Subject: AQUARIA FAQ: Societies, Books and Mailorder
Date: 13 Apr 1996 07:09:05 GMT
Cc: 

Rec-aquaria-archive-name: general-faq/resource
Alt-aquaria-archive-name: general-faq/resource
Sci-aquaria-archive-name: general-faq/resource
Posting-Frequency: monthly

This FAQ available on the WWW via http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Faq/


                                 FAQ: RESOURCES
                                       
   This section contains references for more information. Specifically,
   books (including good beginner books), magazines, addresses of some
   organizations (useful for finding your local fish club), and
   mail-order supply houses.
   
   Resources for plants and plant-related equipment can be found in a
   separate plant resources section within the plant FAQ.
   
.
                            FAQ: GOOD BEGINNER BOOKS
                                       
Contributed by Oleg Kiselev

   Most aquarium books are reasonable in their advice. Do be careful of
   older books which were written before some of the more recent advances
   in the science of aquaria were made. Issues such as the nitrogen cycle
   will probably not be covered well. Libraries are an excellent source
   of books, and one should go the library first before spending any
   money.
   
Sample of Popular Titles

     * _Baensh's Aquarium Atlas_ (~$22-28)
     * _Marine Aquarium Handbook_ by Martin Moe (~$10)
     * _Vierke's Aquarium Book_ ($10-15)
     * _Marine Aquarium Reference: Systems and Invertebrates_ by Moe
       (~$22-25)
     * _The Concise Encyclopedia of Aq. Fish_ by Dick Mills (~$10)
       
   Many of the ``Fishkeeper's Guide'' Books by Tetra press are quite
   good, and are available for around $6-$10. For plant books, Barron's
   and Tetra's (~$5-6) are suggested.
   
Freshwater Books

   A decent aquarium reference book need not be expensive or very
   detailed. What it must have is:
     * enough common species to make it usable (200-300 species is
       sufficient for most purposes)
     * recognizable pictures of fish to use as the identification guide
       descriptions of the species including:
          + length the fish will attain
          + typical behavior (and community tank compatibility)
          + spawning requirements
          + dietary needs
          + minimal tank size
          + water quality and temperature
     * some basic suggestions on how to set up an aquarium
     * some minimal info on fish diseases
       
   There are many books that satisfy these requirements. They are very
   inexpensive and there is no excuse for someone to spend $20+ on the
   fish that will die in 3-4 weeks instead of buying a book that would
   prevent these losses for a lot less money.
   
  For under $10:
  
   Simon&Schuster's _Pocket Guide to Aquarium Fishes_ lists for $7 and
   can be found for $4 in discount book shops. Not an ``end-all''
   reference volume but at least it does not lie too much. I probably
   like it because it has an excellent photo of Aphyosemion filamentosum
   that looks just about like the A. filamentosum I have. (ISBN
   0-671-25451-0)
   
   At Crown Books and other ``remaindered'' book sellers, you will find a
   book edited by Dick Mills that is called _The Concise Encyclopedia of
   Tropical Aquarium Fishes_ if it's published by Crescent (and Tetra's
   _Junior Atlas of Tropical Aquarium Fishes_ if it's published by
   Tetra). It covers all the basic ideas about setting up an aquarium and
   has descriptions and fair quality photos of over 300 species of fish
   (the book is not in front of me so can't give you more detail). It's
   published by Salamander Press in Europe and Tetra (Crescent) in US.
   (Crescent edition ISBN 0-517-66776-2)
   
   At Tower Books and other ``mainstream'' bookseller chains and larger
   book stores, you will find Barron's series of translation of German
   aquarium books, all between $5 and $8, concentrating on specific
   categories of fish (Killifishes (ISBN 0-8120-4475-4), Cichlids (ISBN
   0-8120-4597-1)), or breeding (Ines Scheurman's _Aquarium Fish Breeding_
   (ISBN 0-8120-4474-6)), or general aquarium maintenance, or plants. All
   of these books give a beginner a solid introduction to what and why of
   the the filtration, water chemistry and so on. Any of these books make
   an excellent starting point. They don't have very many color photos,
   which probably contributed to the low price, but have a lot of
   drawings.
   
   Also near the $10 mark (and a lot less through mail-order), are the
   Tetra/Salamander series of ``Fishkeeper's Guide To...'' books. They
   are available at a number of ``normal'' book stores and I recommend
   ``... Healthy Aquarium'' and ``...Community Fishes'' as the better
   beginner books. The rest of the series is quite good as well and any
   one of these books should be a great start.
   
   _``The Innes Book''_ -- it is a thick volume that has gone through a
   dozen publishers and something like 50 editions. The newer ones will
   probably be a bit more up to date, but the older ones are not bad,
   either. They range from $2 to $15 and my preference is for the oldest
   editions. I am personally looking for a leather bound printing from
   early 30's. Don't expect the fish names to match the current
   nomenclature or in some case even the real species -- for the last 40
   years ``The Innes Book'' has had a picture of A. filamentosum for
   their Aphyosemion gardneri.
   
   These are the cheapest books. If you are willing to spend $15-20 (and
   you better be willing to spend that much on the books if you are go to
   spend that much on the fish!), the number of books is larger and the
   amount of information increases.
   
  Between $15 and $20
  
   The books get larger, more colorful and complete:
   
   van Ramshorst's Aquarium Encyclopedia published by HPBooks and sold by
   Waldenbooks is a translation from Dutch and at $17.95 is among the
   better ``shopping list'' aquarium books. It is full of very good
   quality color photos, covers over 570 species of fish, 80 species of
   plants, all aspects of aquarium design, building, set-up, decor, etc.
   Not much on filtration, but that's all in the FAQ, so not a big flaw
   for a USENET reader.
   
   Crown Books used to sell _The Living Aquarium_, a translation from
   Swedish published by Crescent Books. It's close to $20 and does not
   have descriptions of too many species, but has a lot of detailed
   diagrams, goes into the black arts of filtration and lighting and
   attempts to cover cold water and tropical fresh water, cold water and
   tropical marine and brackish aquaria, suggesting the species and decor
   for them. It also has a section on building aquaria, as all European
   books seem to.
   
More Expensive and/or Specialty Books

   There are many other books that are not cheap even when you buy them
   mail-order (a sure way to save 50% on the price). Many of these books
   cost so much because of the large number of color photos in them and
   because of the production values that went in. You will have to decide
   for yourself if it's worth your money to buy these and if you will
   find something really worth while in them (I have spent several
   hundred $$$ on such books over the last few years and do not regret
   buying any of them). If nothing else, these books make great coffee
   table books that are bound to get all sorts of comments from house
   guests.
   
Where to Find the Cheapest Books

   Look through the used book stores. Books from 20-30 years ago may have
   wrong Latin names for some of the fish, claim that certain species of
   now-common fish are hard to breed, and may have less than adequate
   coverage of filtration, but those books are still excellent general
   references and (should) cost very little.
   
What Not to Buy

   _AVOID_ any books by TFH that are less than 100 pages or have a word
   ``Beginner'' in the title. Leaf through the book: if you see lots of
   photos of products placed so that brand names are obvious and easy to
   read, or you find a bunch of photos of grinning gap-toothed kids
   holding up various pieces of equipment or poking their hands into an
   aquarium -- put this book away and never look at it again. These books
   are (in my opinion) utter garbage.
   
   There are a few exceptions to that rule in the TFH line: Dr. Jubb's
   ``Nothobranchius'', 2 volumes of Jocher's ``Spawning Problem Fishes''
   and Windelow's ``Aquatic Plants'', but they fall into the
   ``specialty'' category).
   
.
                                 FAQ: MAGAZINES
                                       

Freshwater and Marine Aquarium  (monthly)
          P.O. Box 487,
          Sierra Madre, CA 91024
          Phone (818) 355-1476

          1yr/12 iss.    $22.00
          2yr/24 iss.    $43.00

          Outside US     $27.50/yr  (no 2 year subscr.)

Tropical Fish Hobbyist  (monthly)
          One TFH Plaza,
          Neptune City, NJ 07753
          Phone (908) 988-8400

          1yr/12 iss.    $40.00

          Foreign - add $11.00/yr

     **note:   The edition found in retail stores often does NOT
               have mail order ads; the home subscription edition
               does.  Do not buy one at the store for m/o
               addresses without checking it out first.

Aquarium Fish Magazine  (monthly)

          The following special offer is made by _AFM_ for readers of
          the *.aquaria newsgroups.

 *****************************************************************************
Date: 12 Apr 95 09:26:26 EDT
From: Edward Bauman  <edbauman@pipeline.com>

 As a special offer to members of the Internet *.aquaria newsgroups,
subscriptions to _Aquarium Fish Magazine_ are being made available at
a special price.  You can receive a 2-year subscription for only
$24.97.  This offer applies to both new subscriptions and renewals,
and represents a significant savings over the normal subscription cost
of 2 years for $38.00.  In other words, you get 2 years for the price
of 1.

 To take advantage of this offer, send a check or money order, or VISA
or Mastercard account number and expiration date to the address below.
You must include the subscription department in the address in order
to receive the special price.

                       Aquarium Fish Magazine
                       Subscription Dept. FHNT
                       P.O. Box 6040
                       Mission Viejo, CA 92690
                       USA

 Canadian subscribers please add $8 and foreign subscribers please add $16 to
 the subscription price.  Please pay by international money order or with VISA
 or Mastercard (Access).

 ******************************************************************************


Practical Fishkeeping  (British mag)
          MOTORSPORT
          RR1 Box 200 D.
          Jonesburg MO 63351-9616

          US     - $42.00 per year

KOI USA (bi-monthly)
          KOI USA
          P.O. Box 1
          Midway City, CA 92665
          U.S.A.

          6 issues per year
          $15 in U.S., US$ 19.50 in Canada

Marine Fish Monthly
        Publishing Concepts Corp.
        3243 Highway 61
        East Luttrell, TN  37779

        1yr/12 iss.     $20.00
        Canada          $28.00/yr
        Foreign         $35.00/yr (US $ required)

        1-800-937-3963 for subscription by phone

   
   
.
                    FAQ: AQUARIA ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIETIES
                                       
Contributed by Rick Clark, Jim Lilly <73552.1402@compuserve.com>, and a bunch
of other people

   If you would like to have a society here, please contact us with your
   address.
   
National/International Aquarium Societies

   _American Cichlid Association_
   P.O. Box 5351
   Naperville, IL 60567-5351
   
   AQUATIC GARDENERS ASSN.
   83 Cathcart St.
   London, Ontario, Canada
   N6L 3L9
   
   INTERN'L BETTA CONGRESS
   923 Wadsworth St.
   Syracuse, NY
   13208-2419
   
   NORTH AMERICAN DISCUS SOCIETY
   6939 Justin Drive
   Mississauga, Ont, Canada
   L4T 1M4
   
   RAINBOWFISH STUDY GROUP OF NO. AMERICA
   Gary Lange
   2590 Cheshire
   Florissant, MO 63033
   
Local Aquarium Societies

   This list was updated 11/22/95 by Hedy Padgett of FAAS.
   ** indicates a non-FAAS society.


ATLANTA AREA AQUARIUM ASSN.
Mark Barnett
130 Springbrook Lane
Stockbridge, GA  30281

AIR CAPITAL A.S.
P.O. Box 3235                   Jim Martinson
Wichita, KS                     917 1/2 W. Douglas
67201-3235                      Wichita, KS - 67213

** ALAMO A.S., INC.
319 Byrnes
San Antonio, TX
78209

ALLEGHENY RIVER VALLEY A.S.
P.O. Box 415                    Ken Taft
Olean, NY                       319 North 11th Street
14760-0415                      Olean, NY -14760

AQ. CLUB OF LANCASTER CNTY
218 E. Clay St.                 Mark W. Gagermeier
Lancaster, PA                   PO Box 98
17602                           Seven Valleys, PA-17360-0098

AQ. HOBBYISTS OF AMARILLO
1009 S. Kentucky                Debbie Black
Amarillo, TX                    1009 S. Kentucky
79012                           Amarillo, TX-79102

AQUA LAND AQUATIC SOCIETY
Karl Chadbourne
231Bayberry Dr.
Bristol, CT-06010-

** AQUARIUM SOCIETY OF DURHAM
P.O. Box 25218
Durham, NC
27702-2518

AQUARIUM SOCIETY OF WINNIPEG
P.O. Box 301                            Gary Blazeiko
Winnipeg, Manitoba,  Canada             342 Redwood Ave
R3C 2H6                                 Winnipeg, MB, CANADA    R2W 1S2

** ASOC. NACIONAL ACUAROFILA MEXICANA, AC
APDO Postal 73-112, Santa Cruz Atoyac
Mexico, DF
03310

ASOCI. ACUARISTAS AGUADILLA
P.O. Box 102                            Ken Orth
Aguadilla, PR                           P.O. Box 102
00605                                   Aguadilla, PR    00605

** BERMUDA FRY-ANGLE CLUB
P.O. Box WK272
Warwick, WKBX, Bermuda

BLACK RIVER AQUARIUM SOCIETY,INC.
Jack Adinolfi
P.O. BOX 92
LUDLOW, VT   05149-0092

BOSTON A.S.
255 Central St.                         William Curtin
Holliston, MA                           45 Park Ave West South
01746-2011                              Weymouth, MA  02190-1749

BROOKLYN A.S.
P.O. Box 290610                         Michael Loweth
Brooklyn, NY                            34-38 42nd St.
11229-0011                              Long Island City,  NY   11102

BUCKS COUNTY A.S., Ltd.
Gary Jones
237 Apple St.
Levittown,  PA  19057-1211

CALGARY A.S.
P.O. Box 63180, 2604 Kensington Rd. NW  Dale Speirs
Calgary, Alberta, Canada                Box 6830, Station D
T2N 4S5                                 CALGARY, ALB, CANADA-  T2P 2E7

** CALIF. ORGANIZATION OF AQUATIC SHOW TROP.
13581 Arizona St., #2
Westminster, CA
92683-2361

CENTRAL FLORIDA A.S.
1017 Alpug Ave.                         Ken Williams
Oviedo, FL                              1033 Santa Anita
32765                                   Orlando, FL         32808

CENTRAL ILLINOIS AQUARIST
PO Box 225                              Terry McCue
Pekin, IL                               123 Charlotte
61555-0225                              Pekin, IL       61554

CENTRAL NEW YORK A.S., INC
P.O. Box 566                            Bill Brogan     Ives Street Rd
Syracuse, NY                            19512 Cnty Rt. 65
13206                                   Watertown, NY 13601-2943

** CENTRAL VALLEY A.S.
1990 Rohrer Dr.
Turlock, CA
95382-1945

CENTRAL WISCONSIN A.S.
5339 Hwy 54 E                           Jerry Podolak
Plover, WI                              5339 Hwy 54 East
54467                                   Plover, WI  54467

CHAMPAIGN AREA FISH EXCHANGE
Greg Wooters
1231 Joanne
Champaign, IL   61821

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AQ. ASSN., INC.
Joe Rozen
149 South Ocelot St.
Dunkirk, NY       14048

CIRCLE CITY AQ. CLUB
5332 Rockville Rd.                      Jeff Neese
Indianapolis, IN                        421 E. 41st. St.
46224-9112                              Indpls, In 46205

CLEVELAND A.S.
26011 Hendon Road                       Alan Robbins
Beachwood, OH                           26011 Hendon Road
44122                                   Beachwood, OH 44122

** CLEVELAND SALTWATER ENTHUSIASTS ASSN.
20897 Fairpark Dr.
Fairview Park, OH
44126

** COLORADO A.S.
P.O. Box 1253
Arvada, CO
80005

COLUMBUS AREA FISH ENTHUSIAST
3522 Rivercrest Dr.                     Tracie McCue
Columbus, OH                            5233 Brownfield Ct.
43223                                   Columbus, OH  43232-4607

DANBURY AREA A.S.
PO Box 8017                             Rick Marino
New Fairfield, CT                       85 Starrs Plain Rd.
06812                                   Danbury, CT     06810

DELAWARE COUNTY A.S.
P.O. Box 521                            Peter Rollo
Ridley Park, PA                         2308 Cedar Lane
19078                                   Secane, PA      19018

DIAMOND STATE A.S.
Richard Adler
5420 Valley Green Dr., Apt. c-2
Wilmington, DE 19808

** Dry Wash Aquarium Society
c/o Don Kinney II
8245 N. 27th Ave. #1115
Phoenix, Az. 85051

** EASTERN IOWA AQ. SOCIETY
Buck Stark
P.O. BOX 2327
Cedar Rapids, IA   52406

ERIE AQ. SOC.
4829 Leacock Rd.                        Nicholas Danko
Edinboro, PA                            1942 Ottawa Drive #4
16412                                   Erie, PA        16505-4928

FEDERATION OF AMERICAN A.S.
Hedy Padgett (Membership Chair)
4816 E. 64th. Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220-4728

FEDERATION OF TEXAS A.S.
3502 Carter Creek Pkwy                  Doug Austin
Bryan, TX                               9511 Strawgrass Dr.
77802                                   Houston, TX 77064

FORT WAYNE CICHLID
502 Park Ave. - Box 260                 Ted Fandrei
Antwerp, OH                             1334 E. Pressler Rd
45813                                   Columbia City, IN  46725

** GREAT LAKES CICHLID SOCIETY
1113 Sunset Road
Mayfield Hts, OH
44124

GREATER AKRON A.S.
P.O. Box 494                            Bob Gill
Akron, OH                               4726 - #2 Wiseland Ave. S.E.
44309-0494                              Capton, OH  44707

GREATER CHICAGO CICHLID ASSN
241 Oxford Ct.                          Gary Wagner
Bloomingdale, IL                        1645 McGovern
60108                                   Highland Park, IL  60035

GREATER CINCINNATI A.S.
P.O. Box 46205                          Jerry Riegel
Cincinnati, OH                          1468 Larrywood Lane
45246-0205                              Cincinnati, OH   45224

GREATER CITY A.S.
Berek Haus
197-05 90th Ave.
Hollis, NY       11423

GREATER DAYTON A.S.
288 Virginia Ave.                       Dave Price
Centerville, OH                         1659 Common Wealth Dr.
45458                                   Xenia,  OH  45385

GREATER DETROIT A.S.
P.O. Box C                              Dean Sliger
Royal Oak, MI                           P.O. Box 20263
48068                                   Ferndale, MI     48220-0263

** GREATER FAIRFIELD COUNTY A.S.
P.O. Box 141
Lancaster, OH
43130

** GREATER LAFAYETTE A.S.
516 N. 27th St.
Lafayette, IN
47904

GREAT LAKES CICHLID SOCIETY
Butch Capaldi
890 Orchard Road
Willoughby, OH 44094

GREATER PITTSBURGH A.S.
P.O. Box 22452                          Edward Redgate
Pittsburgh, PA                          227 Dewey St.
15122-0452                              Pittsburgh, PA  15218

** GREATER PORTLAND A.S.
P.O. Box 6752
Portland, OR
97228-6752

GREATER SEATTLE A.S.
1632 15th Ave #1                        Lynna Philips
Seattle WA 98122                        7757 142nd Way S.E.
                                        Renton, WA      98059

** GREEN WATER A.S.
P.O. Box 611
Bedford Park, IL
60499-0611

Grupo Mexicano de Ciclidofilos
Cordillera karakorum 223B, Lomas 3a. seccion
San Luis Potosi, S.L.P., 78216
Mexico
Tel/fax 052-48-253168
e-mail cm886@freenet.carleton.ca

HEART OF AMERICA A.S.
6712 Linden Road                        Ron DeVono
Kansas City, MO                         7904 E. 58th St.
64112                                   Kansas City, MO         64129

HOUSTON AQ. SOC., INC
5116 Elm                                Silva St. Germain
Houston, TX                             7111 Log View Dr.
77081                                   Houston, TX        77040

HURONIA AND DISTRICT A.S.
RR 3, 9th Con. W.                       Leighton Irwin
Orillia, Ontario, Canada                RR 3, 9th Cons. W.
L3V 6H3                                 Orillia, Ont  CANADA   L3V 6H3

INDIANAPOLIS A.S., INC.
430 2nd Ave. N.E.                       Linda Croddy
Carmel, IN                              7333 Rogers Drive
46032                                   Indianapolis, IN        46214

JACKSONVILLE A.S.
P.O. Box 156                            Bernhard D. Echt
Jacksonville, FL                        5347 Swaying Oaks Ct.
32207                                   Jacksonville, FL  32258

KITSAP A.S., INC.
P.O. Box 1145                           Rosemay Mearns
Silverdale, WA                          PO Box 1039
98383                                   Silverdale, WA  98383-1039

** LEHIGH VALLEY A.S.
116 Hazen Ave.
E. Bangor, PA
18037

LONG ISLAND A.S.
214 Holly Lane                          Demetrios Litsakis
Smithtown, NY                           183 Cherokee St.
11787                                   Ronkokoma, NY   11779

LORAIN COUNTY A.S.
P.O. Box 185                            Jason G. Johnson
Elyria, OH                              4695 Clifton Ave
44036-0185                              Lorain, OH    44055

** LOUISVILLE TROP. FISH FANCIERS, INC.
P.O. Box 6774
Louisville, KY
40207-6774

MAINE STATE AQUARIUM SOCIETY
P.O. Box 487                            Bob LeBlanc
N. Berwick, ME                          218 Westbrook St.
03906                                   So. Portland, ME   04106

MEDINA COUNTY A.S., INC.
P.O. Box 1485                           Debbie Corbett
Medina, OH                              4267 Miner Dr.
44258                                   Brunswick,  OH 44212

MID-SOUTH A.S., INC.
P.O. Box 11744                          Joe Edds, Jr.
Memphis, TN                             1974  N.Glenhome Drive
38111                                   Memphis, TN        38134

MISSOURI A.S., INC.
John Van Asch
505 S. 20th St.,
Belleville, IL   62223

MINNESOTA A.S., INC.
2804 31st Ave. N.E.                     Paul E. Turley
Minneapolis, MN                         3413 Sumter Ave
55418-2453                              St. Louis Park, MN  55426

** MISSOURI A.S., INC.
36 Wagon Wheel
Fenton, MO
63026

** MOBILE A.S.
11450 Boe Rd. Ext.
Grand Bay, AL
36541

MONTREAL A.S.
P.O. Box 653, Station B,                Gary Elson
Montreal, Que., Canada                  2181 Marcil Ave.
H3B 3K3                                 Montreal, QC  Canada  H4A 2Z2

MOTOR CITY A.S., INC.
P.O. Box 60                             Kelli Potter
Roseville, MI                           26437 Oak
48066                                   Roseville, MI       48066

** NEW YORK-PENN COUNCIL
3317 Asbury Rd.
Erie, PA
16506

** NORTH COUNTRY A.S.
PO Box 46
Potsdam, NY
13676

** NORTH EAST ALABAMA A.S.
3524 Alexandria Rd.
Anniston, AL
36201

NORTH JERSEY A.S.
23 W. 39th                              Dore Careo
Bayonne, NJ                             198 Linden Ave
07002                                   Jersey City, NJ 07305

NORWALK A.S. OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
P.O. Box 84                             Sal Silvestri
South Norwalk CT                        33 Shaker Road
06852                                   New Canaan, CT   06840

OHIO CICHLID ASSN, INC.
3896 Boston Road                        Jim Smith
Brunswick, OH                           1028 Barkston Dr.
44212                                   Highland Hts, OH    44143-3221

** Ottawa Valley Aquarium Society
Box 31033, Nepean, Ontario, Canada
K2B 8S8

PACIFIC COAST CICHLID ASSN.
P.O. Box 28145                          Kurt Zadnik
San Jose, CA                            923 6th Avenue
95128                                   Crockett, CA  94525

** PENN. FISH CULTURISTS ASSN.
6804 No. 10th St.
Philadelphia, PA
19126

POTOMAC VALLEY A.S., INC.
P.O. Box 664                            Arthur Road
Merrifield, VA                          Annandale, VA    22003
22116

REGINA A.S.
P.O. Box 3654,                          Bill Aitken
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada            71 Meadow Way
S4P 3N8                                 Regina, SAS, CANADA    S4N 5G9

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CICHLID ASSN.
9242 E. Eastman Place                   Mike Haverland
Denver, CO                              5065 W. Hinsdale Cir.
80231                                   Littleton, CO   80123

SACRAMENTO A.S.
P.O. Box 160545                         Kim Crowdis
Sacramento, CA                          325 E. 16th St.
95816-0545                              Marysville, CA 95901

** SAN DIEGO TROPICAL FISH SOC., INC.
P.O. Box 4156, N. Park Sta.
San Diego, CA
92164

** SAN FRANSISCO A.S.
(415) 387-6626
WWW: http://users.aol.com/sfas/

** SASKATOON A.S.
Box 371,
Saskatoon Saskathewan, Canada
S7K 3L3

** SHEBOYGAN A.S.
P.O. Box 954
Sheboygan, WI
53082

SINGING SANDS A.S.
P.O. Box 134                            Jim Lilly
Michigan City, IN                       413 E. 18th St.
46360                                   LaPorte,   IN   46350-6619

SOCIETIE D'AQUARIOPHILIE DE MONTREAL
2450 Workman                            Claude A. Picard
Montreal, QUE, Canada                   1600 Des Pinsons
H3J 1L8                                 Ste. Catherine, Que, Canada J0L IE0

SOUTHEAST  MINNESOTA A.S.
Dan Andrews
206 S. Main
Chatsfield, MN          55923

** Southern California Cichlid Association
4195 Chino Hills Pkwy. #362
Chino Hills, CA 91709

SOUTHERN COLORADO A.S.
Dale Grover
807 Fontmore Rd.
Colorado Springs, CO    80904

SOUTHTOWNS FISH FANCIERS, INC.
John Burdick
8639 S. Main St.
Eden, NY   14057

SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN AQ. SOC.
Scott Tetzlaff
226 Burton SW
Grand Rapids   MI 49507

** SOUTH SOUND A.S.
948 Summit Lakeshore Rd., N.W.
Olympia, WA
98502

** SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA A.S.
PO Box 9093
Rochester, MN
55903-9093

** SOUTHERN COLORADO A.S.
P.O. Box 16078
Colorado Springs, CO
80935

SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN A.S., INC.
P.O. Box 3175                           Scott Tetzlaff
Kalamazoo, MI                           226 Burton SW
49003-3175                              Grand Rapids   MI 49507

STARK COUNTY AQUA LIFE ENTHUSIASTS, INC.
P.O. Box 8384                           Helene Pringle
Canton, OH                              1414 Wabash Ct. N.E.
44711                                   Canton, OH   44705

** STORY CITY A.S.
920 Fairview St., #8
Story City, IA
50248

** TAMPA BAY AQUARIUM SOCIETY
1101 W. Kirby St.
Tampa, FL
33604

THE SUBURBAN A.S.
P.O. Box 101                            Paul Johnson
Prospect Hts, IL                        6249 W. School St.
60070                                   Chicago, IL     60634-4112

TAMPA BAY AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Vinny Kutty
8210 Fisherman's Point Dr.
Temple Terrace, FL 33637

TROPICAL AQUARISTS OF NORTHERN - OHIO CLUB
Bonnie Tamura
941 N. State St.
Painesville, OH   44077

** TRI-COUNTY TROPICAL FISH SOC.
312 Oaklawn Terr.
Creve Coeur, IL
61611

TROPICAL FISH CLUB OF BURLINGTON
RR #1, Box 1548                         Richard Maxwell
Huntington, VT                          76 Porters Point Rd.
05462                                   Colchester, VT  05446

** TROPICAL FISH CLUB OF ERIE COUNTY
5725 Herman Hill Rd.
Hamburg, NY
14075

TROPICAL FISH SOCIETY RHODE ISLAND
44 Homecrest Ave.                       George Mundy
Slatersville, RI                        44 Homecrest Ave., Box 525
02876                                   Slatersville, RI  02876

** WESTERN NEW YORK A.S.
P.O. Box 472, Hiler Branch
Buffalo, NY
14223

WORCESTER A.S.
P.O. Box 972                            Stephen Szabo
Worcester, MA                           PO Box 132
01613-0972                              Oakham, MA    01068

YOUNGSTOWN AREA TROPICAL FISH
P.O. Box 5190                           Ron Romigh
Youngstown, OH                          604 Allen Ave.
44514                                   Monaca, PA      15061

   
   
.
                             FAQ: MAIL-ORDER HOUSES
                                       
   This section contains mailorder information for aquarium supply houses
   and pond supplies.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
Mail-Order Aquarium Supplies

   Although prices are lower through mail order, one must consider the
   cost of the shipping and handling, the delay time if product is not in
   stock, and the fact that the mail order company will typically not
   answer detailed questions. Your local retailer on the other hand must
   pay for the overhead of inventory, and often times are willing to
   answer questions. We need to collectively ensure the survival of good,
   helpful stores with fair prices.
   
  Service Comparisons
  
   Here is a quick comparison of five of the most popular mail-order
   houses, That Fish Place (TFP), Mail Order Pet Shop (MOPS), Pet
   Warehouse (PW), Wet Thumb Aquatics, and Daleco. Addresses and phone
   numbers are listed later in this section.


                TFP   MOP        PW   DLC   WTA
Price           1.5   1.2        2.0  2.5   1.0
Selection       1.6   1.9        2.3  1.5   3.0
Service         1.7   2.3        1.0  2.0   1.0
Processing      2.1   2.0        1.0  1.5   1.0
Completeness    1.6   2.1        1.3  2.0   2.0
Correctness     1.1   1.4        1.0  1.5   1.0
Damage          1.0   1.2        1.0  1.0   1.0

Sum             10.6  12.1       9.6  12    10
# Responses     11    10         3    2     1
Avg             1.5   1.7        1.3  1.7   1.4

  Criteria
  
   Price
          Total cost of an average order.
          1 - excellent, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - pet shop
          
   Selection
          Do they carry what you want?
          1 - anything you could possibly want, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 -
          poor.
          
   Customer service
          Are they pleasant on the phone? Do the sales people provide
          accurate product information? Are printed materials helpful?
          1 - excellent, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - why are you calling and
          bothering them?
          
   Order processing
          How fast is your order processed? (When does it leave the
          warehouse? Not when do you actually receive it, as this varies
          with your location!)
          1 - same day, 2 - 1-3 days, 3- longer than three days.
          
   Order completeness
          Do they have what you ordered in stock?
          1 - rarely a stock out, 2 - occasional, 3 - often items are out
          of stock.
          
   Order correctness
          Did they send what you ordered?
          1 - never a problem, 2 - minor problems, 3 - common problem.
          
   Order damage
          Do you ever receive broken items?
          1 - never a problem, 2 - minor problems, 3 - common problem.
          
  The Big Fish
  
   _That Fish Place_
   237 Centerville Rd.
   Lancaster, PA 17603
   800-733-3829
   
   Clearly, a favored source for mail order. Best catalogue (very useful
   for ordering from other places). I received no "horror" stories, only
   one minor complaint.
   
   Good Source for: Plants
   
   Shipping: Actual Cost
   
   _Mail Order Pet Shop_
   250 W Executive Drive
   Edgewood, NY 11717
   800-366-7387 (ordering and product info)
   800-326-6677 (customer service)
   
   1338 North Market Blvd.
   Sacramento, CA 95834
   
   Probably the total lowest cost place for supplies. However, it seems
   that people either love or hate them. I received several complaints
   about service and bulk products being shorted etc. People like their
   flat fee for shipping.
   
   Shipping: $3.99 orders <= $45, $5.99 orders > $45 but < $100, $7.99
   orders > $100.
   
  The Small Fry
  
   _Pet Warehouse_
   Dept. FA-122
   P.O. Box 20250
   Dayton, OH 45420
   800-443-1160
   800-443-1176 (after 5PM EST and weekends)
   
   Not used extensively. However, I received many positive comments.
   People like their quick service.
   
   Shipping:

           $30 or <   $3.95
           $30-45     4.75
           $45-60     5.75
           $60-75     6.75
           $75-150    8.50
           $150 or >  10.50

   _Daleco_
   3340 Land Drive
   Fort Wayne, IN 46809-1531
   800-987-1120
   
   Has many unusual items. Shipping is included in prices for orders over
   $30 but prices are higher than bigger places.
   
   Good Source for: Live Food Cultures, Dupla Products, LaMotte Test Kits
   
   
   Shipping: Free, orders under $30.00 require a $3.00 handling fee.
   
   _Wet Thumb Aquatic_
   52700 Base St.
   New Baltimore, MI 48047
   810-725-0960
   
   Smaller outfit. Their selection is not great but prices are very good.
   They are more breeder oriented. They ship same day. Free shipping for
   orders over $75.
   
   Good Source for: Regenerative Blowers and Reverse Osmosis units.
   
   Shipping:

           $25 or <   2.50
           $25-45     3.50
           $45-60     4.50
           $60-75     5.50
           $75 or >   Free

  Others mentioned but not ranked
  
   _Spectacular Sea System_: Specializing in marine lighting and
   accessories ranked 3,3,1,1,1,1,1 305-941-3792
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Pond Mail-Order

  Contributed by Diane DeMers
  
   These are from ads in Sunset, Horticulture, and Fine Gardening
   magazines. I've tried my best to get all the info correct; I don't
   have any first-hand knowledge (yet) with any except the catalogs from
   Lilypons. Note: these were all "regular" ads; I didn't look through
   the classified sections of these magazines.
   
   _Dolphin Outdoors_
   1808 W. Campbell Ave
   Campbell, CA 95008
   (408) 379-7600
   Fiberglass Ponds for gardens and fish. Send SASE for brochure and
   prices
   
   _Hermitage Garden Pools_
   PO Box 361, Dept. A
   Canastoga, NY 13032
   (315) 697-9093
   Fiberglass garden pools, rock waterfalls, self-contained redwood
   waterwheels; bubbling fantasias. Send $1.00 for color catalog.
   
   _Lilypons Water Gardens_ 3 locations:
   Dept. 1626
   PO Box 10
   Buckeystown, MD 21717-0010
   (800) 723-7667
   
   Dept. 1626
   PO Box 188
   Brookshire, TX 77423-0188
   (800)766-5648
   
   Dept. 1626
   PO Box 1130
   Thermal, CA 92274-1130
   (800) 685-7667 or (800)365-5459 (different ads had different Ph #
   here).
   
   pond liners, accessories, plants (lilies, lotus, etc), fish, etc.
   100-page Catalog subscription $5.00 [Personal note: I've never bought
   anything from them yet, but I do like their catalog.]
   
   _Paradise Water Gardens_
   56 May St. FN06
   Whitman, MA 02382
   (617) 447-4711
   (617) 447-4591 FAX
   Great books on water gardening (too numerous to list here); water
   lilies, fountains, pumps, Koi, goldfish, aquatic plants, tub gardens.
   Send $3.00 for a 60-page full-color catalog.
   
   _Pets Unlimited_
   1888 Drew
   Clearwater, FL 34625
   (813) 442-2197
   Featuring TetraPond products. Send $3.00 for color brochure, price
   list, plus "Digest for a Successful Pond".
   
   _Resource Conservation Technology, Inc._ 2633 N. Calvert St.
   Baltimore, MD 21218
   (301) 366-1146
   Butyl Pond liners. 20-year warranty. Won't harm fish or plants, won't
   stiffen in cold weather, resists sunlight better than plastics. Call
   or write for literature and samples of the liner and Liner Protection
   Fabric.
   
   _Slocum Water Gardens_
   Dept. FI592
   1101 Cypress Gardens Rd.
   Winter Haven, FL 33880
   Water Lily Catalog: water lilies, lotus, fancy Goldfish Complete info
   on tubs, concrete pools, and ponds Send $3.00.
   
   _Tetra Sales USA_
   Department P-9208
   201 Tabor Road
   Morris Plains, NJ 07950
   32-mil, flexible PVC liners, 10-year guarantee; accessory products,
   fish and plant foods, water treatments, etc. Write for free "how-to"
   brochure.
   
   _Van Ness Water Gardens_
   Water lilies, bog plants, info, pumps, filters, maintenance 2460 N.
   Euclid , Dept. 877
   Upland, CA 91786-1199
   (714) 982-2425
   For 56-page color catalog, send $4.00
   
   _Waterford Gardens_
   74 East Allendale Road, Dept F
   Saddle River, NJ 07458
   (201) 327-0721
   Water Lilies, bog plants, lotus, pools and accessories, ornamental
   fish $5.00 for 1992 catalog.
   
   _Waterland USA_
   27071 Cabot Rd., Suite 116
   Laguna Hills, CA 92653
   (800) 321-6178
   Fountains for your home, patio, or garden. Call for free brochure.
   
   _William Tricker, Inc._
   7125 Tanglewood Drive
   Independence, OH 44131
   (216) 524-3491
   Rare and unusual varieties of water lilies, aquatic plants, fish, etc.
   Send $3.00 for full-color catalog.
   
   End of Resource FAQ.
   
