HELP, Fish Club

[FtwayneFish]

Hi. I live in Fort Wayne, IN. I am interested in starting a fish club in my area. the only close one is in INDY. about 2-3 hrs away. circle city aquarium club.

but i would like to start a club here? to trade fish, plants, ect.

I only have a faint idea of posting flyers and trying to house people in my really tiny apt.

I dont know that much or feel that confident to give advise all the time or lead people. so i dont wanna be the ring leader of sorts.

I know there is a few really smart people around at lfs. but i havnt asked them cause i have no idea how to start one.

please help. thankyou in advance.

[Sploke]

you can start a club without being some sort of aquaria guru, all you need is some basic people skills. There are a few clubs around here that have started up recently, and all I can say is, have patience. Having spoken to one guy that started a cichlid club, it might be a year or more before you get more than 5-10 regulars showing up at meetings. A good place to start would be people you know who are into fish, talk to people at the LFS, and just set up a meeting. Even if its 15 minutes to get together and introduce yourselves, its a good place to start.

[FtwayneFish]

thankyou sploke.

i need more ideas though? i thought of "hey wanna have a get toghether at my friends big house and shoot the you know about fish?"

but i only have about 3 lfs guys that are good. and then theres scheduling problems?

i wasnt thinking plant auctions over night. but a starting on a larger scale. maybe i could ask a lfs for some meeting space and ect? flyers at the checkout?

[Sploke]

Yeah, if the LFS is any good they should be willing to help out with advertising, and possibly a meeting place as well.

[FtwayneFish]

bumperoooo

[Grins]

Check to see if there is a Reef Club in your area. Then ask those there for advice and perhaps having a sister club that is for FW. If you click on the Advice to Newbies link below I have a blog post with links to reef clubs.

[FtwayneFish]

thankyou.

anyone else have a idea? or start there own club?

[Mgamer20o0]

best idea is ask a store to host. ask for a 10% off too. the fish clubs around here have list of stores that give discounts to the members. good stores should welcome this. what more can you ask for. a bunch of fish nuts trapped in the store for some time......

i would start with meetings ever other month or very quarter. you dont have to know about fish to run a fish club but it would help. you have to have someone that knows something..... a website helps.... even if its just a sub forum on another site or yahoo groups.

[FtwayneFish]

awesome. thanks guys great ideas. anyone else?

o and grins. i emailed a guy right here in fort wayne that runs a marine club!

[FtwayneFish]

bump.

anyone one on here close?

[FtwayneFish]

BUMP

[FtwayneFish]

grins the email was bunk. guys not around a suppose and the website doesnt work. booooo. anyone have other ideas? or anyone close to fort wayne, IN?

[FtwayneFish]

boooo

[FtwayneFish]

bump.

[Hooked Newbie]

Check to see if there is a Reef Club in your area. Then ask those there for advice and perhaps having a sister club that is for FW. If you click on the Advice to Newbies link below I have a blog post with links to reef clubs.

A Sister club? Pfft!


best idea is ask a store to host. ask for a 10% off too. the fish clubs around here have list of stores that give discounts to the members. good stores should welcome this. what more can you ask for. a bunch of fish nuts trapped in the store for some time......

i would start with meetings ever other month or very quarter. you dont have to know about fish to run a fish club but it would help. you have to have someone that knows something..... a website helps.... even if its just a sub forum on another site or yahoo groups.

Get the local LFS (preferably one or two independents) to offer a discount in return for advertisement as an official sponsor and hold meetings once a month at a local restaurant. You can probably negotiate a discount with the restaurant for the folks attending the meeting and gain some word of mouth at the same time. Better to talk about your fish before they are viewed in your apartment... people usually do better in neutral, public territory.

You can also mix the two ideas by having a local Pizza place (or other non-chain food delivery) deliver to the LFS itself.

[FtwayneFish]

ahhhh great ideas. lol i knew i didnt want everyone crammed into my apt and i have my first son on the way too.

but a restaurant is a good idea. i only have 1-2 lfs that are mom and pops but there too small to house anyone but 2-3 customers.

[Mgamer20o0]

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/resources/clubs/

maybe that will help

[FtwayneFish]

that was a helpful site. I seen the Circle City Club which is 2 hrs from me. But I found another, it too is 2 hrs in the other direction from where im at. Gesh lol im right in the middle. If i could get a club here (2nd largest city in Indiana) all 3 could meet in the middle maybe once or twice a year lol?

But the hunt continues, I seen one club used the town hall? or im think we just got a brand new top line library and it has plenty of confrence rooms? I think next im gonna recruit and see what the first few think too? get my knights of the round bowl lol.

[Sploke]

Libraries are a good option, they will usually let you use rooms for free as long as you reserve them far enough ahead of time.

[FtwayneFish]

thanks. i really wanna get one going. i know alot of people have tanks and ?'s no club.

[Mgamer20o0]

if they have ?'s send them here lol....

[Grins]

Another option is a community college.

[Hooked Newbie]

Another option is a community college.

There's always homeless shelters too. They usually have plenty of extra space. :lipssealedsmilie:

[grannylvsfish]

I looked at the list, nothing for Montana ? wow :( I was hoping there were several, I never found one !
Anyone here from Montana or know some cool fish places, people??

[Grins]

There's always homeless shelters too. They usually have plenty of extra space. :lipssealedsmilie:

Don't you have shrimp to pimp?

[Hooked Newbie]

Don't you have shrimp to pimp?

Yes Ma'am... several hundred.

[FtwayneFish]

WOW I like that, shrimp to pimp lol. I need to get some off of you now. since the holiday stuff is over.

But I think im going to use the library in our downtown. Its in the middle and Brand New. Phew is like chicago's just a bit smaller. Flat screens EVERYWHERE. people spilling coffe on em, WHO cares nobody. we got hundreds. lol

[FtwayneFish]

still no luck. petstores are too small. I did get a few of my friends involved and some of there friends I really didnt know that much. Ive traded stuff already! but I think Ill have to rent a room and do flyers when its warm and see who shows up?

[FtwayneFish]

Anyone close to Fort Wayne, IN and interested in a Fish Club?

[FtwayneFish]

Ive got a few more people in my area together. and got a few more people to get tanks.

[FtwayneFish]

wating on the weather to improve still.


Anyone close to Fort Wayne, IN?