This is a public, in-person auction managed through Auction.Fish. Participation is open to anyone who is interested in buying or selling aquarium fish, plants, shrimp, snails, equipment, literature, food cultures, artwork or aquarium hobby related items. The auction will be held at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045 from 1:30pm-6:30pm on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Aquarist Society of Central Maryland volunteers reserve the right to accept or reject any item brought to the auction. This includes any sick, deformed, or improperly bagged fish. Nothing illegal or banned in the state of Maryland can be sold (including livestock and plants).
Sellers must register and list their items in Auction.Fish (https://auction.fish/). The event will use Auction.Fish to manage the auction. Participants can register their items up until the beginning of the auction. Items cannot be listed after the auction has started.
There is a flat $2 listing fee for all lots including dry goods. There is a 0% club split on all member sales and a 30% club split on all non-member sales. You can become a member at https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/6H96J899UBWRN.
Sellers are limited to no more than 3 lots of a single livestock species/color morph/fin type and 3 lots of a single plant species/color variant. There is a total lot limit of 40 items per seller (not including donations). Sellers may set a minimum bid of their choosing; however, if the minimum bid is not met, it may be a “no sale”.
Participants can print out labels for their items via https://auction.fish/ -> Selling -> Print Labels
Item descriptions should be complete. Fish must have a scientific name, common name (if applicable), quantity, and sex distribution (if known). No sick or deformed livestock will be accepted. If these are found, they will be returned to the seller.
Accepted terms are:
PAIR means a male/female of a species.
MATED PAIR means the pair has spawned successfully.
TRIO means 2 females and 1 male of a species.
REVERSE TRIO means 2 males and 1 female of a species.
COLONY means a mix of males and females of a species.
Photos help sell listings and show accurate representations of items. Photos of the actual item are highly encouraged. Your description and photo will be displayed when your item comes up for bid.
All livestock and plants to be auctioned should be properly bagged. Bags should not be leaking. It is recommended to have approximately ⅓ water to ⅔ air for fish and that livestock be double bagged. No Ziplock-type bags or baggies will be accepted.
Depending on species, adult male and female fish should be bagged separately and the bags taped together or put into a third bag.
All items should be properly labeled. This means they must have a lot number, item name, seller’s name, email address, quantity, and condition (if applicable) displayed on the bag.
ASCM may group lot numbers of the same item from the same seller together & sell at the highest bid to the winner (they have the option to get multiple lots at that price). Leftover lots will be provided at the next lower bid, etc.
Dry goods will be available for sale in our Tag Sale for most of the auction and are required to have a fixed price.
Dry goods must be clearly marked as to condition (used, new, etc). The seller must ensure that any used equipment is clean, in good working order, and that all filters are dried out. No equipment with water still in it will be accepted. Dry, used gravel is ok. Dry goods should have no missing or broken parts. No used heaters are allowed. No open or expired chemicals or food will be accepted.
Auction staff will determine the Tag Sale closing time (before the close of the auction). At the end of the announced time for the Tag Sale, items that did not sell at the fixed price may be removed by the seller or transferred to the auction *if time allows. It is not guaranteed that all unsold Tag Sale items will make it into the auction.
Items should not be removed from the auction once they have been registered (unless they do not sell). If auction items that do not reach the minimum bid are not claimed by their seller by the end of the auction, the minimum will be lifted, and the items will be sold for whatever price that can be obtained. Any unclaimed items at the end of the auction and Tag Sale become the property of the Aquarist Society of Central Maryland.
Sellers will be issued a check after the auction. Checks will be issued within 7 days of the close of the auction.
All persons wishing to participate in the auction must have a bidder’s card and be registered to buy at the auction. There is no charge to register.
To bid on an item, raise your bidder’s card in the air so that the auctioneer can plainly see it.
Minimum bid increments will be $1.00 and bid increments used will be at the discretion of the auctioneer.
All sales are FINAL immediately after the auctioneer says SOLD. No additional bids will be allowed.
Inspect any items you are interested in thoroughly to your satisfaction before purchasing anything. Once the auctioneer announces an item sold, ownership immediately transfers to the winning bidder.
Items will be offered for auction in a random fashion. If you would like to move a particular item up, you can purchase a "Bump-Up" sticker for $2.00 at the check-out table. There is a $10.00 minimum for non-cash Bump-Up purchases.
Please see one of the auction staff members for assistance when placing the sticker on the bag being bumped up. You can purchase as many Bump-Ups as you wish at any time during the auction.
You are responsible for your purchases and the security of them. Neither ASCM, the auction volunteers, or the venue where the auction is being held will be responsible for the security of your items once purchased.
All items purchased must be removed by the end of the auction.
Payment is due on the day of the auction. All bidders must run a tab and pay on the way out of the auction room. When checking out, bidder cards must be turned in. Both fixed price and live auction items will be recorded to the bidder’s tab.
We accept CASH, all major credit cards and debit cards, PayPal, venmo, and ApplePay.
Please remember to properly acclimate your fish and plants when you get home. It is strongly recommended that all new fish be quarantined for a minimum of 2 weeks in a separate aquarium before introduction into any community or established aquarium. Please, be a responsible aquarist, NEVER RELEASE ANY FISH OR AQUATIC PLANT INTO THE WILD.