This is our large fall auction of tropical fish, aquariums, supplies, and plants. Besides finding all kinds of fish and plants it is an opportunity to meet and socialize with many people in the hobby both from Richmond and our surrounding areas. This is a good time to share fish/plants and obtain new ones. Check the auction tab for rules and guidelines on our website: www.jras.org The auction will be run through: www.mygroupauctions.com Please register any items you wish to sell on the My Group Auction website (above). You can also view items that individuals are putting in the auction to sell.

C.A.R.E.S. Preservation https://caresforfish.org/

Ready to get your feet wet and spend a day exploring nature with fellow aquatic hobbyists? Join GWAPA and our friends from JRAS for a fun-filled collecting trip at the Hardware River as we search for native aquatic plants, fish, and other fascinating freshwater critters! Whether you’re a seasoned collector or trying it for the first time, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn, share techniques, and enjoy a day outdoors with great company. Don’t Forget to Bring: A valid Virginia fishing license (required for all participants) Sunscreen A hat Plenty of fluids to stay hydrated Snacks Collection containers, buckets, or bags for your finds A change of clothes A towel Shoes you don’t mind getting wet and muddy Mask & snorkel if you wish to view the conditions and native residents. There is also an opportunity to stop in Fredericksburg on the way home, for those that haven't had enough from the morning extravaganza... More to follow per Jim Long's report on the different locations. Expect to get a little muddy, discover some hidden aquatic treasures, and have plenty of laughs along the way. Whether you come home with a few new plants or simply great memories, it’s always a fun day in the field. Come join us for an adventure—you never know what we’ll find!

We plan on meeting at Logo Advantage promptly at 6:30pm. We will be hosting a Mechanicsville Lagoon fish store hop. We will be visiting Skoolz of Fish, Click & Fish, and hopefully Azalea Aquarium. We will car pool to each of these, as they are all very close. If time allows we will then have a round table discussion between members pertaining to keeping and breeding fish. We will be holding a MINI AUCTION , after the lectures, so bring in your goods for the auction.

Catfish expert and naturalist Shane Linder is the “Shane” behind Planetcatfish.com‘s Shane World. Shane’s World houses well over 150 articles by various catfish experts making it the largest such resource known to exist. Shane is also a frequent contributor to several US and international aquarium periodicals and has been a guest speaker at numerous fish conventions in the US and Europe. Shane has lived in and collected fishes extensively in Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa and Uganda. He has made additional collecting expeditions into Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Shane's presentation will be based on the two years he lived in Uganda. Shane collected extensively in Uganda from Lake Victoria to the Mountains of the Moon. Additionally, Shane will discuss environmental issues impacting the Rift Lake cichlids of Uganda and collecting hazards unique to East Africa. We will be holding a MINI AUCTION after the lectures, so bring in your goods for the auction.

I have had a long history with aquarium keeping dating back to my childhood when my father had a 110gal tall tank with wild caught discus back in the early 90’s. Around 2005 I got into saltwater and dove head first into breeding rare clownfish types but in 2014 got out of the hobby when I met my wife. Fast forward to 2018 my oldest son who was 3 at the time wanted a Betta and of course my brother bought it for him and that started my descent back into the aquarium hobby. We went to our first PVAS club meeting that same year right after the CatCon and it was so much fun and I met Frank Cowherd and was able to get my first bag of cherry shrimp. I fell in love with these little creatures and quickly set up their very own 2.5 gallon tank and quickly went from 10 to 100 in a matter of a several months. So I had to get another tank and look for other types. I truly enjoy research and found my passion in the harder to keep Caridina shrimp species and have gone from 1 dedicated shrimp tank to over 60 and 24 different freshwater shrimp variants. I focus on the genetics of shrimp keeping and have met some of the best breeders in the world and have had the pleasure of talking at many clubs up and down the east coast. I also compete in shrimp contests all over the US and have judged a few contests as well. Please visit his Youtube page or reach out to him via facebook messenger. His link is below: https://www.youtube.com/@Muddywatersshrimp We will be holding a MINI AUCTION , after the lectures, so bring in your goods for the auction.

More information will be provided later.

More information will be provided later.

Join us for the most festive event of the season - the JRAS Holiday Party! Get ready to unwrap the joy as we celebrate the magic of the holidays. It's time for the JRAS holiday party. This year it will be held from 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 6th at Roma Ristorante Italiano, 8330 Staples Mill Rd, Henrico, VA 23228. There will be a 'White Elephant' gift exchange so if you want to participate (and you probably do. It's so much fun), bring a wrapped, aquarium-related gift worth about $15. Each person who brings a gift will be able to join the fun. We are so looking forward to seeing you there. We request an RSVP by November 29 from anyone wishing to attend so we have an accurate count for the restaurant. Please reply to this message or RSVP to Dennis Bragg at 804-690-2152 or roovle@gmail.com. Let us know how many will be joining you so we can work with the restaurant to accommodate the number of people we will have.

Ever since I was a kid, I can remember there always being at least one aquarium in the house. When I was 10 and living with my grandparents in Blackstone, Massachusetts, my uncle (who was still living at home….) was keeping and breeding show guppies in several (I think it was around 20 or so) aquariums. That was my first real exposure to breeding tropical fish and it snowballed from there. Also, during this time I also developed a liking for exploring the local streams and ponds in search of whatever “critters” I could find. I think you know where this is heading…..! Fast-forward 15 years to 1984…. I get my first introduction to killies, at a local killifish show at the exhibition halls at Balboa Park. I was absolutely in awe of just about every fish I saw, and I had to find out more. I contacted the local San Diego club as advertised at the show and attended my first killifish meeting with the likes of Monty Lehman, John Pitcairn, Russ Feilzer and other names I can’t remember. However, this was to be a short foray into the killie hobby since family and military obligations took precedence. After some life changes and a military transfer to Jacksonville, FL in 1992, I once again started looking for killifish contacts. By chance I was referred to and contacted Mark Rodriguez in Tampa, FL. I made the trip to his house and after he showed me around his “fish room” (actually in his living room) we spoke for a few hours about killies. I left there with several pairs of killies (blue gularis and others), as well as contact information for the AKA. At this time, I also renewed my love for tromping through the waterways in search of my own “wild fish”. Currently, I maintain approximately 325 tanks, mostly filled with my favorite genus, Rivulus, of which I maintain about 70 species/locations as well as my other passion, native fishes and killies, many of which I have collected myself. I still enjoy going on collecting trips, most notably trips to Panama 2006, 2009 and 2012, as well as Colombia in 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2024. I have also been privileged to be able to assist several scientific institutions by providing living and preserved samples for genetic research and am in the process of being appointed as a contract field research assistant for East Tennessee State University. I have had the honor of being invited to speak on my favorite genus at several local club shows and have been a speaker at six AKA national conventions. I have been a past (and present) member of the BOT (Board of Trustees) for 11 years between 2013 and 2025, serving 3 consecutive years as AKA BOT Chairman from 2022-2024. I am a former chairman of the Rivulus sub-committee of the AKA’s Killifish Conservation Committee, and I have been honored by the AKA as Killifish Hobbyist of the Year for 2000, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2025, I was made a Fellow of the AKA.

This is our large fall auction of tropical fish, aquariums, supplies, and plants. Besides finding all kinds of fish and plants it is an opportunity to meet and socialize with many people in the hobby both from Richmond and our surrounding areas. This is a good time to share fish/plants and obtain new ones. Auction starts at 10:00 am, It will be ending when the last item is auctioned at approximately 5:00 pm. Check the auction tab for rules and guidelines on our website: www.jras.org The auction will be run through: www.mygroupauctions.com Please register any items you wish to sell on the My Group Auction website (above). You can also view items that individuals are putting in the auction to sell. PLEASE NOTE We will be at the New Location of LOGO ADVANTAGE new location: Logo Advantage 8055 Mechanicsville Tnpk, Mechanicsville, Va 23116 Just a few doors down from the old store - right across from the Post Office.

Arlene will be sharing her tips and tricks for keeping your aquatic plants in good health. All beginners and experienced hobbyists are encouraged to attend.

All members are invited to socialize. Lunch provided by the club.

Blake and Sonia (SJ) Jimenez-Calhoun are a married couple from Barboursville, VA with a dual love of freshwater fish keeping. SJ has kept fish off and on for more than 20 years, most recently re-entering the hobby in 2018. Blake had one goldfish as a child unsuccessfully. After moving in together in 2019 Blake grew fond of aquascaping, breeding fish, and what she calls “fish room engineering”. If SJ thinks it, Blake builds it! The couple expanded from one tank to more than 100 tanks over the last 6 years. By day Blake and SJ spend their time advising students at the University of Virginia. By night they pick spawning mops, feed off brine shrimp, and talk fish.

Site visit to Coopers new pond

Bob has been importing fish in to his Va beach aquarium stores for almost 50 years. He has maintained very successful stores during that time. He will share with us his successes for finding quality sources, and the ability to keep his fish healthy and happy until they find their new homes. Because he surrounds himself with courteous caring staff, customers always come back. His dedication to the aquatic industry is unsurpassed. You don't want to miss this meeting, and bring your questions for Bob.

Jebriel is joining us from The Wet Spot. His specialty is aquarium plants. We are hosting him with GWAPA. He is also speaking at their meeting this weekend.

We have 3 amazing speakers scheduled for the morning and our 1/2 day auction in the afternoon. This awesome event will be on March 15th from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. We hope everyone can attend! Below are our speakers and topics they are speaking about: Ryan Chan - Breeding Amano Shrimp, Cardina multidentata, a scientific detailed walk through. Jamie Smith of Freshwater Aquatics - A Journey Downriver, a collecting tour of the amazon featuring plecostomus species. Gary Lange - The Most Amazing Rainbowfish. Gary will have select rainbow eggs available for auction directly after his talk. This special auction is available to anyone who is a paid lecture attendee. We will also be sending out information about getting ready for rainbowfish eggs and hatching rainbowfish eggs. So stay tuned for these updates. The fee to listen to the lectures is $15 for members and $25 for non members. We are offering pre-registration for this event. As always the auction after lunch is free for anyone to attend.

I have had a long history with aquarium keeping dating back to my child hood when my father had a 110gal tall tank with wild caught discus back in the early 90’s. around 2005 I got into saltwater and dove head first into breeding rare clownfish types but in 2014 got out of the hobby when I met my wife. Fast forward to 2018 my oldest son who was 3 at the time wanted a Betta and of course my brother bought it for him and that started my descent back in to the aquarium hobby. We went to our first pvas club meeting that same year right after the CatCon and it was so much fun and I met Frank Cowherd and was able to get my first bag of cherry shrimp. I fell in love with these little creatures and quickly setup their very own 2.5 gallon tank and quickly went from 10 to 100 in a matter of a several months. So I had to get another tank and look for other types. I truly enjoy research and found my passion in the harder to keep Caridina shrimp species and have gone from 1 dedicated shrimp tank to over 60 and 24 different fresh water shrimp variants. I focus on the genetics of shrimp keeping and have met some of the best breeders in the world and have had the pleasure of talking at many clubs up and down the east coast. I also compete in shrimp contest all over the US and have judged a few contests as well.

He will be presenting on his involvement in tropical fish, with speaking to us about his trips to Asia, and the contacts he has made there,,, also his progressive involvement with bringing in quality bloodlines of guppies and bettas to spread around the hobby. Tony graduated from VCU and has lived in Virginia for 15 years. He started out loving saltwater aquariums. Tony had a lot of fun keeping a reef tank, but then Covid happened. During that time, there was an explosion in the South East Asia area in show guppy and betta variations, Tony fell in love with them all over again. He has been keeping and breeding guppies, mollies, and bettas for over 2 years now.

More information will be provided later. Time to be confirmed.

Our members will be spearheading this topic, with several live cultures, and several options to offset your feeding program to keep your fish healthy and happy. Blake and SJ will be hosting a talk on their setup and program for keeping "Blackworms" Jim will show us a new setup for culturing Vinegar Eels, that will make keeping these little worms very easy and simple to feed your young fish. Anyone that wants a starter of "Green Water", "Infusoria", or "Daphnia" please bring a small bottle (water bottle size container) to the meeting and he will supply you with your own starter for these above cultures. Dennis will show us his microworm culture techniques, and this simple plan enables us to have live foods for our micro fish and young fry. We will also talk about easy methods for raising baby brine shrimp - a true staple for raising young fish, and works well for adults too. David will walk us through making Repashy, a true tested gel food that is good for just about anything you have from shrimp to fish.. We will have an open discussion about other good quality foods to keep your fish fat and healthy.

This is our large fall auction of tropical fish, aquariums, supplies, and plants. Besides finding all kinds of fish and plants it is an opportunity to meet and socialize with many people in the hobby both from Richmond and in surrounding areas. This is a good time to share fish/plants and obtain new ones.

Gary Hater is a former professional biologist with a bachelors and a master’s degree. His professional career was in the environmental field and centered around water quality, air quality, bioremediation, research and development, and waste water treatment. Gary started in the aquarium hobby in the mid 1960’s and moved almost exclusively into goldfish in the 1980’s after breeding livebearers, South American and African Cichlids. Over years he has bred over twenty varieties of goldfish and has maintained several rare lines for decades. These rare lines include Philadelphia Veiltails, English Veiltails, Bristol Shubunkins, and Broadtail Moors. His hobby is best described as very large with 70 - 90 indoors tanks and tubs, and numerous outdoor ponds and seasonal tubs. Gary has brought Steamed Eggs into the mainstream for feeding juvenile and adult fish. He was the first President and founding member of The Goldfish Council, a 501(c)3 a non-profit charity. Gary was a co-chairman of the Goldfish Society of America, (GFSA), and a member of the American Goldfish Association, (AGA). Gary was born and still lives in Cincinnati, Ohio where he continues to be a member of the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society (GCAS). He has been a club member for over 30 years. Other interests include fishing, Chestnut farming, bee keeping, gardening and koi keeping. Gary has been retired since 2015 and married for almost 50 years.