Kids & Family

Aquatic Experience Comes to Schaumburg This Weekend

Aquatic Experience Chicago will be coming to Schaumburg this weekend and will bring everything aquatic under one roof from saltwater and freshwater fish to pond and aquatic reptiles, according to a Aquatic Experience Chicago press release. 

The inaugural event will be held Nov. 15 to 17 at the Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive in Schaumburg, and Zeb Hogan, host of National Geographic Channel's Monster Fish, will be the keynote speaker, according to the news release. 

Tickets are on sale now for at the Renaissance Schaumberg Convention Center or on the Aquatic Experience website with daily individual tickets starting at just $10 and daily family passes for $25. Tickets to the Saturday dinner with keynote speaker Zeb Hogan are $60.

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Consumers, retailers and families can take part in educational seminars and enjoy a show floor filled with vibrant displays of exotic fish and product raffles, hobbyists and equipment experts alongside the best and trendsetting manufacturers. 

Hogan will speak to attendees about his travels to the most endangered areas of the world and share his many experiences working with researchers, fisherman, enthusiasts and eccentrics in his search to find some of the strangest fish in the world for National Monster Fish. 

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Rolf C. Hagen will also be in attendance. Hagen develops the Fluval aquarium line, which includes home aquariums and some of the most impressive high end aquariums too. Consumers can stop by the Hagen booth (#201) to meet  Francis “the Fish Geek” Yupangco, who was a star on National Geographic Wild’s hit aquarium show, Fish Tank Kings

Other featured speakers and topics include:

  • Patrick Donston, owner and operator of Absolutely Fish, a MAC certified facility and wholesale retail store, will give a presentation on the proper equipment necessary to establish a productive husbandry practice for commercial marine systems including an informational session on designing, building and documenting husbandry systems.
  • Eric Bodrock, owner of All Oddball Aquatics, a tropical fish hatchery and independent online retailer of aquarium hobby equipment, will give two presentations on aquarium hobby basics and conditioning, spawning and raising freshwater fish.
  • Oliver Knott, a German aquarium designer, professional live aquascaper and InVitro plant specialist, will be giving several presentations that incorporate cutting edge technology for aquatic plant life trends including a step-by-step demonstration in front of a live audience to showcase how to aquascape a 200- liter tank.
  • Bob Fenner, an avid ornamental aquatic enthusiast and author of several books Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Common Sense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists to the Tropical Marine will share his experience and knowledge to help the public gather the necessary information to set up successful home aquariums.
  • Oliver Lucanus, a German-born writer, photographer and explorer of South American fish habitats, will , fish and plant life in the Amazon. He will also give a presentation on the native habitats of the most popular aquarium fish.
  • Heiko Bleher, a conservationist, lecturer and scholar of aquatic habitats, fish and biotope correct aquaria, will present on the proper methods to keeping Discus Fish, otherwise known as pompadour fish. He will cover how to create a simple routine to maintain healthy fish, how to avoid diseases and other common mistakes made when fish keeping.
  • René Krüter, a notable pioneer in the fish keeping and breeding field, specifically Tanganyika cichlids, will be giving a presentation on the topic of exploring the Congo Coast of Lake Tanganyika accompanied by his own underwater photography of fish from the Congo shoreline that have never before been seen.
  • The World Pet Association (WPA) is the oldest industry organization promoting responsible growth and development of the companion pet and related products and services. WPA works to inform and educate the general public in order to ensure safe and healthy lifestyles for our animal friends. WPA is the host of mer pet and pet products expo, held annually in Costa Mesa, California. The organization also produces SuperZoo, an annual pet industry trade show that showcases a comprehensive collection of exhibits and offers a variety of informative educational seminars. For more information, please visit www.worldpetassociation.org


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