So, You Want a Show Fish

I have been asked to put together some tips and guidelines on how to prepare a fish for competition in our annual fish show. Hopefully, the following information will be of assistance.

What Type of Fish
I suppose the first step in the process is determining what type of fish you wish to obtain as your show fish. This decision will be affected by your aims and ambitions, as success in certain classes is much easier to attain than in others. First of all, I’ll list the classes as they exist in our show.

        Cichlidae – any of the cichlids
        Characins – includes tetras and other characins
        Cyprinidae – includes the barbs, botias, loaches, danios, rasboras and goldfish
        Catfish – any of the catfishes
        Poeceiliidae – the livebearers such as swordtails, platies, guppies and mollies
        Anabantoids – Labyrinth fish such as bettas, gouramies and others
        True Bony Fishes – Includes the knife-fishes, rainbow fish, gobies, blennies, snakeheads, spiny eels, etc.

If your aim is to win a Best in Class trophy and you don’t have a preference for the class of fish, you would do well to select your fish carefully. For the past few years, competition has been greatest in the Cichlid class. In fact, the Best in Show for some time has been a cichlid. If you simply want to win a Best in Class trophy, entering with a cichlid would be the hardest way to achieve it (although if you did get the Best Cichlid award, you’d certainly be in the running for Best in Show). The second most popular class is that of the Catfishes. Between them, the cichlids and catfishes make up a significant majority of the show entries. We very seldom get entries for the True Bony Fishes category and, often, the only fish in that class wins the trophy! Clearly, this is the easiest way to win a trophy but it may not be very satisfying if you only beat yourself! You may wish to consider one of the other less popular classes.

You may have decided that, if you are to put a lot of effort into raising a show fish, you may as well aim high and go for Best in Show. If that’s the way you want to go, selecting a cichlid is probably a good choice. There is no guarantee that a cichlid will win the show each year, but they have taken the top spot year after year. That said, any of the classes could provide a big winner if the fish has everything in the right proportions.

Once you have decided on the class of fish to acquire, you need to consider the various species. Shy retiring cichlids, such as Apistogrammas, are unlikely to show well enough to win the big award. Cichlids from Lake Victoria, whilst extremely attractive when coloured up in a home aquarium, have a tendency to lose colour in show-tanks and do not show well. There are always exceptions, but it would be wise to avoid Victorians when specifically selecting a show fish. You need to locate a species that will not feel intimidated in a show setting, and that will not fade out when kept in isolation.

Know what the species look like as adults, and what conditions they require. Some cichlids can develop flowing filaments on their fins that are very attractive. You wouldn’t know that when looking at juveniles in a tank. Research is the key. Know what the species will grow up to look like, how big it will be, and whether it is likely to make a good show fish.

You also need to decide how much tank space you wish to dedicate to your show fish. This will also have some bearing on which species you select. I had a Peacock cichlid that won Best in Show for four consecutive years. That fish always lived in a 10-gallon tank and did very well. Conversely, my Hericthys bocourti became quite cramped in his 30-gallon-long tank and I had to treat him to an upgrade (a 55-gallon tank). If you choose a Pacu, be prepared to dedicate a huge tank to it – and good luck in getting such a monster to the show site! I think you get the picture. If you are just getting into showing fish, it might be wise to restrict yourself to fish that grow no larger than 6 inches.

Selecting the Actual Fish
Once you have an idea of which species you want to show, you need to acquire one, or more, of them. You will have to decide whether you wish to purchase an adult fish or a juvenile. I recommend purchasing juveniles from good stock. If possible, try to purchase F1 stock (first generation from wild parents). Coming from wild parents, the F1 juveniles should be very close to the wild-state of the species and have less chance of being deformed from in-breeding. Purchasing from a reputable breeder also has its advantages. However, for many species, you would do well to simply scour the tanks at the local pet-store, looking for the fish that stands out from the others.

You may wish to purchase six or more juveniles and begin to grow them all out. This is particularly the case for cichlids. As they grow, pay close attention to how they look. You will be able to pick the best of the bunch for your show fish and isolate it.

I don’t want to rule out the option of purchasing an adult fish. Sometimes, an adult male becomes available because he killed his mate and is no longer of use to a breeder. It might be that the male would make a great show fish. Sometimes, nice adult fish are available at the pet-store. Keep your eyes, ears and options open.

Growing Out
By acquiring juveniles, you can ensure that they have optimum grow-out conditions and that you get the best growth from them. Those who have paid attention to our grow-out competitions will realize that an abundance of water changes, coupled with large servings of quality food, result in rapid growth. You should provide your budding show fish with the best care possible. Treat it like royalty. The regular attention to water quality and good food will pay dividends later.

If you are growing out a group of juvenile cichlids, you will probably note that one fish grows more rapidly than the others. Take a good look at this fish, checking body shape, fins, etc. This may be a good fish to select out of the bunch.

Conditioning the Fish
Okay! Let’s assume that you have acquired your potential show-fish and have it on the way to adult size. If you haven’t already begun to do so, you should start conditioning it for life as a show fish. You want the fish to be comfortable in a fairly bare, and fairly small, tank. You also want it to show itself to the judge, and not to cower in a corner. There are a few tips and tricks that might help you in conditioning the fish.
I always kept my Peacock in a 10-gallon tank that was totally bare except for a crushed coral substrate, a sponge filter and a heater. I transported the fish to the show in the same tank and showed it in the same tank. The fish obviously felt at home when it was shown – because it was! By maintaining the fish in the same tank that it will be shown in you remove any problems associated with the fish reacting to a strange tank.

I trained my bocourti to bite at my finger whenever I place it against the front glass of the tank. I did this in the same way we would train a dog – by positive reinforcement. I would place my finger on the tank regularly. Whenever the fish mouthed it, or bit at it, I would immediately introduce food into the tank. It doesn’t take long for a cichlid to realize that a certain behaviour results in him being fed. Why would I want to train my fish to do this? Well, part of the score in the show is for deportment. A 10-12 inch Central American cichlid is expected to “strut his stuff” to a certain extent. If he cowered in a corner when the judge placed a finger on the glass, he would lose points for deportment. Chris Roy’s show-winning Peacock lived in a small tank on the kitchen counter. The Peacock and the family cat regularly had a go at each other through the tank glass. After “fighting” a cat every day, there was little wonder that it challenged anything that approached the front glass of the tank during a show! I should add that no show judge would expect a sucker-mouth catfish to attack the glass – they are expected to do little more than sit on driftwood. Fish should act as expected for their species.

I’ve heard of fish keepers who shine a flashlight into the tank, and hold a clip-board in their hands, before feeding their show fish every day. The idea is to condition the fish to think that food will be coming whenever a flashlight is shone into the tank, or someone holds a clip-board. Show judges often carry clip-boards and shine flashlights on the show fish to get a closer look. It is just another way to prepare the fish to look its best at the right time.

Another “trick” is to enter a second fish in the show purely to enhance the appearance of your main entry. Placing a female in the tank next to your male may encourage him to really strut his stuff during judging – especially if he hasn’t seen a female since last year’s show! Likewise, a sub-dominant male “next door” may bring out the aggression of your show male and encourage him to look his best during the judging. Even if you only enter a single fish, you may be able to use this ploy by placing your fish next to another similar fish.

Taking the Fish to the Show
Assuming that you have taken all the steps that I have already outlined, and you are ready for the show, there are a couple of other things that you can do to help your chances of winning.

I have already discussed taking the fish to the show in the tank that he lives in year-round. Don’t under-estimate the value of this. You want your fish to be as comfortable as possible. Don’t introduce unnecessary stress. For the same reason, take sufficient water with you to fill the tank. The water at the show site may not be the same as that at home. Don’t risk stressing your fish. Take some water in a trash-can and fill the tank with water from home. Also, don’t feed your fish for a couple of days before the show. If he’s a little bit hungry, he may show off a little more.

Don’t Give Up After One Try
After all of your efforts, your fish may not win the big prize, or any prize. Don’t give up! Experience shows that very different results can be achieved with the same fish under different judges, and in subsequent years. A split fin one year could cost the fish a place but should have healed by the next year. Even fish have off-days. My bocourti won Best in Show in 2001. In 2002, he didn’t win a thing. However, in 2003 he won Best in Show again! You’ll know if your fish is in the running, and your fellow competitors will certainly give you feed back.

So, What Are You Waiting For
I’ve provided you some tips and suggestions. Now it is up to you. Research the fish books. Get out to the pet-store, or scour the available fish at the next club auction. Pick out your fish and get to work. I hope to see lots of new show fish in 2004, and it would be great to see someone new take home the Best in Show trophy.