Freshwater

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Part IV: Breeding and Other Fun Stuff
To make sure that the competition between individual fish is fair, you have to
enter your contestant in a specific class. Classes are usually grouped by similar
species. For example, if you have an oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), you don’t
want to place it in a livebearer class normally intended for guppies (Lebistes
reticulatus) and mollies (Mollienesia sphenops). Your fish would be instantly
disqualified simply because it was in the wrong class. Trying to convince a
judge that your 11-inch oscar is really a champion guppy that has eaten too
much usually goes over like a lead balloon.
Classes can also be divided into smaller sub-categories. For example, a guppy
class may be divided into fantails, lyretails, and spadetails. So, before you
enter your fish in any competition, check with the show’s sponsors to make
sure that you are placing it in the correct category. It would be a shame if
your potential best of show was disqualified from the competition just
because you mistakenly placed it in the wrong class.
Getting Your Fish in Shape for the Show
At competitions, you want your fish to make the best overall impression it
possibly can. If your entry bolts for the corner of the tank when the judge
comes up for her first look, your entry probably won’t receive high marks
because the judge didn’t have the opportunity to look it over properly.
Swimming upright and smiling
A good show fish isn’t shy around strangers and doesn’t panic every time
someone walks by its tank. There probably will be many visitors — competitors
and other hobbyists — sneaking over to take a quick peak at your entry
before the judging begins. You don’t want a bunch of people hanging around
your tank and spooking your fish while it is trying to remain calm after being
transported from its home to the show.
If your fish happens to be shy, it most likely will be digging an escape tunnel
by the time the judge gets around to looking in the tank. So a little training is
in order. There is really no big difference between fish and other domesticated
pets as far as training is concerned. Conditioning works well for your
aquatic pets, just as it does for your four-legged friends. To keep your show
fish from being easily frightened by the presence of strangers, you need to
create conditions at home similar to those found in competition.
Placing your show fish’s holding tank in a moderate traffic area gets your
entry used to people passing back and forth. How your fish reacts to people
socially is known as deportment. Make sure your fish is used to people being
around its tank everyday, but don’t overdo it.