Aquarium Hobbyist Clubs and Societies: The Complete Directory
Table of Contents
Local aquarium hobbyist clubs and societies are one of the most underrated resources in this hobby, and I say that after 25+ years of keeping fish. The knowledge inside a good local club. from breeders who’ve been at it for decades, to members willing to share cuttings, fry, or equipment at cost. is genuinely hard to find anywhere else. I’ve made some of my best hobby connections through club events and auctions. If you haven’t looked into your local club yet, I strongly encourage it. Below is a comprehensive list of aquarium hobbyist clubs and societies organized by region to help you find one near you.
Aquarium hobbyist clubs and societies can provide incredible learning experiences with the vast number of hobbyist veterans willing to help you out. Many are closer to you can you think. We encourage anyone who keeps freshwater or saltwater aquariums to join an aquarium club. They can provide many learning opportunities, mentorships, and a great way to make new friends. The tank tours alone are worth stopping by!
Since many of these clubs do not market themselves, Aquarium Store Depot has provided a list so that you can find the closest one to you. There are aquarium clubs popping up throughout the States all the time so if you have one that we have not listed, please e-mail us at info@aquariumstoredepot.com or contact us and we will get the list updated:
One underappreciated benefit of joining local clubs is access to a mentorship network. Most experienced hobbyists in these groups are genuinely happy to answer questions, do tank visits, or help troubleshoot a problem. You also get early access to members-only auctions, where locally bred fish, home-grown plants, and coral frags often go for a fraction of what you’d pay online. For beginners especially, this community knowledge base shortens the learning curve dramatically and makes the hobby far more enjoyable from day one.
What to Expect From Aquarium Hobbyist Clubs
Most aquarium hobbyist clubs operate on a simple model: members pay a small annual fee to fund events, speakers, and a shared library of books and equipment. Monthly meetings typically include a program segment (a speaker or demonstration), a Q&A, and an auction where members bring in frags, fry, cuttings, or equipment to sell or trade. This is one of the best ways to get rare or locally bred species that you’d never find at a big box store.
Freshwater aquarium hobbyist clubs tend to focus on planted tanks, cichlids, bettas, native fish, and general community fish. Marine and reef aquarium hobbyist clubs (often called reef clubs or SCMAS) center on coral propagation, SPS and LPS care, equipment reviews, and tank tours. Many clubs now have hybrid memberships that welcome both freshwater and saltwater hobbyists.
| State | City | Name | Website |
| Alabama | Mobile | Mobile Bay Reef Keepers | mbrk.com |
| Arizona | Phoenix | Arizona Frag Club | arizonafrag.com |
| Arizona | Phoenix | Drywash Aquarium Society | drywashaquarium.com |
| Arizona | Phoenix/Tucson | Arizona Aquatic Plant Enthusiasts | azaquaticplants.com |
| Arizona | Tucson | Desert Aquarist Society | desertaquaristsociety.com |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | Razorback Reef Marine Aquarium Society (RRMAS) | razorbackreef.com |
| California | Cosa Mesa | Coast Fish Club | coastfishclub.com |
| California | Fresno | Central Valley Reefers | cvreefers.org |
| California | Hayward | Bay Area Reefers | bareefers.org |
| California | Hollister | Central Coast Aquarium Club | kidjacobmartin.wix.com |
| California | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Reef Society | lareefsociety.org |
| California | Northern California | California Betta Society | cbsbettas.org |
| California | Riverside | Pan Pacific Guppy Association | ppga.tripod.com |
| California | Sacramento | Sacramento Aquarium Society | sacramentoaquariumsociety.info |
| California | San Diego | San Diego Tropical Fish Society | sandiegotropicalfish.com |
| California | San Diego | San Diego Marine Aquarium Society | sdmas.com |
| California | San Francisco | San Francisco Aquarium Society | SanFranciscoAquariumSociety. |
| California | San Francisco | San Francisco Bay Area Aquatic Plant Society | sfbaaps.org |
| California | San Jose | Pacific Coast Cichlid Association | cichlidworld.com |
| California | Santa Ana | Southern California Marine Aquarium Society | officalscmas.org |
| California | Southern California | Southern California Aquatic Plant Society | scapeclub.org |
| Colorado | Arvada | Colorado Aquarium Society | coloradoaquarium.org |
| Colorado | Colorado | Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado | coloradoaquarium.org |
| Colorado | Denver | Rocky Mountain Cichlid Association | marinecolorado.org |
| Colorado | Southern Colorado | Southern Colorado Marine Aquarium Society | thescmas.com |
| Connecticut | Connecticut | Connecticut Area Reef Society | ctars.org |
| Connecticut | Hudson Valley | Danbury Area Aquarium Society | northeastcouncil.org |
| Connecticut | Norwalk | Norwalk Aquarium Society | norwalkas.org |
| Delaware | Delaware | Chesapeake Area Killifish Club | chesapeakekillifish.org |
| Delaware | New Castle | Delaware Reef Club | dalreefclub.com |
| District of Columbia | DC | Capital Cichlid Association | capitalcichlids.org |
| District of Columbia | DC | Potomac Valley Aquarium Society | pvas.com |
| District of Columbia | DC | Washington DC Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) | wamas.org |
| Florida | Brevard | Brevard Area Reef Society | brevardareareefsociety.com |
| Florida | Miami | Florida Marine Aquarium Society | fmas1995.org |
| Florida | Orlando | Orlando Reef Caretakers Association | o-r-c-a.com |
| Florida | Palm Beach | Palm Beach Marine Aquarium Society | pbmas.org |
| Florida | Saratosa | Coastal Aquarium Society | coastalaquariumsociety.com |
| Florida | South Florida | Gold Coast Aquarium Society of South Florida | gcaquarium.org |
| Florida | Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Aquarium Society | tbas1.com |
| Florida | Various | Florida Reef Aquarium Group (FRAG) | floridareefaquariumgroup.com |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Atlanta Area Aquarium Society | atlantaaquarium.com |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Atlanta Reef Club | atlantareefclub.org |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Atlanta Southeastern Marine Aquarium Society | atlanta-smas.org |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | Honolulu Aquarium Society | honoluluaquariumsociety.org |
| Illinois | Bloomington | Central Illinois Tropical Aquarium Club | citac-il.org |
| Illinois | Chicago | Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society | cmas.net |
| Illinois | Chicago | Greater Chicago Cichlid Association | gcca.net |
| Illinois | Rockford | Rockford Reefers | rockfordreefersaquariumclub.org |
| Indiana | Indiana | Indiana Marine Aquarium Society | indmas.org |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | Circle City Aquarium Club | circlecityaqclub.org |
| Indiana | North Central Indiana | Northwest Indiana Marine Aquarium Club | michianaaquariumsociety.org |
| Indiana | Northwest Indiana | Northwest Indiana Marine Aquarium Club | nwimac.org |
| Iowa | Iowa | Greater Iowa Reef Society | greateriowareefsociety.org |
| Iowa | Marion | Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association | finflap.com |
| Kansas | Kansas | Salt City | salt-city.org |
| Kansas | Kansas City | Heart of America Aquarium Society | kcfishclub.org |
| Kentucky | Louisville | Louisville Marine Aquarium Society | lmas.org |
| Louisiana | Louisiana | Louisiana Reef Club | lareefclub.com |
| Louisiana | Southeast Louisiana | Southeast Louisiana Aquarium Society | selas.us |
| Maryland | Chesapeake | Chesapeake Marine Aquarium Society | cmas-md.org |
| Maryland | Maryland | Chesapeake Guppy Club | chesapeakeguppyclub.org |
| Maryland | Southern Maryland | Southern Maryland Marine Aquarium Society | smmas.org |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Boston Aquarium Society | bostonaquariumsociety.org |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Boston Reefers | bostonreefers.org |
| Massachusetts | New England | New England Fancy Guppy Association | newenglandguppies.org |
| Massachusetts | Springfield | Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society | pvas.net |
| Massachusetts | Worcester | Worcester Aquarium Society | sites.google.com/site/worcesteraquariumsociety |
| Michigan | Detroit | Michigan Guppy Breeders | michiganguppybreeders.com |
| Michigan | Detroit | Motor City Aquarium Club | motorcityaquariumsociety.com |
| Michigan | Lansing | Mid-Michigan Marine Club | midmichiganmarineclub.org |
| Michigan | Michigan | Marinelife Aquarium Society of Michigan | masm.org |
| Michigan | Michigan | Michigan Reefers | michiganreefers.com |
| Michigan | Northern Michigan | Upper Peninsula of Michigan Marine Aquarium Society | upmmas.com |
| Michigan | Southwest Michigan | Southwest Michigan Aquarium Society | swmas.org |
| Minnesota | Northern Minnesota | Northern Minnesota Reef Club | frozenocean.org |
| Minnesota | Roseville | Minnesota Aquarium Society | aquarium.mn |
| Minnesota | St. Paul | Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society | tcmas.org |
| Missouri | Maryland Heights | Missouri Aquarium Society | missouriaquariumsociety.com |
| Missouri | Springfield | Saltwater Enthusiasts Association of Springfield | theseas.org |
| Missouri | St. Louis | Saltwater Enthusiasts Association of St. Louis | seasl.org |
| Missouri | St. Louis | St. Louis Area Saltwater Hobbyists | slashclub.org |
| Nevada | Las Vegas | Las Vegas Marine Aquarium Society | lvmas.com |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire | New Hampshire Aquarium Society | nhaquariumsociety.com |
| New Jersey | Freehold | Jersey Shore Aquarium Society | jerseyshoreas.org |
| New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey Reefers Club | njreefers.org |
| New Jersey | New Jersey | New Jersey Aquarium Society | njas.net |
| New York | Albany | Capital District Marine Aquarist’s Society | cdmas.org |
| New York | Brooklyn | Brooklyn Aquarium Society | basny.org |
| New York | Buffalo | Upstate Reef Society | upstatereef.com |
| New York | Central New York | Central New York Aquarium Society | cnyas.org |
| New York | Hudson Valley | Hudson Valley Reefkeepers | hvreef.org |
| New York | Long Island | Long Island Aquarium Society | liasonline.org |
| New York | Long Island | Long Island Reef Association | longislandreef.org |
| New York | Manhattan | Manhattan Reefs | manhattanreefs.com |
| New York | Nassau County | Nassau County Aquarium Society | ncasweb.org |
| New York | Olean | Allegheny River Valley Aquarium Society | orgsites.com/ny/arvas |
| New York | Queens | Greater City Aquarium Society | greatercity.org |
| North Carolina | Charlotte | Reef Aquarium Society of Charlotte | rasoc.org |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | Triangle Reef Aquarium Club | trianglereefaquariumclub.tripod.com |
| Ohio | Akron | Greater Akron Aquarium Society | gaas-fish.net |
| Ohio | Central Ohio | Central Ohio Reef Aquarists | corareef.org |
| Ohio | Cincinnati | Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society | cincyreef.com |
| Ohio | Cleveland | Guppy Association of Greater Cleveland | angelfire.com/hi5/gagc |
| Ohio | Cleveland | Cleveland Saltwater Enthusiasts Association | c-sea.org |
| Ohio | Columbus | Columbus Area Fish Enthusiasts | columbusfishclub.org |
| Ohio | Lorain County | Lorain County Aquarium Society | lcas-fish.net |
| Ohio | Medina Couty | Medina County Aquarium Society | mcas-fish.net |
| Ohio | Middleburg Heights | Ohio Cichlid Association | ohiocichlid.com |
| Ohio | Youngstown | Youngstown Area Tropical Fish Society | yatfs.com |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society | oklahomaocean.tripod.com |
| Oregon | Oregon | Pacific Northwest Marine Aquarium Society | pnwmass.org |
| Oregon | Eugene | Willamette Valley Aquarium Society | wvaquariumsociety.com |
| Pennsylvania | Churchville | Bucks County Aquarium Society | bcasonline.com |
| Pennsylvania | Delaware Valley | Delaware County Aquarium Society | dcas.us |
| Pennsylvania | Delaware Valley | Delaware Vallery Reef Club | delvalreefclub.org |
| Pennsylvania | Lancaster County | Aquarium Club of Lancaster County | aclcpa.org |
| Pennsylvania | Northern Maryland | Mason Dixon Reef Club | mdreefclub.com |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburg | Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society | gpasi.org |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Marine Aquarium Society | pmasi.org |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Area Killifish Association | sheneskillies.com/paka/paka.htm |
| Rhode Island | Cranston | Ocean State Reef Aquarium Society | osras.com |
| Rhode Island | Cranston | Ocean State Reef Aquarium Society | osras.com |
| South Carolina | Charleston | Charleston Reefers Club | charlestonreefers.org |
| South Carolina | Columbia | Columbia Marine Aquarium Club | columbiamac.org |
| South Dakoa | Sioux Falls | Sioux Fallas Area Aquarium Society | sfaas.org |
| Tennessee | Knoxville | Middle Tennesse Reef Club | mtrc.org |
| Texas | Austin | Austin Reef Club | austinreefclub.com |
| Texas | Dallas | Dallas Marine Aquarium Society | dallasmas.org |
| Texas | Dallas/Fort Worth | Dallas Fort Worth Marine Aquarium Society | dfwmas.org |
| Texas | Dallas/Fort Worth | North Texas Reef Fanatics | northtexasreeffanatics.org |
| Texas | Houston | Greater Houston Aquarium Club | houstonfishbox.com |
| Texas | Houston | Marine Aquarium and Reef Society of Houston | marsh-reef.org |
| Texas | Lubbock | Lubbock Reef Club | lubbockreefclub.com |
| Texas | San Antonio | Hill Country Cichlid Club | hillcountrycichlidclub.com |
| Texas | Southern Texas | Marine Aquarists Association of South Texas | maast.org |
| Texas | Waco | Saltwater Club of Central Texas | myscct.com |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Great Salt Lake Aquarium Society | gslas.com |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society | utahreefs.com |
| Vermont | Vermont | Vermont Marine Aquarists | saltwatervt.org |
| Virginia | Richmond | Richmond Reefers | richmondreefers.com |
| Washington | Seattle | Greater Seattle Aquarium Society | gsas.org |
| Washington | Spokane | Spokane Reef Society | icehouse.net |
| Washington | Washington | Pacific Sound Aquarium Society | pnwmas.org |
| Washington | Yakima | Yakima Salt Water Club | yswc.forumotion.net |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Madison Area Reef Society | madisonreef.com |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Madison Area Aquatic Hobbyists | madisonaquatichobby.com |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Aquarium Society | milwaukeeaquariumsociety.com |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Reef Society | wireefsociety.com |
Starting a freshwater tank? Check out our freshwater aquarium words of wisdom
Starting a saltwater tank? Check out our saltwater reef tank words of wisdom
Looking to buy livestock? Check out this link for the best place to buy fish online
Why Join Aquarium Hobbyist Clubs and Societies
Whether you’re new to the hobby or decades in, aquarium hobbyist clubs and societies remain one of the most underrated resources in fishkeeping. Most aquarium hobbyist clubs host monthly meetings, livestock auctions, and equipment swaps where you can find rare species at a fraction of retail prices. Many aquarium hobbyist clubs also maintain active online communities if in-person attendance isn’t possible. If you’ve been considering joining, this grand list of aquarium hobbyist clubs and societies is a great place to start.
References
- Seriously Fish — Species profiles and care data
- FishBase — Taxonomy and scientific data
- Practical Fishkeeping — Husbandry and care advice