Freshwater

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Part IV: Breeding and Other Fun Stuff
Only through research and improving your aquarium-keeping skills can you
consistently produce high-quality show fish. Sure it’s possible to get lucky
and purchase a guppy for a couple of bucks at a local fish store and have it
grow into championship material. But this is the exception rather than the
rule. So you need to do your homework.
Why Competing in Fish Shows
Is Good for Your Fish
Participating in fish shows keeps your aquatic pets from becoming totally
bored with their lives. (If you had nothing to do but swim back and forth in
your bathtub all day, you’d probably be looking for a way out, too.) Fish are
a lot like humans in that they need a little mental stimulation every once
in a while.
In the wild, competing for food, avoiding larger predators that want to have
them over for lunch (literally), and other factors such as unpredictable
weather keep a fish’s senses alert and stimulate it into constant action.
After sitting in a home aquarium for month after month, most fish appreciate
a change of pace, even if it means being carted off to a weird place where
strange-looking people with large, distorted faces walk by and stare into
the tank.
Despite the fact that most freshwater species are bred for the industry, their
natural instincts and desires remain intact.
Getting to Know the Shows
The great majority of aquatic competitions are organized by aquarium
societies. These aquatic societies can be international in scope, as is the
International Betta Congress (IBC), or can be local groups in large towns and
cities. The following is a list of the types of shows you’re likely to encounter.
Small shows
Small shows (also known as bowl shows) are usually sponsored by local
clubs and generally include all different classes of fish such as goldfish, cichlids,
and tetras. Bowl shows are set up for only a few hours so that their paid
members can exhibit their favorite wet pets. These shows are usually not
open to the general public. So, to enter the competition, you must become a
member of the society.