The Most Beautiful Artwork

Art in Motion

Which is more beautiful, above or below?

Wall Art

This holiday weekend my wife and I took our family to the Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey.  There were vastly different sections, from several hands on kids sections to several very hands off art sections.  My wish is not to praise or put down the museum. Although they did have only one salt water reef tank that had loads of red hair algae, poor water circulation and unhealthy fish. The maintenance people of the museum could really use A Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide My wish is to point out that as far as art work there is no comparison. A well kept fish tank is infinitely more beautiful than any still painting or sculpture could hope to be.  A fish tank is ever changing, evolving, and growing. A fish tank can be watched for hours.  The display of changing colors and shapes are an absolute feast for the eyes and mind.

Real beauty on your wall

There is a living sole to a fish tank. All of the live creatures inside make each tank an amazing and special community of life. You get the tremendous privilege of viewing a beautiful slice of nature right in your own home.  The richest Kings and Queens of the world even 100 years ago never had a chance to have anything so beautiful in their homes.

Here, check out these pictures that I took of The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide demo tank. All these pictures were taken in about one minute. These are all different views the the changing art in my life.

Art in Motion

Art in Motion

Art in Motion

Art in Motion

Art in Motion

Art in Motion

Now please don’t misunderstand that I don’t think there are great paintings or works of art. There are. And the craftsmanship that can be reached is truly phenomenal. However, I think try as man can, I don’t think he can hold up in a comparison to mother nature herself.  Nature has billions of years on her side. That is why for me, a well kept reef tank is the greatest work of art any person can wish to have in their home. We are truly privileged to be living in an era that allows us this amazing opportunity to make our own work of art that has no equal.

Keith Behrle

Our experience at the New Jersey 2008 Frag Swap

Frag Swap 2008

The concept of a frag swap is fantastic. Members and guests exchange information and hear experts speak about corals and coral propagation. Reefers can take corals that they have grown in their own tanks and trade them. These exchanges not only help the hobbyist, but also are very green for the environment as wild corals are not removed from their environment.

Looking forward to Frag Swap 2008 in Secaucus, New Jersey, my oldest son and I packed up a Styrofoam container with 7 beautiful Australian Acathastrea frags and went to see what we could get. When we arrived, we found the entrance well manned and well organized.

Frag Swap corals for sale

When we first got in we were asked by a fellow reefer “what do you got?” We opened up our container and started showing our corals to each other. Then, two workers helping to organize the swap came up to us.

“You really shouldn’t do that here,” said the people working at the Swap.

“Well, where is the trading area?” I asked.

“There is none” replied the man in purple.

“Isn’t this a frag swap?” I asked. The worker replied, “All these vendors paid $200 a table, and they are selling corals, so we really don’t want the other people competing right in front of them.”

Trying to be on my best behavior in front of my older son, I calmly pointed out that if this was the case the event should be called a ”Frag Buy” instead of a Frag Swap. Also we paid $30 to get in the door, and although it was not $200, it should afford us some rights to do what the event advertises.

Drawing for prizes

This encounter did not hinder us from trading. We were able to get some beautiful Acroproa, pink Stylophora and green Favia. What we found really interesting, is that most of the trading we did was with people who had the booths!

The action on the floor

The speaker that we heard had some very interesting points about breading corals being a more efficient way to propogate corals than fragging. The raffle was a great concept, with many chances to win many useful products. Even the lunch was good: it was next door so you didn’t have to waist time leaving the hotel.

corals and clams

All in all, it was a great show and we look forward to going back next year. However, I hope the New Jersey Reefers Society adheres to their charter stated in their pamphlet of “To provide a forum for sharing resources and information among local aquarium enthusiasts”  instead of being turned by the all mighty dollar.

Award Winning DVD!!!

Award Winning DVD!!!

The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide has just won another award! The highly regarded Communicator Award chose to honor us with their Award of Distinction for 2008. The Communicator Awards is an international awards competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communication field. Entries were judged by industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. The highly respected judges commented that “The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide was beautifully shot and extremely well written. There is a tremendous wealth of knowledge that was easily presented so even people with almost no experience in fish keeping could succeed in keeping a marine reef aquarium. Congratulations on your well deserved Communicator Award of Distinction!”

The Reef Keeping Hobby

Reef Keeping is an amazing hobby. To borrow a phrase from The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide, reef keeping is a window into another world. Creatures from the ocean are in a different world than you or I: they breath differently, their motion is different, even gravity affects them differently than us here on land. Yet, with the new wonderful advances in technology, we are allowed to view the beautiful world of underwater reefs right in our own living room!

Reef Keeping is great for many other reasons than the sheer beauty of the creatures we see. There is an intellectual stimulation, I feel, that comes with no other pet. You have to know what you are doing to have success – you can’t just throw money at the hobby. It is quiet a feeling of accomplishment to have a healthy tank.

I have really learned to enjoy the cleaning of my tank. For my 210 gallon reef I spend about an hour to an hour and a half per week on maintenance. However, people always think of cleaning as a bad thing, and some really great things happen when one cleans their tank. First and most important, you really see what you have. You notice things that a quick glance would not afford you. In that look there might be great beauty, or you see something that needs your attention. Next, there is something very wonderful about having a simple chore, like cleaning a fish tank. My, as everyone’s life, is complicated. Job, family, bills, etc. Cleaning the tank is something that must be done and it is a time out from all of the above. I have learned to enjoy the time. Finally, what makes something yours? It is that you take care of it. Having a new tank is great, but the aquarium really becomes yours even more as you take care of it over the months and years. Watching a coral grow from a frag to a full colony, seeing clown fish finally take to the new anemone, watching your Bubble Tip Anemone split are all magical events. To know that you had a helping hand in those events is a big part of the satisfaction of owning a reef aquarium.

Also, having a reef aquarium keeps you connected to the earth. We hear about global warming every day on the news yet it really doesn’t affect you. Ocean dumping, pollution: this stuff doesn’t really have anything to do with us. Or so we think. Yet for me, my tank is a constant real reminder to me of how we have to share our whole planet with other species.

Either way, its all good.

So if you are thinking about keeping saltwater fish and/or live rock and other creatures, I say go ahead and take the plunge. More important than the “Wow’s” you will get when someone sees your beautiful aquarium, is the satisfaction that you are able to successfully take care of some of the worlds most beautiful creatures.

Review # 3 for The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide

The two reviews before had been more than Bob or I could have hoped for, but the third one from Tropical Fish Hobbyist left me with my biggest smile. Here is the review from the April issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist:

Fishkeeping DVD

“The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up and Maintenance Guide” from Keith Behrle Productions, Inc. is the most complete how-to resource for beginners starting their own marine aquarium. The DVD actually takes the viewer through the choices someone must make when starting out in the hobby. This beautifully shot DVD set is a pleasure to watch and is an excellent resource for the intermediate reefer as well as the beginner. A second disc is included and contains glossaries on fish, corals and inverts. The two discs are jam packed with nearly 3 1/2 hours of information and entertainment. For more information, please visit www.reefaquariumdvd.com.

WOW! What an honor to be called by Tropical Fish Hobbyist “The most complete how-to resourse for beginners starting their own marine aquarium.” At the moment we read that review, all the hard work that went into making The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide was worth it.

The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up And Maintenance Guide, Review #2

Our first magazine review came from Aquarium Fish International, the March 2008 issue. I had a conversation with the editor at the time, Brian Wheeler. He told me the DVD was fantastic and that he wanted to make it the first product to be shown of all the new products out on the market. Plus, he wanted to make it the prize for the give away. Here is The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up And Maintenance Guide in The Product Showcase:

aquarium-fish-int-march-08-review

The text reads “The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up and Maintenance Guide includes two DVD discs, totaling almost 3 1/2 hours. This beautifully shot DVD set is a pleasure to watch and is an excellent resourse for all beginner and intermediate reefers. There are many tips on what to buy and how to put a tank together, which can save the viewer a great deal of time and money. The second disc include glossaries on fish, corals and inverts. For more information, visit www.reefaquariumdvd.com .”

Bob and I were very honored indeed. Thank you Aquarium Fish International for such nice words and the prize position in your magazine.

The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up And Maintenance Guide 1st Review

After putting in several thousand dollars and a year and a half of our time, Bob Wiatroski and I were excited and nervous about what other experts would say about The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up and Maintenance Guide. Our first review came from Tom Satwell of Argent Labs (maker of Cycolpeeze). This review was totally unsolicited.

Keith Behrle
Keith Behrle Productions, Inc.

Dear Keith:

Thank you for the press copy. Excellent work. My remarks:

The Reef Aquarium DVD: A Set Up and Maintenance Guide

I just received my copy of The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up & Maintenance Guide and find it
to be most impressive.

In this presentation, Bob comes across with an easy to relate to
communication style that is truly refreshing to see in our industry. What I
see in viewing the Reef Aquarium DVD is a demonstration of those rare
qualities that only the most dedicated entrepreneurs can attain:

(1) Practicality – From decades of hands on design, building and 24/7 care
of reef aquarium systems
(2) Integrity of advice – Based on direct service and accountability to
novice and pro alike
(3) Honesty & Humility – From years of devoted animal husbandry, the result
of successes and failures

I think that all in our industry would agree that few individuals in the
business have the background and humility for such an easy to understand
approach to reef aquarium system design and maintenance.

Viewers will find the DVD images, audio and direction to be of exceptional
quality. Reef aquarium novices who are considering purchasing the DVD should
note, the videographer himself was a novice client of Mr. Wiatroski’s! He
was in fact so impressed with the knowledge of his supplier and the great
value of the aquarium to his family he was motivated to contribute his
talent to the filming and production of the DVD.

All together, The Reef Aquarium DVD will markedly advance the success rate
of folks who venture into this most rewarding new hobby of marine fish and
coral husbandry.

Very truly yours,

Thomas A. Sawtell
National Sales Manager

Argent Chemical Laboratories