Today’s tip of the day is coming to you from way back in the infant stages of the AquaNerd Blog (see the explanation in the last paragraph below) and it is what we consider to be our very first tip. We didn’t just copy and past the original, especially since our writing styles have changed so much over the years, but here’s the adaptation of that tip…which is still a good one to this day.
Local aquarium clubs are a great tool for aquarists. They serve as a tremendous source of hobbyist information, promote captive breeding and culture, and offer a great place for likeminded individuals to share their experiences. Most of these organizations have been around for a couple of decades, and there always seems to be a handful of people who have stuck around from the beginning. To be honest, there is really no substitute for that kind of experience…decades’ worth of knowledge right at your fingertips and oftentimes in the same geographical area.
In addition to the vast amount of knowledge, aquarium clubs are also a great way to spread propagated corals. Hobbyists use the online marketplace of the club to buy, sell, and trade coral frags, which also happens to be a great avenue for meeting other hobbyists in your area.
Long story short, if you aren’t a member of a local aquarium club, you should be. Even if you barely get online, even if you never make an actual post in the public forums, there is still a significant benefit to being a member. They all vary from club to club, but paid memberships often include discounts with club sponsors, members only events, and a plethora of other perks.
Today marks a very special one for the AquaNerd Blog. Five years ago today, we launched the website as a way to engage aquarium hobbyists on a broader scale than the aquarium forums to which we had become accustomed. And to help us celebrate this milestone, today is (almost entirely) all about that groundbreaking first day.
