I was thrilled to travel to Cleveland TN, to meet with representatives of "The Aquatic Wildlife Company". I had heard a lot of positive feedback about this company, and knowing some of the people who work there, that did not surprise me as I have known them for quite some time and know their abilities, and how advanced they are in terms of their knowledge in coral propagation.
Not only did I have an opportunity to visit the entire facility and meet with Dana Riddle and John Walch, but I was fortunate also to meet with Vanessa Clark and her Husband Marc,who have made this company a reality by making the necessary funding available to ensure the reality of this a truly state-of-the-art facility for coral research and coral propagation, while dedicating time as well to educating school children about the beauty of it all. At the time of my visit, over 2000 school children have attended the slide show and videos that are used in educating them about the beauty of coral reefs, fish, and our hobby in general.
"The Aquatic Wildlife Company" also markets the only true completely integrated system for reef aquariums, called the "ecoReef System ™" for which I will create separate documents that I will post to a section of our web site dedicated to "The Aquatic Wildlife Company".
As time goes on, and as I travel there again, I will keep that section updated and bring you the lastest in their achievements. At the pace they have been, and are, moving forward with research, there will be a lot to pass along to you.
If you wish to contact them you can call: (423) 559 9000. They sell retail and to stores. They can update you anytime on what is available. I can guarantee you that if you are looking for a particular coral that you cannot find, they will more than likely have it available. The selection of what they have to offer is far beyond what I have seen at any pet stores or even SuperStore. In reality, there is no comparison as what The Aquatic Wildlife Company does goes far beyond what any pet store I know has achieved.
Combining a state-of-the-art research and propagation facility with a retail and trade outlet is a totally new concept and stretches what has been done in this hobby to a new level of customer service and quality.
I will have a listing in their section of available corals soon. You will be truly amazed at what they actually have for sale and the quality of the livestock. This goes far beyond what I have seen in most places I have been to. I dare say that it is really the "best" I have come across up to now. As they are improving their methods and selection of corals, it will only get better as time goes on.
I have taken numerous photographs and will create a special section on our web site where I will post all the information I have, to enable everyone to see for themselves that this is truly a facility that goes powers of ten beyond what anyone has done in this hobby on a commerical and research basis.
I wish to thank Vanessa Clark and her Husband Marc for their hospitality and for allowing me full access to every part of their facility. Nothing was withheld, nothing was off-limits to me. That in itself is highly commendable. Most if not all such facilities try to hide what they do claiming trade secrets. The Aquatic Wildlife Company "shares" their knowledge and welcomes you.
If you wish a behind the scenes tour, call them and arrange for one. I am told that they will gladly do so and show you all what they are involved in.
What I saw and experienced made me thrilled about the future of this hobby and convinced me, once more, that with the necessary expertise and funding, corals can be propagated in tank grown environments. What sets this company apart, is the level of expertise and the dedication of the staff and owners. In addition, no penny was spared to make the facility as well equiped as is humanly possible.
This is no facility like any other you have ever seen and, if you are within reasonable distance of Cleveland (by Chattanooga) I urge you to take the time to visit them. You will be fascinated and amazed at what has been accomplished there.
What has been achieved so far is only the tip of the iceberg of what is to come, believe me. With the methodologies applied and the systems in place, Aquatic Wildlife truly surpasses anything in the US and abroad in terms of capability of breeding fish and propagating corals.
The grow-out tanks for SPS corals are so full of a very large variety of corals, all in various stages of growth, that it is truly proof positive that with the necessary resources one can, indeed, grow and propagate corals and marine fish in captivity.
As indicated, as soon as I get photographs (graphics) I will add them to this section.
Keep checking, as this part of our web site will be updated on a regular basis because, based on what is being accomplished there, it is necessary to do so to keep you informed and up to date.
Thank you again to all at "The Aquatic Wildlife Company.
Albert, August 18, 1997
While I was there, I had an opportunity to interview Dana Riddle and Johin Walch about various topics relating to our hobby.
I recorded the interview and will make that information available today.
Look for it here and keep coming back for more:
UV, PAR and how to deal with UV
The Aquatic Wildllife Company's Corals
Care of SPS Frags and Corals. Info packed for those who just ordered SPS frags or those who are considering it and are wondering what they need to do.
Dana Riddle and Steve Tyree talking at a GARF Seminar
First Interiew with Dana and John on Lighting and PAR (photosynthetically active radiation).
A Summary of the talk given by Dana Riddle on PAR and Lighting at the recent Vegas Conference
The full presentation given by John Walch at the recent Vegas Symposium. Deals with ecoReefs and Reverse Daylight Photosynthesis and True Turf Scrubbers. Note that a Turf scrubber is the better terminology to use as what grows in the scrubber is a turf alga and not the green filamentous algae that may have given this method a negative spin. When brown Turf algae are present, this system truly performs the function it is expected to perform.