In the saltwater hobby many of started out with a freshwater tank of some sort before making the jump. Even with this freshwater experience, there is a blasé attitude when it comes to the freshwater community. The technological trends in the reefkeeping hobby are just as huge in the freshwater side and there are a whole lot of aquarists out there who’s freshwater systems can make many a reef look boring.

My friend Scott Fellman introduced the topic of taking inspiration from nature in your tank design and brought up the Golden Ratio when he was at my local club presenting a topic on aquascaping uniquely fitting called “Aquascaping for the Aesthetically Challenged.” You may have heard of the Golden Ratio, Divine Proportion or the Fibonacci Sequence in geometry, art history or mathematics and now you’re going to hear about it in reefkeeping.

ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG!!! Finally got these bastards after 2 hours of chasing and total dismantle of aquascaping. Man it sucks! Rock piled in randomly, coral in tub floating, one murky tank, I am beat!

Heading into the tank to wrangle up seven green chromis, since the fish trap did not work. Four are finding new homes and three are staying!

If you happen to be in the Northern California area this Saturday, February 28, swing on by to our reef club meeting in Stockton. The Northern Valley Reefers are holding our annual “New To Saltwater” meeting and have invited a special guest, Scott Fellman, to discuss not one but TWO great topics for both newbies and salty vets.

You might know Scott from WetWebMedia where he’s been mentoring hobbyists with hobby legend Bob Fenner since 2002. He’s also spoken at IMAC, MACNA and other events all across the country. Scott’s topics are “Your Next Marine Aquarium” and “Aquascaping for the Aesthetically Challenged.”

So come on out to Valley Brewery Family Restaurant in Stockton on Saturday, February 28 starting at noon. If you haven’t been to one of our club events before, come on out, don’t be shy and make some new friends with some incredible fellow reefers! The events are always free and open to everyone (we think you’ll have so much fun, you’ll be hooked and become a member). For more details check out NVR’s Event Page. Here is a rundown on the two topics:

First Topic: Your Next Marine Aquarium
For the salty veteran or the saltwater rookie putting together a top notch aquarium and avoiding mistakes is key to our success in the hobby. How good do we feel when everything is just right and how bad do we feel when things aren’t going the way we planned? We all have our lists of “I wish I woulda” after reflecting back on our tank’s progress. Some things we can change but others we just have to live with.

So if you are just starting out or looking to upgrade or start a new system you have a fresh slate! All those great ideas you thought about, corners you cut and are now paying for, the envy you have for your friend’s tank it’s time to make it right the ship! This is a discussion about all those little ideas that you need to incorporate into your next system you know – the one you are gonna do RIGHT this time!

Second Topic: Aquascaping for the Aesthetically Challenged
Of all the disciplines within our hobby, the one that really seems to elude many of us is aquascaping. Over the years, Scott has assembled some truly-well-awful aquascapes! Not all that long ago, in complete frustration, he took a deep breath and started over yet again, determined to create aquascapes that look more like nature and less like a jumble of rocks. Like many of us Scott is aesthetically challenged and aquascaping is his kryptonite.

So, to overcome his aquascaping issues, he went on a personal quest to study and practice the art of aquascaping like never before. No more walls of rock with corals sticking up like chicken drumsticks! Along the way, he’s met some cool people, seen some amazing aquariums, and have learned a few pointers on creating memorable aquascapes. For those of you who are talented, successful aquascapers, this will be a refresher on some interesting concepts. For those of you who find this process challenging, he hopes to inspire you to try some new stuff!

In this presentation, we’ll look at some of the basics of aquascaping designs, with considerable attention paid to rockwork and mimicry of natural structures. We will see some amazing marine aquariums from around the world, and examine some ideas that can help you create truly unique aquariums of your own! This is not just aquascaping…this is “Aquascaping for the Aesthetically Challenged!”