics. During the talk, some of the members chimed in with their experiences, which made the discussion very lively. Jen talked about the importance of connecting with local clubs, which can provide a wealth of information. She pointed out that getting the right equipment the first time can save some trouble down the line. Then she went into detail about tanks, stands, lights, filters, and various other supplies. Afterwards she discussed various substrates, including the mineralized soil, to which a whole meeting will be devoted later this year. Then came the hardscape materials, such as rocks and wood. Jen talked about using sulfuric acid for testing rocks to make sure they don’t leach anything into the tank. Also, never boil rocks as they might blow up due to air pockets in them. After spending some time on general tank maintenance, she discussed the various types of plants and how to grow them. Finally, Jen pointed out that algae happens to everyone, and a good resource about how to combat this nuisance can be found on our site here.

The meeting ended with our monthly auction which included plants, shrimp, and some shrimp keeping accessories.

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