In This Issue. January / February 2008 Volume 41 No. 4. IBC Dues. Next deadline March 15, 2008

Transcription

1 January / February 2008 Volume 41 No. 4 In This Issue. FLARE! is the official bimonthly publication of the International Betta Congress (IBC), a non-profit organization. The views and opinions contained within are not necessarily those of the editors and/or the officers and members of the IBC. FLARE! Staff Editor: Linda Scott lscott255@yahoo.com Proofing & Uploads: Scotty Scott Submission Guidelines Articles: Articles are preferred in electronic submission using MS Word. Please do not use Headers and Footers. The Font should be Ariel Size 9, Pictures need to be in JPEG format. Send all electronic versions of articles to lscott255@yahoo.com or flareeditor@ibcbettas.org. Committee & Chapter Reports: News is always welcome and a way to get to know our membership. Pictures are always welcomed. Since we are an International organization and many members are not able to attend convention, pictures are away of getting to know you! Stock Shop Ads: Ads will only be accepted from IBC Members. Ads should not exceed 100 words. Show Information: All Show Chairs are responsible for submitting Show Information and show results. Show Ads should not exceed ½ page in length. A fill-in-the-blanks form is available from the FLARE! Editor! The FLARE! Editor reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. While the submitter retains ownership, the IBC reserves the right to use all submissions for future publications in any medium. Next deadline March 15, 2008 News, Updates and Show Information International Betta Congress... inside front cover President s Message... 2 Editor s Message... 2 Judging Board News... 3 IBC Judges & Apprentice Judges Rationale for Plakat Standards... 5 Judging Plakats Sieg Illig & Dan Young Chapters and Contact Information... 8 Committee Reports... 9 Chapter Chatter Welcome New Members IBC Show Dates IBC Show Announcements The Heat is On! Nominations for Year-End Awards IBC Show Results IBC Programs IBC Sales Area 6 Entry Form and Class List IBC Show Entry Form IBC Classes Show Year...inside back cover Articles and Columns Are you Showing Your Fish?? Why Not?? - Scotty Rob s A, B, C of Breeding Rob Panerio Experiences with Betta albimarginata - Andrew Smith Crunching Energy In The Fish Room - Midge Hill Photo Credits 7 th National Betta Competition... Covers and 18-21, 29 IBC Dues All Electronic Membership - Includes electronic color FLARE! - You will be invited to join the IBC Members-Only BetterBettas Mail List in order to access the color FLARE! and IBC Documents. $20 Individual $22 Family 1 $14 Junior (under 16 - all areas) 005 Paper FLARE! Membership 1 - Includes black & white mailed paper issue of FLARE! $35 Individual (North America only) $37 Family 1 (North America only) $40 Individual (all other areas) $42 Family 1 (all other areas) $29 Junior (under 16 - all areas) Associate Rates: Includes fish hobby organizations and commercial entities. Above dues apply. Premium Rates: Applies to anyone, regardless of country; the extra dues in these next 3 categories help to offset IBC operating expenses. Please be sure to specify either paper or electronic FLARE. $40 - Patron $50 - Supporting $60 - Sustaining Lifetime Rate: Available to individuals and families only $500 - one time fee Payments by check must be made in US funds only. Canadian checks, please add $3.75 collection fee. This does not apply to money orders. 1 Family: refers to family members living at the same residence

2 President s Message Another 2 months have come and gone. I hope everyone has fish ready for the second half of the show season that is right around the corner. I also hope everyone is making plans to attend the IBC Convention in Jacksonville, FL. Convention is always a great time for everyone that can make it. If you can't make convention, then do your best to make one of the other shows this spring. I personally hope to make 3 shows this spring. It was brought to the attention of the E-Board that By-Law Article IX, that was passed June of 2007, is worded in such a way that would prevent changes to any of the By-Laws. The E-Board has voted to rescind this Article IX and replace it with By-Law Article IX that was in place in June of This will allow the membership to make proposals to the By-Laws that they feel are necessary and give the membership the right to pass those proposals. We have a new Awards Chairman. Wayne McLain has stepped up to fill the position. The IBC is also looking for someone to take over the Internet Chairman position. If you re interested in helping out with this please contact me. While we are talking about helping the IBC, please be sure to remember the IBC has 3 positions to fill on the E-Board and 3 positions on the J-Board that we need to fill. If you re one of the people, who complain that we don't have enough choices at election time, now is the time to do something about it. Run for a position or find someone that you think would be willing to do the job and get them to run. If we end up with 6 people running for 6 positions, don't blame the IBC. The blame falls to the membership. One big change on the IBC web site, that has taken place since the last issue of FLARE!, has been the new IBC Sales page! If you haven't already done so please take a look at it, and I'd like to thank everyone involved in making it happen with a special Thank you to Andrea Edwards and Melissa Migota for all the extra hard work that went into it. The IBC sales page is running monthly specials so please take a look at stock up. The Betta Pals program will be looking to start shipping fish again soon so please contact the Betta Pals Chairman if you have any stock available to donate. Check out the IBC site for the latest show results. Area 1 has stopped showing for the winter, but area 6 has been busy to be sure to take a look. I hope to see everyone at a show this season. Rich Christman Lead By Example, Follow By Choice Editor s Message Linda & Scotty Scott Hi Everyone, I can t believe its February already!! Spring is just around the corner! And with Spring, the second half of our show season will be starting before you know it! Are you a little hesitant to show your fish? Worried about cost? There was some great discussion on BetterBettas last week and Scotty has put it into FLARE! format, check out page 22! I want to take a moment to thank Li Chieh Hsu for all of the pictures he sent to me for this issue, from the 7 th National Betta Competition this past December. I m not sure who is responsible for taking all of them, but Thank-you anyway, they are spectacular! You ll notice a code with each picture. The code is actually the Class and Entry Number for each fish. Match the code to the Show Results List and you ll find the breeder. What a great way to identify the classes! Did you notice that the theme this month is Plakats? There has been a lot of recent discussion on plakats, so the theme is timely. Watch for more discussion in the next issue of FLARE!. We ve got a cute poem from Joel Lomsky and it was nice of the 7 th National Betta Competition to supply a picture to go with it! Check out page 29. If we have any other poets out there, send them on in!! And don t forget Jacksonville!! June 19 22, 2008 more information is on pages 13 & 14. THE HEAT IS ON!!! Hey!! It s an ELECTION YEAR!! So why not run for an IBC office!! You probably have a betta chance of getting elected!! Finally Remember FLARE! needs your articles & pictures!! Thanks, Linda ( FLARE! 2

3 Judging Board News Howard & Connie Emery Hello Everyone: I trust you had a very safe and happy Holiday Season. I know Convention is a couple of months away, but I wanted to let the apprentice judges know that if you are planning to apprentice and/or take the test at Convention please let me know as soon as possible in order that I may include your name on the list. Also, a reminder to Judges that if you wish to judge the Convention Show please contact me as well. I will be working on the Judging Board Agenda in the next couple of months so if you have an item you wish to bring before the board please send me the information. Speaking of Convention, I do hope everyone is gearing up to make this year s Convention entry numbers climb both in show entries and attendees. I wanted to remind all the judges and apprentices to double check your membership renewal status and make certain you renew before the expiration date. We have tried to contact as many as possible when they date is approaching however sometimes members are overlooked. Please remember that it is your responsibility to stay on top of your status. Have a great month. Connie Emery, JB Chair IBC Certified Judges Area Name State/ Country Certification Date Last Show Judged Must Judge By 1 Amy Becerra Florida 10/7/ /20/2007 7/1/ Joe Becerra Florida 10/20/2007 7/1/ Leo Buss Connecticut 9/29/2007 7/1/ Rich Christman New York 6/20/2003 6/22/2007 7/1/ Lawrence Colston Arkansas 6/22/2007 7/1/ Joe Cooper California 8/11/2007 7/1/ Bob Dozier Virginia 4/21/2007 7/1/ Connie Emery Florida 6/20/2003 6/22/2007 7/1/ J. D. Ewtuch New Jersey 6/20/2002 9/29/2007 7/1/ Raul Fernandez Florida 6/1/1984 6/25/2005 7/1/ Damian Garcia Hawaii 6/25/ /29/2005 7/1/ Peter Goettner Michigan 10/13/2006 7/1/ Carolyn Hanlon Ohio 6/22/2007 7/1/ Jeff Hiller Kansas 6/22/2007 7/1/ Alan Hobron Florida 10/20/2007 7/1/ Siegbert Illig Pennsylvania 9/29/2007 7/1/ Gary Kilgore Texas 3/12/2005 7/1/ Gilbert Limhengco California 6/22/2007 7/1/ Gene Lucas Iowa 6/22/2007 7/1/ Wayne McLain Florida 10/29/2006 7/1/ Judy Muller Virginia 4/21/2007 7/1/ Ken Muller, II Virginia 4/9/2005 7/1/ Ernest Perez Arkansas 10/15/2005 7/1/ Jim Sonnier Louisiana 6/20/2002 3/24/2007 7/1/2010 FLARE! 3

4 IBC Certified Judges Area Name State/ Country Certification Date Last Show Judged Must Judge By 1 David Spector Washington 9/15/2007 7/1/ Dan Young Indiana 6/22/2007 7/1/ Linda Olson Colorado 6/10/2006 6/10/2006 7/1/ Robert Plenge New York 5/5/2007 5/19/2007 7/1/ Phil Dorr Georgia 6/22/2007 6/22/2007 7/1/ Kurt Bihlmayer Illinois 6/22/2007 6/22/2007 7/1/ Claire Pavia Switzerland 6/25/2005 6/22/2007 7/1/ Rajiv Masillamoni Switzerland 5/19/2007 7/1/ Gary Ching Phillipines 11/20/ /13/2007 7/1/ Celso Sy Gutierrez Phillipines 11/20/2007 7/1/ Thomas Lim Singapore 6/22/2007 7/1/ Dr. Hsu Li Chieh Singapore 5/25/2005 8/25/2007 7/1/ Derrick Kuah Singapore 6/22/ /13/2007 7/1/ Edwin Lim Singapore 5/25/2005 8/25/2007 7/1/ Vincent Mah Singapore 5/25/2005 5/27/2007 7/1/ Philip Ngo Singapore 5/25/2005 7/1/ Wong Wei Yong Singapore 5/25/2005 5/27/2007 7/1/ Myron Tay Singapore 5/25/2005 7/1/ Eugene Ng Singapore 5/25/2005 9/16/2006 7/1/ Diana Yang Singapore 5/25/2005 7/1/ Teo Puay Kiat Singapore 5/25/ /13/2007 7/1/ Lyon Goh Singapore 5/25/2005 7/1/ Kelson Say Singapore 5/25/2005 8/25/2007 7/1/ Dennis Tan Singapore 5/25/2005 8/25/2007 7/1/ Peter Chan Singapore 5/25/2005 7/1/ Indrata Wangsaputra Indonesia 5/25/ /13/2007 7/1/ Joty Atmadjaja Indonesia 5/25/2005 5/27/2007 7/1/ Adi Surant Ginting Indonesia 11/20/2007 7/1/ Hermanus Haryanto Indonesia 5/25/2005 8/25/2007 7/1/ Jesda Attavichitchanyarak Thailand 5/25/2005 8/25/2007 7/1/ Suporn Khumhom Thailand 5/25/ /13/2007 7/1/ Jodi Lea-Matheson Australia 5/25/2005 5/27/2007 7/1/ Todd Knight Australia 5/25/2005 7/1/2008 IBC Apprentice Judges Area Name State /Country Area Name State /Country 1 Sheila Davis North Carolina 1 Dean Stainbrook Washington 1 Victorea Earnest Washington 1 Coleen Timmons Ohio 1 Carol Miller Canada 1 Nathaniel Emers New Jersey 1 Jamie Woods New York 1 Laila Snead Pennsylvania 1 Dick Houston Georgia 1 Bob Hargis Indiana 1 Ruth Masciarelli Georgia 1 Jim Carter Wisconsin 1 Walden Nida Texas 1 Kendra Watson Georgia 1 Frank Siracusa New Jersey 1 Jack Schendowich Florida 1 Jillian Flaherty Pennsylvania 1 Larissa Williams California 1 Rich Creighton Connecticut 1 Eryn Rosenbaum California 1 Melissa Beard Florida 1 Christy Tanner California FLARE! 4

5 IBC Apprentice Judges Area Name State /Country Area Name State /Country 2 Tony Palmer England 6 Mohd Dzulhardy B.Mohd Adanan Malaysia 2 Vincent Jaquet Switzerland 6 Simon Liew Malaysia 2 Jean-Michel Jeannerat Switzerland 6 Ho Siew Thean Phillipines 2 Markus Gutzeit Germany 6 Ralph Tan Phillipines 2 Xavier Laine France 6 Angel Ampil Phillipines 6 Mok Jia Yong Singapore 6 Tiu Eric Phillipines 6 Mark Toh Singapore 6 Shim Wei Teck Brunei 6 Nelson Chan Wee Pern Singapore 6 Martinus Johan Mosi 6 Mohammad Shalan Modh Salleh Singapore 6 David Poh Bun Chuan 6 Jonathan Goh Jiaen Singapore 6 Bryan Kua Bin Tiong 6 Widy Kiswanto Singapore 6 Wisnu Gandara 6 Leong Chang Yuan Singapore 6 Yono Wijaya 6 Robin Wong Chi Wah Singapore 6 Ardihandiyani 6 David Je Indonesia 6 Leonard Gunawan 6 Yeow Ming Yuen Malaysia RATIONALE FOR PLAKAT STANDARDS The Judging Board has recognized that there is some confusion regarding the IBC Standards for the Plakat Show Classes. Along with the Sketches and Judging comments by Dan Young and Sieg Illig, I felt it necessary to reprint the original 2005 Cover Letter the board sent to the Judges when we revised the Plakat Standards. I believe this letter explains the rationale. The JB recognizes that the intermediate form is today as in 2005 still the majority of the fish being shown at shows. With the revision of the standards, which began in 2004, the judging board members past and present always maintained that the IBC Standards should represent the IDEAL that breeders should strive for in their programs. Cover letter to judges regarding plakat standards Originally issued July 2005 In the past several years the show circuit has enjoyed a substantial increase in entries to the plakat classes. The standards, however, have heretofore been limited to a brief section in chapter on wild bettas. The JB has undertaken a substantial reworking of the plakat standards to accommodate the growth in entries and to encourage the continued development of these fish. Two trends are apparent in the recent growth of these classes. In the first instance, breeders have crossed traditional plakats to show fish with the goal of introducing the 180 caudal onto a short-finned fish. Such fish are now by far the most frequently shown. The interbreeding, however, has had the consequence of producing fish that are quite variable in form. In particular, the fish are becoming increasing symmetrical. Some breeders view this trend is desirable, others bemoan the loss of the plakat s distinctively long ventral fins and the tapering anal. A second trend in recent years has been a profound reduction in showing of traditional plakats in any color. These fish, however, are distinctive and desirable. Against the backdrop the JB has decided to revise the standards to include: H1 (Asymmetrical) Traditional plakats in any color here we seek to preserve the traditional form. We have lumped the colors into one class because the overall number of entries is low. H2-H4 (was H2-H5) (Asymmetrical) Show plakats here we seek to accommodate the growth of entries from plakats with 180 caudals, but to introduce standards that encourage breeders to restore the traditional plakat ventrals and anal fin form to these fish. H5 (was T1) Symmetric plakat here we introduce a trial class for the symmetrical plakat for breeders attempting to eliminate long ventrals and asymmetrical anal fins. The JB wishes to emphasize that the majority of fish currently being shown are intermediate in form between the standards written for H2-H5 and T1. We have sought to create an ideal that breeders will have to strive to achieve. FLARE! 5

6 Judging Plakats By Sieg Illig and Dan Young It came to my attention that there seems to be some misunderstandings in our IBC Standard when judging the Plakat classes. With the help of my friend and fellow IBC Judge Dan Young, we will try to clarify some points of the PK standards. At the present time there are 3 distinctive PK types in our standard mentioned: #1 Traditional Plakat #2 Asymmetrical Show Plakat #3 Symmetrical Plakat Dan and I agree that all three types are show Plakats. In many animal show manuals or standards the 100% perfect animal is depicted in a drawing or sketch. Though there is no perfect animal, a breeder tries and can achieve 90% or more of the desired standard. In this case we hope Dan s sketches of each PK type will explain it better than pictures In the following explanation we concentrate only on form and finnage of each show class. #1 Traditional PK Dorsal- Rounded or come to a point. Anal- Trapezoid shape with a pointed posterior tip. Caudal- Spade shaped or rounded degree spread preferred, but rounded outer edges. Ventral- Full or thin with 2/3 length or longer as of length of body. Pectorals- As in other show Bettas. Faults Attention: Anal- Rounded- not pointed (Major) Ventral- Less than 2/3 body length (Minor) Less than ½ body length (Major) #2 Asymmetrical PK Dorsal- Semi-circular and snap open as a fan achieved by increase of fin Branching. Anal- Same as Traditional. Caudal- Letter D-shape but no longer than 1/3 of body and 180 degree Sharp edges preferred. 4 tip or greater branching. Ventral- Same as Traditional. Pectorals- As in other show Bettas. Faults Attention: Dorsal- Without primary branching (Minor). Caudal- Outer edges rounded (Minor). Branching less than 3 (Minor). Less than 180 degree spread (Major). Anal- Fails to slope (Major). No extended point (Major). Ventral- Less than 2/3 body length (Slight). ½ or slight less than ½ body length (Minor). #3 Symmetrical PK: Dorsal- May be of any shape Large fin is preferred, provided that the size does not distract from the symmetry of the fish. Typically achieved by the increase in the number of fin rays. Anal- Rectangular in outline rather than sloping to a point. Last ray should be no longer than the rest of the rays. The length of the anal fin should be equivalent to that of the caudal and dorsal so as to insure a continuous oval like shape. Caudal- D-shaped like the Asymmetrical Plakat Ventral- In balance with the rest of the unpaired fins to preserve a symmetrical look. Not to be expected to be of length to that of body as in case of Traditional and Asymmetrical PK s. Pectoral- As in other show Bettas. Faults Attention: Dorsal- Not full and/or lacking wide base (Minor). FLARE! 6

7 #1 - Traditional Show plakat - plakat fan dorsal non extended - pointed anal and extended ventral fins - rounded caudal with 180 spread, secondary ranching #2 - Asymmetrical Show plakat - Plakat fan dorsal non extended - Pointed anal and extended ventral fins - D caudal with 180 spread #3 - Symmetrical Show plakat - Extended dorsal ½ length of body - Elongated trapezoid anal, normal ventral fins - D caudal with 180 spread FLARE! 7

8 International Betta Congress Chapters and Contact Information Contact Jack Tobin for any changes: Area District Chapter Contact Person Address 1 1 Pacific Northwest Betta Society Victorea Earnest victoreae@yahoo.com 1 1 California Betta Society Judy Latham jlatham@netgate.net 1 1 Las Vegas Betta Society Rob Panerio rob@ibcwest.com 1 1 Arizona BettaH.E.A.D.'s Mark Milliken mark.milliken@gmail.com 1 1 Rocky Mountain Betta Society Linda Olson linda_9555@msn.com 1 1 Van Port Betta Fanciers David Spector bettaguy@pcez.com 1 2 The Betta Habari Socity Club Richard Smart seertexasbettas@sbcglobal.net 1 2 Texas Area Betta Society Gary Kilgore TABSIBC@aol.com 1 2 Texas Betta Society Wally Nida wcnida@earthlink.net 1 2 Upper Midwest Betta Association Sue MacMillian SueMac@paisleydals.com 1 2 Southern Betta Society Peter Dunn dunnbetta@cox.net 1 3 Midwest Betta Club Dan Young bigbettadan@aim.com 1 3 Milwaukee Betta Association Yohan Fernando wildbetta@aol.com 1 3 Great Lakes Betta Society Maggie DeLauder mdelauder@twmi.rr.com 1 4 Central New York Betta Club Carlos Pereyra cnybc@hotmail.com 1 4 Betta Buffs of Pittsburgh Melissa Migota smigota@access995.com 1 4 Phila. Area Betta Society Paul Cipriano Jr. paulcip@comcast.net 1 4 Mid-Atlantic Organized Betta Breeders Bob Dozier rdozier22191@comcast.net 1 4 Garden State Betta Association J.D. Ewtuch acipenser5@comcast.net 1 4 Connecticut Betta Club Doug Kneissl ctbettaclub@sbcglobal.net 1 5 Carolina's Betta Breeders Society Sheila Davis smdavis63@northstate.net 1 5 Rocket City Bettas Steve Hagewood bamabettas@yahoo.com 1 5 Georgia Betta Breeders Assoc. Kristi Porter hans3114@bellsouth.net 1 5 Gulf Coast Betta Society Jim Williams jimbetta@bellsouth.net 1 5 First Coast Bettas of Florida Connie Emery cjnemery@bellsouth.net 1 5 Bettas of South Florida Joe Becerra studboyjoe@aol.com 1 5 South West Florida Bettas Claude Crass crassjent@earthlink.net 1 6 Betta Breeders Canada Kim Wareing forever_littleone@rogers.com Internet Chapter North American Betta Society Jim Chaussee jchaussee@yahoo.com 2 European Halfmoon Betta Breeders Marion Schultheiss m.schultheiss@arcor.de 2 Swiss Betta Club Caire Pavia clairepavia@hispeed.ch 2 Great Britain Betta Association Sharon Simmons bettababe@ntlworld.com 2 United Kingdom Betta Association Dougall Stewart dougall@ukdiscus.com 2 Spain Betta Breeders Henry Saenz Solans henrysaenz@hotmail. com 3 China Betta Club Dick Chen dickchen@163.net 6 Asian Betta Alliance (ABA) Emerson Sy emersonsy@yahoo.com 6 Betta Australis Jodi-Lea Matheson fishchick@internode.on.net 6 Indo Betta Splendens Joty Atmadjaja joty_atmadjaja@yahoo.com 6 Betta Kaki's (Malaysia) Ho Siew Thean info@bettakakis.com 6 Betta Society of Malaysia Pank Jit Sin pjsalpha@gmail.com 6 The Betta Club of the Philippines Angel Ampil fishyguy@pacific.net.ph 6 Betta Club (Singapore) Dr. Li Chieh Hsu president@bettaclub.org.sg 6 Betta Bite (Singapore) Mark Toh mark@bettabite.com 6 The Thailand Betta Club Col. Jesda Attavichit jesda_attavichit@yahoo.com 6 SingaBettas Mervyn Chen Qin Yao singabettas@ yahoo.com. sg 6 Betta Club of Indonesia Hermanus Haryanto hermanus_haryanto@ yahoo.com FLARE! 8

9 Committee Reports Nominations Committee It s that time of the year again!! In this upcoming election there are three positions for the Executive Board and three positions for the Judging Board. Those members, who want to nominate someone for the Executive Board or for the Judging Board, must have that information to me by March 10, Early Nominations for the2008 Election Executive Board Member at Large Linda Olson Jim Sonnier Remember that you need to get in touch with the person you want to nominate, to make sure they are members and want to run. Anyone nominated for the Judging Board must be a certified judge. The candidates need to send their platforms directly to the FLARE! Editor by March 10, In keeping with last year s format, the platforms will be limited to 275 words or less. Jack Tobin Nominations Chairperson Judging Board Dan Young David Spector Claire Pavia SMP Committee Well I hope everyone had a good 2007 however 2008 will be a much better year for all of us. The SMP has seen a lot of new people join, some for just information, some because they believe as the rest of us that we need to preserve the species of wild Betta. I have adopted a new personal motto that applies to the SMP as well No one can save them all, but everyone can save at least one. I believe that should be the theme of the SMP. We have tried so many things, some small, some grandiose and the majority of them have failed but at least we tried. This is a learning process and eventually we will get it right but most of all we are still here and that is what counts. Projects the SMP must complete this year: Updating the website. This will be my second priority. We do receive a lot of traffic on the site that sparks interest in education and in preservation. Right now there have been a number of species discovered that we have not even sited yet. I was hoping to have this completed by the end of March but I will say more realistically it will be complete by June. Refilling the Stock Bank. This is my primary goal. Some of you know I lost all my fish when I moved last year and never got my tanks back up. My tanks are now coming online and I will be obtaining as much stock as I can for breeding and distribution to SMP members. I am planning on moving again in about six months and after that I will be bringing all my tanks back up and by then should have lots of stocks. I would love it if other SMP members could come forward with stocks they have for other SMP members too and also to supply J D s Betta Pals, and yes some people putting in requests actually request wild Bettas (Yeah them!). Recruitment of more members. This will be my third goal. I am surprised that the number of people on the Better Bettas forum or that read Flare! Have no idea that the IBC has an SMP. Twice on the Better Bettas list people stated what is this SMP I have just read we have?. This actually has gained the SMP several new members. As I update the website I will be updating the Wild Betta Slide Show. I would like after June for each chapter to show this once at one of their meetings. I will make it available to someone in each chapter after they contact me. What I need! People that are interested in helping. I need pictures, I need information, and I need You! Anything you have to share is of interest to the SMP, everything is of value. Also if you have tried contacting me via and do not get a response its not that I am ignoring or hiding you, my tosses a lot of legitimate to my spam folder. I now check that folder daily. If you do not hear back from me try again. This is going to be the best year the SMP has ever had. Thanks so much Gerald Griffin FLARE! 9

10 Chapter Chatter Georgia Betta Breeders The Georgia Betta Breeders Association took their January meeting on the road. Kendra Watson hosted us in her new house where we got to see her new fish room. She had the room designed to her specifications as the house was built so she has water, plenty of electrical circuits, outlets up the wall so all electrical wires have a drip loop, etc. Our group has 112 on-line members and 16 that attend some meetings. We had formerly active members Stephanie Lopata and Jeff Cummins return and Wes Carter joined us for the first time. We had the largest attendance we have had in the last several years even though we were some 70 miles from our usual location. Ruth Masciarelli continues to be our member who drives the longest distance for our meetings frequently drive 2 ½ hours one way. The discussion topic for this meeting focused on our on going approach of This works for me where we near share any thing as THE WAY to do some thing was raising our fry. Varying approaches to siphoning the bottom of fry tanks were presented. There was some discussion of differing ways of raising brine shrimp with Chuen espousing active aeration and with Dick preferring a passive approach. Approaches to cleaning the bottom of a fry tank ranged all the way from Dick changing water only and not bothering with the bottom to Bradley Crowley s use of a chimney to keep fry out while he cleaned that section of the tank. Phil Dorr helped us understand about the loss of nutritional value in dry food over time. There was a lot if interest in Kendra s potted almond tree. She has to bring it inside during our winters and the place where she bought it explained to her how to keep it trimmed so it would not grow too big. We are proud of our very own Jennifer Viveiros being number two in the point standings for area 1. She has done that while being a transhipper and taking care of twin babies. WOW! Dick Houston Kendra s new Fishroom Kendra s Potted Almond Tree New member Wes and returning member Stephanie and her son Welcome New IBC Members!! Brittany Allaband Dana & Jessica Charlton Melinda Heiner Keereelang Rung Zarko Andric Anthony Collins Shannon Mallory Bruce Schrader Salvador Aragones Bernal Susan Duncan Jeff Mintania Benel Tang Yih Karen Bowden Glenda Eggensammer Joseph Moua Myles Yancey Saysuwan Bunthai Denise Elmquist Ruth O'Brien Thea Zurek FLARE! 10

11 IBC Show Dates 2008 Date Club Type Show Chair Location 03/22/08 4/4-6/08 MOBB Area 1-International Brooke Lubben Virginia 4/11-13/08 Swiss Betta Club Area 2-International Claire Pavia Switzerland 04/19/08 MBC Area 1-International Tracey Benson Indianapolis, IN 4/24-27/08 Thailand Betta Club Area 6- International Jesda Attavichit Bangkok, Thailand 05/3-5/08 PABS Area 1-International Clay Crawford Lancaster, PA 05/17/08 California Betta Society Area 1-International Jeremy Bolanos California 05/31/08 Bettahabari Area 1-International Richard Smart tba 6/19-22/08 First Coast Bettas of Florida IBC ANNUAL CONVENTION & SHOW Wayne McLain & Connie Emery Jacksonville, FL There are still a few Show Dates to choose from! Please make sure you check with the Connie Emery to reserve your date soon!! Show Chairs Please remember to use the official IBC Results Form and send your results to Connie Emery J-Board Chair, David Spector - Registrar, Andrea Edwards Web Master, and Linda Scott FLARE! Editor IBC International Show - April 4-6, 2008 Hosted by MOBB (Mid-Atlantic Organized Betta Breeders) Comfort Suites Innsbrook Richmond, VA - (888) Show information: All fish are to be mailed to Brooke Muller, 4561 Newline Rd, Gum Spring, VA (804) Please make all checks payable to Judy Muller. All mail-ins must be received by 5pm EDT, Thursday, April 3. Walk-in entries must be received by 5pm EDT, Friday, April 4 and must be benched by 6:30pm EDT Entry fee will be $2 singles and $3 pairs. All entrants must provide enough IBC regulation sized bags for their fish to be returned double bagged. Return Label, Postage and Entry Form must be sent with fish; return postage for fish will not be made from auction proceeds. The auction will be held on Sunday April 6th at 10am EDT Hotel Information: Comfort Suites Innsbrook (an all suites hotel) - $89 - King bed; $94 - two double beds. Tell them you are with the International Betta Congress to obtain rate. Make reservations by March 1 even if you cancel later. Show Package - $45 - Includes: Party T-Shirt, Hospitality room (snacks, soda, and spirits), Dinner Friday night, Lunch on Saturday & Lunch on Sunday Saturday Dinner - $25 - Steak & Ale Your choice will be made at the restaurant. This price does not include alcoholic beverages. Registration Form and Directions can be found on the IBC Website and are available from MOBB. MOBB will be celebrating 20 years since the formation of the club. You re invited to join us this weekend of celebration with friends old and new! FLARE! 11

12 April 11 13, Area 2 - International Contact person: Claire Pavia; location: Moudon, Switzerland. No championship points. We are not accepting mail-in entries. Head judge/invited judge: Siegbert Illig Other judges: Rajiv Masillamoni, Claire Pavia MBC International Spring Show April 19th, Anderson, Indiana Location: Hollywood Estates Clubhouse, 144 Hollywood Blvd., Anderson, IN Entry Fees: $2.00/single, $3.00/group. Make checks payable to MBC. Judges: Head judge: Dan Young Show Chair: Tracy Benson Pre-registration tracylbenson@hotmail.com Phone: registration questions only, other contact Dan Young Pre-registration: Entries must pre register with the Show chair by Midnight, Wed. April 26th, 2006 to be accepted. Mail-ins: White River Club, att: Dan Young 1545 South Scatterfield Rd, Anderson, IN note: As judge, I will not be checking boxes. It is just the safest address for your fish! Entries must be received by Thurs evening 5 pm unless walk in Show Info: Auction Split: 75/25 for show fish; 50/50 Auction-only fish. Awards will be plaques for best of shows. Ribbons for Classes. If you do not want ribbons please state on entry sheet. For all other info( hotels, schedule, etc.) contact Dan Young for information: Phone: , bigbettadan@aim.com PABS 11th IBC International Show - May 2-4, 2007 Park Plaza Hotel (Formerly Comfort Inn) Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA 1760 Phone: Hotel has free wireless throughout and three computers and a printer available to guests 24/7 in the lobby. We re still finalizing plans, so Rates will be announced on the IBC Website and in the next FLARE! For complete information go to the IBC Website SPECIAL!! - Rich Christman will be presenting Judging Seminars I and II, Friday evening at 7:30 and Seminar III during judging on Saturday. This is a great opportunity for IBC members to start their apprenticeship. This is a good way for new breeders to get a good idea about the Judging standards. If you might be interested, Contact Rich at: rchristm@nycap.rr.com Show Chair: Clayton Crawford ( ) ClayCrawford56@aol.com Ship Mail Ins To: PABS, c/o Park Plaza Hotel, 500 Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA 17601, Fish Show Registrars: PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by 6:00pm EDT, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 via Fax or E Mail Stuart (Scotty) and Linda Scott, Snail Mailing Address (No Fish!): 255 Station Road, Quakertown, PA FLARE! 12

13 FIRST COAST BETTAS OF FLORIDA PRESENTS THE 2008 IBC CONVENTION BETTA CHALLENGE, THE HEAT IS ON June 19 22, 2008 Dates: June 19 22, 2008 Hotel: Holiday Inn Airport, Jacksonville, Fl Internet Access: Phone: Holiday or Airport: Jacksonville International Airport Room Rates: $89.00 per night (plus taxes) (Rates are good 3 days before and after) Parking Free Free Shuttle from and to Airport Full Convention Package Includes: 3 Breakfasts 2 Dinners (Includes Awards Banquet) President s Reception/Hospitality Room All Workshops, (including judging seminars) Convention T-Shirt FCB Club Pin IBC General Membership Meeting (members only) Open Executive & Judging Board Meetings Convention Auction All Other Related Convention Activities Special Pet Division Show (for children to 18 years old) PACKAGE PRICING Full Package... $ Each Banquet Only...$ Each Workshops Only... $ Each Hospitality Room...$ Each Class Sponsorships $20.00 per Class Tee Shirt Size: Sm Med Lg Xl 2X (Add $3) 3X (Add $4) Additional T-Shirts $12.00 Each Package Pricing will increase $10 after May 1, Please make checks payable to Connie Emery or Marja Deford. Mail-in Address for Convention Entries: Wayne McLain, Woodstone Terrace Jacksonville, FL address: waybec48@comcast.net Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip: Address: Phone #: Enclosed: $ For # Full Convention Package(s) Tentative Convention Schedule Thursday, 6/19/08 8:00 AM-5:30 PM Set-up, Show and Convention Registration, walk-ins, and benching fish. 11:00-Noon Workshop (TBD) 12:00-2:00 PM Lunch (on your own) 2:00-5:45 PM Show open for viewing 2:00-3:00 PM Judging Seminar 1 Judging Board 3:30-5:00 PM Judging Board Meeting (open forum) 5:00-6:00 PM Chapters Meeting Jack Tobin 6:00-7:00 PM Dinner Break (on your own) 7:00-9:00 PM Executive Board Meeting 9:00 PM President s Reception (all invited) AM & PM Any committee meetings necessary, Contact Wayne McLain or Connie Emery to schedule Friday, 6/20/08 8:00 AM Breakfast 8:00-11:00 AM Show and Convention Registration 9:00-12:30 Show open for viewing 9:00-10:00 AM Judges Round Table Discussion 10:00-11:00 AM Dan Young - Plakats 11:00-12:30 Judging Seminar 2 with Judging Board 12:00-1:30 PM Lunch Break (on your own) 2:00-6:00 PM Judging Show 2:00-6:00 PM Judging Seminar 3 (during Show) 6:30-8:00 PM Dinner/buffet 8:00 PM Show Room open for viewing 9:00 PM Hospitality Room Open Saturday, 6/21/08 8:00 AM Breakfast 9:00-2:30 Show open for viewing 9:00-10:00 AM Seminar (TBD) 10:00-11:00 Dealing with Trans-Shippers Linda Olson 12:00-2:00 Lunch Break (on your own) 2:30 PM Show Room Closes 2:30-5:00 PM Breakdown Show Room 3:30-5:00 PM General Membership Meeting (members only) 6:00-6:50 PM Cash Bar 7:00-10:00 PM Awards Banquet/Buffet 10:00 PM Hospitality Room Open Sunday, 6/22/08 8:00 AM Breakfast 8: AM Auction Set-up 10:00-5:00 Auction Convention and Show Breakdown We are working on an activity for those who wish to stay over Sunday night. FULL CONVENTION/SHOW ENTRY DETAILS WILL BE IN THE NEXT FLARE! FLARE! 13

14 Important News from Wayne McLain BETTA CHALLENGE, THE HEAT IS ON The First Coast Bettas of Florida, along with all of our subsidiary clubs in Florida, are please to be hosting the 2008 International Betta Congress Convention. This event will be held in Jacksonville, FL, June 19-22, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Airport. Please see our Ad on the previous page for further details. We feel our offered package is attractive and the Room Rates are competitive. The Hotel has 2 swimming pools, with one connecting with an indoor pool. Also, a brand new exercise room is provided for the guest. Two restaurants are on the premises to accommodate your appetites. There is a huge Shopping Center, with several other well known restaurants, 5 minutes away from the Hotel and there is shuttle service provided. Jacksonville has one of the best Zoo s in the Southeast and is only minutes away. If your plans are flexible, we strongly suggest you make arrangements for an outing. Jacksonville Beach is approximately 30 to 45 minutes away and offers another outing for you and your Family. We will be having the normal business meetings and seminars each day. We also offer a chance for you or your club or business establishment to be recognized in this year s Program, and help defray the cost for the host Club. Ads are as follows: Business Card $25 Quarter Page Ad $35 Half Page Ad $50 Full Page Ad $75 If you are interested, please contact Wayne McLain, Connie Emery, or Marja DeFord, for further details. The Heat will truly be on in Jacksonville in It may be hard to think of the nice sunshine at this time of the year, especially if you are having snow or cold or chilly weather. However, you can rest assured that We will have a nice time in Jacksonville. If you miss the Convention, you will miss a GREAT time. May your Hotel Reservations and send in your registration for the Convention to share in the BETTA CHALLENGE, where the HEAT IS ON! It is that time to begin accepting Nominations for the Year-End Awards These awards will be presented at the 2008 IBC Convention in Jacksonville. I have been asked by Rich Christman to chair this committee this year. Please forward you nominations to me at waybec48@comcast. net. Please put Year-End Award in the subject line. Nominations for the following Awards will be accepted until April 15, A nomination must have specific and sufficient information to establish the nominee's qualification for the Award. There will also be a notification published in FLARE!. The following is a list of the Awards and the Qualifications for each award: Fellow of the Congress the selection of the Fellow of the Congress, when warranted, shall be made on the basis of the following criteria: 1a. A member of The Congress for at least four (4) years 1b. Performance of outstanding service toward the improvement of The Congress 1c. Active participation in the affairs of The Congress 1d. Active participation in the local society functions 1e. Distinction for promotion of the Betta hobby 1f. Experience in breeding and showing Bettas Betta Person of the Year The selection of Betta Person of the Year shall be made on the basis of the following criteria: 2a. Betta breeding ability 2b. Excellence in the development of a Betta Strain 2c. Exhibit participation 2d. Results of selective breeding 2e. Contributions to The Congress Outstanding Service Award The recipients of this award shall be on the basis of outstanding service performed for the benefit of The Congress. Chapter of the Year The selection of the Chapter of the Year shall be made on the basis of the following criteria: 4a. Local growth in IBC membership 4b. Maintenance and development of the Betta genus by a group 4c. Participation in International and district activities, such as the hosting of shows, district meetings, seminars and conventions 4d. Unusual service to the hobby, such as publication of the "Species Maintenance Report" or a district-wide newsletter 4e. Support of other IBC chapters and their activities FLARE! 14

15 FLARE! 15

16 7th National Betta Competition Show Type International Date 13th to 16th December 2007 Judges Suporn Khumhom, Indrata Wangasaputra, Roy Cheok, Teo Puay Kiat, Derrick Kuah, Gary Ching Group A: Regular Classes Division A: Halfmoon Name 1st Place Name 2nd Place Name 3rd Place Total Entries In Class A1 Red STM A1-02 Eric Tiu A1-04 Toh Eng Hui, Yun Feng Pte Ltd A1-03 Specshowbettas.sg 8 A2 Black STM A2-04 Edwin Lim A2-05 Edwin Lim A2-03 David Poh 5 A3 Red/Black DTM A3-04 Leslie Leong A3-02 Thomas Lim, Interfish A3-05 Koh Lin-Ai 5 A4 Dark Iridescent STM A4-01 Celso SY Guttierez A4-02 David Poh A4-04 Irvin Seah, Interfish 10 A5 Dark Iridescent DTM A5-01 Thomas Lim, Interfish A5-02 Thomas Lim, Interfish 2 A6 Clear/Yellow/Orange STM A6-01 Celso SY Guttierez A6-09 James Fok A6-05 Mervyn Chen Qin Yao A7 Pastel/Opaque STM A7-06 Morris Gabriel A7-03 James Fok A7-05 Morris Gabriel 8 A8-05 Shannon Ching Wei A8-04 Mervyn Chen Qin A8-07 Morris Gabriel 6 A8 Light Solid DTM Ming Yao A9 Bicolor/Patterned STM A9-04 Irviin Seah, Interfish A13-10 Mok Lian Ho A13-04 Thomas Lim 10 A10 Bicolor/Patterned DTM A11 Metallic Light-bodied STM/DTM A12 Metallic Dark-bodied STM/DTM A13 AOC STM A14 AOC DTM A10-02 Thomas Lim, Interfish A11-02 Ho Siew Thean (Betta Kaki's) A12-07 James Fok A13-05 Izzy Lee Ching Wai A14-03 Mok Lian Ho A10-01 Eric Tiu A10-04 Kenneth Lim Sze Tim A11-01 Chan Yew Meng A11-03 Edwin Lim 3 A12-02 Thomas Lim, Interfish A13-07 Mervyn Chen Qin Yao A14-01 Thomas Lim, Interfish 11 A12-01 Celso SY Guttierez 7 A12-05 Mervyn Chen Qin Yao 6 13 A14-04 Koh Lin-Ai 4 Best of Division A A3-04 Leslie Leong Division B: Crowntail Name 1st Place Name 2nd Place Name 3rd Place B1 Red CTM B1-07 Ralph "Raffy" Tan B1-12 Eric Tiu B1-11 Jesda Attavichit 12 B2 Black CTM B2-03 Adi Suranta Ginting B2-04 Celso SY Guttierez B2-01 Adi Suranta Ginting 9 B3-05 Ahmad Nazari Bin B3 Dark Iridescent CTM Mohd B3-01 Adi Suranta Ginting B3-03 Celso SY Guttierez 9 B4 Light Solid Color CTM B4-01 Adi Suranta Ginting B4-03 Eric Tiu B4-05 Jesda Attavichit 5 B5 Bicolor/Patterned CTM B5-01 Adi Suranta Ginting B5-05 Eric Tiu B5-07 Ralph "Raffy" Tan 12 B6 Metallic Light-bodied CTM B6-02 Celso SY Guttierez B6-04 Edwin Lim B6-03 Edwin Lim 4 B7 Metallic Dark-bodied CTM B7-03 Eric Tiu B7-02 Celso SY Guttierez B6-01 Adi Suranta Ginting 7 B8 AOC CTM B8-10 Widy Kiswanto B8-07 Ralph "Raffy" Tan B8-04 Eric Tiu 12 Best of Division B B1-07 Ralph "Raffy" Tan FLARE! 16

17 Division C: Plakat - Show/Symmetrical Name 1st Place Name 2nd Place Name 3rd Place C1-10 Eric Wong Weng C1-11 Eric Wong Weng C1-02 Edwin Quek 13 C1 Red STM Plakat Chung Chung C2 Black STM Plakat C2-06 Specshowbettas.sg C2-08 Irvin Seah, Interfish C2-13 Mok Jia Yong 14 C3-08 Toh Eng Hui, Yun C3-01 Celso SY Guttierez C3-12 Jesda Attavichit 12 C3 Blue STM Plakat Feng Pte Ltd C4 Steel STM Plakat C4-05 Mok Jia Yong C4-04 Specshowbettas.sg C4-01 Celso SY Guttierez 5 C5 Green/Turquoise STM Plakat C6 Clear/Yellow/Orange STM Plakat C7 Pastel/Opaque STM Plakat C8 Bicolor/Butterfly STM Plakat C9 Marble/Grizzled/Multicolor STM Plakat C5-07 Nelson Chan Wee Pern C5-04 Specshowbettas.sg C5-03 Specshowbettas.sg 11 C6-05 Mok Jia Yong C6-06 Andrew Tan Kee Jin C6-01 Celso SY Guttierez 9 C7-03 Alfredo Tumacder, Interfish C7-04 Pichet Plaisanguan, Interfish C7-02 Eric Tiu 7 C8-02 Celso SY Guttierez C8-14 Jesda Attavichit C8-07 Irvin Seah, Interfish 16 C9-04 Celso SY Guttierez C9-10 Widy Kiswanto C9-09 Widy Kiswanto 9 C10 Metallic Light-bodied STM Plakat C10-10 Irvin Seah,Interfish C10-12 Irvin Seah, Interfish C10-07 Eric Tiu 20 C11 Metallic Dark-bodied C11-13 Eric Wong Weng C11-14 Mok Lian Ho C11-11 Irvin Seah, Interfish STM Plakat Chung 16 C12 AOC STM Plakat C12-10 Irvin Seah, Interfish C12-03 Brian Lam C7-01 Celso SY Guttierez 21 C13 Symmetrical Plakat C13-03 Irvin Seah, Interfish C13-02 Celso SY Guttierez C13-06 Jeremy Lai 6 Best of Division C C6-05 Mok Jia Yong Division E: Wild Type Bettas PAIRS ONLY *Note: For pairs total the number of entries in each class, not number of fish. (Not Eligible for BOS) Name 1st Place Name 2nd Place Name 3rd Place E1 Wild Small Bubble Nesters Pair E2 Wild Small Mouth Brooders Pair E3 Wild Large Bubble Nesters/Mouth Brooders Pair E1-01 Vincent Mah (Betta coccina) E2-05 Vincent Mah (Betta edithae) E3-03 Edwin Lim (Betta pallifina) E1-04 Azmi (Betta uberis) E2-01 Adi Suranta Ginting (Betta rubra) E3-07 Hermanus Heryanto (Betta macrostoma) E1-03 Vincent Mah (Betta tussyae) E2-02 Edwin Lim (Betta antoni) E3-06 Azmi (Betta simmorum) Best of Division E Division F: Female Classes Name 1st Place Name 2nd Place Name 3rd Place F1 Solid Color HM/Plakat Female F1-02 Thomas Lim, Interfish F1-01 Chan Yew Meng F1-04 Mok Lian Ho 6 F2 AOC HM/Plakat Female F2-05 Edwin Lim F2-03 Martinus Johan Mosi F2-02 Thomas Lim, Interfish 7 F3-01 GM Betta (Yono F3-03 Walet F.C F3 Solid Color CT Female Wijaya) F3-04 Edwin Lim 5 F4 AOC CT Female F4-01 Widy Kiswanto F4-04 Walet F.C. F4-03 Martinus Johan Mosi 4 Best of Division F FLARE! 17

18 7th National Betta Competition - continued Division G: Temporary Classes Name 1st Place Name 2nd Place Name 3rd Place G2 Giant Plakat G2-10 Jason Oh, Interfish G2-14 James Fok G2-11 Jason Oh, Interfish 19 Best of Division G Best of Show Name & Class Winner BOS Male (Grand Champion) - A3-04 Leslie Leong Show Information Number of Entrants Number of Entries Number of Fish Regular Classes Optional Classes Show Totals Color Code for Member s Chapter member of IBC member of InBS member of Betta Kaki's member of Singabettas member of TBC member of BCS member of Betta Club of Indonesia member of ABA member of Bettabite member of Betta Club of the Philippines LOOK WHO CAME TO THE SHOW! Identification of the Pictures relates to the Show Classes on the Results Generally these pictures are first place winners, unless stated otherwise on the photo name (np=not placed). For more information please contact Li Chieh Hsu at drhsulist@gmail.com. A1-02C A1-02D A1-08B np A2-04B A3-04A BOS A3-04B BOS FLARE! 18

19 A5-01A A6-01D A6-01E A6-09A second A7-03B A7-06F A9-04A A8-05B A8-07B second A10-02A A13-01B np A13-02 np FLARE! 19

20 7th National Betta Competition Pictures - continued A13-04E np A13-05A A13-07B second A13-10C np B1-07A B3-05A B8-10A C3-01A B5-01A C9-04B C7-03A FLARE! C8-02B 20

21 C11-11A second DSC_0015 C12-10A F4-01A Suporn having a closer look Judges deliberating Dr Tan Heok Hui of the National University of Singapore, giving the judges and apprentices an overview of the wild bettas. Wild Bettas THE HEAT IS ON!!! JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA JUNE 19 22, 2008 The Area 6 Friendship Cup A traveling cup that is awarded to the Best in Show in participating Area 6 Chapters. FLARE! 21

22 Are You Showing Your Fish? Why Not???? By Scotty Recently the Judges List has been having a very detailed discussion about the number of classes and when to combine, eliminate, or add classes. This is a very difficult task for the J Board. Whatever they decide, someone will not like it and complain. I would like to commend the J Board for their excellent work that I have observed for the last 5 years that I have been very active. Their job is many times thankless with most of it behind the scenes and not recognized by most members. Thanks for your hard work and.. Keep it up! In this discussion the perennial question of How to get more members to show came up and became part of the discussion. In my opinion, the number of classes has nothing to do with members showing fish or not. Period! We presently have 58 classes in Group A, and 6 classes in the new breeder category, Group B. We have Group A with 178 awards in Group B and 22 awards for each show. That s a grand total of 236 awards and 64 classes for members for each show! For some of our shows this year there s more than one award for each fish entered. Seems like enough classes and awards to me for both new, novice and old breeders. That s why I feel classes and awards are not the reason that no more than 20 to 25 members show in any given show year. I have reproduced below three very well written posts from the BetterBetta List from members that express their opinions and suggestions: From David Spector: Hello Everyone, A recent conversation among judges touched on an issue that I thought may be of value repeating. The list here is constantly joined by new members. I may refine this post for periodic re-posting. This topic is about reducing the expense of showing fish via show auctions. We have had our eye on show entry numbers. The shows have seen a decline in the number of fish being sent. Many factors contribute to this. A significant one would be the expense to show your fish through the mail. A slight digress. The IBC show classes and the show fish judging standards for each, along with the organized show circuit, are second to none in the aquarium hobby. The ability to participate long distance via mailing the animal a rather unique activity. I am often told by other tropical fish hobbyists, particularly the advanced type, how all of this is intriguing to and admired by them. Back to expense. A good way to offset this is by auctioning some of your fish at each show. To really cut into the cost of showing, you could auction all of the fish sent and only pay high postage one way. This is unworkable if you breed on a small level, say 1 to 3 spawns. You rapidly run out of fish if you send to every event and / or send a lot to each. Fish that fit a class well, of good quality, etc. Likely then, you have a handful that are good show entry candidates that you need returned to continue showing for the year. The next approach is to send a portion of fish for auction. This can be quite effective to reduce your showing expense but retain your better show fish for next time. In my experience the majority of show auctions are enthusiastically attended and participated in. The nicer fish fetch the higher bids. I view my fish in 4 grades. Working with 1 to 3 spawns at a time. Grade A: The Breeders. 2 to 3 pair of fish from a spawn to breed for the next generation. These fish are viewed as the nicest to ensure the highest quality offspring. Multiple pairs help ensure that at least one will be willing to spawn. Grade B: The Show Fish. Fish of the best quality from what remain that fit respective show classes the best. These I'll hold on to for sending to the next show. Grade C: The Auction Fish. These are the ones that don't fit a class as well and may be of lesser quality than the first two grades, but I feel would be worth breeding and would throw good offspring. Often, even on a smaller breeding scale, these fish I'm willing to part with are respectable entries and have a chance of placing in their class. Grade D: The Culls. These fish won't cut it. Give to the LFS for others to enjoy as pets. There is an old saying of "Breed your best, show the rest". This stems from the desire to perpetuate a strain in ones fish room and protect it in case of a mishap. Unfortunately, the more you send fish through the mail sooner or later you'll experience the lost box in the postal pipeline for weeks, etc. This scenario is an accepted risk of showing long distance by those who do. And the old saying a safety net. For those who breed on a small level, "Breed your best and show the rest" may seem unworkable. After all, your best fish are likely the one's that best fit the class you want to enter, and stand the greatest chance at winning. FLARE! 22

23 However, with a good strain you likely can get good offspring in the next generation breeding the fish that don't fit show classes as well. Good form and finnage but not as good of color or pattern for example. You will find your personal hobby enjoyment increase by interacting with the IBC via entering shows. Simply said. Finding a level of participation your wallet can enjoy a key to this. Marianne Lewis, a Canadian breeder of many years who bred on a large scale, once told me she did this: The best fish she sold, the next grade she kept to breed. She routinely produced high quality fish in the next generation. Certainly enough from strain to strain to continue doing this. So "keeping your best" can take on a new meaning with respect to what you have available to enter in a show. From experience I have learned that with studying / grading (judging) your fish and deciding which to keep and how the remaining will be used (planning) one can greatly reduce the expense of entering shows via auctioning fish along the way. Some tips: Look to enter your auction fish into the show. You get a higher auction split (more money). Try the "send all for auction" tactic to a fall show. You are in a better position to let go of, say, your 6 to 12 fish in one shot as you look to breed over the winter for the spring shows. Never send a fish for auction you would not think worth breeding. Be willing to "let go" of some of your nicer fish aside from your breeders and repeat show fish. Auction those repeat show fish when you decide your winding down during the year i.e. the convention show, fall shows. Put a low minimum bid on your fish. While a very high minimum bid might convey to the buyer "hey, this must be an awesome fish look at the price tag", a low minimum stimulates bidding. An "E-Bay fever" cascade bidding effect often results providing a better selling price. Be willing to accept a low sell amount, however. On rare occasion, a show auction is poorly attended. Refrain from accessing your show auctioning experience based on just one or two try's. If you've read to this point hopefully you find it of interest. Better yet, you are considering incorporating some ideas that will help you share your fish in the show circuit. Why show your fish? Digressing again. It is enjoyable to successfully breed and raise Bettas as a hobby. Your enjoyment and satisfaction increase when you share your hobby efforts with others via Betta (or tropical fish) shows. If you are present at a show and you hear a guest admiring one of your entries, even if it doesn't win, the joy can be indescribable. If you're not there, well, you don't experience the joy but I can tell you that this happens all the same. Once bred and raised, it is satisfying to share your fish with others. The final point I will make about the show auctions and auctioning of your fish. Whether you win or lose in the show classes, your auctioned fish often provide an idea of how much your fish were enjoyed by the show guests. From time to time you will find they sell for considerably more than you may have imaged they would. It's similar to hearing, "that's a nice fish". In some way, maybe a little bit better. :) David Spector _ From Jack Shendowich: Hi David, Very nicely written. I would like to add a few of my thoughts to your list. Expense seems to always come up when it comes to showing our fish at the shows. I can only say that if you are reading this, Bettas are your chosen hobby. You joined IBC because of your Bettas. This is the thing that you love to do and you should be proud to show off your results from your fish room and be grateful the IBC has shows so you can do so. Expense should just be part of what it takes to participate. There are golf courses filled every weekend with people hitting a little ball towards a little hole in the ground and these people pay a tremendous amount of money for that privilege. Anybody have to buy a new putter this year? Football, basketball, and baseball stadiums are filled with people spending a fortune to see a three hour game. $20.00 to park your car in a cow field? $5.00 for a hot dog? Can your son eat three of them? You think it cost lots of money to go to our IBC convention. It will cost you THOUSANDS to be at the superbowl this Sunday. Tickets are now going for over $ each. How about dog shows or cat shows or antique shows or car shows. Are they your hobby? Try to get away with just a few hundred dollars to participate at any of those. LOL. All I can say is it is a good thing you aren't showing horses and worrying about how much it will cost. The ironic thing is that all of the above mentioned are full of entrants and some, like the superbowl, have a waiting list a mile long. The question is, is breeding and raising Bettas really your hobby? If the answer is yes then the expense talk stops there. I live on Social Security and go without a lot of things in my life, but the fish come first simply because they are a very big pleasure for me. When I send fish to a show They say to others that this is what I am doing and I want to share it with the people that attend the show. Like you say David, it is a good feeling. So everyone, if you are breeding Bettas please save a few pennies from some other activity and send your fish to the shows. It is your IBC, they are your shows, join in the fun. Obsessed with Bettas, Jack Shendowich FLARE! 23

24 From Kendra Watson: What a great discussion. Thanks guys. I used to show horses and dogs. Very expensive. Now I am on Social Security and work a little part time job and that's it. Jack, as you said you have to decide. I have made raising and enjoying bettas my hobby, too. It gives me such satisfaction and joy. I will be participating in the shows this year. I will ship some fish and hopefully bring others live and in person! I look forward to meeting more of you in person this year. This board is great. I learn a lot reading from you all that know way more than me. May we all live a betta life this year. Kendra Watson Back to Scotty I think these are well thought out posts and express truths about showing. It s easy to say: It s the economy stupid! and I have said it many times but the above show some ways to combat that. I believe we are stuck with high shipping costs. In my mind there is another factor that is probably the most important one of all. It is simply that in Area 1 we don t have enough shows in enough areas of the country for new members to become addicted to breeding Bettas. A lot of us know from experience that if you go to a show you re hooked on Bettas. The problem is that it is difficult and expensive to attend a show that s 400 or 500 miles away from home. Therefore.if we want to grow the ranks of Betta breeders we have to bring shows closer to them. To do that we have to have many more chapters that are willing and capable of putting on a yearly show. It s a simple answer, the how to is the difficult part. Right now, in Area 1, we have about 9 chapters capable of putting on yearly shows. Take a look at the Show schedule on our website and you can see that they are scattered all across the country. We need to do two things. One is to find a way to help existing chapters that don t have the wherewithal to do a show. The second is to help members create new chapters that can sponsor a show each year, or if we get that many, every other year. There are others but these can be the basis for ideas. I personally don t have the answers. We have 650+/- members in the IBC and I bet that if we all think about it we can all come up with an idea or two to help make this work. Send your ideas to FLARE!, the BetterBetta List or me directly at sscott255@yahoo.com. I will put all of the ideas together in an article for FLARE. And.. if we get enough, possibly try to get it included in the new member s package. I know I am addressing Area 1 here but most problems and ideas pertain to all areas and I certainly welcome input from all areas of the IBC. The IBC is our show circuit. We have to build it. No one else will! Rob s A,B,C Of Breeding By Rob Panerio This will be a multi-part article on breeding basics from step zero to your spawn s first spawn. This example of spawning should be simple enough for anyone to be successful. I will not use any of my fancy system. For this article I will use only the basic tools. For this I created a small fish room in a 8 X 9 walk-in closet just for this article. The system consists of 2 5 Gallon tanks, gallon tanks, 1 37 gallon tall, 1-20 long, 3 20 talls, 1 55, 2 40 gals, and about 300 beanies. All will be washed and water changed by hand. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you find the information useful. Part 1: Prepare Fry Food Section 1: Micro worms Before you even think about spawning a pair you should get your fry foods ready. Scrambling to get a micro worm culture or a baby brine shrimp hatchery going after the fry hatch is always disastrous. Once the fry use up the nutrients in their egg sack they will be ravenously hungry. This is why it is important to have the foods ready. The equipment needed is quite simple. The picture to the right depicts everything I used to start a new culture. FLARE! 24

25 Items needed explained Culture Container Piece of Cloth Starter Culture Small Piece Offal Razor Blade Mashed Potatoes Mix Spoon Duct Tape Tooth Picks Yeast Water Spray Bottle FLARE! 25

26 Ok let s get started. Take your lid and place it on your container. Cut a 2 hole in the center. Stab through the lid Hold the razor firmly and rotate the tub This is how it is supposed to look.. If the hole in your lid looks different that this start over This is the plastic piece you removed from the lid. Throw it away. Place Cloth Over Hole Tape One Side of the Cloth Down Tape Another Side Of The Cloth Down. Tape the Third Side Of The Cloth Down. Now you have an air hole that will not allow fruit flies in and keep most of what little smell in. Tape The Last Part Of The Cloth Down. FLARE! 26

27 Fill the bottom of the tub with a little water. Add media mix Moisten media.. Add a teaspoon of yeast. This is how it should look at this point. Spray down the media and mist with a hand mister. Add starter Culture Spread it towards the middle of the container. Spray down the culture again Place a small piece of Indian Almond Leaf on the starter culture. FLARE! 27

28 When your culture is ready for harvest you will see a light film on the sides of the container. These worms are what you harvest. Do not put any worms scooped up in the media in your fry tank. It could kill the fry. Take your tooth pick and skim off some of the worms crawling up the sides. If you are successful your toothpick should look something like this: To feed your fry simply swish that tip of the toothpick in their tank until it is all off the toothpick and now floating in the water. There are a few advantages of using mashed potatoes instead of any other media. First off I have some cultures that are over 3 years old that do not smell. The most important advantage of this media is that you do not have to re-start cultures. It is just a matter of refreshing them Refreshing a dieing culture. Spray down the old culture media real good Dump the new media right over the old media. Spray down the new media real heavy. Add a TSP of yeast Spread the yeast all over evenly. Spray down the culture. Maintenance and feeding of the culture should be done once a week. Yeast is added at this time and everything is sprayed down good. It may be necessary to have to spray down the culture in between feedings. A dry culture is an unproductive culture. This is a refreshed culture. Notice the heavy water beads on the sides. In 72 or so hours FLARE! this culture will be raging again. 28

29 Nothing I d Better Than This! My room is always eighty, Food is always plenty, My mate is very sexy! Out of reach, For me to search. I ve made my nest, I did my best. She caught my eye, I could die, She sees me now, I must say, WOW! Dim light, What a night! I circle her, She circles me. If I want to embrace, I have to race. She runs away, I ll have my day. I won the race, We do embrace. She starts to nip, I get to tuck. I fill the nest, You know the rest. Love s no better, For two bettas! Joel Lomsky E2-01 second Betta rubra 7th National Betta Competition The Following Article has been reprinted from the Technical Assistance Library which is available from IBC Programs. The original date of this article is July/Aug Experiences with Betta albimarginata By Andrew Smith Anabantoid Association of Great Britain Every now and then in the world of Anabantoids a real stunning addition is discovered and described. The genus Betta has increased dramatically over the last decade and a half but hardly ever with the impact, as was the case with Betta albimarginata from Eastern Borneo, which came to light in At present this species is the smallest of the mouthbrooding Betta species, the specimens found were under 3 cm, and it apparently grows to 5 cm (overall length). It was found in the Sebuku basin, Kalimantan Timur, in running water, 5-10 cm deep amongst roots and leaf litter. It was so named for the broad edging to the fins. There are two definite location strains in the hobby at the moment, Milau and the brighter colored Pampang strain. Appearance-wise, parallels have been drawn with this species and the Peacock Betta or Brunei Beauty, FLARE! Betta macrostoma (which is much larger), mainly due to the pinkish red coloration of the body in the male. I have only seen photographs of male B. macrostoma such as the one on the head page of the PABS web site, and this is what I base my comparison on. In normal dress the males are more salmon pink but when courting a female or spawning his color deepens and intensifies. This best describes the male fish from Milau, however the second strain from Pampang that is much redder and more intense than this. The females are more drab and slimmer, and in the main are a brownish color. Many people think that all Betta species are fighting fish. They are territorial to a greater or lesser degree depending on the species. Aggression is less in the mouthbrooders in general and this species is no exception. In the case of this species, their time is spent leisurely cruising around the tank amongst the cover of 29