Types of Events
AAAA hosts monthly meetings with speakers, swap meets, large biannual auctions, and a holiday party. Below are some basic things to expect at each type of event.
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Event with Speaker
The President will hold a Board of Directors meeting at Noon before the meeting. Everyone is welcome to observe this part. The meeting starts at 1:00 PM and the President will introduce the speaker at 1:30 PM Sign in and get your bidder number and earn some FishBucks. Then if you have items to sell go to one of the computers and enter your items and label it with the lot number before placing it on the viewing tables. Take a seat and enjoy the Speaker that AAAA has brought in for the meeting. About an hour or so later we do a short break, then auction the items that were brought. These rules are subject to change with notice being given at the beginning of the meeting, or as far in advance as the BOD deems appropriate. 12 Lot limit per seller. Limits on the number of lots per seller are subject to change. Please limit your contributions to 2 lots of any one item (ie 2 bags of salvinia are okay, 5 is too much). Lots may be combined at the discretion of auction personnel. Please bag your items appropriately. This means in a bag (or two) with an appropriate amount of water (⅓ bag for animals, cover the bottom seam for plants). Please DO NOT use Ziploc bags. Your LFS will usually have bags if you ask. Please be as clear as you can when labeling your bags. Name of item, lot number. Public Sellers will receive a 50/50 split of proceeds from their items. Supporting members will receive a 70/30 split of proceeds from their items. All items submitted for BAP and HAP should be properly labeled with the program name. To make checkout easier please allow buyers to the front of the line, as this enables us to build a bank to pay sellers with. If you have large bills, please hang back a few minutes, especially if you plan to get most of it back. AAAA accepts cash, credit or debit cards, and PayPal.  HAVE FUN!
Swap Meets
Our Swap Meets are open to everyone. There is no entry fee to shop. You will find everything aquarium related! Doors open at 10:00 AM. Make sure your Sign in to earn those FishBucks. Tables are $30 for supporting club members, $40 for general public. Fees will be collected at the event. All tables and chairs provided. All sellers are responsible for their own sales transactions. Payment accepted is up to each individual seller. Cash is king! All sales are between the vendor and the customer. AAAA is not responsible for any transactions. All sales completed, with breakdown no later than 3:00 PM. If you question send an email with your name and contact info to swapmeets@atlfishclub.com
Biannual Auctions
AAAA Bianual Auction Rules & FAQs Buyer’s Rules: Any person wishing to bid on items in the auction are required to register and obtain a bidder’s number. Both members and non-members are allowed to register for the auction. Bids will only be accepted by holding your bidder placard up with your bidder’s number visible. This allows for quicker recognition of bids and improved flow for the auction. Bid increments will be set at the auctioneers discretion. Only full dollar amount bids are accepted. Minimum bids are $1. All purchases must be paid for before any item leaves the room in which the auction is held. Bidding on an item is a contract to buy. Do not bid if you do not intend to pay. All Sales Are Final. Auction items may be inspected prior to the auction and during designated breaks. Once you take possession of the item it is your responsibility. All items are sold "as is, where is" with all faults, known and unknown. Please inspect any items you are interested in thoroughly to your satisfaction before purchasing anything. Once the auctioneer announces an item sold, ownership immediately transfers to the winning bidder. Sellers give no guarantee or warranty on anything in the auction. AAAA is not responsible for diseased/dead fish or faulty equipment. You may check out at the payment tables at any time. However, it can take several minutes for items to be available in the system immediately after an item has been auctioned.​ Seller’s Rules: Any person wishing to sell items must complete all registration documents and agree to the terms of the auction to get a seller/bidder number. Use pre-registration for your items so you can minimize the morning traffic jam at the registration table All lots must be labeled with the seller’s number and lot number as well as the scientific and common names, sex (if known), and number of specimens in the bag. For example, Seller 239 would label their 5th item as: 239-05 6 Male Red Mickey Mouse Platys Xiphophorus maculatus Items must be fully registered BEFORE they are placed on the viewing tables. Items cannot be removed from the auction once they have been placed on the viewing tables until they have been auctioned off without the express permission of the Auction Chair. The first $1 on each bag sale goes to the club. The seller will receive the following split for their items sold. Supporting Member: 70% of the sale price Public: 50% of the sale price Sellers are not permitted to credit purchases against sales. Sellers are allowed 7 bags per species to enter into the auction. (See Question 5 in the FAQ for information on exemptions) Sellers are allowed to list 5 lots of dry goods. No open containers of food or water additives are allowed. Live items must be properly bagged and of suitable size to maintain water quality throughout the duration of the auction. Proper fish bags must be used. Ziploc bags may not be used for any wet items. Wet items in Ziploc bags will be re-baged and marked for a bagging fee. Very large fish must be in a bucket, not a bag. Fish must be bagged with ample air and water (about 1/3 water, 2/3 air). Do not overcrowd your fish. Multiple bags may be joined together as one item if necessary. AAAA may re-bag items as necessary and will charge sellers a $2.00 re-bagging fee which will be taken off the price received for the item. The Auction Chairperson has the right to remove any item from the auction that is incorrectly bagged, appears sick, diseased, or deceased, or is otherwise deemed unsellable. The Auction Chairperson has the right to combine bags of the same species from the same seller into a single lot at their discretion. No seller payments will be given on the day of the auction. The AAAA treasurer will mail checks out in a timely fashion after the auction. Ensure that your registration information (name, address, telephone number, e-mail address) is correct. Although every effort will be made to ensure timely payments, AAAA is not responsible for delays due to incorrect seller information. Any lots offered for donations should be presented to the Auction Chairman, Donations Chairman, or given to the representative at the Membership Information Table. They will be labeled 999 for general donations or vendors can receive a unique donation number for tracking purposes. Species on the Federal or State restricted species lists will not be permitted for sale. All lots that must be disposed of will be charged $1. ​ General Rules: The Auction Staff of AAAA will determine the order in which items will be auctioned. Lots with priority stickers will be brought from viewing tables by staff ONLY to the final processing area, and placed at the discretion of the bag stager to start the process. Exceptions will be made for donation items or to better improve the flow of the auction and bids on the items. Do not bring Items to the front table. Priority stickers are available for purchase. The AAAA Auction is for freshwater fish, inverts, aquatic plants, live food cultures, AAAA accepts cash, credit or debit cards, and PayPal. Any decisions regarding exceptions to the auction rules are made at the sole discretion of the Auction Chairperson. All decisions by the Auction Chairperson are final. Violations of any of these rules can result in you being asked to leave the auction, being barred from further auctions, or being removed from the association roles. AAAA claims no responsibility for any item entered in the auction or any personal injury that might occur during the auction or on the auction site. The auction committee, AAAA, and the auction site shall not be held liable for any accidents, theft, or losses that occur during the course of the auction. AAAA, its auction staff or committee, nor the venue where the auction is being held will be responsible for the security of your items once purchased. Buyers should ensure that they are able to take proper care of livestock and have transportation arrangements for larger items. ​ FAQs: Q1: How do I get a buyer/bidder or seller number? A1: Register online before the event at the Club Events forum post or at one of the computers at the registration table during the event. Q2: Can I set a minimum bid for auction items? A2: No. All items registered will sell for a minimum of one dollar. Q3: Are there any special terms to be used when labeling bags? A3: All information listed in the Seller’s Rules #2 above is required. Any special requirements for the fish/plants can also be included on the label. In addition the following terms should be, but are not required to be used: Pair: 1 Male and 1 Female Mated/Proven Pair: Male and Female pair that have successfully produced fry together. Trio: 1 male and 2 females Reverse Trio: 1 female and 2 males Colony: Mix of males and females of any ratio. However, bag must include at least 1 of each sex. Adult: Sexually mature Juvenile: Not yet sexually mature Fry: Under 2 months old Q4: Why did my bags of fish get sold as 1 item? A4: The Auction Chairperson has the right to combine bags of fish into a single lot when the number of fish per bag is low or the number of bags submitted too high. Q5: Why am I restricted on the number of bags I can bring to the auction? A5: Large quantities of the same fish can depress the price of the fish for yourself as well as other sellers. In addition it can cause a poor flow to the auction making for a less entertaining event. If you have a fish that you feel you could sell more than 7 lots of without depressing the market you can email the Auction Chairperson at auctions@atlfishclub.com to ask for an exemption. Q6: What should I do when I get the fish home? A6: Please remember to properly acclimate your fish and plants when you get home. It is strongly recommended that all new inhabitants be quarantined for a minimum of 2 weeks in a separate aquarium before introduction into any community or established aquarium. Please, be a responsible aquarist; never release any fish or aquatic plants into the wild. The AAAA Auction Committee retains the right to amend any and all of the above rules as needed and without notice.
Bowl Show
Bring your favorite fish and show it off for prizes and bragging rights!! We will award 1st and 2nd place prizes determined by all present members voting. Rules - One fish only - Display tank/bowl, 5 gallons or less with at least one flat side for unobstructed viewing. No substrate, No decorations, No light, bare glass and one fish only. You may use a top to prevent your fish from jumping out. You may also use a small air pump and air stone, but it must be removed before judging begins. Please direct any question you have to bowlshow@atlfishclub.com
Holiday Party
This is the only event that AAAA holds that is not open to the Public. This event is to show appreciation to our supporting members. We have food brought in for everyone to enjoy. There is a white elephant gift swap with a $25 limit on your gift. We also do an auction during this event, but all items for sales are provided solely by AAAA. All those FishBucks your have been earning through out the year is what is used to bid in this auction. It's all fun and games.