# [Wet Thumb Forum]-San Diego Fish Club, Oct 10 Sunday, Free



## SanDiegoFishes (Jun 13, 2004)

WELCOME TO THE SAN DIEGO TROPICAL FISH SOCIETY!
The San Diego Tropical Fish Society has been meeting since the 1940s. Our goal is to bring fish loving folks together in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere to discuss and enjoy our passion for tropical fish and aquatic life. Members and guests of the club have a wide range of interests in underwater life, from freshwater fish to marine fish, snails to aquatic plants. Some of us just have one tank, some have a hundred or more. Some have decades of experience to share, while others are new to the hobby. Every meeting provides wonderful opportunities to talk "Fish" with other like minded people, and to make new fish friends. We support a diversity of interests and hope that you will share yours with us!

And don't forget to join us for our
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETING PRESENTATIONS:

OCTOBER: A presentation on air-breathing fishes by Heather Lee will explore some of the fascinating adaptations that fish have developed to survive in less than ideal water conditions. Emphasis is on the ever-entertaining mudskippers. Also, all you need to know about the upcoming November fish show and how you can participate!

NOVEMBER FISH SHOW: The annual San Diego Tropical Fish Show will be held the weekend of November 6th and 7th. Everyone is encouraged to enter a tank (or two!) to show off fish, plants, and other critters. It's lots of fun to participate, and prizes are awarded. Setup is on Friday, and the show runs through Sunday afternoon. Free to enter, and you might even win a trophy, plaque, or ribbon!!

NOVEMBER: The something-for-everyone giant fish auction! Unusual fish and plants, as well as tanks and equipment are available a bargain basement prices. This is a great opportunity to pick up unique fish and plants that you just won't find anywhere else. Don't miss this! Hundreds of items up for auction, you do not need to be a member to bid and buy!

DECEMBER: The annual pot-luck is always tons of fun! Bring a dish to share and relax with other fish keepers. Awards for the November show and the ever popular club elections will keep you on the edge of your seat.

And Coming in FEBRUARY: We have Dr. Paul Loiselle from the American Natural History Museum in New York speaking on his field trips to Madagascar! Dr. Loiselle is well known in cichlid circles and has even had one of the guapotes named after him. He is studying endemic killifish, too. Dr. Loiselle is known for his vast knowledge and unique presentation style, this is one you DO NOT want to miss!

THE SAN DIEGO TROPICAL FISH SOCIETY

Cool things you will find at the San Diego Tropical Fish Society!

MONTHLY MEETINGS are always held in this room, the second Sunday of every month at 6:30, rain or shine! Guests are always welcome, and we hope you will enjoy the club and become a member! (Our low, low membership dues help keep the club running.)

AQUATIC AUCTIONS: At each meeting we have a mini fish auction that starts at 6:30 PM. Guests are welcome to bid and buy fish, but only members may sell fish (another great reason to join, hint, hint) Incredible things show up at these auction, many rare and desirable fish and plants that are bred and raised by our members. You may never find these in local fish stores! If you wish to sell items, they must be checked in by 6:30 PM, auction will begin at 6:40 PM. Each member may bring up to 5 items, and anything fish related may be sold (Fish, aquatic plants, supplies, tanks, live food, etc.). The club splits the earnings with the sellers; the club gets 25%, seller gets 75%. No late check-in, thanks!

PRESENTATIONS: Following the auction, we have our presentation. This may be a guest speaker, a slide show, a video program, even a hands on demonstration. Every month is something different, and you will learn a lot! We get some excellent guest speakers from around the country, and often they bring in fish to raffle off as well!

BOWL SHOWS: Each meeting we have a mini fish show where members get to bring in their fish and compete against each other for raffle tickets and ribbons. Fish are brought in flat sided containers (usually small tanks or bowls), and each month is a different type of fish (Guppies, catfish, cichlids, etc.). This is great fun, and the kids love it. Winners in each class get 30 raffle tickets for 1st place, 20 raffle tickets for second place, and ten raffle tickets for third place. It is a great way to show off your fish and to let others get a look at some interesting fish! And it's free to enter too!

REFRESHMENTS are served at the break, and include donuts and punch, etc.

RAFFLE TABLE: This is a favorite for both adults and kids! Everyone can enter, guests and members. Tickets are 25c each, and your chances of winning (often numerous times) are excellent! Tickets are generally sold at the refreshment break time. The raffle table is loaded with tropical fish, aquatic plants, aquarium supplies, and a variety of other goodies. Also on the raffle table is always a brand new fish tank with hood and lighting. Many of these items are donated by members to support the club. If you have extra baby fish at home, or fish that have outgrown your tanks, please consider bringing them to the raffle table! The club would love any donations you would like to provide. , We have many manufacturers who donate brand new supplies to the club, and you will find these on the table as well, along with samples of fish food, filter supplies, live food cultures, books, fish magazines, aquatic snails, etc.! The proceeds of our raffle table go 100% to the club to pay for club activities throughout the year. You don't want to miss the raffle!!!

LARGE AUCTIONS: Twice a year in November and April we host two gigantic auctions of tropical fish and fish-related items. Close to 400 items can be up for auction, all brought in by members. These auctions draw a big crowd and just about everything fishy you can think of may show up. Only members may sell items (no limits, bring as much stuff as you like, but please no more than 5 bags of any one species or plant) and both guests and members may bid. Fantastic fish and plants come through these auctions, some things you have only ever seen in books!

NOVEMBER FISH SHOW: This is a club favorite! Every November we host a fish show in the Casa del Prado over the weekend. Members may bring as many tanks and bowls of fish as they want to, the more the merrier. Members compete against each other for trophies, plaques, and ribbons. If you have a favorite fish at home that you just know would blow away the competition, this is the event for you! The club provides the power, air pumps and heating, you just bring the tanks with a filter. You may also show smaller fish like guppies, killifish, bettas, and goldfish in flat sided fish bowls. The public is invited and comes through to look at the show, admission is free. A great opportunity to show off your most impressive fish, plants, and tanks!

MONTHLY FIELD TRIPS: Every month the fish club goes on a field trip to somewhere interesting and fun! Each month is something different. We publish and mail out a monthly newsletter called "Fish Tails", and this will list all upcoming events that the club is doing (another great reason to become a member!) Future field trips include trips to check out: grunion runs; the famous San Diego Koi show or a koi hatchery; Death Valley to find endemic pupfish; Aquarium of the Pacific, the Birch Aquarium, or Sea World; tide pools in Mexico or Point Loma; fish stores in Orange County, Los Angeles, or San Diego; the San Diego Zoo; the White Sea Bass facility; even Padre games! 
THE SAN DIEGO TROPICAL FISH SOCIETY

More cool things you will find at the San Diego Tropical Fish Society!

BREEDERS AWARD PROGRAM: Are your fish having babies for you at home? We have a non-competitive fish breeding program, a fun way to show others what life has been growing in your tanks. Just bring in 10 babies that are a month old or older to the meeting, and Norman Brown will give you an easy form to quickly fill in. Each fish species bred is worth points, and as you earn more and more points, you can win awards at the end of the year. Everyone loves to see your baby fish and find out how your tank was set up to get babies. You can then either auction your babies in the mini auction, donate them to the raffle table, share or trade them to another member, or take them back home. It is lots of fun, so start breeding some fish!

THE TROPICAL BREEZE: Our club magazine is published several times a year. Here you will find articles written by members, photos of members' fish, advice, info on fish, club announcements on upcoming field trips, activities, and lots more. Just one more great perk of joining the club! And of course, members also receive our monthly publication, "Fish Tails" to keep them up to date on club activities. Naturally, we would love to publish anything fish-related that you would like to write. To submit articles or photos, email David Huie at [email protected].

CONTACT INFO: Listed below are numbers for the people you can contact to find out more about the club or any of the above listed activities and events. Feel free to call anyone, we are here to help you. For general information you can call the club info line at (619)281-FISH. Or you can email Barbara(who many of know online as Woodle or SanDiegoFishes) at [email protected]. And our website is www.sandiegotropicalfish.com


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