Showing Fish
Showing Fish
Written by Saturday, 10 April 2010 00:00
We live in a small town in west Yorkshire called Castleford. Like most hobbyists, we got in the hobby when we acquired a fish from a fair which we had for around 2 years. This got us on to our next project; we wanted a tropical tank so we got a Fluval 90ltr one. We set the tank up and left it for a couple of days then went over to the local fish shop and got five platys which was just fine to start with. After a few months we had collected some really nice fish. A friend of ours told us about a great little fish shop called Ferry Bridge Aquatics owned by a nice person, Kevin Lawson. Kevin has been in the hobby for a lot of years and this little shop was his dream. Apart from being an experienced hobbyist, Kevin was also one of the best - and very well known - in showing fish in England. Meeting him and talking to him a few times got us into tropical fish. Eventually he talked us into showing fish too. All in all we feel it was due to Kev that we decided to take the hobby seriously and devote time and resources to it.
One of the first fish we ever showed got a 3rd place; we also showed a krib that got a 1st so all in all showing became a thrill. What is involved in showing fish? It may sound easy but there are some things to be taken into account while preparing for a (successful) showing session.
It is quite important to make sure that you start with a good stock (i.e. fish of good or excellent quality) and that your fish are healthy and kept well. Clean water, a good tank environment and an appropriate diet will ensure your fish are always in excellent condition and therefore good candidates for a show.
Picking a fish for a show is quite important. We first decide which species of fish we will show, i.e. guppies, platties, danios etc. The fish have to be carefully selected to be in as good a state and physical condition as possible. Check that all the fins are in good condition (split or ragged fins are not accepatable) and that they are the correct size and shape for the species. If you plan to show cold water fancy fish make sure that the all the fins face the right way. These fish are man made varieties, often massively produced and therefore likely to have deformities. The size of the fish is also important; we have a file listing fish sizes as the larger the fish the more points it gets. This helps in getting a good place in the rankings though the size only gets 10 points in the grading system used here. When it comes to the body of the fish remember that a nice stocky fish is always preferred; thin or emaciated fish do not do well unless this is naturaly their body type. Judges will also look at the colour of the fish. A nice coloured fish will win extra points. Some fish lack colour naturally; in these cases judges compare the exhibit with the natural form of the fish. For instance, some glass fish show well as they do not need to be judged on colour (they are naturally 'clear'). The final thing to consider is how well a fish will show. Think about the 'personality' of your fish; fish that are shy or not used to the human presence may not show well. Some fish are quite comfortable in a show tank and will swim around well, which makes them good candidates for winning. Others get scared or sulk, which can cost the aquarist the win. Some aquarists use a bit of salt to perk the fish up so to speak. Salt helps the fish relax so it leaves the bottom and swims; others use gravel as a soother to help the fish settle. Even so some fish never get comfortable with the show tanks and just do not show well.
The next step is picking the right tank and preparing it. It is important to choose a tank big enough for the fish you plan to show. The fish must be able to move free and easy. The tank should not be too shallow as the fish will stay down low and this may cost you points. When the right tank is chosen it must be prepared. Clean it with hot water (do not use any cleaning products), add gravel if you intend to do so and finally the water in which the fish will be transported, preferrably from the tank in which your fish lives so as to ensure the fish remains as calm and relaxed as possible. The tank must be a clear slab sided tank with clear lid and the latin name of the fish must be displayed clearly on the tank .
Transporting the fish to the venue comes next. Different aquarists have their own methods to do that. Our way is to fill the tank with enough water so that the fish is submerged and there are about 1-2 inches of water over the fish. We found that putting too much water in the tank can cause problems, for example the car gettting soaked. Once the water and the fish are in the tank we cover the tank with cling film and place the lid over it. The tank then gets in a polystyrene box, packed with towels, if necessary, to ensure it does not move. Finally we take a barrel of water in the car to fill the tank when we get to the show.
On arrival at the show you must declare how many fish you will be showing and book them in. Each fish is given a number and then the hard work starts. The tanks need to get unpacked, cleaned of any waste produced by the fish during the journey and properly filled with water so that they are nearly full. It is important to remember that most fish get upset during transport so in the final preparations before the benching it is imperative that the aquarist keeps the fish as calm as possible. We use a turkey baster to get the waste out of the tank and this seems to work fine with our fish.
Once the tank is prepared aquarists must chose the classes in which their fish will compete. Some fish can be entered in more than one class. For example a female cherry barb (Puntius titteya) can be entered either as a barb or as a female egg layer. If, in addition, you also have a male cherry barb, you can enter both in the Egg Layers - Pairs class. The final step is to clean the glass of the tank once more to ensure all finger marks are off it and that the judges can see the fish as well as possible. At this point you have done all you can to win the show. From that point on it is down to your fish to show him/herself off and win the class they are in. (1) The only thing the aquarist can do is wait to see if they got best in show and / or best exhibit. To win either title is a thrill, at least to those of us who enjoy showing our fish.
As we got more and more into fishkeeping we started acquiring more tanks. We eventually insulated our shed and started a fish house. We decided to try and breed L number plecs as these were Sam's favourites. There were a lot of L number catfish we were interested in so after some research we agreed to get a colony of L66 (Hypostomus sp., commonly known as King Tiger pleco). It took us a while to get a colony of 8 fish including a breeding pair of the fish. The fish are in a species tank with plenty of wood and caves, good water circulation and plenty of aeration. We have already witnessed some courting so we are currently waiting for the first spawn.
In the last couple of months we have started trying to breed liberty mollies (Poecilia salvatoris), Montezuma swordtails (Xiphophorus montezumae), green swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii), steel headed endelers and our colony of 8 corydoras duplicarius. To our delight our wild bristlenoses and our honduras (Cryptoheros sp. 'honduran red point') have already started breeding.
We have been in the hobby for two years now. Showing fish is a thrill for us. But breeding fish is also an excitement we are looking forward to. In the years to come there is lots to enjoy and lots to learn. We are hoping to be able to share some of these experiences with all of you. Until then we would like to wish everybody best of luck with your aquatic friends and adventures.
Photos by the authors.
Notes:
(1) It is advisable, prior to showing fish, to visit a show and get some first hand experience of what it is like to be a participant. Those interested in showing fish can visit shows of their local aquarist societies. Information about shows is available at SVAS or at the site of the Otley Aquarist Society.
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