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Not so Current Wet Web Media Crew

Current Crew Bios.

Merritt Adkins and the Crew 2/4/08 My Bio Dear Bob, Michael said you didn't mind me volunteering on WWM and that you needed a bio and a picture. Merritt Adkins Hello! I am a senior at Texas A&M University at Galveston getting a B.S in Marine Biology. I received my first freshwater aquarium at age 12. It was a simple setup including the blue gravel, plastic plants and a penguin bio-wheel filter. Now, eight years later I have become an avid aquarist with my planted freshwater tanks specializing in small (10 gallons or less) planted tanks. Some of my personal favorite fish are Bettas, Corys, glass catfish, kuhli loaches, and freshwater/brackish puffers. These are just my favorites but I have kept many other species of freshwater fish through the years. Right now I have two 15 gallon community tanks, three Betta tanks (two are 1 gallon and a 2.5 gallon), a dwarf puffer 5 gallon tank, and a 6 gallon brackish water tank for my baby figure 8 puffer. (He is less than an inch long!!) I have been slowly getting into the marine aquarium hobby, but I still consider my freshwater tanks to be my favorite types of tanks. I am currently breeding Bettas and I eventually want to breed my dwarf puffers. My future goals are being able to keep some larger fish like Tiger Oscars and Spotted Gar. I will eventually send a better picture. I hope this helps! Thanks!! Merritt A. <Indeed, I/we thank you for coming forward, sharing. I take it Michael will show you how to log in... Please take a read here re some conventions we use in responding. http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/crewsupwebmail.htm Bob Fenner>

MerrittA returns - 03/06/09 Hello Mr. Fenner, <Merritt! Geez, just Bob will ya?> I wanted to let you know that I can start answering questions again cause I got my degree, a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology <Ahh, congratulations on your matriculation> and have ample amounts of free time to help with the queries. I am very proud of it and now I am starting the long road to graduate school. I missed answering questions when I was in school. If you don't mind, I made a folder for myself. I have below and updated bio for the crew member page. If you don't need my help that's fine, just email me if you guys are overloaded with questions and I will try to make a dent. Thanks for having such a great site, I remember using this when I was younger! :-) <Dang!> Merritt Adkins Hello! I am 22 years old and a graduate of Texas A&M University at Galveston with a B.S in Marine Biology. I am now currently pursuing graduate school regarding coral reef conservation and marine invertebrate research with emphasis on cephalopods. I hope to eventually acquire my doctorate and conduct my own research. Soon I will be published in a scientific journal regarding my research with Capitella sp. (Polychaete) and it's larval stages. Hopefully this will help me with graduate school acceptance! I started in the hobby with freshwater tanks and due to the help of my boyfriend, eventually got into saltwater tanks. I currently have a 6 gallon Nano Reef that has a maroon clown fish with a pink bubble anemone and lots of corals. (It looks like a miniature reef!) But, I don't consider myself to be very educated regarding saltwater tanks, I am still learning. I am better with freshwater tanks and have had them throughout my life. I have had tons of different freshwater fish ranging from guppies to a Mbu puffer. I still greatly enjoy freshwater tanks and will eventually setup a nice ten gallon planted tank, but haven't got the time. I have had planted tanks since I was 12 and have never looked at plastic plants again. I have had in my planted tanks Madagascar lace, Anubias, Java Fern, Anacharis and Cryptocoryne just to name a few. Before I did the leap to saltwater tanks, I had a brackish water tank with my figure 8 puffer with many brackish water plants. Hopefully, once life isn't so hectic, I can have more than one tank! I also have five Bettas which I have been trying to breed for so long, and I still haven't succeed. (Only the Polychaetes will breed for me!) Once I am done with school and settled down, I would LOVE to setup a Sepia bandensis (dwarf cuttlefish) tank and breed them. I have experience with all different species of cephalopods and would greatly enjoy having some in my home. Thanks very much! :-)
<Welcome back. BobF>

Yet another Crew Member. Sugam Bhasin  10/10/11
Hi Bob,
Thanks as always for you advise. Reference helping out with WWM, I can indeed dedicate some time everyday as needed. While I am not currently on the forum (not accessible from work whereas email is), I am happy to assist in any way I can. Whether it is proofing and rewording or something else.
As for a short profile, please find below. Picked it from a preexisting profile. Please let me know if you need more information
As a communications professional, Sugam has over 15 years of experience in the fields of public relations, marketing and corporate communications. Having worked in North America, India and the Middle East, he has developed a strong sense for global communications. Sugam began his career at Ogilvy & Mather, one of the leading global brand communications agencies and has since worked with a number of organizations in various industries. During his time as a communicator, Sugam has built a reputation for his ability to effectively and effortlessly craft and convey messages through his vivid writing skills as well as his research capabilities.
As regards my experience in the hobby, I started out with freshwater species over four years ago and have killed more fish than I have kept alive. I made the move to marine two years ago and again have made almost every mistake a beginner can make. I have a stronger understanding of freshwater and am finding my feet in the marine space.
To be fair, I would not consider myself a reliable single resource for advise <advice> on the hobby even though I do have knowledge of the basics.
I would perhaps be more effective in drafting, proofing and editing original works for the site if that is indeed a requirement.
Regards,
SB
Ahh! Thank you Sugam. Am soliciting your email about w/ the current WWM
Crew, editing of CA? Do please stay tuned. BobF
Ahh! Thank you Sugam. Am soliciting your email about w/ the current WWM Crew, editing of CA? Do please stay tuned. BobF
Re: Yet another Crew Member  10/10/11
Thank you for the consideration. I am happy to provide writing samples should you need those and despite the evidence to the contrary, I actually am on target with grammar (cannot believe the typos!)
Sugam
<Heeee! Happens to me... most days! BobF>
Hello Sugam,
Welcome aboard!
Cheers, Neale
Sugam, thank you for coming forward. Welcome to the WWM Crew!
Our webmail log-in is: >>>>
Your email folder: Sugam!
Some input re conventions we've found useful in responding can be found
here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/crewsupwebmail.htm
Don't feel pressured... but only comfortable, responding to what you find of interest.
Cheers, Bob Fenner
Re: Yet another question -
Thanks Bob. Really excited and hope to contribute. I will review the links this evening and dive in. When do I get my sheriff badge (kidding!)? Could I possibly request that all further correspondence be directed to sugam.XXXX.com ?
<Certainly>
Would rather have my personal email ID in play here for obvious reasons.
Cheers,
Sugam
<And you, BobF>

Andy Bulgin
Crew Question...? -4/6/10
Hey y'all! When did Melissa M. join the Crew? :D.
<She did not. Just a profile pic of mine with a fine friend. Keep pushing it she may join up though.>
Aren't you supposed to quarantine new purchases for at least 6 weeks??
<She is a sensitive species. Quarantine does more harm than good here.>
Andy B.
<Stick to what you know. Tag good people in horrible FaceBook pics.
Melisa Mitchell.>
Andy Bulgin
Re: Crew Question
Phew! I was worried. Would you recommend a formalin dip for her? She looks a little pale. Will she be alright under my lighting? I have a 300g with 2 65W actinic power compacts.
<Just make sure there is good protein skimming. And get some sun yourself.
Scott V.>

 Peter wishes he could get this camera removed from his head.

Above: The Man

Below: His Tank

Don and his human!

Updated Bio/Pic Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:13:57 +0000 Hey Bob, <Scotter> Hope all is well with you! <Ah yes> It's been an amazing year for me...much has changed for the positive in my "fishy career". It's been an absolute joy traveling around the country to clubs and events talking fish! What an amazing experience! <Ahh, as I tried to encourage you, others> And this year looks even more amazing: MACNA, IMAC West, Reef-a-Palooza, and several other club events and mini-conferences! And...I may be speaking internationally for the first time this year, too. More articles being published, too, and all kinds of other potential opportunities are arising. I owe much of this success I am enjoying to the experience that I have gained through WWM. I hope that everyone on the Crew realizes how much the WWM experience can provide...The opportunities are limited only by one's desire to get involved in the hobby. I thank you and all of the Crew for the wonderful experience that my time at WWM has provided for the last 6+ years (can it really be that long?). Looking forward to the next 6 years with WWM. <Good> In the interest of keeping current, I did want to update a few things in my bio. Particularly a reference to my girlfriend being a "Big Island local" . As you may be aware, I'm in a totally different relationship now, and the update is most appreciated! The rest of my bio is just fine. I've attached a more recent pic, as well. <Will amend> Thanks much for your support and continued friendship. Looking forward to seeing you in Detroit..and Denver! Regards, ScottF. PS- no need to run this email in the daily FAQs, please! <All right. BobF>

Re: Speaking at MARS 8/9/05 Hi Alan and Pam:
Bob cc'd me about being available as a speaker to your club this fall. I would certainly be interested in presenting at one of your meetings. Unfortunately, the September 16 meeting corresponds to the MACNA conference, which I will be attending. October would be a possibility, if you are interested. I live in the Los Angeles area. I am a lifelong hobbyist with over 30 years of fishkeeping experience. I've been privileged to work with WetWebMedia for the past 3 years. In addition to answering questions on the "Daily FAQ" page, I am co-editor of our online magazine, "Conscientious Aquarist". I've had several articles published both online and in print media (FAMA), and have had the pleasure of working with Bob and Anthony on the "Reef Invertebrates" book. I am active in my local club, the Marine Aquarium Society of Los Angeles County.
My particular areas of interest are marine aquarium husbandry ( i.e.; Nutrient Control and Export, Nuisance Algae control, Quarantine of Marine Fishes and Invertebrates), Proper Stocking, and Planning and Creating Biotopic Marine Aquaria. If any of these topics would be of interest to your members, please let me know. By all means, do contact Steven Pro. He's a super-nice guy and an excellent speaker (in fact, Steve's visiting us in LA this weekend!) on a variety of topics. Also, Barry Neigut can give a great presentation on Clam Husbandry and Selection, and is also one of the nicest guys you'll meet! Very Truly, Scott Fellman

Sue Garrett WWM Bio

 My love of turtles started when I was 8 years old.  I begged my father relentlessly to buy me one of the mini turtles with the plastic oasis (and requisite palm tree) like my best friend up the street had.  Thankfully he said, No!  Fortunately, though, we lived near a stream, so I had plenty of box turtles to occupy my time. 

 My fascination with turtles resurfaced again years later when I just happened to be visiting Heron Island, Australia during the time of year when the endangered baby green sea turtles were hatching on the beach.  (Ironically, before becoming a marine sanctuary, Heron Island used to be the site of a turtle soup factory.)  So I landed up spending almost my entire time there either escorting hatchlings from their nest, across the beach and into the water to protect them from the birds; or carrying them back to the beach after they accidentally followed the artificial light and literally showed up scratching at the door of my room every night!  The next year, my family teased me that I must have been the reason why the green sea turtles were reportedly downgraded from endangered to threatened that year! 

 Several years later, as fate would have it, another turtle that had lost his way showed up (again) right on my doorstep!  But this time, instead of a baby green sea turtle, it turned out to be one of those same mini turtles my best friend had when I was young!  Even more curious was the fact that although I live on a pond, that species is neither native to my area, nor lives in that pond.  Its still a mystery to this day how he landed up there.  So, all I can conclude was that this must have been my childhood wish finally come true it just took a while!  When I started researching how to care for him, however, I was shocked to find out that he actually wasnt a mini turtle after all, but instead a baby red-eared slider turtle that would eventually grow to be the size of a dinner plate.  And that the only reason they were mini years ago is because they rarely lived beyond a few months.  I was also very surprised to find out that millions still continue to die each year because of poor care and other atrocities.  Since that day, Ive learned a lot more about semi-aquatic turtles (much of it thanks to sites like WWM!), and would like to now share what Ive learned (and am still learning!) with others so that they, like me, will give their turtles the appropriate care they need in order to be able to live the long and healthy life they deserve.   

 When Im not devoting my time to the turtle cause (or my two kids!), I spend whats left of it (ha!) on the human side of preventive health care.  After graduating with a BS in nursing years ago, I initially worked in orthopedics/sports medicine, then shifted over to health promotion and disease prevention.  I worked for several years in health information consulting before taking time off to raise children.  Im currently taking some science, writing, and statistics courses through the American Medical Writers Association where I hope to eventually write about the latest scientific research taking place in the area of preventive medicine associated with aging and lifestyle-related illnesses.

Memory tips? -- 01/13/2010
Bob,
Do you have any tips/advice as to preserving one's memory? It's getting to a point for me, that soon I'll be able to hide my own Easter Eggs.
Cheers,
James
I do... vitamins, daily exercise, crossword puzzles, jumbles... Sudoku? And mnemonic devices... These and engaging ones mind as often and vigorously as possible/practical. Oh, and carrying around ID lest you be "picked up" and can't remember your
name, place. B

The "Salty Dog" and his most lovely wife.

Welcome Brian Griffin to the Crew Re: Ready to serve 9/21/08 Added a couple of lines to Bio: Here's a bio and pic <Got it! Man! You're old too! B> Brian Griffin setup his first saltwater aquarium back in the mid 70s while he was attending Florida State University. From that moment on, he fell in love with the hobby. Over the years, he has had many reef aquariums, the largest being a 8x4x2 lookdown system with a total of just over 1000 gallons. He became known in the industry when he started Reefers A Marine Aquaria Store back in 2000. The company closed its doors in 2002, but Brian has stayed in touch with the industry. His love of this hobby is unsurpassed. His industry contacts are above reproach. Brian is an expert at Internet marketing and owns a web design business. Recently, he worked with ZeroEdge Aquarium and helped them bring the ZeroEdge name to a new level in the industry. Today is "residing" at a LFS located in North Plainfield, NJ called Ocean Gallery 2 (http://www.oceangalleryii.com). Hell be sticking with what he knows best when it comes to answering emails marina aquaria. <Will supplant. B>

WWM Crew: meet Minh Hyunh 12/01/08 Thanks for the touching introduction, Jessy. It's a pleasure, Mr. Fenner. I do have time throughout the day to contribute to WWM and would like to give back to the community one way or another. My experience is primarily in reef tanks, particularly in coral husbandry but I can do my best in other areas as necessary. If you would like to know more, feel free to ask. Cheers, Minh Huynh <Ahh, please do send along a brief bio. (and pic if you'd like) for us to post... so folks can who are interested can know you a little better. And... thank you for sharing! Bob Fenner> WWM Crew meet Minh 12/2/08 Thank you for the kind and warm welcoming, everyone. I have read many of your responses on WWM over the years and value your knowledge and experience greatly. I hope to continue to learn from your expertise as a contributing member of WWM. I'm usually not very good at writing about myself but I feel I should not break tradition so here's a bit of background. I, like many of you, have been keeping aquariums since early childhood. Before my family immigrated to America, I have fond memories of helping my grandfather maintain a massive pond of Koi fish in our home in the central coast of Vietnam. When my family immigrated to America in the early 1990s, I've kept various freshwater, planted and marine aquariums as well as Koi ponds in hour home in Southern California. At the moment, I am occupied with two reef aquariums for research in coral husbandry with emphasis on some species notorious for poor survival in captivity. Some of these species include Goniopora, Catalaphyllia jardinei and nonphotosynthetic species such as Dendronephthya and gorgonian (some examples can be viewed here: http://www.vimeo.com/user853505/videos). I hope my research, along with others will propel the reef hobby beyond the frontier of azooxanthellate animal husbandry. The philosophy I've adopted from some pioneer aquarists place heavy emphasis on the natural methods like that of the old adage, "More Biology, Less Technology." Unfortunately, I feel the reef segment of our hobby has progressively moved away from this philosophy. I hope to be able to offer a non-contemporary, perhaps retro, spin on the problems facing budding aquarists today. I hope to spend some time to get familiarize with WWM and its intricacies before diving into the deep end so please pardon any silly questions from this way. Cheers to a great holiday season. Best wishes, Minh Huynh P.S. As requested, attached is a photo of my wife and I at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Please say "Hi" if you ever see my mug at Scripps Pier. <Ahh! I do hope to meet you... will you be coming to the SDMAS holiday party on the 7th? It's at our house in Mira Mesa. Hope to see you here. BobF>

Marina at some depth - Tulamben, Bali "The Drop-off".

This is my Mexican Musk turtle "Honey". You could almost kiss her, well, if you did not mind losing your lips.

Mike Irving/WWM -02/06/08 Bob, <Mike> Have attached 2 pics, but at your discretion the main one called MI (the other one is just a fun pic!), and the Bio below. <Ahh, will post> In addition, you said you were hoping for new help with posting replies to site. I have a little html knowledge (what do they say about little knowledge again!) and again, just offer any help I can in that respect. <As of now, all is copied/pasted... some HTML looking/modifying format-wise... but for now, we'd just like your help in responding to queries. Am concerned not to overwhelm folks with the opus est aspects of WWM. Cheers, BobF> Cheers, M BIO Hey! to all at WWM and its friends, and warm wishes from the UK! My passion for fish keeping started around 20 years ago, with the humble goldfish, black moor and shubunkin. I progressed to tropicals after a few years, and was a fan of the Firemouth! Admittedly, my real experience comes from the marine side of things and have been a keeper for around 12 years now. Under-gravel filters, pugnacious damsels, and dead coral wow, those were fun days early on. I progressively gathered knowledge with the help of a very good friend, and the ever increasing forums over here. Ive since worked on some of them, and theyve been a great source of enjoyment to me. Since those early days, one relationship has continued to stir me; that of the clownfish and anemone. Having kept some of the most beautiful and rare species, Ive had the opportunity to expand my knowledge in all aspects of the relationship, so dont mind saying this is where my knowledge excels. In addition, I also have a passion for cephalopods and in particular, the cuttlefish. Ive been lucky enough to be one of the first folks to hatch, raise, keep, breed (and repeat the process), Sepia bandensis, and supplied to public aquariums around Europe. Mantis shrimp take my fancy too having kept a few in my time, but then again, so do a lot of other things in this hobby; addictive is the word! Anyway, I live in one of the most beautiful areas of England, with the mountains and lakes just a short journey away; work for Her Majesty (or at least, her government); and love scuba diving too! In fact, Ive enclosed a picture that Bob may be brave enough to share, from a drift dive I made around Garden reefs in the Red Sea. The other is from the heart of the Sinai mountains. Looking forward to working with the rest of the WWM Crew, and all of its followers. Mike

Mike Irving joins the Crew 2-05-08 Warm Greeting, Bob - a wee while... Hi Bob, <Mike> How you doing? Good I hope! <Fine, thank you> I have my own site now, really just to give some folks a place to discuss away from the hustle. Its not majorly busy, but we get some good discussions going. Anyway, not here to talk (write!) about that. Im here just to offer any service I can to WWM. Ive lots of experience this side of the pond in working on the various forums, so theres that side of thing, but I do have a number of areas I focus on, which may or may not be some use to you. <!> I claim 2 fields of relative interest and enthusiasm one you may recall, being cuttlefish/cephalopods. I hatched, raised, kept, bred and hatched raised etc a species of cuttle called Sepia bandensis. First here in the UK, and supplied to Sealife Centres and various specialist keepers. Wrote about my experiences on a website and have since supplied information and pictures to publications and articles. <Ah, yes> My biggest passion is probably clownfish and anemones. Im authoring a site currently, thats taking longer than I would like, but may illustrate a bit more (www.clownfishandanemones.com). Ive kept a fair few pairs in my time, experimented in some dead-food rearing, and kept some pretty rare clowns (A. latezonatus) in my time. Same with the anemones. <Neat... so far so good... Maybe a bit of kibitzing here... but you might consider adding "other Clownfish pertaining sections of other sites" sort of links... And I'll gladly send you a copy of the H. malu...> Dont know if any of that would come in handy for you, but if it does/could ever, then its at your disposal. If you need some general admin done etc, menial, give me a shout. <Will gladly link when you're ready> Before I go, I took your advice, somewhat belatedly, and learned to dive at Sharm last year it was immense! <Great! We're on our way back there this May... ahead of Interzoo... if you'd like to come along> The best thing I have ever done. I was staying in Na'ama bay, and my house reef was dead, but even then there was all sorts of fish, pipefish, coral etc. Loved every minute of it, even though I was quite panicky about the mask removal and replacement exercises, but I soon go those cracked. Dived at Garden reefs and Sharks reef you been? <Oh yes... many times... Always a new experience, things discovered> Maybe not the best in the Red Sea but it still blew me away. Ended the course with a nice drift dive at Gardens too. Cant wait to go back, hopefully in September this year. Thinking Nuweiba, or maybe the Nabq area of Sharm. Decisions to make, but those rare ones in life which are nice! All my best to you, Bob. Hope this finds you well. Mike Irving. <Mike, I do hope/trust I am understanding you here. I do welcome your help on/with WWM... particularly the areas of expertise, topics you feel comfortable with. If you'd be so kind as to send along a brief bio. for posting, and a pic (so folks can size you/us up if they're interested)... I thank you for sharing, helping us all. Bob Fenner

Adam Jenkins
Wet Web Personal bio 6/28/09
Bob,
I noticed I was the only one without a bio. I figure its been a couple of months. Time to whip one up!
<Yay! Will place>
I'm 31 years old. I currently reside in Ruston, Louisiana. I've kept freshwater aquariums off and on for most of my life. About 5 years ago I was introduced to saltwater and was instantly hooked. The last 5 years have been a blur of reading , research and water changes. Most of my personal experience is in the nano range( 55 to smaller). I've spent many hours researching the animals and equipment best suited for them on Wet Web and other sources. I also have a real interest in macros and true vascular plants. My current tanks consist of a 30 gallon mixed reef and a 55 seahorse in the works. 6 Months ago, along with some friends , I started a small saltwater aquarium forum, Modern Reef Keeping. Through my site and Wet Web ,I've had the pleasure of meeting some very interesting, knowledgeable people. It has been a true learning experience. One that I hope will continue.
Also, my site (MRK )will have will have a booth setup at the Southeastern Reef Conference in Orlando. One of my sites mod.s will be running it. ( I can't go. to close to IMAC)
I was wondering if you had the time to maybe stop by the booth for a few? Either way I'm looking forward to IMAC and meeting you. Adam
<Ahh! Let's do look for each other on the Queen Mary! BobF>

Adam Jenkins 6/30/09
Bob,
I noticed Adam finally sent in a bio, without a pic! So I am taking the liberty of sending you the only pic of him I have if you wish to post in his bio. He will no doubt call me later with an opinion on this!
Scott V.
<Real good. Will post. Thank you, BobF>

AdamJ going away 8/24/09
Bob,
It was a pleasure meeting you and some of the other Wet Web guys and gals at IMAC but with my with other responsibilities I'm afraid I no longer have time to help out at Wet Web. I have enjoyed my short time here and greatly appreciated the opportunity to help my fellow reefers. Hopefully in the future, with time permitting, I can rejoin you guys. Adam Jenkins
<Ahh! Will look forward to your return Adam. Thank you. BobF>

I'd like to be on the crew! 11/23/09
Hi WWM crew--
<Melinda>
My name is Melinda Joakimson, and I have written in a few times (most recently, about my South American Red Tailed Catfish and Pacu's pond with the biological filter problem, which was solved by WWM!). I'm interested in helping the crew answer queries if you need a hand.
I currently am a member of MonsterFishKeepers, and have tried to be of help in every area that I have knowledge in, even if the very best thing to do is to provide a link to Wet Web Media. On MFK, I am justonemoretank, if anyone would like to take a look at the (hopefully high-quality!) posts I have created in response to tank sizes (I am active in the hopeful education of owners of RTCs), water quality, and fish illness, and my attempts to clearly link the three together for the benefit of the original poster.
As for my other experience, my husband and I currently keep a 180 gallon sort-of-wannabe-reef, a 125 almost-Amazon tank (the Clown Loaches kind of killed that idea!), a 75 with one Green Terror, a 180 with Florida Gars and Silver Dollars, and our 1000+ gallon pond with the RTC and 3 Red Belly Pacu. I've learned most of what I know from daily reading and perusing of WWM, as well as the experience of keeping fish ranging from one inch to over two feet long. We have only been keeping fish for two years, but have learned a lot, and I look forward to learning more every day.
<Ahh!>
Most importantly, I have learned that knowing water parameters means knowing fish health. Water quality is the most important thing, and I am one of the members who stresses the importance of water quality at MFK. I know people get tired of me asking, but it is the very most important element in fish health. I hope to enlighten others of its importance, thereby reducing fishkeeper stress and fish death.
As for the non-fishkeeping part of my life, I am a senior (non-traditional student) at the College of William and Mary, majoring in English. I plan to complete my Master's Degree in English after I graduate and teach on the college level. If you're wondering about the non-traditional part, it's what we're called when we're (ahem) older than the average college student.
<Heee!>
I also volunteer at my local Living Museum as an education assistant and Touch-Tank volunteer.
<Outstanding>
In addition, I have one dog, three cats, and a bunny who have adopted me.
The areas I feel comfortable answering queries on would be water quality (i.e., the Betta and goldfish issues that Neale might need help dealing with; if not, I'm not trying to encroach on his space!), gars, basic community setups (i.e., the mixture of fishes that newcomers to the hobby often end up with at the advisement of fish store employees), and, of course, Red tailed catfish and Pacu.
I have always thought about helping WWM out, but I didn't feel I had the time. Now, as the time I spend more and more time on MFK trying to help so many, I realize how much time I had to spare. I think that I'd surely have an hour to spare daily to help others through WWM.
I would be glad to offer more information if it's needed, but I hesitate to turn this e-mail into a novel (is it already? Darn!). I totally understand if help is not needed, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to let you know I'm willing to help.
Thanks,
Melinda
<I thank you for coming forward, offering your help Melinda, and do think the WWM (by which I mean its users) could definitely benefit from your experience and input. I welcome you. Our mail log in is: and password:
Some notes re conventions we use in replying can be found here:
Thank you, Bob Fenner>

Hello, just wanted to let you know... 1/20/11
Hi to whomever reads this,
It's Melinda. I've been unable to volunteer for quite some time, but assumed after I finished school, I'd be able to participate more frequently. However, the situation is exactly the opposite! I'd like to thank you for allowing me to volunteer for the time that I did, and I very much enjoyed the experience, but now, must focus on Graduate school, trying to find work, etc. I just wanted to officially resign my position and again, thanks for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful crew!
Thanks.
--Melinda
<Ahh, understood Melinda. Hope to see you down the timeline. BobF>

I'm not sure if this somehow got lost in the shuffle, but are the explanations/descriptions below about myself and my fishy "skill set" sufficient for a bio? If not, let me know and I'll try to give you something else (just let me know what you are looking for). This seems to be in line with what many of the other crew members have sent you, so I figured it was OK. Also, here's a recent pic. of me with one of my kitties, also called Bob... Take care, Jorie

 And here's Jor in HI 5/06!

Misty Johnson joins the Crew! 8/22/10
Hi Bob,
<Hey Misty!>
Yes, I didsorrybeen intensely updating my web site over the past few days and I completely forgot about it!
<Ah, glad you are still about!>
I dont have any real credentials as in a biology degreejust a hobbyist since 2001.
<No need for real credentials otherwise. You/we/I know what we know by many inputs... academics can be a part, but not necessarily>
So sticking with softballs would be best for me, as Ill not risk giving someone false information.
<Heavens no!>
Im good at finding answers via research, too (especially if the question has already been answered by a WWM crew member). Pretty good with compatibility questions, general equipment selections (not the fancy stuff), parameters, etc.
<Ah, good>
Ive been a member of DFWMAS since August 15, 2001. Ive served on the Board of Directors for the past three years and currently the Treasurer. I have a 120-gallon reef tank with a little bit of everything.
Sorry for getting back to you so late. The inspiration for a new site design hit me so I plowed into getting it done before presenting the product to a couple of larger companies and introducing a new SKU. Would love your feedbackjust as a general user of the internet J www.sinkdrink.com
<Very nice... I esp. like the Some happy Sink Drink for Cats users section. Mmm, let's see, the WWM mail log in is: XXXX
Will erect a mail infolder for you: Misty... Oh, and some notes re conventions we've found useful posted here: http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/crewsupwebmail.htm
And thank you once again for joining the WWM Crew! BobF
Cheers,
Misty
Indeed, welcome aboard, Misty.
Cheers, Neale
Welcome to the crew, Misty!
-Lynn Z
Welcome aboard Misty.
James (Salty Dog)

Re: Misty Johnson joins the Crew!9/6/2010
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the warm welcome(s). I've just been lurking a bit since joining the crew...reading how you've answered queries, etc. So far my actual contributions have been moving spam to the spam folder and moving Q's from the general Inbox to the topic folders :). I'm a bit hesitant to answer that first question, but will get to it soon enough! It's been a while since I've set up my own tank, so I'm rusty on the basics (plus so much has changed in the past 5-6 years!).
Anyway, looking forward to working with you!
Cheers,
Misty
Hi Misty,
C'mon in, the water is fine. You've got to get your feet wet sooner or later. :-)
Cheers,
James (Salty)
Welcome Misty 9/7/2010
Answering the first few queries is daunting, but after you jump in it gets easier. Take comfort in the fact that other crew members read each other's responses and if anyone feels that we've gone too far around the bend, they'll jump is with additional suggestions... so you're not really going to hurt anyone with your suggestions. The coolest thing for me is the things that I've learned while researching the answers! Who'd a thunk?
I assume you've been given a link to the newbie/suggestions page where it talks about not trying too hard to correct their spelling, etc.
Stuff on that page can save your sanity. (too late for me, as it turns out). At some point you'll have a day where you just want to type something like "/Sir, after hearing the way you keep your tank, I suggest that you just ask the store to kill the fish for you before you bring them home - just to save time" / We've all had those days. Just move the letter back to the IN box and pick another one.
Keep in mind that it's supposed to be fun for you, too.
That said, welcome
D

Re: Volunteering Hi Bob!!! WOW!! I am honored. I am so excited.....just thrilled to have you accept my offer, to be part of such a wonderful group and have another avenue to share my passion. Thank you so much. I am glad the timing is right. <I as well. Please make it known what sorts of categories of questions you prefer... other than syngnathids> Germany and Egypt.....sounds like a lot of fun. Please stay safe. <We will> I am so sorry I missed Carol and Craig. Were they here in CA or were you in Hawaii? <Out here on the Big Island. If you can make it I hope to have some of the folks, particularly those that aren't coming out next month, come on over for any part of the first two weeks of July... we have a house here> I would have loved to have met them and those boys!! Carol sent me a photo and they are just adorable!! I have spoken to them once or twice on the phone and have emailed back and forth quite a bit. Yes please feel free to use whatever you would like from my email for my bio. <Will do> I look forward to joining you all and participating in this great journey. Thank you so much for a wonderful opportunity!! <A pleasure to meet you. Bob F>

Michelle Lemech About Mich... Ive always loved the water and most of the critters in it. I spent most of my time outside while growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. My favorite pastime was catching frogs, toads, tadpoles, salamanders and the like and building homes for them in the backyard. My love of nature and interest in science lead me to Muhlenberg College where I earned an undergraduate degree in Biology. I worked in a biochemistry lab doing immunoassays for several years before heading back to grad school. I received a masters in Genetic Counseling from Arcadia University and then needed to return to the Poconos. With limited job opportunities due to geography, I went back to school again, this time for nursing. I am a licensed RN. While collecting degrees I was introduced by a friend to the saltwater aquarium hobby and fell in love. I am currently active in several clubs and take pleasure in the educational, social, and collaborative aspects. I enjoy helping others and hope to contribute to and be a positive influence at WWM.

Oliver videoing UW in Brazil

O. Lucanus born near Munich, Germany has been keeping fish for over 30 years. He has been wholesaling fish from all over the world for 15 years and has traveled to many countries to see the places our aquarium fish come from. His specialty are freshwater fish from South America, Asia and Africa.

Mike Maddox Bio. for WWM Crew posting - 1/31/08 I'm a premed Junior at Texas A&M Galveston, majoring in Marine Biology. I've been keeping some form of aquatic life on and off (mostly on, with a recent sabbatical I've recently returned from) since I was six years old (that would be eighteen years now...I'm old) and marine life for over fourteen years. I'm intimately familiar with the needs of virtually every ornamental aquatic fish (and have had almost all of the marine ones at one point or another) as well as most common reef invertebrates (Cnidarians, crustaceans, molluscs), and how to provide proper care/feeding/water chemistry for said animals. I currently have only one aquarium (I'm a student with a negative cash flow living in an apartment with the kitchen built into a closet!). My tank houses a Starry Puffer and a Commerson's angler, which I spend time watching when I should be studying. I will gladly help anyone with any question they may have about aquatic life, be it a frog, fish, turtle, or otherwise (I've kept more random aquatic animals than I care to name), but I feel I'm most knowledgeable about marine life, and most lacking in the freshwater fish area. I'm always willing to help someone long term with a known difficult/"impossible" to keep species, as I've done a lot of research regarding these types of animals, though not necessarily tried to keep many of them. I do feel that this is how we progress in the hobby, and if someone is taking a responsible, informed approach in doing their best to keep a particular species that's known not to fair well in captivity, and is trying to learn for the sake of the hobby, I will do what I can. I don't recommend this for the average aquarist, though!

And Updated Update! 3/09

Well, I'll take you up on the offer, then. :) I made myself a folder, and here's an updated bio: <Ah, good. Glad to be able to share your input, facts and learn from your writing style... Now, my next question is... when are you joining, or better, supplanting me on the petfish conf./hobby presentation circuits? BobF> ----------------- My name is Mike Maddox, and Ive wanted to be a marine biologist since I was six years old, and kept marine aquariums since I was ten. A lot of what Ive learned has been through trial and error, and it was always a source of frustration to me that there wasnt more information about actually keeping marine animals alive in captivity when I was learning about the hobby. I have never forgotten that frustration, and have endeavored to help hobbyists not repeat the mistakes Ive made (and Ive made a lot this hobby can be very trying at times) ever since. As far as my hobby experience goes, I tend to only count my marine aquatics experience, because I still dont know anything about freshwater, except for the fact that you dont have to check the salinity! Ive been keeping marine aquariums for fifteen years, and writing about it (mostly on WWM) for five. Ive kept waaay too many species to name them all individually, but my favorites are pufferfish, carpet anemones, and T. maxima clams. I love really big aquariums (for cool things like stability, big puffers, sharks, eels, and giant anemones) and really small nano aquariums (like my 8 gallon BioCube) because I like the effect of having a compact reef. I currently have a 175 gallon FOWL setup with a DSB and 60 gallon sump/wet-dry filter housing a map puffer, and a zebra moray, and then theres the aforementioned (stock bio cube 8) nano reef, which is filled to the brim with various corals, clams, anemones, and anything else that catches my eye or that people want me to save for them (stock as I say, not as I do!). Im a senior at Texas A&M University majoring in marine biology/pre-med. My former life so to speak was almost a decade in the IT field, and when I left the field completely to go back to school, I left as a systems and networks administrator. To keep up my "expert" appearance, a quick 'bragging rights' paragraph: Ive been published in Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Advanced Aquarist, The Conscientious Aquarist, and Aquarium Explorer, moderate here at the WWM BB, run a blog at Microcosm Aquarium Explorer website, and freelance for various other aquatic and non-aquatic sites/publications. I am also published in the American Journal of Rheumatology, for my medical research on systemic lupus. ----------------
Thanks Bob,
Mike

PAUL! How long has it been now? Sheesh.

New WWM Crew member "Joshua McMillen" 9/23/05 Welcome, Joshua! Glad to have you with us! We actually just welcomed a couple folks last week, so I'm kinda cutting/pasting what I gave them regarding "how it works", so please feel free to ask any questions. Basic conventions to follow: Anything in the inbox, fresh, marine, brackish, and pond folders that has not been answered is up for grabs. Move any questions you wish to answer into your folder before answering them; this helps to prevent sending multiple replies on one question. When you reply, try to follow the same "style" that we use <Your replies in carrots> Mmmm, carrots.... <Tasty carrots!> And remove blank spaces and such. Also, it might be worthwhile to copy/paste into Microsoft Word so you can use spell-check. Once you've sent the reply, it should automatically save a copy in the "Sent" folder. You can then delete the original message (don't delete the reply that was saved in the Sent folder; we need that). Feel free to take any questions that you feel comfortable with. Take a look at our Daily FAQs and other related sections to kinda "get a feel" for it all (links below) and feel free to ask any questions. Thank you for your assistance with WWM! -Sabrina http://www.wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/faqsonfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/faqstips.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com /QueryCorrsRefPg.htm <Thank you Sabrina... am saving your input for future others... BobF> Bob, I hope your holiday was as fun as mine! My family has left town now and I'm finally getting back to the normal routine, so I thought I'd finally send some pics. along. My wife snapped a few of me and I'm adding some others from my tank. Didn't know which picture of me was best as I never like my photos (weird phobia of them since I was about 9), so I just sent them all. Now, if I can just write that bio..... - Josh <Do so, please. Will post. BobF>

Will Neinast, bio. 7/8/09
Bob (Mr. Fenner?),
Unfortunately, I have not contributed to a forum to date, although I would be very interested in joining one. I have heard many positive remarks about both AquariaCentral and Aquatic Plant Central; do you have any comments on either? I do apologize for not having an available sample of my work, which has mostly consisted of informal research data and personal experimentation.
As for a bio, here is my best attempt:
Will Neinast's (even I don't know how to pronounce it) interest in aquatic life begin at the age of 8 upon the successful landing of a 3-foot channel catfish. While not a recommended "starter" fish, it did inhabit a large Styrofoam container for a few miserable hours. Too bad zebra Danios aren't native! Since then, I've kept at least 1 aquarium in the house at all times.
During a 5 year stint in Portland, Oregon, I learned the art of fly fishing, as well as the even more difficult art of counting salmon swimming over the Bonneville Dam (1 salmon, 2 salmon... EERGGH!). After moving back to my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, I began to expand my horizons into planted and brackish tanks. Several thousand hours of research and experimentation later, I finally began to understand the intricacies and "interconnectedness" of my various microsystems. I currently keep a relatively mundane collection of tanks: a 10 gallon paludarium for two firebellied toads, a 20 gallon "Southeast Asian" biotope, a 55 gallon mixed Central American cichlid and livebearer planted tank, and a soon-to-be set up 75 gallon planted tank. I've never been truly content with simply observing my aquatic charges; instead fiddling with various parameters and equipment designed to provide the ideal environment. Most of my tanks have now been shifted from "DIY" tanks with experimental filters, lighting, substrate, etc., to more conventional set-ups. This however, granted me invaluable experience from which to draw on in future systems.
Whoops, accidentally hit Send before I finished this! My apologies, and the remainder is below.
I can confidently answer questions on snail control, DIY plumbing and filtering, most Central American cichlids, economical and simple plant fertilization, school-aggressive behavior of "fin-nippers", amphibians and paludariums, creative aquascaping, lighting, alternative planted-tank substrates, and innovative use of hardware/ garden store and various other everyday supplies in aquaria.
My other interests include golfing, soccer, guitar, rock climbing, kayaking, and keeping up with the family horses. Although I am only a high-school junior, I will strive to provide the utmost level of advice possible.
Thanks,
Will N.
<Oh! Are you a "regular" on a bb that we might peruse? What areas of expertise do you consider your strongest Will? BobF>
<Yep, up to about 300 posts right now. I'm primarily a DIY/ planted tank guy, but I dabble in saltwater. In fact, I'm sure Lynn would be happy to send you a copy of my recent nano-reef article. Looking back,
I didn't include as much information as I would've liked, but apparently it was meaty enough to be included in an upcoming newsletter.>
<Ah, outstanding. Lynn, Neale, will you please look over Will's posts, give me the benefit of your impressions... Am hopeful Mr. Neinast is ready to help us out on WWM proper. BobF>
Sounds good to me. Welcome aboard!
Cheers, Neale

Andrew Nixon joins the WetWebMedia Crew 1/6/2008 Dear Mr. Fenner, I am writing to you, via a suggestion by a member who actively posts on a website I moderate on called aquariacentral.com , and that member is a part of your crew ( Jeni - aka PufferPunk ). <Ah, yes> By way of a little introduction about myself. My name is Andrew, 34 years old and I live in U.K, England. I am Head IT Manager by trade for an estate agency group, have a daughter who is aged 6..I have been fishkeeping for about 7 - 8 years, started of will a good few freshwater species tanks, was never really that much into the planted side of things. The tanks ranged from 10 gallons, up to 90..About 3 years ago, I decided that after a good few years of researching, learning and understanding marine fish, corals, inverts I branched out and start keeping marine. These tanks ranged from 46 gallons upwards in varying sizes, could not get enough of et.al tanks have always been very successful and I put that down to the few years of knowledge building I did while I was keeping freshwater. Since then, I moved over to the side of passing on my knowledge and helping others by joining Aquariacentral.com and head the marine forums there ( my member name there is Reefscape ).. I spent the vast majority of my time there now, helping and supporting the existing aquarist's and new starters alike, and would like to branch out and help other sources too. I enjoy this with a passion, I feel at home discussing, debating, advising people on now to solve an issue with their tanks, advise on how to go about setting up marine systems, advise on stocking compatibility issues etc etc..corals / invert and their feeding, lighting and behaviour...Equipment choices, recommendations, why some work better than others, and the things for people to avoid. So, all I wanted to do was put an offer to you, that if you ever feel that you have room for a junior member on your team to help out on all round issues of the marine aquaria side of the site, then I glad offer my services and knowledge over to you, would certainly be an honour and a privilege. With kind regards Andrew Nixon <We do have a need for a person of your apparent background, interest... I do hope/trust that helping as part of WWM will not interfere with time better spent with your family, work, other endeavours. Do send along a likeness and other Bio. mat. if you'd like this posted, and thank you for coming forward, offering to help others. I welcome you to our association. Bob Fenner>

Greetings and Salutations! JustinN returns to WWM 10/5/09
Hey Bob!
<Justin>
I know, I know -- its been a long time. For starters, I want to thank you for the letter of recommendation that you so graciously provided me. It helped me win my job with Rackspace (a hosting company here in San Antonio), and was cited by my managers several times as one of the main reasons they brought me on. Unfortunately, I've been so busy shifting through 3 separate promotions for the last nearly 2 years, that I haven't been able to really keep up -- as I'm sure you noticed :)
<Heeee! Congratulations>
Essentially, I wanted to drop you a line and let you know, that I've finally hit a job position that doesn't consume 100% of my time, and I will be in for a long time to come. Things are stabilizing around here, and after dozens of email threads at work where people have asked for advice and I became the go-to guy, I had my desire rekindled. My new job role doesn't involve direct customer interaction, and only 2 months into it I'm already missing it. If you're still willing to have me, I'd like to offer up my toes for dipping in the WWM waters again :)
<Please do log back on and make an in-folder. Do you still have the log-in, password?>
Again, thanks for everything -- I'm not sure you realize quite how much weight your praise carried.
-Justin Norman
<Am very glad to have assisted your worthy efforts. BobF>

Eileen Ridgeway/Yunachin joins WWM Crew Hello Bob!<Eileen/Yunachin> Dear Bob, Greetings from sunny Myrtle Beach. <In South Carolina I take it> My name is Eileen but more known as Yunachin. I would like to start off saying I was referred to through Jeni, AKA- Pufferpunk, via her site: The Puffer Forum, where I have been visiting for a while. She is a wonderful person. <Oh yes> My fondest memories of having fish were when I was a little girl and we had Oscars. I would sit for hours and gaze into those beef-cake eyes wishing that I might be a fish one day. As I got older we had several Bettas, tetras, Corys, catfish, guppies etc. I learned about the spawning process with guppies very early in my keeping of them. Then I got into larger goldfish care and Koi ponds. I was also introduced into the spawning of convicts. I had my hands full. When I met my husband I knew nothing about saltwater fish but that soon changed. We own a LFS here and I have become quite the aquarium addict. I divulged my time into learning about every aspect of fish. We are common sights at local aquariums, sometimes I think they might throw us out. Over the course of time I have become knowledgeable in marine fish and identification. I also have begun breeding clownfish and have studied on this over a year. I currently have 7 tanks in the house,. 4 full saltwater reefs and 3 freshwater tanks. I own 5 puffers; combined species of, Fahaka, Green-spotted and Hawaiian White Spotted (separate tanks, of course!). We also have a ribbon eel who has been living in captivity for over a year and a half and is hand fed. There are various tangs, blennies, gobies, clowns, wrasse and others in our collection. We also own a full discus tank. Hands still full. Ha ha. I love caring for these fish and I love learning about new things. I am not an aquarium expert but I don't consider myself a beginner either. I dedicate every waking moment to the fish and the learning process. I am a young and vibrant aquarist with good information and I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong. I would love to be a member of your Crew & I hope I can become an asset to your team. Have a fantastic day!-Eileen Ridgeway <Am sure you've considered whether you have time for sharing/helping here... That Jen/PP has mentioned what we do, how we do it. I do welcome you to our association therefore. Again, thank you for coming forward, sharing. Bob Fenner>

Daniela Rizzo joins the WWM Crew! 1/28/10
Hello! My name is Daniela, I'm an Italian cichlid keeper since I was 16, many many years ago! I love both African and American cichlids, I'm a founder member of AIC (Italian Cichlid Association) and a member of ACA CARES program. In my garden I have two ponds with goldfish, Koi, frogs, a turtle and a lot of aquatic, bog and marshy plants. I feel comfortable answering : cichlid keeping and breeding, pond life, pond, swampy and bog plants.
Daniela Rizzo, Rome, Italy
<Hello Daniela, I'd certainly welcome you aboard. I've read and enjoyed
your stuff in our Conscientious Aquarist magazine. Do please write to Bob Fenner, here:
fennerrobert@hotmail.com
He's the guy who makes these decisions.
Cheers, Neale.>
Hello Daniela and thank you for coming forward. I welcome you to the WWM Crew!
... and if you'd send along a brief pet-fish bio. about yourself (and an image too if you'd like), we'll post it here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/wwmcrew.htm
Thank you again. Bob Fenner
New member
Geez Bob, you are getting quite a following, I believe the largest crew force I've seen since I've been here.
I'm sure Neale will welcome the addition.
James
<Assuredly we all do... Now if I can only get you to start dive adventure traveling w/ me, taking pix below water... B>

WWM crew member photo Heya, Bob :) our friend/crew member Richard Ross was working with Eddie H of TP in Tonga on that coral farm too (sadly, we passed each other in transit and did not get to see/visit with each other!) But we seem to have got a fine crew member photo out of it. That's not a cephalopod on his head... he's just happy to see us. <Heee hee. Great. Will post. RMF>

Meet Bobby Rudro, New WWM Crewmember    3/15/12
Please let me know what you need from me to get the process started.
Bobby,
Cheers and welcome to the WWM Crew. BobF>
A quick Bio for you..
I have been involved in the Hobby/Trade for about 30years now.  Started with Freshwater tanks about 10years old and have had a tank ever since.  Got involved in Marine and Reef tanks a few years later and have been working diligently ever since to limit the number of poor invertebrates that die in my care! ;)  I owned a LFS store for a few years and decided quickly that a hobby and a business seldom marry well together and moved on to the hobby side full time.  My favorite Hobby Fish are certainly the Pseudanthias Genus and I am admittedly a sucker for SPS corals!!  I look forward to providing any help I can with modern Reef and Marine keeping questions!!
Thank you. Will post/share. B

Jen SaFranko Bio: 3/21/06 As corny as this sounds I started my love affair with everything oceanic when I was in 8th grade. I had a widely known obsession with the show Sea Quest DSV and won an essay contest to fly to Universal to meet the cast and crew. TV sets soon turned into a genuine interest in the science behind the show an interest that stuck with me all through high school and swept me towards a BS in Marine Science from Rider University. I had the opportunity to attend a few different schools and learn much about different marine environments. I currently live in NJ (but I believe I left my heart in Maui) and hope to work one day in the field I love so much. I would love to share what I know (believe me, I am no expert, but I know some) and learn as I go along. I am 25 and live with my boyfriend of 10 years (yeah I know do the math.) Right now I have a nano-reef tank (mostly softies) with just added sump/refugium (thanks to the plumbing designs on WWM and the bf willing to do the plumbing!), but I have worked with 1,000s of gallons in marine labs. Im new, still learning, and very eager sometimes Im even told Im too info hungry and over enthusiastic (for example the 5th hour at the state aquarium with the family pulling me out by my belt loops!!) I adore WWM and read it often, so to be apart of the crew flatters me immensely. To be able to have just a little piece of such a beautiful ecosystem in our homes is one of the greatest joys Ive ever experienced (cant wait until I dive). I believe everyone should share, experience, and have fun with what we call home. One of my favorite quotes (and the one that won me the contest many years ago haha) is We dont inherit the Earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children. I look forward to helping and growing with WWM.

With all this talk of photos.... It dawns on me I've never submitted a pic. I have only one photograph of myself, in Idaho, after swimming in my favorite spot in the Moyie river - and not certain at all that it is decent/acceptable for posting with my bio - too risqué? If so, I'll see what I can come up with. I know there's a camera around here, somewhere. <What a babe! Schwing!> If this *is* acceptable, to whom do I send it? <Uhh, pet fish models inc. Actually this is it> Also, of note, shrimp article is coming along well. I'm not exactly full of time right now, with packing stuff up an' all, but I'm hoping it will come out nicely. <Bout time! Or we'll Photoshop out that rock and give you goose feathers!!!! Bob> Thanks, -Sabrina

Kevin Sliech Ive had a reef aquarium since the beginning of 2000 have had community freshwater aquariums for several years before that. Ive worked at Aqua Dreams in Feeding Hills, MA for over three years where I was first turned on to this overly addicting hobby. Given the opportunity to head on over to Aruba after graduation, I received my open water scuba certification in the summer of 02. Since then I have acquired a few more certifications and had the opportunity to more Caribbean diving. I also LOVE New England diving and go any chance I get. In real life Im a full time undergraduate mechanical engineering student at Western New England College and still manage to work part-time at Aqua Dreams. I have a 120g mixed reef thats been up since fall of 01. I regularly propagate both soft and stony coral as well as zoanthids and have reared a couple of fry from my breeding pair of Banggai cardinalfish.

Feeling a little cold in Cancun

Welcome Joshua Solomon to the WWM Crew 4/24/09
Re: Referred to contact you by Linda Close
First off I am a college student at University of Central Florida in the field of Biology. This is my fifth year of school, I am six classes away from a degree in forensics, but my real passion is reef aquariums, hence my pursuing Biology instead.
My background is in scuba diving, and my instructor rating in scuba landed me my job at the Living Seas Aquarium at EPCOT (yes I know the aquarium is a mess). In the mean time I had been an avid hobbyist for several years reading everything I can get my hands on. I keep three reef aquariums in my home, and my knowledge gained from personal experience as well as reading and asking questions found me a position working as an aquarist rather than a diver at the Living Seas while I continue working on my Biology degree.
On a daily basis I work on trying to recover mistreated reef tanks and educate people I work with about what not to do. The well being of the animals we keep are of great importance to me.
I am just a committed hobbyist that is happy to help others. I certainly am not an expert, but everyday I am amazed by how much I have yet to learn. In my mind my best talent is I am not afraid to admit when I don't know the answer, and I find it out. After watching WetWebMedia for so long, I have a pretty good idea of what you all are about, and I would love to be a part of it.
Josh
<Ahh, thank you for coming forward Josh, and thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

LA good times, recruitment, Jordan Stari      3/5/12
Hi Bob, it would be an absolute honor to contribute to WWM. I have learned so much from your site and I would love the chance to give something back. I am available to help in anyway you see fit.
Jordan
<Ahh! Outstanding. I welcome you to our association. Please send along a brief bio. to share w/ the present Crew as well as to post... with a pic if you'd like.
Re: LA good times, recruitment
I have had numerous freshwater aquariums with varying levels of success since the mid-eighties but my interest in marine tanks did not begin until after college. Upon graduation, I moved back to Louisiana and spent every available hour fishing for speckled trout in the gulf. Like the truly great fishermen of my family I was more skilled in telling tales than actually catching fish. One hot fish-less afternoon in the marsh a light bulb went off. I would set up a saltwater tank to see how bait fish/shrimp behave when not attached to a hook. This would provide the edge I needed and transform me into the trout master. There was also the thought- "How hard could it be?" With visions of the Great Barrier Reef in my mind and limited resources I set up a 20 gallon tank of death. Perplexed with why I could not keep anything alive I found a local fish store that provided some basic information and soon enough I could keep minnows alive. I was on my way to becoming the master fishermen of legends but somewhere along the way my minnow research tank was transformed into a tiny little reef. Twelve years later, the trout still elude me but the little minnow experiment has turned into a full blown passion for marine life. WWM has been the most beneficial tool in my quest for knowledge and I truly appreciate the chance to give something back to the site that has helped me so much through the years.
Jordan Stari

New Crew Member: Jordan Stari from LA    2/8/12
All, pleased to introduce Jordan, whom I met last wknd. visiting out in the bayou in Louisiana... his short bio. below. Lynn, you and I may finally get goosed, okay, the momentum to produce that key to marine inverts... a fave area of Jordan's. B

A view of Graham's "old" tank

Bio shot for Graham Bob, <Big G!> Finally got around to getting in front of a camera for my bio. Stunning, huh? BTW, do you have nay specifics on the possible Bonaire trip? Am getting my passport anyway, but was wondering what else was required for me... -Graham <Mmm, am likely hauling out there next month... and the Crew in... was it in May? When would you like to go? Are you dive-certified? In good shape!? BobF>

Mas mejor!

Welcome Jessica Timko to the WWM Crew 9/23/08 Bob, It would be my pleasure to assist you with any ventures, ESPECIALLY WWM. I myself, have benefited from the wealth of information offered there. Since Ive started my own business, I found myself having lots of free time. I got a part time job at Custom Aquatics in Oceanside, <Ahh, Todd Gabriel, a fine fellow> but other than those 20 hrs a week, I can be free for most anything. Just let me know the next step. Jessy<Easily and gladly! Our log in for WWM Mail is: ... Please send along a pic and brief bio. for us to post/share on WWM... And thank you for sharing! BobF.> Jessica's Bio I live in San Diego, California, by way of Tampa, Florida, by way of Warren, Ohio. IÃ'¹ve always been easily enraptured by different subjects in my life. Finding myself immersed in the study of world religions one year to the mastering of digital art the next. Each new frontier teaches me something amazing about the world around me and helps me to view it in a new and exciting light. I started college at 16 and finished with my MBA at 21. IÃ'¹ve traveled the world on various humanitarian missions and on vacations alike, and I like to think that seeing the world at its best and at its worst has helped give me a broader perspective on how I live my everyday life. I entered the absolutely addicting hobby of reef keeping at the age of 23 and quickly fell into my old habits of researching and reading everything I could get my hands on. Saltwater aquariums and the surrounding community is my passion in my off hours, my profession is running my marketing and advertising company. IÃ'¹m on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Marine Aquarium Society and have helped more than a few vendors in this industry with their marketing efforts. I have a 150 gallon mixed reef that takes all my money and I couldnÃ'¹t be any happier with it. I am excited to help out other reefers who need guidance, just as I came to this site when I was at wits end with a few of my tank issues. I've attached two pictures as well. One just seemed so apropos and the other is just a recent Regards,
Jessy

MarcM, BobF, and JessT

Scott Tomko 4/30/10

On March 15^th 1986 I came butt-first into the world. I spent the first 18 years of my life in rural upstate NY. At 18 I attended Coastal Carolina University in Conway SC. After 4 years, in 2008 I graduated with a BS in Biology. I returned to Albany in early 2009 to start a marine ornamental hatchery. It's about a year later now, and I've got a good bit of the hatchery started. Currently I'm acquiring broodstock, and learning the ins and outs of hatching/larval rearing. If you know anyone with mated pairs, send them my way!

At CCU I spent a good deal of time out in the salt marshes and streams of the low country. It was a teaching oriented college (as opposed to research oriented), so I got to spend a lot of time with the professors. As far as paid positions go, I was an undergraduate research assistant for two professors. The first was mostly lab work relating to DNA fingerprinting of Ammodramus caudacutus. Later on I spent a summer working on a Crassostrea virginica settlement study. Unpaid I participated in a study on stream bio-assessment and one relating to Dionaea muscipula. Still being young, this is the extent of my formal participation in scientific research. I do hope to get my name all the way to the left on a few articles one day.

During my last year of college I caught the marine aquarium bug. It's an addiction I swear. For the last three years I've been neck deep in aquatic text's and forums. I'm particularly fascinated with the relationship between plants and animals. An aquarium is an ecosystem in itself. If we can understand the balance of all its parts, little input/output is required. Aquaponics, co-culturing, and algal scrubbers all float my boat. My main focus however is marine ornamental breeding. I balance my days between setting up a hatchery and remodeling other peoples homes. Hey, you've got to make a living somehow.

Ted Truex 6/31/05 Bob, A little about me. I blame Jacques Cousteau for everything! At some point while reading his book or his adventures as documented in National Geographic magazine or while watching one of his many documentaries, I realized that the sea enthralled me. I tried my hand at fish only marine aquariums many years ago but gave up when I couldn't justify the failures that resulted in the deaths of the livestock. Many moons later, I took scuba lessons and realized that my time in the water only partially satisfied me. I did some research and discovered that the hobby had changed and that people were keeping corals and fish for extended (years!) periods of time in very beautiful settings. I was hooked again. I now have two reef systems successfully running (a 90g and a 325g system). I look forward to helping out on WWM by answering questions so that others can enjoy this fascinating Ted

Re: Michelle Tseng on the WWM Crew! 10/26/11
Welcome Michelle!
Thanks Sara!
Re: Michelle Tseng on the WWM Crew! 10/26/11
Welcome, Michelle.
But can we avoid using nicknames for folders, unless correspondence will be signed "from Fishcake" or similar? If the message begins "Dear Michelle", then I for one would prefer the folder I put it into was named "Michelle".
Don't have to try and remember anything clever.
I like the fact James puts his nickname into brackets after his proper name. That helps.
Cheers, Neale
Noted and changed. Good recommendation.
Michelle (Fichecake)

Re: Michelle Tseng on the WWM Crew! 10/28/11
Hi Michelle,
Welcome on board!! It sounds like you have a nice mix of experience along with both a Science and English background; Im sure you'll be an asset to the crew! Your "Finding Nemo Ppt" sounds interesting. I have a "tween" daughter with whom I'm on "borrowed time", i.e., still listens to me (especially when the learning opportunity is disguised as fun!) I've actually used a similar technique with her when I see an interesting show on the History or Science Channel, subjects that I know would normally bore the tears out of her if they were only in plain written text. When kids haven't lived long enough to have formed a good frame of reference on these subjects yet, I think anything that can make it more "real" for them will help them better internalize the knowledge. One time I even took her to D.C. to see the Lincoln Theatre after she took a particular interest in a show that did a reenactment of the night of his death on the History Channel. I intentionally made the trip the week after the show while it was still fresh in her mind, and it completely mesmerized her! It made me excited to see her getting excited about a subject that, in general, bored ME to tears at her age, because ALL we did for history back then was memorize dates! So kudos on finding a neat (is it still "cool" to say that word? Haha!) way to reach the younger set.
~ Sue
Thanks Sue! :)

Welcome Scott Vallembois to the WWM Crew! 10/20/07 Hi Bob, this is Scott Vallembois from momsfishsupply.com/glass-holes.com. It was great to finally talk with you today. Thank you for all your advice and input. As we had talked about, I would be happy to spend some time helping out with the replies on Wetwebmedia.com. I have close to 25 years aquarium experience ranging from goldfish to planted discus tanks to full blown SPS reef tanks and just about everything in between (never anything brackish). I would be happy to answer anything, but as you know the last few years I have come to specialize in reef tank set up. Let me know if you need anymore from me to get set up and I look forward to hear from you. Thanks much Scott <Thank you for coming forward Scott. As we chatted over the phone, I am very glad to have you help us respond to queries at WWM, and to help you and your partner in furthering your business endeavours. Do please send along a brief bio. for posting with a pic/likeness if you wish. Am hoping to "goose" you and EricR into writing "complete" pieces on (marine) aquarium engineering, assembly... BobF.

Here's ScottV down in Cozumel, diving, making pix 3/09.

Pufferpunk (Jeni) Hi Bob, <Hello Jeni> I have been keeping fish for over 25 years. I have had my own cat & dog grooming business for over 18 years. I worked in the aquarium industry for over 8 years. <Sounds like you've "paid your dues".> In the end of that career, I was managing the fish dept of a major million dollar pet shop. I was responsible for stocking, cleaning, medicating & selling fish for 70 tanks. Presently, I have 10 tanks. 6 are puffer tanks. I have extensive knowledge of FW (mostly oddballs) & BW fish & their care. I have moved some of my BW fish into a 55g SW tank along w/clownfish & damsels, but am new to that end of the hobby. I have a 90g w/several rare Plecos, rainbowfish, synodontis, Corys, Leaffish, purple spotted gudgeons (spawning pair), loaches & my prized, yellow-finned Chalceus. I have a total of 14 puffers. A 12" Fahaka puffer (Tetraodon lineatus) in a 125g, living with 10" Adonis & 10" gold spotted Plecos, 2 (6") green spotted puffers (t nigroviridis), a 5" Ceylon puffer (t fluviatilis) in a 55g living w/a clownfish & several damsels, 2 South American puffers (Colomesus asellus) & a dwarf puffer (c travancoricus), living in a 50g w/a blood parrot, frontosa cichlid & royal pleco & 3 figure 8s (t biocellatus) . I just got 4 new SA puffers that are in a 10g quarantine. I have a 15g cycled tank waiting for an ambush predator puffer (not sure what kind yet) I have had experience with several other puffers also. I co-own a pufferfish website: THE PUFFER FORUM. I have been a scuba diver for over 5 years, logged over 200 dives & am an underwater photographer. I ride my own 1982 custom Shovelhead Harley-Davidson. My Jack Russell Terrier (Lulu the Wonderdog) rides on the back. I love to garden. <We "had" a Jack Russell (Rudy)... he unfortunately took one long stay too many in the canyon in the back... am still hoping he "walked out" with someone rather than being consumed by coyotes> If you are interested in seeing my tanks, I have a lot of photos recently posted at WWF. <Yes! The WWF did come up (finally) and I saw and posted your bio. materials with your offer on WWM this AM> Thanks for your interest in me! Jeni (Pufferpunk) <Jeni, I thank you for volunteering. Will you try answering freshwater as well as brackish questions? Will cc the existing WWM Crew here to welcome you aboard... there are some conventions on how we respond (a title on the response) if you'd take a look in the "sent" folder on the WWM mail... and am sure Antoine will direct you to an accumulation of input on what we do. Again, thank you for sharing. Bob F> Re: Volunteering My Services Bob, Thank you for bringing me into your Crew! <Thank you> Will you try answering freshwater as well as brackish questions? I would prefer to answer questions on puffers & BW fish, as these are my present expertise. <Okay> Do you have a preference for how folks respond to you at WWM, perhaps a last name or just Jeni or Pufferpunk? I'm kind of partial to Pufferpunk <Okay, will add you on the Dailies as such> We "had" a Jack Russell (Rudy)... I hope too that he is safe & happy somewhere! <Be seeing you, Bob F>

Our (sexy) Easy Rider! The one, the only, Pufferpunk (and her little dog, Lulu, too)!

Offer of help, Simon Trippick Joins the Crew! 1/7/10
Hi Bob,
<Good day Simon>
I wrote an article for you guys a year or so ago about an ATS that you have on your site that you now have in your FAQ's. You asked if I would have the time to help out on your site. I (politely!) refused at the time because I did not have the time, but my wife has now moved away during the week to do her PhD and I find that I am at a bit of a loose end on the evenings now, so I would be able to give an hour or so 4 or 5 days a week at least.
<Great>
If you are still in need of people then I would be honoured to volunteer!
<Indeed we are>
Thanks very much,
Simon
<Thank you for coming forward. If you would, please forward a brief bio. for posting (w/ an image/likeness if you'd like as well). The log-in for our webmail server is: XXXX
I look forward to your input. Cheers, Bob Fenner> 
Simon Trippick bio.  1/7/10
Hello to you all and thank you for welcoming me to the crew so readily! Here is a quick bio of my fishy experience, but the picture will have to wait for a bit until my wife gives the necessary clearance! I hope this is ok!
I live in England, I am 33 years old and have kept fish since I was 8.
My first tank was a freshwater 'community' set up that included tetras, gouramis, mollies and a pair of convict cichlids that we were assured would all 'get along just fine'. The outcome was inevitable, but the convicts had babies and I was hooked!
I kept various American cichlids over the years, took them with me to university and back, all the while my tanks, and the cichlids, just kept getting bigger and bigger. I then landed a pretty decent job, bought a house and suddenly had space for a six foot tank. It was then I moved into marines and with the arrival of my Emperor Angelfish my love for the hobby really took off! Combining amazing animals and their interactions, the ability to 'tinker' continuously, build things, change equipment and a near inexhaustible supply of reading material, as well as the fact that there is something new to learn every day means that it is never dull for me, or mundane, but always just marvelous! Keeping fishes and corals and learning about them has opened my eyes to what is happening to the world, and because of it I am a fundraiser for the Marine Conservation Society. I do not subscribe to some peoples thoughts that our hobby is bad for the planet, rather that it is a means to educate people into caring for it a lot more than they do right now.
Anyway, 5 years on and I've married the girl of my dreams and sold my house, but I still have the six foot reef tank, only now it's plumbed into two four foot tanks at the beginning of a multi-habitat system that is my next project.
As far as answering questions is concerned I am most comfortable with things in the reef department, but since I have always had a large lionfish, my weakness there is small fishes because I have never really kept them. I can also help out with fish health in general if required, and I know a bit about cichlids as well. I have helped out on a forum before and have just got back on there after an absence, so I do have some experience answering fishy questions. I hope I can do a fine job helping fishies and people all over, and please don't hesitate to tell me if I'm not!
Thanks again for welcoming me to the crew and I'm looking forward to working with you all.
Simon

Marine Conservation Society & fundraising   4/15/10
This is a note of thanks to all who supported me in the recent Bath Half Marathon, both fellow WWM crewmembers and readers/ posters alike! You sure are a generous lot, and in total I managed to raise £301.00 for the Marine Conservation Society. It did take me far longer than I wanted though, a colossal 2hrs and 9 minutes, but I did manage to drag my weary legs & knees around the final bend at last!
<All's well that ends well...>
Thanks again to you all, our planet certainly needs peoples such as you! Simon.
<Thank you Simon. BobF>

Simon et ux Kim

Please welcome Mike Van Bibber to the Crew 2/16/08 Hello again Bob, <Mike> I received the payment, many thanks. Be assured that it will be used for more aquarium "stuff" <I like the way you think> Also, please find a donation notification in your inbox. <Uhh!> On an unrelated note, if you ever need additional assistance answering emails, I would be more than happy to help. I've been in and out of this hobby for the last twenty-five years, most of it in FW, bur I did have a SW tank years ago, and I set up another one last year, which is a FOWLR containing mix of a few easy inverts and a good deal of macroalgae. <!? Are you coming forward to join the WWM Crew? Great news!> If you feel I would be useful, I would be comfortable answering questions on set-up, stocking, plumbing, electrical, chemistry\testing, macroalgae, and some sponges. Lastly, I'm multi-lingual - I could answer queries in English, German, or Russian. <Wowzah. I barely speak English> Regards and thanks again, Mike <Mike, please do send along a brief bio. for posting... and a pic if you'd like. The URL for the WWM mailserver is: The "Email Address": The password: I will make an in-folder for you... MikeV And a bit re some conventions we use can be read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/crewsupwebmail.htm And, thank you for sharing Mike... I assure you, this is a vivacious, educational experience! Bob Fenner>

Hi Bob, I'm honored to join the Crew. Here is a brief bio. I included a picture of my tank - I'll have to dig up a picture of myself. If you don't mind, I will spend a day or two 'poking" around to get the feel of things. Mike <Certainly fine. And thank you again for sharing. BobF> I was born and raised in Detroit, MI. I first got involved with the aquarium hobby in 1978 when I bought a 10 gallon FW tank which I successfully kept for eight years. In 1980, I tried my hand at a 20 gallon SW tank. Back then, at least in my area, a SW tank was three steps removed from witchcraft as far as most pet stores were concerned. After many failures, I was finally able to keep two Damselfish alive for more than two weeks. I kept that tank going for six years. After finishing college and joining the military, I once again started a FW tank which I would tear down set up every time Uncle Sam moved us around the country. I was medically discharged from the military in 2002 and settled in Melbourne FL. Since we had settled down, I started a 75 gallon FW tank. What started as a FO tank has evolved into a planted tank with schools of Rainbowfish. Two years ago, I wanted to have another go at a SW tank. After hitting the books, I realized how much had changed in 26 years. I spent the next year planning and convincing my spouse. Finally in early 2008, I set up a 150 gallon FOWLR tank. I've since taken an interest in macroalgae, and currently have about eight different types growing in the tank, and one very happy and well fed Sailfin Tang. I've been married to my very patient wife for almost 19 years (emphasis on very patient), and we have three children, 17, 16, and 14; all of whom have grown very attached to the aquariums. We share the house with two large dogs and a Blue Crowned Conure. I work as an Electrical\Controls Engineer for a material handling company when I'm not playing with fish.

Christine Williams joins the WWM Crew
... am following up, hoping you were not joshing re possibly helping on WWM... and re the poss. of your joining some of the Crew ahead of the ORCA event:
http://www.o-r-c-a.com/modules.php?name=GCalendar&file=viewday&y=2009&m=7&d=11&e=4
Do please make it known if you're interested! We're still undecided whether to dive/stay about the W. Palm Beach area or maybe head down to Pennekamp/Key Largo or... Maybe for three-four days of diving in front of the time of the event.
What say you?
BobF
Yes, I'd be happy to help out on WWM, just putting together a bio. Here's something CTARS is using http://www.ctars.org/default.aspx?uc=nextMeeting . Areas of interest? Likely fish diseases (always a needed thing), but I can write about marine microbial ecology (because we know EVERYONE finds that fascinating--not) and consequent nutrient cycling, micro and macroalgae, particularly phyto culture, fish and invert immunology, probiotics in marine systems, and the odd industrial or commercial uses of aquarium species. And seahorses. :) Right now at work I'm working on developing skin care ingredients (treatments, UV protectors, pigments) from marine or marine biotransformed raw materials, at home I'm rebuilding a few systems--all low-tech, little-equipment balanced ecosystems.
<Yay!....
I'll make an in-folder for you... "Christine">
Diving? As long as you don't mind a dive neophyte coming along I'd love to if it's a shortish trip (and by neophyte I mean I truly will be open to any and all advice and suggestions on equipment etc).
<Am always willing to chat re>
Send me more info as you get it and I'll see fi I can get everything in order to go.
<Will definitely do so>
Are you all attending the conference as well?
<Yes, as far as I know>
Also switching to my home email address for easier access--thanks everyone.

Christine Williams Bio
The serious:

Christine Williams is an avid hobbyist and seahorse keeper who, when not doing water changes, works as an industrial marine microbiologist. Currently she balances leading her laboratory team in the search for marine-derived biologically active molecules, and pursuing a PhD in marine biology at Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Prior to joining the industrial world, she spent significant time in the veterinary sciences including clinical laboratory diagnostics, exotic animal husbandry, and emergency and critical care. Her aquarium interests cover a wide range with special focus given to macroalgae and plankton, the breeding and reproduction of aquarium specimens, piscine and invertebrate immunology, and the treatment of ailing fish. Christine actively mentors hobbyists on diagnostic pathology and lectures internationally on subjects of aquatic science, and has the pleasure of serving as a moderator for the Marine and Ornamental Fish and Invertebrate Breeders forum.

The not very serious:

Christine Williams started keeping fish while she was still a fetus. While the aqueous environment did lend itself to the hobby, it limited her to freshwater species, and so she decided to be born several weeks early. Through sign language she demanded that her parents convert her crib into a reef aquarium and thus started her illustrious career in marine ornamentals. After completing her studies in biochemistry and molecular microbiology she went to work at Animal ER where unfortunately she was not filmed for the Animal Planet channel (though her feet did make a cameo during a rescue segment). Currently she is the head of the Industrial marine Microbiology team for her division of a very large international chemical company, where she spends her days mixing chemicals, microorganisms and plankton together and seeing if they will A) explode, B) glow in the dark, or C) make a good salsa. In order to further her skills she is also a PhD student at Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She has lectured and given workshops on fish diseases and treatment techniques, seahorse keeping and breeding, marine microbiology, and algal culture and bioprospecting in the US and abroad.

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