JOHN HUDSON

John has been keeping aquariums since 1993 at the age of 19. In 2011 he and his wife Lisa started the KGTropicals YouTube channel to educate new fish keepers and get them through the pitfalls of a new aquarium.

SANJAY JOSHI

Sanjay Joshi in real life is a Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Penn State University. He has been a reef addict since 1992, and currently keeps several reefs aquariums at home including a 500G SPS dominated reef. He also co-manages the 500G aquarium at Penn State. Dr. Joshi is actively involved in educating the hobby on various topics through his publications in reef magazines and lectures. He has published articles in magazines such as Advanced Aquarist, Reefs Magazine, Coral, Marine Fish and Reef Annual, Aquarium Frontiers, and Aquarium Fish. 

GEORGE FARMER

“George is an internationally renowned aquascaper and author from the UK. He is passionate about promoting wellness through aquascaping. From roadside bombs in Afghanistan to Amano’s 40,000 gallon aquarium – there’s something in this exclusive and candid talk for everyone!”

CORY MCELROY

Cory McElroy is a hobbyist turned fish store owner of Aquarium Co-Op in Edmonds, Washington. His business has expanded to online sales of aquarium plants, dry goods, and innovative products to help make fishkeepers’ lives easier. Cory’s passion for growing and improving the freshwater aquarium hobby has driven him to create an educational YouTube channel, weekly blog, the CARE forum, and an online fish club. In the future, he hopes to travel more to learn how people catch, keep, and breed aquarium fish all around the world.

JOE YAIULLO

As a kid, Joe spent much of his childhood maintaining home aquariums and exploring the marine life surrounding Long Island, New York. Now he gets paid to basically do what he did as a kid and has been keeping reef tanks for over 29 years.

Joe earned a B.S. in Marine Science from LIU Southampton College’s marine science program, and worked for 8 years (1987-1995) at the NY Aquarium in Brooklyn, New York as Senior Aquarist. Starting in 1987, Joe pioneered what is now common practice in reef keeping today and upped his game in 1993 with the establishment of a 1400-gallon reef tank, which at the time was the largest successful reef tank in the Western Hemisphere. In 1992, he began to shape his plan for a world-class aquarium on Long Island’s East End. In 2000, after toiling for eight long years, his plans and vision became a reality with the opening of Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in Riverhead, NY (now known as the Long Island Aquarium). On that day, the public was able to see his 20,000-gallon reef tank, which was the largest closed system reef tank in the Western Hemisphere, and second largest in the world at that time. In 2003, Joe was awarded The Distinguished Alumni Award from Southampton College for his contributions to the community.

Joe, an admitted “Coralaholic”, currently feeds his ever increasing addiction with nurturing his 20,000 gallon reef tank, which contains corals that date back over 26 years. While he has admitted his addiction, he has no plans of seeking a cure and enjoys talking with reef keepers from around the world.

Joe has been featured in many reef keeping books and magazines, and has presented lectures in Canada, Germany, Sweden, Finland, England, Fiji, Monaco, France, The Netherlands, and Italy and throughout the USA including several MACNA’s dating back to 1994.

The Long Island Aquarium is a world-class aquarium, so even though it’s on a larger scale, Curator and Co-founder Joe Yaiullo still considers it his entire “DIY” project.

PRIMETIME AQUATICS

Jason started keeping fish at the age of six and has almost 40 years of freshwater fish-keeping experience. His background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, a Master’s Degree in Biotechnology and Chemical Science as well as a Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture and Fish Health. He and his family started Prime Time Aquatics to help people of all ages and experience succeed in the freshwater fish-keeping hobby

MR. SALTWATER TANK

Since starting Mr. Saltwater Tank TV in 2010, Mark has created over 260 Mr. Saltwater Tank TV episodes resulting in over 11,400,000 views worldwide. The show has attracted 50,000+ YouTube subscribers and 47,500 + fans on Facebook. In addition to Mr. Saltwater Tank TV, Mark has authored and co-authored 6 books and numerous articles for saltwater publications around the world

JAKE ADAMS

Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.

SARA STEVENS

Sara Stevens is the Director of Animal Collections, Butterfly Pavilion, an AZA-FRTRP member facility. The AZA Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project (AZA-FRTRP) is an AZA member-driven coral rescue and conservation network focused on the rescue, housing and future propagation of Florida corals affected by stony coral tissue loss disease.

MITCH CARL

Mitch is Curator of Aquatics, Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, an AZA-FRTRP member facility. The AZA Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project (AZA-FRTRP) is an AZA member-driven coral rescue and conservation network focused on the rescue, housing and future propagation of Florida corals affected by stony coral tissue loss disease.

RACHEL SERAFIN

Rachel Serafin is the Senior Coral Biologist at Florida Aquarium, an AZA-FRTRP member facility. The AZA Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project (AZA-FRTRP) is an AZA member-driven coral rescue and conservation network focused on the rescue, housing and future propagation of Florida corals affected by stony coral tissue loss disease.

JUSTIN ZIMMERMAN

Justin is an FCRC Supervisor and Aquarium Supervisor at Sea World Aquarium. The AZA Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project (AZA-FRTRP) is an AZA member-driven coral rescue and conservation network focused on the rescue, housing and future propagation of Florida corals affected by stony coral tissue loss disease.

DAN CONNER

 Dan is a second-generation ornamental fish farmer for Consolidated Fish Farms and raises over 35 freshwater fish species. He focuses on working with other farms and importers to offer a wide variety of ornamental fish for all fish keepers. Dan also sits on the Board of Directors for the Florida Aquaculture Association where he works on various projects such as an aquaculture industry certification for high school students.

TIFFANY CONNER

Tiffany is the current Executive Director and Education Coordinator for the Florida Aquaculture Association (FAA). The FAA is a state-wide organization that represents all aquaculture commodities and supports aquaculture farmers. Florida’s aquaculture commodities include not only ornamental fish but also alligators, aquatic plants, shellfish, and many species of food fish. Tiffany also works with her husband, Dan, at Consolidated Fish Farms where they raise, sell, and ship ornamental fish. Tiffany was a highschool agriculture teacher for eight years before entering into the aquaculture and fish production world..

BRETT RAYMER

CORALFISH 12G