The New England Cichlid Association is a club for those aquaria hobbyists who love cichlids. Cichlids have a number of qualities that separate them from other aquaria species. Whether it's their colors, their interesting behaviors or their parental care, you can join the group to discuss whatever it is you love about these fish. You don't have to join the club to participate on the forum. Everyone and anyone with an interest in cichlids is encouraged to participate and share their stories. The association part of New England Cichlids, is simply a group of people who enjoy getting together, face to face to discuss and share the fish we love. Whether it's a trip to a local shop, or a meeting at a member's home where we may have a speaker sharing their knowledge of a species or aquaria topics, the club gets together to have fun and enjoy each other's company, face to face. Because food for meetings, speakers, and other costs are associated in running a club, we charge a $10 dollar fee to join. If you want to attend an event or two, meet club members, etc, there's no fee to check it out, and the majority of the site here is open to members and non-members alike.

Featured Speaker

Ken Davis

I started keeping fish when I was 6 years old, catching introduced exotics in the creek behind my house when we lived in Tampa, Mostly livebearers, but it was a start. Little did I know where this would lead! My parents bought me a 10 gallon tank to keep my catch in as I was proliferating little containers all over my bedroom full of aquatic creatures. Tanks seem to multiple as easily as guppies as I now have about 600!

I don't think there has ever been a time in the last 46 years when I did not have fish. I keep a variety of cichlids from Africa, Central and South America and many wild type and fancy livebearers and discus. I got my first discus in 1978 and just keeping them alive back then was the challenge. My first successful spawn was in 1982 with some of those “new” Wattley Turquoise and I've been hooked ever since.

I love to breed fish and have spawned 100's of species, introducing several new species to the hobby I have owned a retail pet store, worked at a major University for 18 years , and currently run a fish hatchery, Fishfarm USA. I've been the President of the Atlanta Area Aquarium Association (AAAA) since 1998, was elected to the first of 4 2 year terms to the American Cichlid Association (ACA) BOT in 1998 and served as Chairman of the Board in 1999 and 2004. I was Chairman of two, very successful ACA Convention in 2002 and 2008 in Atlanta. I was also elected to the Board of Directors of The North American Discus Association in 2005 and I've belonged to the American Livebearer Association for many years. In 2001, I went with a group of breeders and importers, organized by Bing Seto, to Asia for a two week tour of Asian fish farms and the international discus show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Aquarama in Singapore. WOW what a trip. We visited Hong Kong, Bangkok, Saigon, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore.

I’ve been on 5 collecting trips to Honduras with groups of serious hobbyist, including Rusty Wessel and Eddie Martin. Man this hobby just gets more fun, we went to Mexico in February 2006 and I plan to go back to Mexico this April with Dr. Michael Tobler on a scientific expedition. I’ve gone on trips to Uruguay in November/December the last 3 years, I've enjoyed all aspects of the hobby from meeting great people, going to shows and conventions, speaking for clubs, breeding new fish and collecting in the wilds of exotic places! Keeps me busy and off the streets.

Club Information

The Club Board is made up of the people listed above. You can contact any of us through the forum, for more information.

Other Members of Note:

Meeting Schedule

Meetings are the first Saturday of each month. No meetings July or August

Our club uses a meeting rotation schedule. Pot Luck Social Event, Bring in a well known Cichlid Speaker and organize some type of fish related trip.

Club Dues

Dues are $10 paid annually

Dues cover the cost of pizza at the meetings, speaker fees and other expenses. We hold mini-auctions at every meeting. Club members are entitled to place items, fish, etc in the auction and receive a 70/30 split in favor of the club member. Non-members can place cichlids-only in the auction and receive a 50/50 split. Any member who makes at least 5 of the 9 scheduled annual meetings will have dues waived for the following year.

NEC Member

All NECA members are NEC members by default

Being an NEC member means that Breeders Awards Points for the club count towards the NEC BPP program. Articles written for the New England Cichlid will be automatically entered into the articles contest with awards given each year at the NEC convention. One club member will receive free admission to the NEC convention each year, so long as a delegate or Club President attends at least three out of four of the quarterly NEC meetings.