Reef keeping is a great hobby and one big key to success is knowledge. When I started I picked up a couple of books on the topic and perused online discussion boards to gather insights from folks who had success.
A local frag swap is another great way to become knowledgable and meet like-minded folks. This type of venue provides a unique opportunity to do some reef keeping speed dating and connect with vendors, fellow hobbyists and industry experts to learn and share experiences. The key is to become a sponge and soak up as much as possible.
I have visited many swaps and this past Sunday I attended one of my favorites, the Manhattan Reefs 2016 Fall Frag Swap in downtown New York City. Manhattan Reefs has been doing frag swaps for 17 years and puts on quite a show. Of course there are a lot of coral vendors but at this particular show there is much more, including hands-on demonstrations, well-known guest speakers, raffles and free give aways (like, free frags for all!).
If you have never attended a frag swap then you are missing out on a pretty cool event. The education you can get is invaluable, whether you are a newbie or a veteran reef keeper such as myself. A swap also provides a great opportunity to bond with fellow reef keepers and to be part of a community. Oh, and it is also a great place to buy and trade for some really cool frags! I know my wallet has taken a hit at these types of events 🙂
Additional Resources
If you would like some help with a new tank build, including help designing a custom aquarium, or help re-configuring your current setup then you can visit this page for more information. And if you are looking to add some equipment, I do sell GHL, Pax Bellum, Reef Octopus Calcium and Kalk Reactors and Royal Exclusiv products, including Dreamboxes, which is the equipment I use and recommend. I also sell Reef Brite metal halide and LED fixtures as well as Maxspect & IceCap Gyres.
As for additional insights and information, please explore my many other reef tank and SPS related articles as well as my YouTube channel. For an even deeper dive into reef tank care you can check out my Reef Keeping Master Class. This online course is an immersive and one of a kind educational tool designed to help reef aquarium hobbyists build and maintain a beautiful SPS reef tank. The course is a series of video presentations with some supplemental video from my YouTube channel. There are also quizzes to help students retain and understand the information presented in the course.
Need some frags…..I can help with that as well 🙂 Please visit my SPS Frag store to see what is available.
