I wad just at that PETCO the other day. All the fish tanks are empty with no water.
I think Josh said those systems were 15 years old. We all know that the standard grade life-support systems at Petco aren't quite enough to keep most marine aquarium livestock happy. Josh is supplementing the lighting, but I think the filtration was pretty standard. They are installing more up-to-date filtration and tanks. I'm not sure when everything is going to be cycled, but hopefully by the time we're there everything will be stocked again.
The purpose of the booth is more of an outreach to the local community. Josh has been working hard to bring in quality corals from ORA and other reputable places. The problem with a large chain like that is that they, by nature, have to be generally a "jack of all trades, master of none". Josh certainly knows his stuff. There's no doubt about that, but hobbyists coming into his store often have little experience in some of the basic tasks we all take for granted, and this is our chance to meet some of those hobbyists to educate them and network with them through the PSAS so they can get the most out of their tanks. We want to make sure the animals they care for are happy and healthy. People that catch the same "bug" we all have are going to buy the coral and fish they see in the store. The question is, are they going to have the resources to educate themselves on how to best care for them? Josh is going to give them good info. We can be just another resource to help them along the way.
Here are some of the questions I know people are asking:
-How often should I change my water?
-How do I change my water?
-What salinity should I be aiming for, what is specific gravity?
-What is pH and why do I care?
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On a personal note, PSAS has always put a great deal of effort into trying to maintain an active community in the Puget Sound. Events like the Bob Moore and even the monthly meetings take a lot of effort and often, money, to organize. If we don't grow, these events will inevitably not happen any more. Our numbers have been down for the last few years. We depend largely on membership fees to continue offering these events, because lately we have made very little money on even the incredible raffle items our sponsors have donated. We made $100 on a $300 skimmer that was donated by Barrier Reef and $20 on a $100 skimmer donated by Eshopps. That won't cover the down-payment to rent out the facilities for the Bob Moore. In the past, raffles supported the club's operation. We only have so many options to pursue, and we're doing our best to pursue every one of those. The Petco booth is just us trying to reach out to a new group of hobbyists looking for a home.
