Hello everyone!  We have been approached by the Iowa Aquaria club to join them at their upcoming swap meet on the 30th.  Click this link for a full flyer on the event.  They have graciously extended IAA member pricing to all GIRS members.  This includes everything; entrance fee, table fee and raffle.  Now to be clear, this is a freshwater aquaria club event, but most/many of us have our roots in freshwater stuff and some still have freshwater tanks.  Also, a couple of the GIRS Board members will be there handing out info on our club and answering questions about saltwater fish and corals.  Please contact me with any questions about this event.  Also, if you're interested in selling or would like to help out, contact me for that too.  We will be creating a photo book for the GIRS table that will include pictures of some of the incredible tanks owned by our members.  If you would like to have your tank or corals featured in that photo book, let me know.  Here's the details for the event:

EVENT:
Iowa Aquatics Swap Meet

DATE:
Sunday, August 30th, 2009

LOCATION:
Country Inn and Suites
2571 Heartland Place
Coralville, Iowa

TIME:
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

A big thank you to the Iowa Aquaria club for inviting us to participate in this event!

Hey everyone!  Hope everyone is enjoying this unusually cool summer that we're having.  It's that time again for another monthly social.  Come and join us for some food, drink, and conversation.  Bring your questions, comments, or update everyone on your tank, or just come out to hang out.  For new people, this is a great time to come out and put a face to a name in a casual setting.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

EVENT:
CR/IC Regional monthly social

DATE:
Thursday, August 27th, 2009

LOCATION:
Parlor City PUB and Eatery
1125 3RD ST. SE
Cedar Rapids, IA
(319) 247 - 0000

TIME:
7:00 PM - Until (You all go home)

Also, please keep your eye on the CR/IC forum as I will be posting a calendar of events later this week.  This will include monthly socials, Fall Fest and the holiday party.  Save the date and make plans to attend!

Whats this, another big DIY event for the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City GIRS folks!

Event Info Link

It is true, we have gone crazy, Another DIY event is on tap for Saturday June 27th (2 in the same month ).

The general plan for the event will be:

Estimate a start time of 12:00PM

A small tank tour of 2 tanks:

Fawn - 1st Stop
Rick    - 2nd Stop

This will be followed up by a DIY demonstration of Rick's DIY Calcium Reactor, several of the GIRS community is already running the reactor with great results.  This is you chance to see how to fabricate one for yourself or to sweet talk Rick into building one for you (for a modest charge of course).

We will be following that up with a Barbecue event.  Rick has said "I am the greatest griller in all the land!".  Well Rick, we are going to put you to the test my friend.  Alright you got me there, Rick did not say that, but, what the hey it was meant for impact.  Hamburgers and hotdogs, with fix'ins will be provided at no charge.

So please, clear your calanders, get you car fueled an plan on joining us for the event.

The DIY food event held on June 13th was a great success, and we promise this one to be not so messy and smell a whole lot better!


See you all then!

Details of the time, event locations, and directions will be posted next week some time in the members thread.  I will place a like to that thread here.  So check back early next week.

Again if you are not a member of the club and would like to use this chance to use up your one free event pass please contact me and I will PM you the information.

Jeremy Orchuk
GIRS CR/IC Regional Trustee

Jason Brunken will be giving a presentation on "The Basics of a Sucessful Reef Tank" at this months meeting of the Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association (EIAA).  Jason lives in Marion and currently has a well established 200+ gallon reef system.

The meeting will be held Tuesday May 12th at 7pm.

Location: Central Park / Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, 1700 B. Ave.,NE, Cedar Rapids, IA (View Map)

For more information about the EIAA, please visit their website: http://www.finflap.com/

Coral RX has offered us a 40% discount as a group buy.

This is a great product & may save you from having to tear down

your tank due to a pest infestation.

Orders are due in by April 14th

Please respond in the club deals forum

Internet company try's to pull a fast one over on a hobbiest that backfired.  Internet company MarineGardens.com boosts a Live arrival guarantee, however, when Matt Wandell bought an expensive goby (price tag at $130) and it arrived DOA, the company replyed that they would not honer the agreement based on the price and stated that it was clearly posted.