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Showing Your Betta By: Victoria Parnell-Stark Submitted: 4/13/2009 An IBC betta class being judged. Betta auction! Click For More Photos Whether you're a casual breeder-hobbyist like so many of us or a hardcore betta aficionado, showing your bettas is a great way to gauge their quality against an articulated standard and a fun opportunity to compete with other betta lovers and to support your local betta club. Though there are many open aquarium clubs that offer a betta class as part of their typical regime, there is no comparison to the categorical betta-specific show circuit of the International Betta Congress (IBC). The IBC is THE preeminent betta club, with a membership of 700+ and 33 chapters spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It's a great way to connect with betta lovers near you, participate in betta-related events, and pick up some great breeding stock. For information on how to join the IBC, click here. IBC sanctioned regular showing encourages participants to show bettas they have bred and raised themselves, but even if you are fairly new to breeding bettas and feeling a little intimidated about going against the 'big boys' in open competition, you can still show off your beauties and win prizes and titles in the New Breeder classes. There are even classes for betta photography, illustrations, and crafts for those artistic types among you who aren't really interested in breeding or showing bettas, but have a creative gift. Even though this article will detail specifically how to show your betta, the same general rules apply. Whether you are attending the show or sending entries by mail, check the Shows and Events list for a calender of upcoming IBC shows. Attending a Show The IBC has several International shows per any given show season hosted by specific chapters of the club. If you are one of the lucky ones who live within driving distance of one of these shows, it is not an experience to be missed! You will see some of the finest bettas in the world competing for top prizes and points, meet experienced breeders, and even have the opportunity to take home excellent breeding stock (including class winners!) from the auction after the show. The host club will almost always be happy to answer your betta-related questions, especially if you offer to pitch in and help with the set-up and take-down :). If you are bringing bettas to show, you should contact the host club well in advance and pre-register your fish. This will include paying an entry fee (generally only a couple bucks per betta) and letting the show chair know how many bettas you are entering, and which classes you want to put them in. Then just pack your bettas up in the car and make sure you have them there by deadline. Most clubs assume you will bench your own fish if you attend the show in person. 'Benching' is to take your fish from their travel containers and put them in the containers provided by the club for displaying the fish in the show. The fish are then 'carded' (blocked on either side from viewing other bettas, usually with an index card) and labeled so that the club knows who the fish belongs to, and which class it is entered in. When the time comes for judging, the bettas are categorized according to class and the judge(s) will look carefully at all of the entries, often with a small flashlight, and assign/deduct points based on the official standards. The bettas will be uncarded during this time so that the judge can see them display. If your fish doesn't 'deport' (flare at its neighbour) well, he will lose points. That's why many breeders prepare their fish for show season by keeping them carded for several weeks before the show, so that they don't become accustomed to seeing other bettas and fail to deport when called upon. It is best to stand back and try not to disturb the judges while they are judging the class. If you have any questions, ask them before the class is judged, or wait until it is finished. Nothing is more annoying for a judge than to have a betta owner hanging over their shoulder asking questions or demanding to know why their fish didn't place higher. Judges by and large prefer not to know who owns the fish in the class, since that way no one can accuse them of placing the fish based on anything but the merit of the betta itself. When the show is judged, see if you can be of assistance taking down the benches, preparing the auction bettas, or bagging the fish that are to be mailed home. Don't forget to return your own fish to their travel containers as well. There is usually an auction following the show, and it is possible to get some very good fish there, including class winners. If you want to auction your fish, don't forget to put that in your entry form! Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the fun. You can look over the fish that are to be auctioned well in advance, and write down the number so that you don't miss any fish you like when they are offered. You can get some great deals this way. I once brought home a class winner for only $5.00, but competition can get fierce for the best fish and it isn't uncommon for top bettas from well-known breeders to go for over a hundred dollars once a bidding war starts! Once the auction is over, you can either take your fish and go home or hang around and enjoy fellowship with the other participants. Unless you live fairly close to the show, you might think about getting a hotel room nearby. A list of local hotels is usually provided by the show hosts. Show results are usually prepared and posted within 3 days of the end of the show, and can be found on the BetterBettas yahoo groups list. Shipping to a Show Because the IBC chapters are so scattered, this is by far how most show participants send their bettas to a show. Shipping your bettas to a show can seem daunting, but it is a fairly easy process. First, pick out the fish you would like to send. It is important to remember during your selection process that mailing fish is always a somewhat risky business; fish die or are lost in transit, they can get bumped and never recover, and in rare circumstances they can get misplaced by the host. Never ship a fish to a show that you are not prepared to lose. Most breeders have several fine prospects from any given spawn, and set some of them aside to breed and use the rest as show fish. If you auction your fish after the show, you won't even have to pay for return postage. After you've selected your show fish, choose which classes you want to enter them in. Each class is associated with a number, such as A1 - Red STM or E2 - Multicolor STM. You should enter your fish on the entry form according to whichever class they fit best in. If you are unsure, put "class help" on the entry form. The official IBC class lists and entry form are available at the end of this article. The next thing to do is to preregister by contacting the show chair and sending in a list of what you intend to send to the show, and which classes you are competing in. It should read something like this: 1. Red DTM - division A - class A3 2. Yellow STF - division C - class C4 3. Marble DTM - division E - class E4 If you are auctioning your fish, it will read something like this: 1. Red DTM - division A - class A3 - auction - minimum bid: $5.00 2. Yellow STF - division C - class C4 3. 3. Marble DTM - division E - class E4 - auction - minimum bid: none etc etc. You will want to ship your fish well in advance of the show so that the club will get your entry in time, but not so far in advance that your fish will suffer waiting for the show to begin. Most clubs do not open the packages they receive until the time comes to bench the fish, so if you ship 2 weeks ahead of time your fish will be sitting in their little bags building up ammonia and fasting until show day. If you are shipping by Priority mail, it usually takes 2-4 days to arrive (but can take as long as a week!). Express mail arrives next day to many locations, but is sometimes 2nd day. Check here to find out if your package will arrive next day or 2nd day. Place your completed entry form in an envelope, along with entry fee money and enough to cover the cost of return shipping, if you are having your fish returned to you. Most clubs accept checks and money orders made out to the name of the chapter. Also make sure to include sufficient shipping bags for the fish to be returned to you. Bettas will have to be double bagged, so include 2 bags for each fish. If it is cold, you might also want to think about including an unopened heat pack. To ship your bettas, you will need to use special plastic shipping bags made expressly for shipping live tropical fish. You can buy approved shipping bags in packs of 100 from the IBC store. Another good place to get seamless, unleakable shipping bags in bulk is Kensfish. Both of these shops are also a great source for heat packs. You will also need an insulated shipping box. If you've received bettas or other fish through the mail, chances are you already have some of these fine foam boxes lying around just waiting to be used. Doctors offices, vet clinics and even pharmacies are also great sources for insulated shipping boxes. If you still can't find one, it is easy to make your own. You can get boxes for free from the supply store at USPS.com and very good sheets of styrofoam insulated sheathing from building supply stores such as Lowes or Home Depot. The foam should be about an inch thick and can be measured and cut into panels to fit your shipping box. When you are ready to ship your bettas, put them into their shipping bags. Different people do this different ways, but here is how I do it: 1.) Add a few ounces clean, treated water to a small plastic cup. This should be the same type of water used for your water changes, with chlorines and chloramines removed. You don't need a lot of water -- bettas are labyrinth air breathers, and the air in the bag is more important to them than the amount of water. You need enough water to sufficiently cover the fish; much more than that and you are just adding to the weight of the package and paying extra postage. 2.) Gently net your betta and place him into the cup. Be careful with the netting, as it is possible to tear your betta's fins with the net if you are not careful. You can also catch the betta in your hand and put him into the cup, as long as you are gentle. If you catch him in a net, cup the bottom of it, hold it over the cup upside down, then carefully invert the net to drop the betta into the cup. 3.) Open a shipping bag, blow into it, then hold the opening apart with your fingers. Carefully pour the cup-o-betta into the bag. It helps to do this over a bucket just in case you miss the bag the first time. 4.) Twist and tie the bag shut, leaving plenty of air in the bag. There should be at least 2/3 air to 1/3 water in the shipping bag. These bags are made long so that there is plenty of room for tying; there is no reason to fill them all the way. A tied bag with a fish in it will be around 6-8 inches long. You should have some excess when you have tied the bag shut. Just trim it off or tuck it under. 5.) Put the bag knotted side first into another shipping bag. Do not blow into the 2nd bag first, as having a bunch of air in the bag will make this step harder. Just open it and slide it over the top of the first shipping bag, rolling it up until the first bag is snug inside the 2nd. Tie and knot the 2nd bag as you did with the first. 6.) Either on label stickers or on the bag itself with waterproof permanent marker, write the number of the fish (as it corresponds with your preregistration and entry form), description, division number and class number. You can wrap the fish in a sheet of newspaper for additional insulation if you wish. Put the fish into the shipping box vertically. 7.) Repeat steps 1-6 with each additional fish. 8.) When you have finished bagging and packing your fish, use newspaper, packing peanuts, shredded paper or other cushioning material to insure your fish are well protected and safe from buffeting. If it is cold, activate a heatpack and put it into the box. Put the envelope containing your entry fee and form, extra bags and a return label into the box. 9.) Seal the box with approved packaging tape and double check your address. Show details will list the address where you should send entries; it is not always the show chair that accepts them, so make sure you are sending them to the right place. 10.) Drop your bettas off at the post office or shipping center and hope for the best! The host club will often let you know by email if they have received your package, and if everything is in order. If you don't hear back from them right away, don't get too nervous -- throwing a show is a confusing and busy endeavor, and it doesn't necessarily mean your fish haven't been received. Since shows are almost always held on the weekend, the club will drop your fish off at the post office the following Monday. If you paid for overnight service, you should receive your show fish by Tuesday. Standard service like USPS Priority will take longer, usually 2-4 days. Show results are posted online a few days later. The New Breeder Classes These classes are specifically geared to betta breeders new to showing, even if they are not new to breeding. The competition is less intense, and you are competing against others who are also just getting their feet wet on the IBC show circuit. Eligibility to compete in the New Breeder classes is limited. The six New Breeder classes are Singletail Male, Doubletail Male, Crowntail Male, Plakat Male, Singletail Female and Doubletail Female. Like many other show circuits, any class in which you win, place or show (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) will earn you points that will go toward a year-end total. In the IBC, the breeder who earns the most points per show year is named the IBC Grand Champion, a very impressive distinction! But even a casual participant with a stable of decent show bettas will soon have quite a collection of certificates, ribbons and trophies to decorate their fishroom with. Showing bettas is not only fun and educational, but it helps raise money for your local chapters as well as the IBC, and is a great way to help advance the hobby and teach others about bettas. In addition, it is immensely rewarding to show off all of those countless hours spent changing water to others who will appreciate your work! Class List Division A: Dark Solid Color Non-Iridescent I. Males A1. Red STM A2. Black STM A3. Red/Black DTM II Females A4. Red STF A5. Black STF A6. Red/Black DTF Division B: Dark Solid Color Iridescent I. Males        B1. Blue STM        B2. Steel STM        B3. Green/Turquoise STM        B4. Dark Iridescent DTM        II. Females        B5. Blue STF        B6. Steel STF        B7. Green/Turquoise STF        B8. Dark Iridescent DTF        Division C: Light Solid Color I. Males    C1. Clear/Yellow/Orange STM    C2. Pastel/Opaque STM    C3. Light/Solid DTM        II. Females    C4. Clear/Yellow/Orange STF    C5. Pastel/Opaque STF    C6. Light Solid DTF    Division D: Bicolor I. Males        D1. Dark Bicolor STM        D2. Light Bicolor STM        D3. Dark/Light Bicolor DTM                II. Females        D4. Dark Bicolor STF        D5. Light Bicolor STF        D6. Dark/Light Bicolor DTF        Division E: Patterned I. Males        E1. Butterfly STM        E2. Multicolor STM        E3. Marble/Grizzle STM        E4  Patterned DTM                     II. Females        E5. Butterfly/Multicolor STF        E6. Marble STF/Grizzle STF        E7. Patterned DTF Division F: Wild Types PAIRS ONLY    *(not eligible for BOS)            F1.   Bubblenesters(Small/Large)            F2.   Mouthbrooders(Small/Large)            Division G: Breeders Division    I. SINGLE ENTRIES    G1.  Color and Form Variations    G2.  Form & Finnage    G3.  Pairs    Division H:  Plakat         H1. Plakat - Traditional Form        H2. Asym. Show Plakat-Solid Dark & Light Irid.        H3. Asym. Show Plakat-Solid Dark & Light Non-Irid.        H4. Asym. Show Plakat-Dark Metallic/AOC/Pattern        H5. Symmetrical Plakat        Division J: Fringed finned             J1. Crowntail Solid Color STM/DTM            J2. Crowntail AOC STM/DTM            J3. Crowntail Solid Color STF/DTF            J4. Crowntail AOC STF/DTF                         Division K:  Metallic             K1.  Metallic Dark-bodied STM/DTM            K2.  Metallic Dark-bodied STF/DTF            K3.  Metallic Light-bodied STM/DTM            K4.  Metallic Light-bodied STF/DTF                    GROUP B: NEW BREEDER CLASSES        NB-1  Singletail Male        NB-2  Doubletail Male        NB-3  Crowntail Male        NB-4  Plakat Male        NB-5  Singletail Female        NB-6  Doubletail Female

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Stock shop update COMPLETE.. Sorry for the delay everyone. We've recently found out that the old man and I are expecting a baby, and while that is very exciting, it is also very tiring nauseating terrifying unexpected, considering my medical history. Doc has instructed me to rest up and try not to get stressed, so I'll be taking some time away from work and probably reducing the betta operation a bit.

Most available stock is now posted, although I may have one or two stragglers over the coming week. Next stock shop update probably won't be for a couple of weeks at least. Thanks so much for the outpouring of love, support, and good wishes. I feel so lucky to count so many friends within this hobby :).

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