An aquarist is most commonly defined as one who keeps and maintains aquariums. The novice or one ignorant to aquarium keeping pictures a realtively peaceful environment. Plenty of colorful fishes and lush, green aquatic plants set in an aquarium beautiful. This can be the case in many situations. It is not the case of the aquarist that many of us have come to know or become ourselves. The TRUE aquarist is the one who lives in the basement or some secluded room of the house filled with fish tanks. This person sadly believes the he or she can re-create the natural environment the fish came from. These rooms of aquariums are a world of their own. Rows or racks of tanks filled with fish in various kinds of set-up. The owner travels these rows feeding his minions, encouraging them to spawn or to raise their broods. Some tanks contain the looser of some underwater battle that occurred the earlier. This normally happens to that new purchase of a pair of very expensive fish and now the female is on her death bed. The owners often talk to their fish, this type of psychosis has yet to be named.  The keepers often set up areas to grow food for young fish. This often turns out to look like a small biology experiment gone out of control. The creator of this mess often fools oneself that it will get straightened out. The cycles of water changes, feedings and maintainence goes on for years. The dealings of rogue fish that wipe out entire tanks in a matter of hours. The tanks that leak or overflow ruining floors and carpet alike.  The failed spawnings, parents that eat fry,  plants that die, fish that won't eat, brine shrimp that won't hatch, the spilling of a bucket, tripping over a hose, the stuck heater, the list goes on. This type of masochistic self torture eventually leads the person down one of two paths, alcohol or Prozac. The sign that this has occurred is when the person joins a fish club. Gets together with others who have the same stories to tell. This is where the REAL fish stories come from. It is customary to consume substantial quantites of various type of alcohol at these social functions. However this is just the start, conventions are the real happenings. These gatherings of aquarists occur in many parts of the country at different times of the year. This is done in this fashion to allow as many aquarists as possible to gather with their fish buddies. They gather in dark rooms to listen to someone tell a big fish story and then at the end of the day get in small groups, tell their stories and drink. Sometimes a large group of weird fish people gather in a special room to tell stories, dress in different attire, and drink. Many different rituals are often carried on in this special room and have to be seen to be believed. These people need help and we at Club Snail are here to help. So when you join Club Snail, not only are you helping the hobby and yourself. you are helping this band of  twisted fishkeepers keep up the standards of the hobby and allows up all to be able to get together and drink at the next convention.