Cichlid Heroes

Jason Adams started Prime Time Aquatics with his wife Joanna and their sons Luke and Eli, and the family has been sharing videos since February 2017. Jason has kept fish since he was six years old and brings a degree in biology, a master's in biotechnology and chemical science and a graduate certificate in aquaculture and fish health to every video. The result is clear, practical advice from a fish room of more than 50 aquariums, with plenty of cichlids, that helps keepers at every level do better by their fish.

Cory McElroy opened Aquarium Co-Op in Edmonds, Washington in June 2012 and built it into a name almost every freshwater keeper knows. He personally tests every product the company sells before it reaches a customer, served as Fish Breeder Award Program chair for the Greater Seattle Aquarium Society, and was named one of Pet Age magazine's top 40 under 40. His videos have helped a whole generation of keepers succeed with healthy fish and live plants.

Joey Mullen has shown more than a million subscribers that an amazing tank does not have to come out of a box. Tanks, stands, filters and full habitats come together on camera, one step at a time, with an energy and honesty that has pulled a huge number of people into the hobby and kept them there.

Rachel O'Leary, known across the hobby as msjinkzd, is a breeder and educator in Pennsylvania who runs Invertebrates by msjinkzd. Her detailed species profiles and breeding videos for fish, shrimp and snails are references keepers return to again and again, and she shares what she has learned with real generosity.

Our Long Island neighbors at Predatory Fins specialize in rare, exotic and monster freshwater fish. Their channel takes viewers up close with fish most people never get to see, and their Copiague store is a destination for keepers looking for something truly special. The store opened to the public on October 23, 2026. Hours are Monday to Thursday 10 to 6, Friday and Saturday 9 to 9, and Sunday 10 to 7.

The American Cichlid Association brings cichlid keepers together across the country with its quarterly Buntbarsche Bulletin, a member newsletter and an annual convention. The 2026 convention, the Bluegrass Bash, took place in Lexington, Kentucky. If you love cichlids, membership is one of the best things you can do for the hobby.

The Ohio Cichlid Association hosts the Extravaganza, a weekend of speakers, a cichlid and catfish show, a swap meet, a vendor room and a Sunday auction. The 32nd Extravaganza runs November 20 to 22, 2026 in Strongsville, Ohio.

The Long Island Aquarium Society is Long Island's oldest aquarium club and meets on the third Friday of most months in Ronkonkoma, New York. Cichlid Nation was founded on Long Island, so this is our home club, and it is a great room to learn in.

The Pacific Coast Cichlid Association keeps the cichlid community strong on the West Coast, with monthly meetings in San Jose on the second Saturday and a home online at CichlidWorld.com.