So Who's Going To The Aca

[maddog10]

We are having a blast, wish you were here!

Lots of fun. The Whale Sharks at the aquarium are one of the coolest things you will ever see. I forgot to pack my card reader or I would be giving you photo updates.

 

[animicrazy]

Back from Atlanta!! Blast doesn't come close!!! The fish are tanked and so am I - off to bed

ttl

TMS

 

[dogofwar]

Hope everyone - and their fishy friends - got back OK.

I took off before the auction for Savannah (to check on our rental house / meet the new tenants) and then back to MD. Arrived about 11:30...

It looked like there were some very nice fish in the auction, including the Geophagus daemon that won best new world.

What did everyone get?

 

[mscichlid]

Got back home around 11:30 today. Then I had to go to Hansy's to pick up my fish. I'm bushed! I picked up some Heros sp. 'Iniridae', Cr. Compressiceps and Cr. lepidota. Now I have to move fish around and start new tanks. Bad Franny!

Overall, I had a great time. CCA had the most members to attend this event! Our own Amanda took 2nd place in the wild Discus class, but I feel she should have placed first. Hans won all the other discus classes. Our James Kelley was a winner as well! Ron Leftwhich volunteered to auctioneer. He blew those folks away!

The next ACA is in Cincinati. I already have plans to save my money to attend. I'm going to show at least 10-15 fish this time. We should have a CCA competition for the highest club member participation and a competition for the most awards won by a CCA member within our club.

Pictures will come. Photoshop CS2 doesn't support my D3 RAW files. I have to install my lightroom software or wait until I get to work and convert the files. Please be patient.

 

[Pat Kelly]

We too got back today. Tracey and I had a blast.
Those that did not go missed a lot.

 

[Spine]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pat Kelly @ Jul 21 2008, 04:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

We too got back today. Tracey and I had a blast.
Those that did not go missed a lot.[/b]

I learned that lesson when I attended the 1st. annual CCA BBQ and had a blast. Unfortunately I didn't plan far enough ahead to make this years ACA. Since the next one is almost next door, in Ohio I'm already making plans to attend.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Going to these things is always fun. I think it was Maddog that mentioned that I knew everyone. Well, I don't but when you go every year you meet new people each time.
While I don't drink beer, I still went to the hospitality room most nights and talked. They also had an area in the middle that had tables and everyone sat around talking to the wee hours. I think we went to bed most nights between 1 and 2. Then got up rather early.

A convention like that is what you make it. If you sit off on the side and don't meet people, you may not have as much fun as talking with everyone.

I know I may not have spent as much time as I could have with our club members but I try to talk with everyone I can. You never know when you will find a new speaker, sponsor, or friend. I tried to be on the move all the time. lol

Any way I am proud of the CCA for having so may members there. I got several comments about seeing our shirts everywhere. I had people come up to me and ask how I got so many to go. LOL

THanks again.

 

[krisw]

Sounds like a blast! I thought hard about going, but ended up having to save my money for the Aquatic Gardener's Association convention in November (also in Atlanta). I'm looking forward to hear what fish were brought back from the auction. I'm sure there were some oddballs there! I hope to make the Ohio one!

 

[marge618]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mscichlid @ Jul 21 2008, 04:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Overall, I had a great time. CCA had the most members to attend this event! Our own Amanda took 2nd place in the wild Discus class, but I feel she should have placed first. Hans won all the other discus classes. Our James Kelley was a winner as well! Ron Leftwhich volunteered to auctioneer. He blew those folks away!

The next ACA is in Cincinati. I already have plans to save my money to attend. I'm going to show at least 10-15 fish this time. We should have a CCA competition for the highest club member participation and a competition for the most awards won by a CCA member within our club.[/b]

WOW! A CCA competition to find the best competitor. A novel idea!

ACA Atlanta 2008 was a blast. There were CCA members involved in everything: showing fish and WINNING, selling fish out of the sales room and in the auctions, judging fish, main speakers For the record: Our own Li (MonsterfishKeepers.com) sponsored the speakers, CCA sponsored one of the award classes, Francine sponsored the photography award, we even had an auctioneer! Did we have a GOOD time!

There were CCA photographers capturing everything on film. I am watching for our club photographers visual display of all we did. The Atlanta aquarium was tremendous: huge Mississippi River tank overhead that you actually walked under. Botanical gardens sidetrip was well worth it. Fernband Natural History Museum was interesting too. The best part about the sidetrips was having time to relax during the day with ACA friends.

If you plan to attend ACA 2009 I recommend that you arrive early, stay late, and go on the side trips. OH YEAH - go to lectures and take notes so everybody thinks you know what they are talking about....

Hats off to all of you who shared stories of previous ACA meetings. Thanks to you I went to ACA 2008. I plan to be in Cincinati for ACA 2009!

Later,
Marge

 

[Pat Kelly]

Kris, I talked to someone from the AGA for a long time. Cant remembers his name right now. His picture is on the logo.

Even brought back flyer for the convention.

 

[marge618]

More on ACA Atlanta,
Go to MonsterFishkeepers.com to see loads of pictures about the 2008 ACA convention.
It will make you want to go to ACA 2009!

Great Stuff!
Later,
Marge

 

[SubMariner]

Great to have you guys back safe and sound.

Man, the convention looked like the place to be.

ACA 2009, here I come. LOL!

 

[George]

It was great to see so many first-timers. The ACA needs new participants. It was terrific to have so many from the CCA.

PVAS used to be well represented at the ACA but Cichlid interest seems to have waned there. CCA has picked up that banner for the MD/VA/DC area.

I think we had 18, right Pat? We will have to shoot for more in Cincinnati. It is closer so driving will be easier.

George

 

[krisw]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pat Kelly @ Jul 22 2008, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Kris, I talked to someone from the AGA for a long time. Cant remembers his name right now. His picture is on the logo.

Even brought back flyer for the convention.[/b]

Pat, I believe that's Larry Lampert, the AGA president. (Thank god GWAPA and CCA don't put their president's pictures on their logos! :unsure: ) I think I have some flyers as well. It'll be a great convention with Amano coming back.