An Introduction to the

1. An Introduction to the Use arrow keys to navigate forward or back

2. Car Badge President Council Some badges you might see around Member General Judge Speaker Special Member Services

3. OFFICERS & COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENTS (elected by Council) CHAIRMAN VICE-CHAIRMAN GENERAL SECRETARY TREASURER TROPHY & BROOCH MULTI-MEDIA MERCHANDISING BULLETIN EDITOR DATABASE PRO & WEBMASTER TRADE LIAISON

4. The FBAS Council The Council, the governing body of the FBAS, meets monthly to discuss the running of the Federation, events organised by the Federation and services to Member Societies and to the hobby. The Federation also holds quarterly meetings on the first Saturday of March, June and September (General Assemblies) and the first Saturday of December (Annual General Meeting). Representatives of all Member Societies are entitled to attend these quarterly meetings where they can have their say, put forward any ideas and suggestions made by their Societies and, where necessary, vote on proposals, the filling of Council positions, etc.

5. Through its JUDGES & STANDARDS COMMITTEE, the Federation operates a Judges’ Training Scheme, in which Judges progress through a grading system – from a humble, ‘volunteer’ Table Show level upwards - before sitting a written examination and undergoing an ‘under Show conditions’ practical test to become fully qualified to judge at Open Shows. Speakers, many recommended by Societies, are invited to become a Listed Speaker.

6. TROPHY & BROOCH SCHEMES Each year a number of Fish Classes are designated ‘Championship Trophy Classes’ and Societies may apply for Trophies for these Classes at their Open Shows. Winners from each of these Trophy Classes are eligible for the final of the Supreme Championshipcompetition held every year at the Festival of Fishkeeping. Points are awarded for 1st Places gained at Open Shows. A cumulative system allows exhibitors to gain Bronze, Silver or Gold Brooches depending on the number of 1st places won.

7. FISH SHOWS Classes are based on groups of fishes: A - Furnished Aquaria/Aquascapes J – Rasbora R - Platies B - Barbs K - Danio S - Mollies C - Characins L - Loaches T - Any Other Species L/b D - Cichlids M - AOS E/l U Single-tailed Goldfish E - Siamese Fighters, Gouramies N - Pairs of Fishes V - Twin-tailed Goldfish F - KillifishO - GuppiesW - AOS Coldwater G - CatfishP – Cultivated L/bX Breeders Teams H - Corydoras, Brochis etc Q – Swordtails Z - Aquatic Plants

8. THE IDEAL CHARACTERISTICS But how can a Judge compare, say, a Guppy with a Gourami? Each fish is allocated five characteristics to be assessed, plus a judgement on the exhibit’s presentation: SIZE (10), BODY (20), COLOUR (20), FINS (20), CONDITION & DEPORTMENT (20), PRESENTATION (10) totalling up to the magic '100' for the perfect fish. Assessing characteristics attributed to each fish within its own group makes the job easier. Every fish at FBAS Shows is judged and its points displayed.

9. SIZE - The actual size of the fish is measured and compared to the ideal size (for a mature species) as laid down by Federation’s Size Sheets (updated each year, to reflect changes achieved - or not - by exhibitors). Whilst all the other characteristics to be judged might be described as being subjective and open to debate, there can be no argument about SIZE, a measurable quality. 'Size' is measured by a unique Reflecting Ruler which allows 'easy-read-off' of a fish's actual size whilst it is in the tank.

10. Points are not awarded proportionately ie, half points for half size, but calculated to reward the effort in exhibiting a fish at its maximum size. This system would appear to require seemingly impossible mathematical calculations to arrive at the correct points for size where the fish is at an in-between size – and most of them are! Fortunately, a handy SLIDE-RULE does the work for the Judges, who simply dial-in the actual size against the required size and read off the resulting points. Being good upright men, let’s hope all those difficult totals are rounded up, rather than down! As a rough guide, a half-grown fish would get 4/10, a three-quarter size 7/10, with only the maximum size (and over) attracting the top 10/10.

11. BODY - The body should be the correct shape for the species and be free from any deformities. Where the fish has been aquarium-cultivated - as opposed to a wild-caught fish - any deliberately in-bred body features must again conform to the Standards recommended for that particular strain. COLOUR - This must be that which is expected of the species. Colour should be clear and intense. Again, any colours expected in aquarium-cultivated strains must conform to the Standard. Also, importantly, is that the fish must all be judged under the same lighting conditions.

12. FINS - All fins present (some fish do not all have the same number) and are in balance both with each other and the fish. Fins should be in keeping with the species, with no ray malformation present. Cultivated strains must conform to the required Standard. Where fins are split or damaged, this fact must be detrimentally assessed under the following 'Condition & Deportment' section. CONDITION & DEPORTMENT – The fish must be free from damage and disease. Its nature will be considered - it should be fearless, appear well-cared for and nourished. It should move well and present itself as in nature (not all species are up and swimming all the time) and that it can be viewed with ease for judging. PRESENTATIONPoints are awarded to reward ‘good exhibits’ where a smartly turned out aquarium (clean glass, clear water etc) would obviously gain more points than a fish in a grubby tank filled with murky water.

14. Obviously, the fish with the most points wins its Class but, taking events on a stage further, when all Class winners are being evaluated for the ‘BEST IN SHOW’ Award it's not necessarily the highest-pointed fish which wins. Some Judges may be mean with their points, others (only a rumour?) might be over-generous. In this situation, Judges collectively assess the merits of all Class winners before choosing the top fish. This democratic method also helps to cancel out any personal species favouritism too, Judges are only human after all! This is only a general overview of exhibiting single fish. The normal Society Open Show will also have Classes for Pairs of Fishes, Breeders' Teams, Aquatic Plants, Furnished Aquariums and Aquascapes too. Because of their slightly different natures and compositions, these Classes will have their own sets of Standards that must be taken into consideration.

15. FISH WELFARE AT SHOWS Societies appoint Stewards to oversee the well-being of fishes on their Showbenches. Exhibitors recognise the value of taking their own aquarium water to the Show so that their fish are not stressed (and so start at a disadvantage to the local entries!) by being introduced into unfamiliar water conditions. Most Societies display a notice disclaiming responsibility for fishes not benched in suitable water conditions. In the unfortunate situation of an exhibited fish showing signs of stress or disease, a separate treatment area is set aside where such exhibits can be dealt with. In recent Shows, it is now becoming acceptable that large fish can be exhibited in aquariums fitted with inbuilt filtration systems to preserve water quality.

16. In the modern Open Show scenario, things are not so relaxed or as carefree as some years ago. Now that the Animal Welfare Bill is law, the emphasis on the care and well-being of fish wherever they are kept and exhibited is much to the fore. Current legislation means that certain coldwater species (usually those from North America) require a Licence from DEFRA to be kept. It is the responsibility of the EXHIBITOR to ensure that such Licences are available for scrutiny at the Show and is not the responsibility of the Show Secretary or Show organisers to police such requirements. The Federation’s watchword is PLEASE KEEP FISH RESPONSIBLY

17. All these may be downloaded from the main FBAS website

18. And there’s more . . . .

19. SOCIETY SUPPORT PACKS The Federation distributes Show Pack* material that aquatic manufacturers generously wish to donate. This reduces speculative ‘begging letters’ and ensures that worthwhile prizes get to authentic aquatic events. It is now common for all exhibitors to FBAS Shows to get ‘Goody Bags’ rather than just winners: this rewards supporting for the Show by all concerned. Societies not holding Open Shows also benefit from manufacturer-supported ‘Society Packs.’* * A minimal fee is levied for distribution

20. MULTI-MEDIA Audio-visual programmes FREE HIREto FBAS affiliated Societies Tape Cassette/35mmSlide DVD/VHS format format Optional DVD purchase

21. PUBLICATIONS

23. THE QUARTERLY BULLETIN plus On-line Events Calendar – updated as required AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOADIN|G Current issue and many ‘back issues’

24. NOW WITH DEDICATED WEBSITE www.festivaloffishkeeping.co.uk

25. Now for the question, Treasurers will be asking …… How much will it cost to join FBAS? At present, the current Annual Affiliation Fee stands at £16.00 for Societies accepting email communications £18.00 for Societies needing postal communications

26. Find out much, much more on our website www.fbas.co.uk