Showing Fish – An IntroductionRevised by Rab Dingwall |
I hope that the more established members of the Society will bear with me this month if I devote this part of the newsletter to the table show. We have recently enjoyed a large influx of new members and I have no doubt that some of them would like to take part in this table show but have misgivings about the strange rituals that appear to surround our efforts. I am therefore going to attempt to throw some light on the subject and at the same time pass on some of the tips that I have gleaned from Judges over the years. The Ilford Society is affiliated to the Federation of British Aquarist Societies and all our table shows are held with their blessing and within their rules and regulations. A list of these rules has been published but simply speaking they state that fish are divided into classes according to their scientific classification; that fish, that are the bona fide property of the exhibitor, should be shown singly (except where stated) in a transparent container with a flat front at least 4” x 4” that contain nothing but water and the fish (i.e. no gravel, plants, etc). The front, back and sides of the container shall be clear but the bottom may be monotone. Fish must be shown in a container that has a flat front at least equal to the total length of the fish. The fish must not be fed on the show bench and the judge must not be approached or interfered with (I should think not) whilst judging is in progress. Various other rules relate to Open Shows but these need not concern us here. There you are then. It’s easy when you know how but what about winning table shows? Obviously the best fish usually takes the card but this is not always so. A fish that looks fantastic in the natural surroundings of a community tank will often look frightened and ill at ease in a bare jar on the show bench. An understanding of what the judge is looking for will often help an exhibitor to win a show card. Basically the Judge awards points for five different aspects of the fish that he is judging. All these headings are subjective and refer to the fish at the exact moment that it is judged. Size 20 pts. A fish that has reached maximum size is awarded 20 points; half size warrants between 6 and 7 and 3/4 size 13 points. It is therefore better to show a small species that is fully-grown than a large species that although a bigger fish is only half grown. Tips: Rab dingwall |