Antwerpse Zee Aquarium Club
The largest association for Dutch-speaking marine aquarists in Belgium and the Netherlands!
And this for more than 50 years!
Marine Aquarium Conference of Europe
Introduction of speakers at MACE 2025
Here we introduce the speakers, and not just any speakers.
Program for day 1 (November 8)
Than Thein (Start 11h)
Subject/title of the lecture:
Sustainable Coral Farming at Scale
Than Thein is the founder of Tidal Gardens,
a leading coral farm in Ohio, USA.
He combines scientific knowledge with entrepreneurship
and started his business out of a passion for reef aquariums.
Than has degrees in biology, business administration, and
law, and knows how to successfully apply this unique mix
to aquatics.
With Tidal Gardens, he focuses on sustainable
coral propagation and innovative techniques.
His work has received international attention, including
from the BBC, Smithsonian, and CORAL Magazine.
He also shares his expertise through blogs,
YouTube, and trade publications.
Today, Tidal Gardens is considered a model of quality
and sustainability within the hobby.
We are delighted that he is here to share his knowledge and vision
with us.
Samuel Nietzer (Start 12h15)
Lecture topic: From Science to SciReef
Samuel is a marine biologist at the University of Oldenburg
in Germany.
He is affiliated with the Institute for Chemistry and Biology
of the Sea (ICBM) in Wilhelmshaven.
Since 2013, he has been managing the research aquariums there and doing
groundbreaking work on corals. His focus is on the
sexual reproduction of stony corals,
a crucial process for coral restoration and biodiversity.
He and his team were the first in Germany to
successfully achieve this in a laboratory environment.
This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for
nature conservation and sustainable aquatics. Dr. Nietzer is also
co-founder of SciReef, a start-up that
sustainably cultivates corals without damaging natural reefs.
In 2024, SciReef received a large grant from the
German EXIST program.
We are honored to have him here to share his expertise and
insights with us.
Todd Gardner (Start 13h30)
Todd Gardner is Professor of Aquaculture at Carteret
Community College in Morehead City, North Carolina, and
General Manager of The Biota Group's hatchery
in North Carolina, which specializes in the sustainable
cultivation of marine fish and invertebrates for aquariums.
His life and career have been shaped by his passion for
marine life, and he has written numerous scientific and
popular articles about his research and
experiences with collecting, keeping, and breeding
marine organisms.
Todd's work includes a documentary for
National Geographic, commercial fish farming at
C-quest Hatchery in Puerto Rico, and an 11-year stint
at the Long Island Aquarium, where he spent much of his
time developing techniques for
breeding difficult marine fish larvae.
To date, he has bred more than 50 species.
In 2013, Todd received the prestigious Aquarist of the Year
Award from the Marine Aquarium Society of
North America (MASNA).
In his spare time, Todd enjoys diving, photographing marine life,
running marathons, and playing guitar.
Claude Schuhmacher (Start 14h45)
Founder and CEO of Fauna Marin GmbH, based in
Holzgerlingen near Stuttgart. Since its foundation in 2001,
he has developed Fauna Marin into a leading
supplier of high-quality corals, food, aquarium components,
and water treatment systems for marine aquariums.
His experience with innovation led to the development of
the “BOLUS method,” an innovative technique in
coral care.
Before founding Fauna Marin, he had been working in
the world of saltwater aquariums since 1985, with practical experience
in wholesale, retail, and the construction of large aquariums.
He also set up export facilities in the Philippines and
trained local fishermen there in new techniques, with a focus
on coral and mussel cultivation.
Later, he expanded the range of services to include
laboratory analyses to support universities
in projects related to sponge and mussel cultivation.
His work combines scientific depth, technical
innovation, and practical business leadership.
Panel discussion (Starts at 16h)
For the first time at MACE this year, we are organizing a unique panel discussion
with several top guests from the seawater aquarium hobby.
They will share their knowledge, experiences, and visions directly with the audience.
The discussion will be led by Alexander Grah, owner of the
renowned company Abyzz and a familiar face in the
international marine aquarium world.
With his experience and expertise, he will ensure an inspiring
conversation with plenty of room for interesting insights.
Program Day 2 (November 9)
Hans-Werner Balling (Start 11h)
Subject/title of the lecture:
Iron concentrations, nutrient ratios and other seawater myths
The pioneer behind the well-known Balling method for
balancing minerals in reef aquariums.
A standard in aquatics.
He developed this method in the early 1990s
and published it in DATZ magazine in 1994.
Since 2001, he has been working as a product developer at
Tropic Marin, where he has designed many of their innovative products .
His work enables hobbyists and professionals to
accurately dose calcium, carbonate hardness, and trace elements ,
thus ensuring optimal conditions for stony corals.
With his method, frequent water changes are hardly necessary
anymore, ensuring a more stable and sustainable
aquarium environment.
Under his leadership, Tropic Marin later
also developed “All-For-Reef,” a user-friendly solution
for calcium and carbonate supply using just one product.
We are honored that he is sharing his in-depth experience and
insights with us today.
Joe Yaiullo (Start 12h15)
Lecture topic: A 4-Year Update on The Hard Reboot of the
20,000-Gallon (75708-liter) Reef Tank, MacroAlgae, and More.
Co-founder and curator of the Long Island Aquarium
in Riverhead, New York, formerly known as Atlantis
Marine World. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
marine biology from LIU Southampton College and began
his career as Senior Aquarist at the New York
Aquarium in Brooklyn.
In 2000, Joe established an impressive 20,000-gallon
or 75,000-liter reef aquarium at the time the largest
closed system in the world with an abundance of
stone corals, anemones, and a diverse fish population.
This gigantic tank remains a model of
sustainability and technical perfection; Joe has maintained
it for more than two decades with an eye for detail and
innovation.
In 2016, he was honored with the prestigious title of
“Aquarist of the Year” by MASNA for his
leading contributions to aquarium keeping.
He was also the long-time president of the Long Island
Reef Association, strengthening the hobby network locally.
Today, he takes us behind the scenes of his
“DIY masterpiece”—a world unto itself underwater.
Julian Sprung (Starts at 14h)
Julian Sprung, a biologist from Miami, is one of the pioneers in our hobby.
Since the 1980s, he has been a trailblazer and an authority in the
field of marine aquariums.
Back in the 1980s, Julian was already talking about
trace elements and refugiums.
During this same period, he was also the first ever to breed mandarin
fish and stony corals.
This man has acquired a wealth of knowledge over the years.
This can be found in the book series
“The Reef Aquarium,” which he wrote together with Charles Delbeek.
This series is considered the bible of saltwater aquarium keeping.
Today, Julian develops products for the
aquarium industry and markets them through his
own company, Two Little Fishies.
Tanne Hoff (Starts at 15h15)
Biology teacher and passionate marine aquarium enthusiast
with over twenty years of experience and international
renown. He is the author of the highly popular
Dutch-language series "Practical Guide to Marine Aquariums,
" which is regarded by many enthusiasts
as the standard reference for both beginners
and advanced aquarists.
In 2024, a completely revised edition of part 1 was published,
with updated insights into biology, water chemistry,
technology, and modern equipment.
Part 2 also offers extensive practical tips,
clear explanations, colorful illustrations, and covers
topics ranging from aquascaping to breeding methods.
His English-language “Practical Guide for the Reef Aquarium”
also makes his knowledge accessible to a wider
audience. Tanne has not only written books, but
also given lectures at home and abroad, combining
his experience with clear communication.
We are honored that he is sharing his expertise with us today.