Monday, February 25th @ 7:00 PM
Tom Brown Arena
141 Bayview Road, Ottawa
SALTWATER 101: THE BASICS
Are you a freshwater hobbyist and thinking of dipping your toe into the saltwater side of the hobby? If you are, or even if you just have a general interest, this presentation is for you. Our presenter will be basing his talk on setting up a 90 gallon reef tank. He will go over all the various equipment, aquascaping, coral, and fish selection.
PRESENTATION BY ANDREW BYARD
BIO
Andrew Byard is the owner and operator of Ottawa Fish Guy: an aquatic service company that builds and maintains both fresh and saltwater systems including coral reefs, seahorse farms, and even the occasional shark. Andrew also leads a division that is focused on ponds, pondless waterfalls and a variety of other aquatic services.
He became an aquarist at a very young age and first started off breeding livebearers. To date, he has successfully bred Rainbowfish, Gouramies, assorted African Cichlids, Bettas, saltwater Killes, Banggai Cardinals, Seahorses, and has even hatched a few sharks.
For his personal collection, Andrew has built and maintained over 3,000 gallons of saltwater, including a 400 gallon SPS coral reef, and several predator aquariums – including 2 Octopuses. Also, he has built several smaller coral reef tanks, including a non-photosynthetic coral tank or NPS (very Low Light). He has also created a Shark pond and a fish room aquarium system called “The Wall” – 10 large aquariums all connected into one system totalling 700 gallons. The Wall was for when Robin went on shopping trips and would buy 100 fish or so at a time.
His latest project is a 265-gallon reef aquarium with a 150-gallon Refugium which includes state of the art equipment. The goal of this project is to grow and maintain the most exotic corals on the market. Currently, the value of this aquarium system is reaching $40K.
Andrew Byard can be reached at services@ottawafishguys.com.
3 Reasons to become an ovas member
If you haven’t purchased a membership yet, here are 3 reasons why it’s worth doing!
1. Meet Other Hobbyists
OVAS meetings are a great place to meet and socialize with other hobbyists, to compare notes, trade plants and fish, and to learn something new. OVAS members are a fine group of people who are happy to share their knowledge and experience.
Whether you are new to the hobby or a seasoned expert, you will always find friendly faces who are more than happy to answer questions or help solve a problem. Our members include saltwater and freshwater enthusiasts, and we also have an ever-growing number of plantaholics on board!
2. Learn More About the Hobby
You don’t need to be a member to attend meetings and events but you should consider joining anyway. Membership dues are what make auctions, speakers, seminars, meetings, etc., possible. Dues are only $20/year.
OVAS also supports and encourages the hobby in various ways. Most recently, we have begun encouraging young people to enjoy the hobby through classroom tank donations made possible through membership dues and OVAS sponsors.
3. Enjoy the Benefits of Membership
Members enjoy a 10% DISCOUNT at Big Al’s (East), Critter Jungle (West), La Niche & Moi (Gatineau), and at Ponds & Aquaria (Kinburn). For many of us, the 10% discount more than pays for the membership every year.
You can become a member by joining online or in-person at any OVAS meeting or event (cash only).
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[mashshare]OVAS is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the aquarium hobby in Ottawa and its surrounding areas. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in home aquariums and provides many benefits such as discounts at local retailers, easy access to the aquarium community, attend events, and more! The club meets at least once a month at Tom Brown arena from September through to May and maintains the ovas.ca website and online forum.
OVAS is a member of the Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs.