Its that time of year again when we have to think about ice storms & power outages.

Fortunately we can pack up & go to a hotel or relatives house to stay warm.  Unfortunately our tank inhabitants can not do the same.

The sure fire way to keep things rolling along is a gas powered generator.  This will be able to run not only your whole tank, but your frigidator and lights as well. Remember to have spare gas on hand and the thick extension cords. 

If you do not have access to a generator the next best thing is a power inverter.  These can be found at most hardware stores, auto part stores, or even Walmart.  This will convert the power from your car battery into voltage to run life support on your tanks.  As long as your vehicle has gas, you can have power.  Again remember to keep a few of the thick extension cords on hand along with a few power strips.

If you are stuck with no power or inverter there are still a few ways you can save your inhabitants.  A simple bike tire pump can be hooked up to an air stone to keep your water oxygenated.  Pouring buckets of water back in will keep some flow going so your water does not become stagnant.  And if you have a gas stove you can heat small portions of your tank water to keep the temperature up.  This will be a labor intensive life saving technique, but well worth the effort to save our tank inhabitants.

Hopefully we wont have to worry about it this year, but if it does, take a few minutes & be prepared.

Elections for the 2009 Board of Directors for the club have been completed.

Officers:

• President - Jason Glaspie (Glaspie69)
• Vice President - Jason Brunken (Jbrunken)
• Secretary - Steph Sullivan (Steph1643
• Treasurer - Jeremy Meyer (Wavers)

Cedar Rapids / Iowa City Trustees:

• Primary - Jeremy Orchuk (CyberJester)
• Backup - Caleb Kanneberg (Calebjk)

Des Moines Trustees:

• Primary - Joel Tesdall (Jtesdall)
• Backup - Austin Reynolds (Rustin14)

Quad Cities Trustees:

• Primary - Kevin Carlson (Monkey Man Zero)
• Backup - Andrew Marler (REEFer Madness)

Waterloo / Cedar Falls:

• Primary - David Mahncke (Davidm199)
• Backup - OPEN

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 2008 BOD for all their hard work.   2008 turned out to be a great year for the club with some great regional events and our most successful club wide event ever (Fall Fest).

Things seem a bit slow around the club post-Fall Fest, but the planning wheels are still turning.

Joel and Austin, our 2009 Des Moines area trustees, are currently laying the ground work for a spring frag swap event for the Des Moines area.  The initial plan is to have a guest speaker at this event as well.

We'll post more information as soon as the date and location are set it stone.  Stay Tuned!