Our History

The Sacramento Aquarium Society was founded in 1952 to create a space for hobbyists and promote the care and breeding of tropical fish in the greater Sacramento area. While the aquarium hobby has gone through many changes, like the rise of cichlids in the 1980s or planted aquariums in the 2000s, the Sacramento Aquarium Society has been holding regular meetings for 90+ years and has left many marks on the hobby. From hosting fish shows for thousands of people to the origin of the Albino Aeneus Cory, it has all been recorded in our local newspapers.

References:

• "Frilly-Tailed, Bright-Hued Tropical Fish Fascinate War Veteran Here" The Sacramento Union. Reprinted from the July 1995 Tropical News.

Publications

The Sacramento Aquarium Society has long published a monthly newsletter for its members, the Tropical News. Many articles were later reprinted by national aquarium organizations, including the North American Native Fishes Association and the American Killifish Association, documenting the role of the SAS in the national aquarium hobby.

References:

• "The Asiatic Fire Barb, aka Cyprinella lutrensis" North American Native Fishes Association. Reprinted from the July 1995 Tropical News.

• "The Firethroat Killie" Arizona Rivulin Keepers / American Killifish Association. Reprinted from the March 1995 edition of Tropical News.

• "Breeding the Yellow Rainbowfish" Sam Borstein Cichlids. Reprinted from the June 2011 edition of Tropical News.

Events and Activities

In addition to meetings, SAS has organized a variety of events over the decades. These include field picnics and trips such as the behind-the-scenes tour of the Steinhart Aquarium, which is documented in historical newspaper coverage.

The society has also hosted many large fish shows and conventions. There are many references in local newspapers about the annual shows, ranging from small ads to full articles about the well-attended shows. Show ribbons from the Sacramento Aquarium Society can be viewed on the Website of the Museum of Aquarium and Pet History.

References:

• "Aquarium Society Holds Field Trip to Steinhart". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved January 27, 2026.

• "1960s–1970s era aquarium society ribbons". Museum of Aquarium and Pet History. Retrieved January 27, 2026.

• "Aquarium Society Fish Show Poster". Online Archive of California. Retrieved January 27, 2026.

Historical Newspaper Coverage

The Sacramento Aquarium Society is mentioned in hundreds of newspapers from Northern California, and even Idaho. These mentions range from ads for meetings and shows to letters and obituaries. From the origin of the Albino Cory to historic attendance numbers, the pictures below tell many stories.