Presidency 2019

Responsibilities: President

I'm Jeff the DIY Dude. I have had aquariums since I was old enough to convince my mom that I could take care of one. I didn't get started into Saltwater until a few years after I got married. That was just over 30 years ago. I was quickly hooked and had many FOWLR tanks for 11 years. After doing FOWLR for that long I started getting into reef keeping. It was hook line and sinker from that point on. Within a year of starting my first reef, I also started a basement LFS and aquarium maintenance service. I built that business for 9 years. Some in the Kaysville area may remember my store front on 200 south just east of the freeway called Prestige Aquatics. That phase passed and I sold the entire business off as well as my own tanks. Working full time and running a LFS and Maintenance company had taken its toll. 

! thought that I was done with anything fish related. Hahaha. I stayed away completely for 6+ years. Then a good friend and neighbor bought a JBJ 28g Nano cube. She quickly realized she was in way over her head and somehow the information about my previous fish life slipped out. She immediately began picking my brain and having me over almost every night to help her get things under control. Long story short, we were able to get her nano setup, stabilized, running well, and growing like crazy. I was once again hooked.

I am a computer geek and IT guy by day and a Harley/saltwater guy by night. I have been part of WMAS since 2009 and a paid member since 2013. I love doing DIY aquarium projects from sumps, to LEDs, to reactors. I love the tech gadgets available in the hobby today and usually have my hands into something new. Last year as President was a blast and I enjoyed it very much! I look forward to seeing where this year as President takes us.

Dave and I are rather new to the hobby. Back in September 2015 we went on our honeymoon to Hawaii. During that time we did some snorkeling and fell in love with the Hawaii state fish - the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (aka the Rectangle triggerfish). After we came back home, Dave asked me what I thought about getting a saltwater aquarium, so that we could have our very own Rectangle triggerfish. I said "Sure, sounds like a great idea". At that time I didn't know what all was involved in having a saltwater aquarium, but I quickly learned that it involved a lot or patience and waiting. 

After Dave spent about 6 months doing research, we were finally ready to take the plunge and ordered our first tank. We ended up working with OCD Reefs to get a 210 gallon tank with an awesome stand from Dion. In May 2016 we had our tank/stand delivered and started adding water, sand and rock. It's been non-stop since then. As some can attest, I now think it's an addiction or mine :) I'm always looking for new coral to add even though I'm told constantly by Dave that we don't have room. 

We met Ayla and Dennis Wimett at MWRF a year ago and decided to join WMAS and have never looked back. It's a great club with a wealth of knowledge among its members and I look forward to being part of it. 

Dave and I have been together for almost 10 years (married for 1 1/2) now and currently have 3 cats in addition to our saltwater tank with 5 fish. We moved here about 4 years ago from Texas and have really enjoyed our time in Utah. 

I am excited to serve as part of the Presidency Coucil for 2017 and look forward to getting to know everyone that I haven't already met. 

Responsibilities:  Presidency Council

My first fish tank was 34 years ago at age 16. Although fresh water I really enjoyed it. Had it for 2 years until I moved. Did not get another tank until couple of years later. It was a 10 gal saltwater mixed reef nano. Way before nano tanks where sold. That tank sat on my work office desk for 32 years. At one point I was growing so many Sebae anemones I was selling them to LFS for $15 ea. Before starting to sell them I had 12 of them the size of my hand, it was total filled with them and one clown fish. Not until last year when I upgraded it to a 14 gal Bio Cube. I used the gravel and some rocks. Still sits on my desk today.  

In 1992 Bough a 55 gal tank with bio balls. After having what was popular back then pure white dead coral pieces for 3 year. I took out once a month and soak in bleach to keep it clean and white. We took a vacation to Florida and purchased 100 lbs live rock because it was less money to buy there. Brought it back and figured out it was way to much and most of it died. Learned a lesson on that one :( Had that mixed reef for 3 more years until moved and turned it into a terrarium for 6 years with red eared slider, chameleon, bearded dragon, and fish including archer fish that would eat the crickets when feeding the chameleon all in the same tank until moved again. 

Finally a 30 year dream come true. In 2017 I received the 400 gal island mixed reef after planning and designing for 3 years. I love automation. My aquarium feeds pellets, flakes refrigerated liquid brine shrimp and Benepets powder coral food.. I have left it for up to 2 weeks with no one person having to go in my home. 

I have been married to my supportive wife Mona for 26 years. We have 4 daughters. 

Mona and I are Padi Dive masters with all 4 girls certified also. We enjoy scuba diving, boating, snow skiing, Nothing better than diving in the Georgia Aquarium with whole family and whale sharks and manta rays. 

I am excited to serve in the WMAS presidency. 

Responsibilities:  Presidency Council

I'm fairly new to the hobby, my first saltwater tank has been running for less than a year, but I grew up near the ocean and have been around water and fish for much of my life as many of my family members are avid fisherman.  

My decision to start a saltwater tank began shortly after my honeymoon to Hawaii where my wife and I spent many a day snorkeling and enjoying the marine life around the islands.  In particular I was quite enamored with the Hawaii state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a or the Rectangle or Reef Trigger Fish.  When we got back from our honeymoon I asked my wife what she thought about getting a fish tank to have a couple of those fish and she liked the idea, little did we know what we were getting into. 

After making the initial decision to get the tank I proceeded to spend the next 9 months extensively researching what it would take to have a tank with those fish before finally getting our first tank.  We now have a thriving 210g tank with lots of corals and a few fish and while we don't have the trigger yet we are slowly building to that day. 

I've met some amazing people in this club and have been having a blast with my aquarium and learning new stuff every day.  I can't wait to find out what else I can learn about this great hobby and what other amazing people I can meet. 

Responsibilities: Donations Rotations Commitee

Thanks for the opportunity to serve on the presidency council for another year. It is my joy to serve on such an awesome and active council as this club has elected. (holy crap I’ve been here for over 12 years :)) 

I have found the pursuit of marine aquaria to be an absolute addiction. We currently have a 400g System in our home with a 73g in my office at work. The management and care of our marine ecosystems is a very serious responsibility. This hobby is expensive and full of challenges. However, the rewards can be so fascinating.

We believe in purchasing and maintaining captive breed Fish as well as aquacultured corals whenever possible. By keeping these things in mind as you stock and maintain your aquarium you will help in the sustainability of the hobby. We are happy to share what we have learned with all interested. 

As our Addiction has grown we have expanded out aquarium Furniture company into DriftWood Aquarium Furniture. We sell through local Fish Stores and on the Web. At www.customaquariumfurniture.com. You can find our distributors listed there. Im also a licensed Contractor specializing in custom cabinets, granite and remodeling. 

Besides this addiction, I have the most wonderful wife in the world. Alice, my 6 children and 5 grandsons are my life and the driving force in my existence. 

Welcome to our home away from home. Hope you enjoy your stay. 

Responsibilities: Presidency Council, 

I was introduced to the underwater world at a young age. My father had a fish tank as far back as I can remember. I started with freshwater and then switched over to saltwater in the mid 90's. I have an interest in aquaculture and have raised several species of fish and inverts. 

I love spending time with my family, we all enjoy the saltwater world making time to visit public aquariums while on vacation across the USA. Other hobbies include reptiles, amphibians, and koi ponds. 

I'm Adam and I'm a science guy. I love this club and I love our club members. I first started coming to WMAS meetings before I could drive and have spent years making some wonderful memories with new friends. To me, that's what this club is about. Friendly people enjoying a hobby. 

My experience with this hobby has been going on for 25 years. Like most people I started with a small 10 gallon freshwater aquarium, and then two, and then a 55 gallon, and then some saltwater tanks, and eventually a basement filled with fish stuff. Learning about reefs, ocean ecosystems, and all the life they support is just fascinating to me. 

My job is to help educate, support, and encourage hobbyists. I spend a lot of time working hard to promote this club and to reach out to our local hobbyists. I look forward to the great time ahead with all my fish friends, and many more people we've yet to meet. 

Arthur has met many wonderful people in the club and enjoys sharing this great hobby with new people. 

When Arthur isn't busy getting his hands wet, he works as an engineer doing top secret stuff (that's all he'll tell us).

Responsibilities: Web Master, Past Presidency Council

I am married to my wife Pepper. We have 4 children. Natalie, Nicole Coral, Jake, and Eli. I am lucky to have them as they all put up with me and my hobby. Some of my other hobbies are fishing, camping, boating (wake surfing), paintball, board/card games, scuba diving, hiking, and backpacking.

I started my first salt water aquarium when I was 12. I was 10 gallons and I keep dwarf seahorses and pipefish (believe it or not these were some of the easy fish back then). I had good luck raising and breeding them due to my diligence in raising BBS (baby brine shrimp). I have keep many fresh and saltwater aquariums since then. My favorite freshwater fish is the arowana and my favorite saltwater fish is the frogfish (at least for the moment). I currently have a 180 gallon reef, 55 gallon reef, 65 gallon reef, and a 24 gallon nano.

I manage a medical supply company called Premier Medical Distribution.  Since 2008 I have also owned Coral Planet.  Over the years this company has "morphed" from an Internet only company selling live rock->selling fish and corals->aquarium maintenance->Internet hard-goods->retail store->wholesale fish and corals->wholesale aqua-cultured corals, which is where it stands today. Coral Planet sells to a limited number of Pet Stores. We specialize in aquacultured corals. I am an entrepreneur at heart and have ran a few other businesses over the years (flowers, web design, restaurant review, sporting goods, financial, etc.). I also have a website called aquaticdatabase.com, check it out.

Responsibilities:Past Presidency Council

My adventure in salt water aquariums started in July of 2009. My wife had a tank growing up and was excited to try it again. We jumped in with our first tank (55g) and quickly learned from our mistakes. We loved the challenge and found species only tanks a thrill. We have had 2 Garden Eel tanks and absolutely love everything about them. Our desire for more tanks quickly grew, before we knew it we were planning our dream 180g tank. We carefully planned this tank and used the WMAS club for a lot of information. To date we have had 3 55g tanks, a 40g breeder, an 8g all-in-one and now our new 170g cube. 

We have been WMAS members now for over 9 years. My wife and I love to continue our knowledge by going to club speaking events and even traveling for large shows like Reef-a-Poolza, MAX and MACNA. 

My wife and I both have a passion for saltwater and are happy to be enjoying this hobby together. We also share a love of diving and enjoy diving whenever we can in the Caribbean or Florida Keys. One of my fondest diving moments was diving with reefing celebrities in the Florida Keys for CRF (amazing organization). 

Our love for glass cages has also expanded to 3 species of Dart Frog and a Bearded Dragon. 

Jon is joining Past Presidency after serving as President, Vice President and Presidency. 

Responsibilities: Thread Master, Past Presidency Council

Growing up I always had a salt water tank in the house, my father is a huge influence on my love for salt water fish tanks and always had one as far back as I can remember. He nurtured my love of the ocean and for salt water reef tanks. 

I had my first fresh water aquarium at a young age. After I left home I spent some time away from aquariums but couldn't stay from the hobby long. Two years ago I decided to setup my own reef tank, and have been heavily addicted to the reef keeping hobby ever since much to my wallets chagrin. We currently have my 45 reef tank as well as my wife's 29 gallon bio cube and a small 12 gallon JBJ nano in my home office.

I have been married for nine years to my wife who is very supportive of me in this hobby. We have one daughter, Madeline, with another daughter due in April. I'm also a huge cycling enthusiast and a giant nerd. 

I discovered WMAS shortly before setting up my first reef tank, this club has been a huge influence on always keeping me in the right direction. I look forward to being able to give back to this community that has helped me so much in the past few years. 

Responsibilities: Past Presidency Council

I've been involved in the salt water aquarium hobby for nearly 15 years! Like many of my good friends, what began as a hobby has ultimately become a lifestyle. I plan many of my activities - even vacations, to include or work around my reef keeping hobby. My first salt water aquarium was 55 gallons and I've kept many tanks of varying sizes since then. My showcase accomplishment (to date) was my 120 mixed reef. You can view pictures of it in the glory days here: http://www.utahreefs.com/tankofthemonth/ShaneHeil/tank_of_the_month.htm I have also kept many smaller tanks dedicated to certain species of fish, coral or invertebrates. 

My wife Heidi and I have a large family -- two boys and four girls. We're all very active in the community and competitive sports. If it involves a ball of some type, you will likely find one of our family members participating. When we find the time, we enjoy skiing together in the winter and boating together in the summer. The family is very supportive of my hobby and they enjoy seeing my tanks develop. It is always thrilling to me to see them gather around to see what new and exotic "thing"dad has brought home this time. They can each recognize most common fish and they will even reluctantly help with water changes if they don't have practice. 

I have learned so much on my journey through the reef keeping hobby. I've learned more biology and chemistry through my aquariums than I ever gleaned in a classroom. I've learned to appreciate the reefs of the world and how dependent we are on their continued success. I've learned that a community of hobbyists can have far more success (and fun) than any single person on their own. I've learned patience and tolerance for the opinions of others. These lessons will be with me long after my tanks are dry. 

Responsibilities: Memberships, Past Presidency Council

I have lived in Sandy area since I was eight years old and graduated from Jordan High School. In 1993, after received my Associates Degree, in Computer Information Systems, I started working for Qqest Software Systems as a Computer Programmer.

I have always loved the aquarium hobby started with a 55 gallon FW aquarium in my office. I also had a 35 gallon FW tank at home. I especially enjoyed cichlids and eels. Another of my favorites were my Oscar and Clown Knife. My boss, not be out done, decided to start a 150 gallon SW fish-only tank also in the office.

In 2002, our family relocated to a larger home. I inherited the 150 gallon tank from my boss and traded my FW tank in on a 75 gallon SW reef aquarium and never looked back. I first joined the WMAS in early 2003. It has been great!!. With five sons, I am also very involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and am currently serving as Scout Master. Some of my other hobbies are (when and if I have time) rocketry, RC trucks, 

Responsibilities: Treasurer, Past Presidency Council

Having started in the aquarium hobby at 10 years old I naturally had wanted a salt water tank for many years. Upon getting a 150 gallon tank at my office and thinking about all the possibilities for it I decided it was time to try a Salt Water adventure. Having no experience with the salty side of the hobby that first tank started with 300 lbs of lace rock that had come with the tank. Upon finally getting the tank up and running I finally thought to seek out others in the hobby for advice and found the WMAS. I attended my first meeting and found out everything anyone ever wanted to know about what was in Salt Water, (most of which I didn't understand at all.) 

Shortly after that meeting I went on my first Reef Tour. I saw many beautiful tanks that day and knew I just had to have one of those for myself. Over time I learned where I had gone wrong with my office tank and went about the laborious task of overhauling it, including a trip with Mark out to the desert to get some Utah Rock. 

I learned so much from the club in my first couple of years that I decided that I just had to give back to the club and ran for office. The first year I ran for a presidency position I didn't make it. Very few people know who I was. The next year I made sure I had gotten acquainted with more club members and ran again. Since becoming a presidency member I have had many opportunities to serve my fellow hobbyists and have learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing so. I look forward to serving the club as President and hope to help make the club even better. 

I'm not only about Fish though. By trade I am a tax accountant and have recently started my own business out of my home preparing personal and business taxes and doing accounting work for small businesses. I enjoy the outdoor sports of fishing, hiking, camping and horseback riding.