by David Schaeffer
When I was young and green in judgment, I pined for strange and rare fish that were not to be found at the local pet shop. My friend, also a fish fancier, and I would talk about what fish we dreamt about and swore we would one day possess. We spoke of trips to Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi (My friend preferred the latter. I told him he was crazy.), of collecting in the rivers of West Africa, of bringing undiscovered species out of the jungles of New Guinea. Collecting fever was treated by frequent trips to our local stream, and we received an early introduction to native fishkeeping through johnny darters and baby brown bullheads. Most of all, we spoke in hushed and reverent tones of killifish and discus.
We never managed to get our hands on any killies or discus in those days, mainly because we couldn't find any. When discus made rare appearances in pet shops, they were too pricey, and often didn't look too healthy. I remember the first time I saw a pair of killies in a dealer's tank - in a tank marked "Not for Sale." I knew there was an organization called the American Killifish Association, but it wasn't until my college days that I bothered to track down membership info and sent in my check.
It was like being a kid again. I received my first Fish and Egg Listing and practically had to be strapped down. Here were all the fish I coveted so desperately all those years ago, waiting to be shipped to me for $5, $6, $7 a pair. That was the good part. The great part was seeing listings for local clubs. I joined the nearest local group and began enjoying a new facet to my hobby.
Once a month I was meeting with people who shared my interest in killies, and who could give advice based on years of personal experience. I found that while most books out there give good advice, they can't hold a candle to someone who's been spawning and raising fish for 10, 20, 30 years. Best of all, these are people who share their experience willingly. Most local clubs have auctions at every meeting, and fish are freely exchanged. I learned to appreciate the thrill of a good auction and the pride that comes with raising a pair of fish and putting them in the hands of another dedicated hobbyist.
Other memberships have followed since those days - The American Cichlid Association, the North American Native Fishes Association, for example. All offer their members the opportunity to meet, communicate with and exchange fish with fellow "fishaholics," as well as providing for the dissemination of useful info to those who need it. National clubs have the advantage of a huge base of members with diverse viewpoints, not to mention fish. On the other hand, when you're a member of a local club, you don't have to wait for an annual convention to meet with your comrades - meetings are only a month or two apart.
Add to this the newsletters and fine publications put out by the various organizations, and it's hard to think of a reason not to join.
Here's a listing of some of the national clubs. If I missed your club, let me know and I will add it to the list.