Reefapalooza Speaker Schedule

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Saturday @ 11:30am
Mike Paletta
"The Modern Reef Aquarium"



Michael Paletta has been keeping marine tanks since 1980 and reef tanks since 1985. During the past 30 years he has written over 200 articles on marine fish and invertebrates in both the US and Europe. His first book “The Modern Marine Aquarium” is an attempt to simplify marine fish keeping for the beginning hobbyist while at the same time incorporating advances that have been made due to reef keeping. His second book “Ultimate Marine Aquariums” illustrates how far the hobby has come in the past 15 years. In this book are examples of just about every type of reef tank using different methodologies and technology. Michael has enjoyed speaking at over 150 marine societies and national conferences in North America, Canada, South America and Europe. Michael has appeared on both local and national radio shows to discuss the hobby and to help new hobbyists become successful. Currently Michael has 300, 90. 75, 40 and 26- gallon reef tanks of various types set up in his home. He has helped in the set up of over 200 tanks throughout the U.S, including several tanks over 4,000 gallons in capacity. Michael is currently writing a weekly blog on Reef Builders and has done over 20 videos for American Reef. Michael also acted as a consultant with the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Zoo Aquarium. Michael has B.S. from Dickinson College and a Master’s degree from Yale University. Michael has also been a technical consultant for several equipment manufacturers and online companies. Michael is currently employed in sales in the biotechnology field.

RAP 2015 Discussion

In this talk I hope to follow up on the changes and advancements in the hobby that have occurred over the past 8 years. When compared to what happened over the previous 20 it is rather startling how far the hobby has come and is undoubtedly why it is at an unprecedented level of popularity.

 

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Saturday @ 3:00pm
Jake Adams of Reef Builders

Jake Adams is a professional marine aquarist from Colorado, reef aquarium author & speaker, and best know as the senior editor of the popular reef aquarium blog, Reef Builders. Jake has a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and he has research experience with spawning corals in the Caribbean.

Jake has consulted on the design and installation of jumbo reef tanks, retail stores , aquaculture, mariculture and research aquaria. When he isn’t speaking to reef clubs or writing for marine aquarium publications, Jake also likes to enjoy freshwater fish & planted aquaria.

RAP 2015 Discussion
Coral Collection in the Solomon Islands

 

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Sunday @ 11:30am
Tullio Dell Aquila



Tullio Dell Aquila has been a professional lighting designer for well over a decade. World renowned for his pioneering work with high power LED’s his innovative lighting designs span numerous commercial, automotive and aquarium applications. During his career Tullio Dell Aquila has designed lighting products for many of the top companies in our industry. His dedication and innovation has helped pave the way for aquarium lighting as we know it today.


In 2008 he was highly acclaimed for taking high power solid state led lighting to a level never before imagined. The project, the world’s largest Tiffany chandelier. When using conventional lighting technology proved impractical and the use of solid state LED lighting for the project thought impossible. Tullio Dell Aquila was commissioned by Philips/Lumileds and Meyda Tiffany to the daunting task of designing the world’s first high power magnetically dimmable solid state LED system for the chandelier project. At nearly 40 feet across, 20 feet high, and with less than two weeks before the scheduled unveiling this was no small feat. Not only was a solid state LED lighting solution of this magnitude not possible at the time, even if a design solution could somehow be devised the parts and components needed to implement such a design simply did not exist. In a global press release issued by Philips/lumileds Tullio Dell Aquila achieved the impossible. He designed and built the various components required to complete the project on site and had the entire system installed and operational in time for the highly anticipated unveiling. According to Philips/Lumileds his unique design reduced projected electrical cost to operate the chandelier by 93%, consumed 75% less energy and incorporated the world’s first high power magnetically dimmable LED drivers which he also designed and built for the project. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/5/4/3

As an avid reef aquarium hobbyist he will readily admit one of his true passions has always been designing high quality aquarium lighting products. From LED moonlights to the first full spectrum, and actinic led lighting systems, his pioneering work with LEDS continues to lead our industry today. Tullio Dell Aquila has dedicated much of his career to educating hobbyist and professionals alike about the exciting possibilities that LEDs offer to our industry. But his contributions to aquarium lighting do not stop here. His focus on the spectral requirements of corals, and invertebrates, has improved the output, spectral distribution, and quality of many aquarium lamps popularly sold today. His developments in specialized reflector systems, advanced thermal design, and high efficiency microprocessor controlled electronic ballasts, have helped revolutionize metal halide and fluorescent based aquarium lighting products as well. His designs will continue to influence aquarium lighting for many years to come.

RAP 2015 Discussion
LED lighting the facts and the myths.

A comprehensive look into the science of LED aquarium lighting. The discussion will also include in depth information about Metal Halide and T5HO lighting systems.

 

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Sunday @ 1:30pm
Tony Vargas
Author of "The Coral Reef Aquarium"



Tony has been experimenting with marine invertebrates and corals since the 1980’s. In the late eighties, only a handful of aquarists including Tony were among the first in the United States to successfully maintain Acropora alive in captivity. Tony travels all over to give lectures and consultations on coral and reef fish husbandry, as well as aquarium system design.