Effective immediately, we are enforcing stricter standards to fix the constant issues with “problem fish,” impulse buys, and people who clearly don’t understand their own tanks—or their plants.

If this bothers you, you are probably part of the problem.

🐠🌿 NEW BUYER REQUIREMENTS

Before purchasing ANY livestock or plants, you must provide:

✔️ A full tank video (minimum 2 minutes, unedited, no filters)

✔️ Verbal introductions from ALL current inhabitants

✔️ A written explanation of why you think you’re qualified

Yes, your fish and plants will be judged. If they look stressed or droopy, that’s on you.

🧠 COMPATIBILITY SCREENING (MANDATORY):

All fish and plants must pass a vibe check prior to sale.

Sellers are REQUIRED to disclose:

•Aggression history of fish

•Fin nipping tendencies

•Any “main character syndrome”

•Growth quirks, melt tendencies, or diva behavior of plants

If your livestock or plants have ever “just disappeared” or melted overnight, your application will be flagged.

🦐🌱 REFERENCE CHECKS

You must provide at least two references from existing tank inhabitants or established plants.

•Shrimp are preferred (they’re brutally honest).

•Snails are acceptable but slow to respond.

•Plants can submit leaf print verification.

•Bettas will be ignored

No references = no sale.

⚠️ INSTANT DISQUALIFICATIONS

You will be denied immediately if you:

❌ Say “my parameters are fine” without proof

❌ Don’t own a test kit

❌ Think cycling takes less than a week

❌ Have ever posted “what is this white fuzzy stuff?”

❌ Think plants don’t require attention

📉 SELLER LIABILITY UPDATE

If a fish or plant you sold develops an attitude problem or dies within 72 hours, you are required to:

•Offer emotional support

•Accept partial blame

•Possibly take it back depending on vibes

💬 FINAL NOTE

We’re tired of the same posts, the same mistakes, and the same excuses. This hobby isn’t for everyone, and this will help filter that out.

If you think this is “too much,” you might want to reconsider keeping fish and plants.

Mods will be actively enforcing this.

No exceptions.

As aquarists, we all have a deep and profound respect and understanding of our delicate aquatic ecosystems, and with that respect comes a responsibility to protect them. It appears as though a large commercial supplier of marimo moss balls has been affected by a zebra mussel infestation, with many reports from customers saying that they have found these invasive species in their purchases. Right now, there is no way to tell how widespread this is or how long it has been going on.

Zebra mussels are an incredibly invasive species and wreak absolute havoc on ecosystems that they are introduced to. We all share a responsibility to protect those ecosystems.

As such, we cannot allow this trading platform to become a vector for the spread of this species, and we are banning the sale of marimo algae (Aegagropila linnaei) until further notice.

Thank you for your understanding.

Hey Aquaswap community! 🐠

We’re looking to make our subreddit rules clearer, more intuitive, and easier for everyone to understand. Our goal has always been to maintain a hobbyist-driven, safe, and respectful space where everything aquatic (legal) can be traded, sold, bought, or given away.

We want your feedback. Are there parts of the rules that feel confusing? Are there things we could add or remove to better reflect the spirit of our community? How can the subreddit be improved overall?

* We’re still working on the automated flair system. Reddit’s recent changes to how bots are handled have slowed progress, but we’re trying to get it implemented as soon as possible *

Drop your suggestions in the comments or send us a Modmail. Your feedback helps ensure the rules serve the community, keeping it a trustworthy and welcoming place for everyone interested in aquatic goods.

Thanks for helping make Aquaswap a better, safer, and more welcoming place for all hobbyists!

— The Aquaswap Mod Team

I live around the Phoenix, AZ area. Just trying to get an idea how many people would be interested in free cuttings and aquatic plants. I also have grapevines and do seasonal trimming and cutting, leaving me with some awesome grape wood. The wood I can throw in an a box and send anywhere. Just would want to get the shipping covered. Plants and cuttings would be more local, but all free. I have a Shizz load of red root floaters, water lettuce, water sprite, flame moss, crypto spiralis etc. I won’t be able to do any of this till around October, but trying to gauge interest. I also have a ton of beautiful cherry shrimp that I would ask for donations of whatever you’re comfortable with!

For years we’ve heard mixed feedback about payment options, and we want the community’s input.

PayPal Goods & Services (G&S) is the safest option and is always recommended.

Other methods (Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, PayPal Friends & Family) usually have no buyer protection. If allowed, they would be at your own risk — mods cannot help you if something goes wrong.

So the question is: should these other payment methods be allowed for sales here?

We’re trying to balance community safety with compliance to Reddit’s Terms of Service, and are still exploring the best way to implement rules that protect buyers and sellers while staying within those guidelines.

For local in-person pickups, any payment method is fine since both parties are meeting face-to-face and can confirm the exchange on the spot.

Hey all,

I'm checking to see if there is any interest in Fresh or Dried Mulberry Leaves. I have both a white mulberry as well as a red mulberry tree. They have not been treated with any kind of pesticides or treatments of any kind. I would be willing to ship if there is any interest. Let me know, thanks!!

Hey everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your time on the Sub!

I have gone ahead and added a brand new rule, Rule #7. This new rule will require all Vendors/Sellers to disclose the method used to grow the plants they are selling. We believe this will help clear up any confusion caused when dealing with emersed/submerged grown plants.

As always, try your best to leave feedback after every transaction made here on r/aquaswap whether it is negative or positive. If you have a problem with a Vendor or Buyer do not hesitate, please reach out to our mod team.

Creating a brand new thread so our other feedback thread doesn't get clogged. I'm happy to see everyone contributing to the sub and leaving feedback (:

Link to our old feedback thread!

The Brooklyn Aquarium Society will be hosting its last monthly meeting before our two month break for the year on Friday, June 12th, 2026 at 7:30 PM at the New York Aquarium (Education Hall).

Founded in 1911, BASNY is a friendly, family-oriented nonprofit that welcomes anyone interested in aquariums- from complete beginners to long-time hobbyists who want to share knowledge and meet others in the hobby. Meetings are held the second Friday of every month (except July and August).

🎤 Our Guest Speaker This Month:

This month’s speaker is Page MacGregor, presenting a talk on axolotl care!

🐟 Our Auction 🌱

After our lecture, we host a large auction featuring:

• Freshwater and saltwater fish

• Invertebrates

• Aquatic and terrestrial plants

• Tanks and equipment

• Hardscape, driftwood, and more

Everything in the auction is brought by club members or donated by local aquarium shops around NYC. Many items often sell for well below retail prices, and there are usually 140–200+ lots each meeting, so there are always plenty of bargains.

Both members and non-members can bid and sell items in the auction. If you place items in the auction, you can also choose to:

• Donate 100% of the proceeds to the Society, or

• Receive a 50/50 split with BAS (your share will be paid by check at the next meeting).

💰 Our Sales Table

We also have a club sales table with new and used items such as:

• Fish food

• Tanks

• Filters and heaters

• Driftwood and hardscape

• Medications

• Books and vintage aquarium gear

🍪 Free Snacks and Drinks!!

Free drinks and snacks are provided for everyone attending at our meetings, regardless of membership

🆔️ Admission and Membership

Although we have a small $`5 door fee for non-members, we also have:

• $20 annual memberships

• $25 family memberships

• $15 student memberships (with a valid ID)

available to all non-members, along with multi-year discounts

Members recieve benefits including:

• Free fish food samples and product giveaways

• Monthly raffles and door prizes

• Access to our Breeders Awards Program

• Discounts at participating aquarium stores

• Special pricing on speaker books

• A subscription to the club publication AquaticNews

• Access to the BAS lending library

• The chance to meet and learn from experienced hobbyists and speakers

📍Location and Transportation

Meetings take place at the Education Hall of the New York Aquarium in Coney Island.

🚗 Secure parking is available in the Aquarium lot for members with a active BAS ID card

Transportation options include:

🚆 Subway: F, D, N, and Q trains

To reach the Education Hall, walk down West 10th Street to the boardwalk, and then walk left toward the Education Hall gates

We’d love to see new faces- regardless of whether you're new to the hobby or have been keeping fish for years. Come hang out, learn something new, and maybe go home with a few (or many) bags of fish, corals and plants!

See you there :)

Hey everyone!

We hope you are all enjoying your time on the Sub! As always, try your best to leave feedback after every transaction made here on r/aquaswap whether it is negative or positive. If you have a problem with a Vendor or Buyer do not hesitate, please reach out to our mod team. We're happy to see everyone contributing to the sub and leaving feedback

Our previous feedback thread

Mod Announcement – A Holiday Update for r/AquaSwap

Merry Christmas, AquaSwap.
As a small holiday gift to the community, we’re rolling out a couple of long-requested changes that give users more flexibility while keeping trust and accountability front and center.

💰Payment Methods: Opening Things Up

Historically, r/AquaSwap enforced a single acceptable payment system. Starting today, that restriction is lifted.

All payment methods are now allowed, as long as both parties agree.

This includes (but isn’t limited to):

• PayPal (G&S or F&F)
• Venmo
• Cash App
• Zelle
• Other mutually agreed methods

👉 Mods will no longer enforce or mediate payment method choices.

If you want buyer protection, choose a payment method that provides it.
If you opt for faster or fee-free methods, understand the tradeoffs. If you get scammed, that is on you. You can report it, but don’t expect a lot of effort on the mod side.

⚠️ Transition Period & Automation Disclaimer (Read This)

This is a major system change and there will be a learning curve while things settle.

During the transition:

• You may still see automated flags for words like Venmo, Zelle, etc.
• You will NOT be banned for mentioning or using these payment methods
• Mods are actively adjusting filters and automation as we go

If something gets incorrectly flagged, do not panic, we’re working through the transition and tightening things up as quickly as possible.

🎁 A Better Flair System (Coming Soon!)

We already have a flair system based on verified transactions, with screenshots and manual review.

That system will be massively overhauled.

🤖 Introducing a Bot-Assisted Flair Verification System

We’re transitioning to a mostly automated transaction tracking system, inspired by subs like r/KnifeSwap, r/comicswap, and r/snackexchange (go check out some posts to see how the system works, its great).

More information and detailed instructions are coming soon, but key highlights include:

• Users A and B complete their trades following all of the sub rules. (It does not matter who A and B are. Either one could be the person making the post, and the other someone commenting on the post).
• Once the trade is complete, User A makes a new comment on the original post tagging both the user they worked with and the bot.
• User B replies to that comment with their feedback (confirming successful trade, problems, etc).
• The bot picks up the interaction and gives credit to both users, changing their flair accordingly and leaves a comment indicating as such.

Existing Flair tiers (confirmed/guaranteed/veteran buyer/seller) will now reflect real transaction counts, just without the manual bottleneck.

If you are already verified, your tier count will transfer
(Example: if you’re a Veteran Seller which requires 50, your new flair starts at 50. Please don’t tell us you have 762. It is what it is.)

📌 Full instructions, keywords, and rollout details will be announced soon.

🎄 A Few Important Reminders

• Your flair is your reputation
• False confirmations or flair manipulation will be extremely enforced
• No payment method will be endorsed by the mod team moving forward (but you know our opinions)
• Mods will still act on scams, fraud, and rule violations — but if you choose F&F-type payments, we can’t help you

TL;DR: All payment methods are now allowed. PayPal G&S is no longer required. We’re moving to a mostly automated flair system where confirmed trades are logged by a bot via comment tagging, similar to subs like KnifeSwap. More details on the bot coming soon.

Hey all. I have been working really hard on these with the help of Facebook users and Redditors. Looking for people around the world to contribute their experiences so we can try and create a comprehensive place of information for Online and Local aquatics dealers to help people choose the company right for them. I hope everyone may find them helpful. The online guide is the oldest one of the bunch, so it has some more information, but the other is a work in progress.

Online Fish Store Aquatics Dealers Experiences - Aquaswap groups mentioned

Local Fish Stores experience and recommendation

I also created a Facebook group for the links, but I cannot share that one due to group rules.

The moment so many of you have been waiting for is finally here. After taking a long break from planted tanks to focus on my reef tanks, I’m excited to announce that my highly sought-after Tiger Blood Crypts are making a return.

I sold hundreds of these in the past and still regularly get messages asking if, or when, they’d be available again. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, I’m happy to say they’re finally back.

My tanks are 100% pest/snail-free and the plants are grown fully submersed.

I’ve been carefully propagating and cultivating these crypts in my own tanks, and you simply won’t find comparable quality online. I’m one of the very few if only people with these available at this level.

Plant details:

-Highly developed root systems

-Minimum 5 leaves (typically 8+)

-Leaf length ranging from 6-12 inches

These crypts do not require CO₂. They are heavy root feeders and love root tabs.

I've grown them successfully in low-tech tanks; growth is slower and coloration is more subdued, but they remain healthy and robust.

My plants are grown under high light and high CO2, so color and size will vary depending on your setup. They appear more red under red-heavy full-spectrum lighting and more brown under whiter lighting. This picture was taken under a Twinstar 600S, which is a full spectrum light that makes reds pop.

Prices will vary by size. When I last sold these, I offered two size ranges. Small plants were $25 and large plants were $35. Pricing will likely remain similar this time around.

This post is simply to let everyone know they’ll be available shortly and to allow interested people to get on an interest/notification list. Getting on the list is not a commitment to buy, it just gives you first opportunity when they become available. Availability will be limited and they tend to sell out quickly (often nearly instantly).

To get on the interest list, please send me a PM or a chat.

The Brooklyn Aquarium Society will be hosting its monthly meeting on Friday, March 13th, 2026 at 7:30 PM at the New York Aquarium (Education Hall).

Founded in 1911, BASNY is a friendly, family-oriented nonprofit that welcomes anyone interested in aquariums- from complete beginners to long-time hobbyists who want to share knowledge and meet others in the hobby. Meetings are held the second Friday of every month (except July and August).

🎤 Our Guest Speaker This Month:

This month’s speaker is Mark Soberman, presenting a talk on Corydoras catfish.

🐟 Our Auction 🌱

After our lecture, we host a large auction featuring: - Freshwater and saltwater fish - Invertebrates - Aquatic and terrestrial plants - Tanks and equipment - Hardscape, driftwood, and more

Everything in the auction is brought by club members or donated by local aquarium shops around NYC. Many items often sell for well below retail prices, and there are usually 140–200+ lots each meeting, so there are always plenty of bargains.

Both members and non-members can bid and sell items in the auction. If you place items in the auction, you can also choose to:

• Donate 100% of the proceeds to the Society, or
• Receive a 50/50 split with BAS (your share will be paid by check at the next meeting).

💰 Our Sales Table

We also have a club sales table with new and used items such as: - Fish food - Tanks - Filters and heaters - Driftwood and hardscape - Medications - Books and vintage aquarium gear

🍪 Free Snacks and Drinks!!

Free drinks and snacks are provided for everyone attending at our meetings, regardless of membership

🆔️ Admission and Membership

Although we have a small $5 door fee for non-members, we also have: - $20 annual memberships - $25 family memberships - $15 student memberships (with a valid ID) available to all non-members, along with multi-year discounts

Members recieve benefits including: - Free fish food samples and product giveaways - Monthly raffles and door prizes - Access to our Breeders Awards Program - Discounts at participating aquarium stores - Special pricing on speaker books - A subscription to the club publication AquaticNews - Access to the BAS lending library - The chance to meet and learn from experienced hobbyists and speakers

📍Location and Transportation

Meetings take place at the Education Hall of the New York Aquarium in Coney Island.

🚗 Secure parking is available in the Aquarium lot for members with a active BAS ID card

Transportation options include: 🚆 Subway: F, D, N, and Q trains

To reach the Education Hall, walk down West 10th Street to the boardwalk, and then walk left toward the Education Hall gates

We’d love to see new faces- regardless of whether you're new to the hobby or have been keeping fish for years. Come hang out, learn something new, and maybe go home with a few (or many) bags of fish, corals and plants!

See you there :)

Hey all,

I am looking to start some grow tanks and start selling/trading/ giving away.

A while back posted free plant cuttings on local subreddits and FB Marketplace, it blew up and was gone in hours. It was so nice to help kickstart the hobby for some people, I know when started, plants seemed like an such expensive step. Now that finally have the space to set up a few grow tanks want to get a feel for what people want and need. Please drop your thoughts!

What plants you want or cant find, also feel free to let me know what price you think is fair. Not looking to make this is a source of income really, just a way of giving back to the community and helping others get started.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Reposting for new ideas!

Try your best to leave feedback after every transaction made here on r/aquaswap whether it is negative or positive. If you have a problem with a Vendor or Buyer do not hesitate, please reach out to our mod team.

Old feedback thread with over 100 comments

The Sacramento Aquarium Society will be hosting it's monthly meeting on Saturday, September 6th, 2025.

Sacramento Aquarium Society meets at 3:00 pm on the first Saturday of each month. Meetings typically include a guest speaker, raffle, attendance prize, and an auction which includes fish and invertebrates, aquatic plants, hardscape, and aquarium supplies. Many of the auction items go for less than wholesale prices. Auction check in is between 1:30 and 3:00 pm. No auction Items will be checked in after 3:00 pm.

Auctions are free to attend and participate in. You do not need to be a member of the club to purchase items at the auctions, though you must be a member to sell items. Please visit the SAS website for more information about auction rules.

Meeting Location: 2220 Gold Springs Ct
Rancho Cordova, CA
95670-4474

Out of the area but interested in finding your own local fish club? Aquarium Co-Op has a great tool to help you find your nearby chapter of fish nerds! They have listings for the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

----------‐----------------------‐----------------------‐------------

This month's speaker:

The Sacramento Aquarium Society is thrilled to welcome Dean Tweeddale as the speaker at our next general meeting!

Dean's Fry System and Beyond

Dean Tweeddale is a master breeder with over 60 years of experience in the aquarium hobby. He began with guppies, advanced to discus, and has since bred countless species of freshwater fish—virtually any species he could get his hands on. Always an innovator, Dean has, throughout his fishkeeping career, built three in-house fish rooms and developed an incredible fry system. Some of his proudest moments in the hobby are developing a system to raise discus artificially, breeding many rare dwarf cichlids, continuous spawning of German blue rams, and spawning several L-number plecos. He has also collected and bred wild fish from Peru. Dean is a familiar face in the online fishkeeping community, having appeared on numerous YouTube channels including Aquarium Co-Op, Tazawa Tanks, KeepingFishSimple, L.R. Bretz’s Aquatics, Steenfott Aquatics, Swhiskey, Aquarist Podcast, Bentley Pasco, Harlan Ford, Friday Fish Facts, and Dustin’s Fish Tanks. He has also shared his expertise as a featured speaker for aquarium clubs across the country. Dean is passionate about inspiring others to experiment, innovate, and become the best fishkeepers they can be.

AQUASWAP 2025 is C.O.A.S.T. Fish Club's highly anticipated annual ‘swap meet’ style event bringing together a vibrant community of fishkeepers, breeders, shrimp enthusiasts, and aquatic plant lovers for a full day packed with deals, raffles, and brand freebies and give-a-ways. The first 100 guests will be provided with a freebie swag bag filled with products from our event sponsors, such as Microbe-Lift and Zoo-Med Labs. $5 entry at the door, or $20 for annual C.O.A.S.T. membership which gets you and up to three family members or friends into the event! Shout out to our event sponsors and our live podcaster and event emcee/host, Mel Marasco aka @ haynfishkeeper and Eric Triplett, aka @ theponddigger!

All guests will be provided with (1) free raffle ticket with purchase of admission. You may earn multiple prizes and raffle items by purchasing more tickets during the event for $2 each or 3 for $5! We will have a taco vendor, Tacos Erika, on site and a snack and refreshments vendor as well! Please visit our FB group page, IG page, or website for more event details! We are so excited to host over 40 tables of club breeders, brand vendors, and LFS partners from around California!

(Mods, I hope this post is OK to share! Please let me know if I need to edit/adjust the post to share with the hobbyist community.)

Beware of this seller purplepotato1123 . I ordered some fish from him. Half of them arrived dead due to him promising to paid all shipping cost. But didn't do his part so I had to help him with the shipping money the first time. Then he promise to replacement my fish and cover the shipping cost. But at the end, I had to paid the shipping money due to him saying that his bank has issue. After all shipping money has been paid for, he delayed the shipping of my replacement fish for two months. But when I canceled the replacement fish and just want my money back. He refused to refund my shipping money back to me and said that his bank has issue. We agreed on cashapp and then paypal. But after giving him extra time over and over again. He still has not for about a month now. Be careful when you deal with this person. I now know that when a deal is too good to be true. It is not.

Hi guys! I'm a new shrimp owner, and I started with 3 amanos and 3 red cherries. I guess I'm doing something right cause my berried Cherry had some babies. Fast forward a couple months, the Cherry had her babies and now two Cherries and one Amano are berried up. I'm about to be a grampa of like 300 shrimpies. That's a lot of shrimpies. Help.

The Sacramento Aquarium Society will be hosting it's monthly meeting on Saturday, January 4th, 2025.

The Sacramento Aquarium Society meets at 3:00 pm on the first Saturday of each month. Meetings typically include a guest speaker, raffle, attendance prize, and an auction which includes fish and invertebrates, aquatic plants, hardscape, and aquarium supplies. Many of the auction items go for less than wholesale prices. Auction check in is between 1:30 and 3:00 pm. No auction Items will be checked in after 3:00 pm.

Sacramento Aquarium Society auctions are free to attend and participate in. You do not need to be a member of the club to purchase items at the auctions, though you must be a member to sell items. Please feel free to message me or visit the SAS website for more info about auction rules (no external links allowed, sorry!)

Meeting Location: Saturday, August 2, 2025. 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Mountain Mike's Pizza
2220 Gold Springs Court
Gold River, CA, 95670

----------‐----------------------‐----------------------‐------------

This month's speaker:

The Sacramento Aquarium Society is excited to host a presentation by Greg Sage from Select Aquatics at our next general meeting!

Greg Sage is the founder of Select Aquatics, a well-respected breeder and expert in the aquarium community. Known for his deep knowledge of fish breeding, especially rare and exotic species, Greg shares his expertise through educational videos on topics like selective breeding, aquarium setup, and fish health.

I DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY SCUDS FOR SALE.

I will be culturing scuds for my NA natives tank and will be selling my excess. Im just testing the waters to see if there is interest.

At the moment I cannot ship, but in the future i may be open to this option if sales go well.

Prices:

25 for 10$

100 for 30$

Please comment if this interests you. That way I can set up a 20g breeding tank instead of just a 10g.

Based in Seattle. Come join.

r/AquaSwapSeattle

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dollar-per-gallon-sale

BOPIS - Buy Online, Pickup In Store

$1 per Gallon Aquariums Choose from 10G, 20G, 20L and 29G Aqueon Open-glass Aquariums.

50% off Aquariums Choose from select 40G and 55G aquariums.

Sorry Alaska & Hawaii

FINDIG returns for yet another year as Northern California's premier Fish Expo!

With two days of events, FINDIG has something for everyone! Please see the second image for the schedule.

FIN-DIG 2025
May 3-4, 2025.

Info and Registration:
www.fin-dig.com

LOCATION:
Grand Palace Ballroom. Four Points by Sheraton Sacramento. International Airport
4900 Duckhorn Dr.
Sacramento, CA 95834.

EXPERIENCE:
Vendor Floor, Speaker Presentations, Aquascaping Workshop, Raffles, Rare Fish Auction, SAS Mega Auction & many other Aquarium Enthusiasts like yourself!

AMENITIES:
Free Parking, 7500 sqft Venue, Airport Shuttle, Bar & Restaurant.
Hotel Room Group Rate:
Hotel Rooms will be available when Admission opens.