maldives : creative commons : iujaz Are the Summer reef doldrums already here? There have been bouts of warm weather as spring passes through, and already it seems the hobby is taking a cessation. Couple the weather with the economy, which admittedly is doing “better”, and the effect is heightened. Over the past few visits [...]
maldives : creative commons : iujaz
Are the Summer reef doldrums already here? There have been bouts of warm weather as spring passes through, and already it seems the hobby is taking a cessation. Couple the weather with the economy, which admittedly is doing “better”, and the effect is heightened. Over the past few visits to the LFS (local fish store) I have been seeing fewer customers and the same livestock week after week. This is a historical trend that aquarium businesses know all too well, but this year it seems the halt has been more abrupt than before. Perhaps, it’s just Chicago… The California reefers are spoiled with their 70F temps and constant flow of livestock!
In Chicago there are three rules regarding weather:
- Never put your winter jacket away
- Never put your umbrella away
- Enjoy the nice weather when you can
Yes the warm temperatures have been a distraction to everything, but I still find myself busy and interacting with my reef as much, if not more thanks to bouts with cryptocaryon irritans and lymphocystis from two new additions.
So I ask you, the dedicated hobbyists and readers of GBD, what reef related updates have you recently made or plan to make? How are you reefing projects coming? How is the hobby doing in your area?
6 Comments
That’s very interesting about the Chicago area (I actually lived in Shaumberg when I was a baby but don’t remember it at all). Here in Baltimore, we’ve had ridiculous amounts of rain-we’re about to start building arcs around here. I also must admit that I’m not the most social person and don’t know any other reefers in MD, but my LFS is basically busy on weekends and not very much during the week. It’s also not the best LFS in the world either. The real good one is much further from me and I’m hoping to get some time to make a visit. I’ve also gotta admit that I’ve been pretty much just “maintaining” my reef although I did upgrade my flow with a cheap option of a Resun wavemaker that I found at Premium Aquatics. It is kindof big, but outside of that, is pretty cool and definitely doing it’s job for only around $100. It’s certainly not the most aesthetically pleasing pump, but worthwhile for someone like me who’s budget is limited. I’m also much more concerned with livestock health than aesthetics, so stuff like that doesn’t bother me like it does most others. Outside of that, the zeovit system’s working great for me and because of that it’s given me time to plan a small cichlid tank. Cross your fingers for me that it doesn’t start flooding in MD!!!
Yep – With the weather we’ve been having, I’m probably done with the tank until next November lol.
I’m out of Ann Arbor, MI and we live by those same three rules regarding weather
I am actually in the middle of a tank build – one that has been “in the works” for a couple years now… so summer is not going to halt it even remotely this year
Generally speaking though, the summer months definitely bring an overall hault to reefing in these parts, basically everyone maintains thier reefs, buys the occasional fish food or maybe a frag, and awaits the falls frag-swaps/meetings/etc.
Local stores also slow down, most anyway. I was out at a local aquaculture facility recently, and they’re always busy which is nice to see. The only thing that slows them down in the summer is hot days… a hot day outside equates to a HOT, HOT day in the facility as it’s basically a greenhouse! Temps can easily hang aound the 90s during the summer, so they tend to be more busy in the evenings
BTW, that’s an absolutely stunning picture.
Chicago here 2. No more reefing till snow!
being a business owner I can tell you that its the same in florida, seems livestock has fell off with the warmer weather
One Trackback
[...] mid-August. I know I’m not the only one who takes a little break, as noted by Fragd.it & predicted by GBD in May. If my predictions and curve have been correctly calculated, by the autumnal equinox, most [...]