Editorial: June 2007

It is with a very heavy heart that I have to report the very untimely death of Greg Schiemer – a fine man and a dear friend.

By Terry Siegel

Keywords: Editorial, Gregory Schiemer, Terry Siegel

If you have not already seen this on our boards please be aware that through the generosity of ZeroEdge Aquarium, PFO Solaris, and Euro-Reef we are auctioning off a complete reef system, valued at $2600,00. The drawing will be held at MACNA this Summer in Pittsburg. However, you do not need to be present to win. The link to this drawing along with pictures of this setup is, http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=105480

Greg Schiemer

It is with a very heavy heart that I have to report the very untimely death of Greg Schiemer – a fine man and a dear friend. I met Greg back in the 1980s, pretty much at the birth of the reef keeping hobby, and discovered a kindred coralaholic. Greg and I shared the same passion: to create a closed system reef that would allow the various sea creatures, both vertebrates and invertebrates, to grow and flourish – even reproduce in captivity. I certainly can say with all honesty that Greg’s husbandry ability was matched by only a handful of reef keepers – Sprung, Yaiullo, Delbeek, for example – but none exceeded his skill. In pursuing his/our bliss, Greg exercised critical intelligence, science, and almost endless curiosity. When it came to those selling a product or information, he had little patience with the proverbial snake oil salesmen of the world. Often, he would say, where’s the factual proof, can you prove that, and after all is said and done, it’s the lives of these wonderful creatures that we are taking out of the sea that are at stake.

When Julian Sprung and I started Aquarium Frontiers Greg was fully on board with us. Without his insight, hard work at product reviews, and financial sense we never would have gotten off of the ground. I can’t think of another reef keeper who was more generous with his time and knowledge. As a way of remembrance here are a few pictures of some of his animals in his wonderful 500-gallon reef tank, which was but one of the reef tanks he maintained. When it came to animal husbandry Greg Schiemer was a super-star. The hobby and I will miss him very much.