Upcoming events
PVAS October General Meeting - Tom Ganley "Underwater Photography on a Budget"
Tom Ganley has been involved in the aquarium hobby since 1986. His long-time main interest has been new world cichlids though has kept and continues to keep just about everything else such as killifish, sunfish, livebearers, polypterids, goldfish & koi. Tom’s interests have taken him all over the United States and around the world. Tom has collected and photographed fish up and down the east coast & mid-west of the United States as well as Malaysia, Singapore, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama & Uruguay.
Tom has many interests that align well with his aquarium hobby and his love of nature. Tom is an avid photographer (both above & below water); a fisherman, a mountain biker, gardener, hiker & explorer. Tom also likes loud music; quality IPAs and practices the fine art of sarcasm. Tom currently maintains about 60-70 aquariums, multiple large fish tubs and a koi pond. And he’s not entirely sure why…
SPECIAL November PVAS General Meeting
This will be a very exciting meeting where PVAS has partnered with NECA to sponsor Mati Garcia from Uruguay Fish Tours. See below for a little information about Mati.
My name is Matias Garcia. I'm 28 years old and have spent more than half of my life as an aquarium hobbyist. I enjoy nature and tranquility and devote as much of my free time as possible to exploring every freshwater body of water in Uruguay, capturing, admiring, and recording the diversity of fish and other aquatic species, including my favorites from the genus Gymnogeophagus or "naked eartheaters". In addition to exploring and collecting, I have kept and bred many species of fish - both from Uruguay and elsewhere. In 2021, some friends and I established "AUTÓCTONOS DE URUGUAY" ("Natives of Uruguay") (https://linktr.ee/autoctonosdeuruguay) to share pictures, and videos of our expeditions and the fish that we catch. To share our adventures with others, in 2024, we created "Uruguay Fish Tours" (www.uruguayfishtours.com) to provide a safe, fun, and fulfilling opportunity for people from around the world to experience my beautiful country and to legally and sustainably collect and bring fish home to their aquariums.
Lunch: 12:00 – 1:00 - Pizza and drinks will be provided
Mati Garcia Talk: 1:00 – 2:30
Mini Auction: 2:45 – 3:45
September 2025 General PVAS Meeting “An Introduction to Killifish” with Rich Pierce
Killifish are among the most colorful and fascinating aquarium fish, yet they remain one of the least understood groups in the hobby. Rarely seen in aquarium stores and often overlooked in publications, killifish can feel almost impossible to find—until you know where to look.
In this talk, Richard Pierce will introduce you to the diverse groups of killifish and share practical guidance on keeping them successfully. You’ll learn how to set up and maintain aquariums for different species, breeding techniques, and even where to source these beautiful fish. Whether you’re brand new to the hobby or an experienced aquarist, this presentation will deepen your appreciation of these hidden gems of the fishkeeping world.
About the Speaker:
Richard Pierce has been keeping aquariums for as long as he can remember and has specialized in killifish since the early 2000s. He currently serves as President of the Tropical Fish Society of Rhode Island, President of the Southern New England Killifish Association, and Treasurer for the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies. Maintaining around 80 aquaria filled with killifish, wild-type livebearers, and tetras, Richard brings a wealth of hands-on knowledge and experience to his presentations.
History of Fish Foods
Scott Craig has kept a variety of tropical freshwater and saltwater fish over a 50-year span. During this time, he started 2 independent fish stores, a wholesale distributor specializing in aquarium products, angelfish breeding room and has worked directly for: Sera, Omega One, Kordon and Hagen.
During his years as a wholesale distributor Scott sold products from Marc Weiss, Eheim, New Life Spectrum, Tropical Science, Omega One, Lifeguard, Dainichi, live plants from Belyjo, DT’s Phytoplankton, Miracle Mud and Piscene Energetics frozen Mysis.