FLARE!

is the official bimonthly publication

of the International Betta Congress (IBC), Editor’s Message
a non-profit organization. The views and
opinions contained within are not neces-
sarily those of the editors and/or the offic-
ers and members of the IBC. Hello Fellow IBCers!

FLARE! Editor: Before I get into this issue, I’d like to thank Connie Emery
Jeremy Waugh and Joe Becerra for their years of service to the IBC. Working
FlareEditor@ibcbettas.org with them has been such an incredible and valuable experi-
FLARE! Submission Guidelines ence for me and I’m sure anyone else who has worked with
them would agree.
Articles:
Please submit all articles in electronic form. We can
accept most popular software formats and fonts.
If you’re interested in showing your fish but are having a
Email to FlareEditor@ibcbettas.org. Photos and hard time getting started, this issue is for you. From entry forms to preparing your
graphics are encouraged with your articles! Please fish for shipping, we are outlining the entire process. We’ve also got our first of
remember to include the photo/graphic credits. many columns from Linda Olsen, a recap of the Golden State Bettas show as well as
Graphics and photo files may be submitted in any
format; however uncompressed TIFF, JPEG or vector
Christine Tanner’s recount of the California Betta Society’s “Bowl Show” meeting.
format is preferred, at the highest resolution/file
size possible. If you need help with graphics files or I also would like to say the next issue of Flare! will be in a new format. We will have
your file is too large to email, please contact me for great photos and articles but it will be more magazine-like and easier to access and
alternative submission info. FTP is available.
read. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Chapter Reports:
All Chapters are encouraged to submit news and
chapter items. It is a great opportunity to attract new
club members in your area. If you are a new chapter,
we will also highlight you in the Welcome to the IBC Sincerely,
section. Photos and graphics are encouraged with
your articles! Please remember to include the photo/
graphic credits. Graphics and photo files may be sub- Jeremy Waugh
mitted in any format. However, uncompressed TIFF,
JPEG or vector formats are preferred. Please submit Flare! Editor
the highest resolution and file size possible. If you FlareEditor@ibcbettas.org
need help with graphics files or your file is too large
to email, please contact me for alternative submis-
sion info. FTP is available.

Show Information:
Show Chairs are responsible for submitting Show In-
formation. Show Chairs are responsible for submitting
Show Results. Please submit results in the electronic
format approved by the Judging Board Registrar.
Show Ads cannot exceed ½ pages in length. The IBC
Convention ad cannot exceed two pages in length.
If you need help creating an ad, please contact the
editor at FlareEditor@IBCBettas.org

Art Submission: “Pineapple Plakat Male”

Graphics and photo files may be submitted in any
format. However, uncompressed TIFF, JPEG or vector Fish Bred by Gianne Souza
formats are preferred. Please submit the highest Photograph by Christine Tanner
resolution and file size possible. If you need help with Design & Layout By Richard Atwood
graphics files or your file is too large to email, please
& Mike McBrien
contact me for alternative submission info. FTP is
available.

Next deadline……
JULY 31, 2013
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmit-
ted, distributed, sold, or publicly displayed in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-
copying, recording, or otherwise, except for fair use,
without the explicit permission of the International
Betta Congress (IBC), Syracuse, NY, USA.

Page 2 FLARE! May/June 2013

Inside

Editor’s Message.................................................................................................................. 2
FLARE! Advertising Rates...................................................................................................... 2

Table of Contents
On the Cover........................................................................................................................ 2
President’s Letter.................................................................................................................. 4
Judging Board News............................................................................................................. 4
IBC Board Members & Committee Chairs............................................................................ 5
Bettaese................................................................................................................................ 7
IBC SMP Species Spotlight.................................................................................................... 8
Flare! Show Guide............................................................................................................. 10
Top 5 Breeders’ Advice........................................................................................... 12
Betta Crossword..................................................................................................... 15
Proper Form........................................................................................................... 16
Off to the Show...................................................................................................... 18
Show Ready............................................................................................................ 21
Golden State Betta Show.................................................................................................... 26
Betta Show Friedrichshafen 2013....................................................................................... 26
California Betta Society Meeting........................................................................................ 28
Cartoon............................................................................................................................... 28
IBC Chapters and Contact Info............................................................................................ 29
SCUBA Show Results........................................................................................................... 30
GBC Show Results............................................................................................................... 32
MBC Show Results.............................................................................................................. 34
CBS Show Results............................................................................................................... 36
Crossword Answers............................................................................................................ 37
IBC Show Classes – Area 1.................................................................................................. 38
IBC Show Classes – Area 2.................................................................................................. 39
IBC Show Entry Form.......................................................................................................... 40
IBC Code of Ethics............................................................................................................... 41
New Members.................................................................................................................... 41
IBC Dues............................................................................................................................. 41

FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 3

President’s Letter
To my fellow IBC members:
By the time you read this, another Convention will have come and gone and a new President will have been elected
to lead the IBC for the next 2 years.  It isn’t an easy job: In my more than 3 years as your 25th President, there have
been trials and tribulations that have given me a gray hair or two (or three).  It doesn’t surprise me that only 2 of my
predecessors have spent more time in the office than I have, and that the last 3 presidents did not finish their terms.
There is a lot of work to do to move the organization forward in the coming years. Website issues to be resolved, a
more aggressive effort to recruit new members, and a concerted effort to expand our presence in other Areas are just
some of the projects that I hope you will help the new leadership to accomplish.  Despite our shortcomings, however,
we have had a recent surge in membership.  Some of these new IBC-ers will, with their enthusiasm, invigorate the
organization and advance the hobby.
Some of the projects that I spearheaded have been great successes:  Our Facebook page has 2,325 fans, and some of
them are joining the IBC.  Special thanks to Karen Mac Auley for being our FB heart and soul.  We have made an effort to support both clubs and
entrants in their efforts to enter and put on shows, and we will continue to help clubs put together shows in Areas 1 and 2 and elsewhere. We
must build on the positives and move things forward.
I can’t leave without thanking Dr. Gene Lucas and a small band of hobbyists for starting this organization so many years ago.  Gene told me that,
after writing about Bettas for 40 years in scientific journals and aquarium magazines, he has never received an award for writing. I’m gratified
that, finally, we were able to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Writing at this year’s Convention.
There isn’t enough bandwidth or paper to express my thanks to the many old-time members and more recent additions that have kept the IBC at
the top of the hobby.  I remember holding international shows in my own home, and proudly take credit for introducing some of the top breed-
ers of their day to the IBC.  Some of them are still with us and some are gone, but the IBC marches on.
My advice for IBC members, as I leave, is to make sure that you make every effort to keep the mood of our social media, forums, and lists cordial
and friendly.  Nothing turns new members off than public negativity.  Don’t be responsible for souring even one person to the great benefits of
being part of this organization.  We are all one community; never forget it.
I hope to remain active in the IBC, and perhaps take an active role again in the leadership and show circuit in future years.  Old betta hobbyists
may fade away, but their love for the fighting fish from Siam will never die.

Joe Becerra
President, IBC

Judging Board News

JUNE 2013

Another year is coming to a close. Convention is upon us and it will be a great time in Texas. It will be great to see
everyone again and meet new members for the first time.
The judging board welcomes Josip Kevari as our newest judge in Area 2 and our very first judge from Austria.
I want to take this opportunity to thank every one of the judging board members that I have had the pleasure of serv-
ing with over the years. It has been a pleasure to work with every one of you. I also thank all the show chairs and
members from each and every area that I have worked with and want you to know that you are truly a great bunch of
friends.
I only regret that our distances are so great that opportunities to meet are few and far between but working relation-
ships can always lead to friendships and I am grateful for the ones I have made.
I wish the IBC great success in the future and I’m sure it will remain the great organization it has always been with
the hard work and devotion of all the members no matter what role they choose as their contribution. Each and every member is special and all
have something to bring to the table for the betterment of the IBC.
I look forward to this convention as Gerald has promised me I don’t have to do any work. Yeah, I can’t wait for the FISH, FRIENDS AND FUN!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Connie Emery
JB Chair

Page 4 FLARE! May/June 2013

IBC Board Members & Committee Chairs
Executive Board
President Joe Becerra president@ibcbettas.org (954) 217-1433
Vice-President Karen Mac Auley vp@ibcbettas.org
Secretary Steve Van Camp secretary@ibcbettas.org (315) 454-4792
Treasurer Jack Tobin treasurer@ibcbettas.org (215) 533-0654
Judging Board Connie Emery jbchair@ibcbettas.org (386) 437-3519
Member-at-Large Christine Tanner ebmember1@ibcbettas.org
Member-at-Large Jeremy Waugh ebmember2@ibcbettas.org
Member-at-Large Melissa Migota ebmember3@ibcbettas.org (724) 869-5638
Area 2 Member-at-Large Peter Baerwald area2member@ibcbettas.org Germany
Area 6 Member-at-Large Jesda Attavichit area6member@ibcbettas.org
Judging Board
Chairman/Show Dates Connie Emery jbchair@ibcbettas.org (386) 437-3519
Vice Chairman Rich Christman jbvp@ibcbettas.org
Registrar Damian Garcia registrar@ibcbettas.org
Judge Training Phil Dorr judgetraining@ibcbettas.org
Standards Dan Young standards@ibcbettas.org
Judges Certification Sieg Illig judgecertificate@ibcbettas.org (717) 692-3156
Exec. Board Rep./Registrar Christine Tanner ejliaison@ibcbettas.org
Area 2 Representative Marion Schultheiss area2jb@ibcbettas.org
Area 6 Representative Hermanus Haryanto area6jb@ibcbettas.org Indonesia
Committee Chairs
Archives Sally Van Camp archives@ibcbettas.org
Awards Joe Becerra awards@ibcbettas.org
Betta Pals J D Ewtuch bettapals@ibcbettas.org (732) 350-4122
Chapters Jack Tobin chapters@ibcbettas.org (215) 533-0654
Constitution Jack Tobin constitution@ibcbettas.org (215) 533-0654
Convention convention@ibcbettas.org
Finance Jack Tobin treasurer@ibcbettas.org (215) 533-0654
FLARE! Editor Jeremy Waugh FlareEditor@ibcbettas.org
Membership Steve Van Camp membership@ibcbettas.org (315) 454-4792
Nomenclature Gene A. Lucas nomenclature@ibcbettas.org (515) 289-1212
Nominations Jack Tobin nominations@ibcbettas.org (215) 533-0654
Parliamentarian parliamentarian@ibcbettas.org
Programs programs@ibcbettas.org
Publications Kathy Tobin jakatobin@verizon.net
Research & Grants Leo Buss research@ibcbettas.org (860) 349-2311
IBC Sales Cecilia Mallett sales@ibcbettas.org
Species Maintenance Gerald Griffin smp@ibcbettas.org (918) 694-6522
Technical Assistance Sherolyn Craig TAlibrary@ibcbettas.org
Webmaster Cecilia Bailey Mallett webmaster@ibcbettas.org

International Betta Congress Website: http://www.ibcbettas.org

International Betta Congress Forum: http://www.ibcbettas.org/2012/php883/
BetterBettas, IBC Members-Only Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BetterBettas

FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 5

Page 6 FLARE! May/June 2013
 By Linda Olson
Bettaese
Every area of interest under our sun has its own vocabulary,
and oh, can that be confusing to those just getting started!
New hobbyists are always asking me, “What do all of these
terms mean?” On BetterBettas I have more than once threat-
ened to offer an English–Bettaese Dictionary.
Often these terms get started as unofficial labels made up by
folks just trying to describe something new, and they stick.
Let’s get started with DT. It often comes side by side with
another abbreviation ST.
ST means Single Tail, and was created after the DT, or
Double Tail, appeared to distinguish one from the other.
Most of us know that the ST has one tail that is either a VT,
SD of HM, right? And that a DT has two distinct tail lobes and a
dorsal fin the full length of its back that is a mirror image of the
anal fin.
VT, of course, stands for Veil Tail (otherwise known as the
WalMart special) with a long ribbon-like (veil-like) tail. This
was the first step in the development of what we have today.
Betta breeders/enthusiasts tried to improve on this by develop-
ing the tail for further fullness, achieving a “delta-shaped” tail,
which was widened still further into a Super Delta, or SD.
Never completely satisfied, breeders worked this further still
to achieve a tail that described a full half-circle, or 180 degrees,
and came up with the name Half Moon, or HM, to describe that.
Always striving to improve on finnage, breeders worked this
to even more than 180 degrees and coined still another term,
the Over Half Moon, or OHM.
Even after all that, we are not even finished with tail. Some
bettas were found to have fin rays that extended on beyond
the edge of the fins to produce a spiked effect that was exciting
to work with. Those have been bred into a separate category,
and the term that stuck this time was Crown Tail, or CT. And,
since you can also combine that with the DT gene, you also have
DTCT, or Double-Tail Crown Tail.
Of course, the long fins in Bettas was a mutation that has been
developed by human breeders into all these above variations.
Wild Bettas have short fins, and those also have been developed
into HMs, and even DTs and CTs. The officially accepted term for
the short-finned bettas is Plakat, or PK, which means “fighter” in
Thai. So, now we have HMPK, CTPK, OHMPK and DTPK.
These terms for tails have been around for some time, and
there are still others that describe color.
One frequently seen is MG, which stands for Mustard Gas.
This is a bicolor combination with a blue, steel or green body
with yellow fins. Originally developed by American breeder
Jude Als, it has been further developed into patterned fish with
white or black borders around the fins.
When the fins are bordered with still another color, that has
been called a Butterfly, or BF, pattern. Jude Als did create a
striking color type that bred true, and seemed to have an al-
FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 7
most air-brushed quality. Other breeders crossed red into these
to produce an almost purplish fish they called a Salamander.
The Thai are great experimenters in their breeding practices,
and are regularly coming up with new variations. About 10
years ago, they followed American Breeder Walt Maurus and
recreated what Walt had originally developed—the Metallic
Gold betta.
Walt had done this in the 1970s, selectively breeding five
generations of the regular splendens to produce fish that
looked like they were made of gold foil. However, his line was
lost. The Thai bred a new metallic line by crossing splendens
out to the the wild population of Smaragdina, which have me-
tallic copper in body and fins and in their faces.
By doing this they created the metallic splendens lines, along
with what they called the Mask. Until then, iridescent (blue,
green or steel) bettas could have brilliantly iridescent bodies
and fins, but that would fade out toward the face, leaving it a
matte black. Now they had created iridescent fish that had fully
iridescent faces.
These metallic fish were bred into every color of bettas,
creating fish with bodies that looked like they were made out
of gold, copper or even silver chainmail with red, blue, green,
steel, yellow or black fins so that they looked almost like the
Chinese dragons used in festivals. And so, they were very aptly
named Red Dragons, Yellow Dragons, Black Dragons, etc.
The newest creation in bettas, again introduced by our
Thai friends, is the Dumbo Big-Ears. This appears to be
another mutation, where the pectoral fins are oversized and
usually opaque. They almost look like they are waving a pair of
fans in the water.
Another recent development in betta terminology has been
confusing American buyers on Aquabid. The Thai are calling
some fish Monsters. Now, the Thai breeders have created a
race of Giant Bettas, both HMs and PKs, bred for increased size.
Many figure that Monsters must be like Giants, but that is not
what they are at all. I have discussed this with my partner in
Thailand, Preecha Ammara. He says he does not know which
Thai breeder came up with the term, but we both agreed what
it means and how it has been applied.
In Oriental plays, there are many monsters (Godzilla has lots
of friends) and the stage actor who plays the monster wears
a metallic mask so that the audience will recognize who he is.
The Bettas that are called Monsters have metallic white faces.
Some also call this trait Monkey Face, but Monster seems to be
the term that is winning out in popular usage.
Some of the breeders/sellers on Aquabid, eBay, and private
websites are continually coming up with new words to describe
their fish, most of which are never commonly accepted. A few of
these will be picked up and will become conventional terminol-
ogy while most will be discarded. Still, as more and more of
us breed these fish and create new variations, we will need to
continually update this “dictionary.”
IBC SMP Species Spotlight by Gerald Griffin
Betta splendens
T
his is a start of a series of
articles that will appear in
Flare!. In each issue, I will
discuss a species of Wild
Betta. Since there are some
90 species of Wild Bettas, this will be
a long involved project. My hopes are
that readers will actually be enticed to
consider Wild Betta species as some-
thing worthy of keeping—if not for the
value of preservation then for the value
of observing their behaviors as opposed
to the typical domestic or show Betta
splendens, which the vast majority of us
keep. I hope you enjoy.
In a way it makes sense to start this project with the
species that brought us all together in the first place.
There is no doubt that Betta splendens is probably one
of the most interesting and popular of aquarium fish.
Also known as the Siamese Fighting Fish, this spe-
cies has earned a lot of notoriety in the pet trade for
more than 100 years. However, it is still one of the most
misunderstood fish in the aquarium market.
The Betta commonly kept is Betta splendens and is
one of about 90 species of fighting fish found in South-
east Asia. Bettas get their name from the word “Bet-
tah,” which derives from the Thai word “Ikan Bettah,”
meaning fighting fish. The Thai also use a word “Pla
kad,” which translates to “biting fish” to describe the
Betta as well.
Betta splendens first came to the United States in
1910, and have been popular ever since. Over time, a
number of myths have come about to be accepted by
a number of people. Because you are an IBC member
Page 8 FLARE! May/June 2013
reading this, you have probably dispelled a number
of these myths when you visit pet shops and hear the
workers perpetuate these myths. The focus of this ar-
ticle will be on the wild form of Betta splendens.
First off, when it comes to the wild species, they
can be kept just like normal Show Bettas or they can
be placed in species tanks. An interesting note is that
when you jar a splendens complex fish, they act very
much like a domestic splendens. They will flare at each
other and they will fight. However, when placed into
a species tank, the aggression dies down and they go
back to their “natural” state.
When keeping a species tank, size can become an
issue. A pair will do well in a 10-gallon tank as long as
they have adequate hiding spaces. For a group of six, a
30-gallon tank should be considered a minimum size.
For larger groups, you should size accordingly.
The space allows the individual males to stake out
a small territory that they will defend. They should be
kept at 76 to 80 degrees F in water that is clean and of
moderate hardness.
If you want to “observe” their behaviors, it is best
to put them in a large tank and have six or more in the
tank.
Their tank should be decorated with plants and
caves so that fish can have a place to retreat to if they
are being picked on more than they would like.
However, when placed in an environment like this,
you can watch how they interact and it can give you
some interesting insights on how domestic splendens
act. One of the biggest differences you might notice is
that wild splendens are not as aggressive as domestic
splendens.
Also, to observe the best behaviors, the tank should
be filtered with sponge filters on low flow so that males
can build nests. If the water flow is too high, then the
fish will not nest and they will act just like any other
anabantoid in the aquarium.
When breeding wild splendens, it is best to place the
pair in the tank and observe. Although they will breed Above are two examples of “wild Betta hybrids.” Both were presented to
very similarly to domestic splendens, they will typically me as new species.
not show the damage that is typical of domestic splen-
dens. The vast majority of times there is no damage to
either fish.
It is somewhat amazing how different the behaviors
can be between the domestic and wild splendens. How-
ever, if you breed enough domestics, you will discover
pairs that spawn exactly like wild splendens.
In my experience with wild splendens, none have
ever failed to build a nest even though that nest is
relatively small but compact and deep and typically
anchored under something on the surface.
The male actively tends the nest but does not kill the
female in the tank. The female could actually be left in
the tank, but for best results in raising fry it is better to
remove the female.
Keeping wild splendens can be very rewarding as
they are becoming increasingly rare in the wild. The
main reason for this rarity is due to the fact of releases
of domestic splendens into their wild habitat.
For many who fight fish, this is considered impor-
tant as the fighters are all released into a water way
and a bamboo pipe is placed in the water way, typically
a pond.
The most dominant male in the water way will lay
dominion over the pipe and that is the one collected for
fighting. Unfortunately, this practice has yielded many
hybrids in the wild, which during the rainy season can
spread to other water ways and therefore contaminat-
ing the pure blooded wild splendens.
So it goes without saying that keeping a Wild Betta
species, such as wild splendens, is not only interesting
but also rewarding.
Not only in the fact of helping to preserve a spe-
Typical Wild Betta splendens from different locations. Notice the similari-
cies that is in decline but also giving one the ability to ties but yet there are differences, too? Many wild Betta species show dif-
observe the original natural instincts of the domestic ferences from one location to the next, and therefore could in the future
or show splendens and how so many show strains have be classified as separate species.
veered from their “natural” instincts.

FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 9

 Show Tim The Flare! Guide to Showi

Photo by Minh Nguyen

Page 10 FLARE! May/June 2013

me!
ing Bettas
Feature

INSIDE
Top 5 Breeders’ Advice......................12
Betta Crossword.................................15
Filling Out the Entry Form.................16
Getting Your Fish to the Show..........18
Conditioning Your Show Fish...........21
IBC Classes Area 1.............................38
IBC Classes Area 2.............................39
IBC Show Entry Form.........................40

FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 11

 Advice From 2012-2013
T
he 2012-
2013
Top Five
Breeders
talk about
how they pick and
prepare their Bettas
for shows.
What steps do you take to prepare for
the show season?
Sieg Illig: Show season starts usually the
end of March, and to make sure to have
show fish at this time, my breeding program
starts at least by the end of October and
ends by the end of February—taking care
of about 10 to 12 spawns, depending on the
cooperation of the breeder fish. Not every
spawn is a success, but makes the hobby
interesting.
Stacy Deaton: Show preparation starts
with selecting your breeders and spawning,
as we all know, but the key to having good
fish during the show season is good rear-
ing of the fry. I’ll admit I’m not too awfully
complicated when it comes to the growout
process. I feed a wide variety of foods, good
water quality and controlling stress are
your biggest tools.
On average, by the time my young
juveniles are jarred, they have eaten these
foods: infusoria, vinegar eels, baby brine
shrimp, powdered dried earthworms,
frozen daphnia pulex, golden pearls of
all sizes, frozen adult brine shrimp, live
daphnia magna, live scuds, live mosquito
larvae (when in season), New Life Spectrum
.5 “Grow” pellets and Attison’s pellets (not
the Pro). I don’t care for any of the micro/
banana/Walter worms and I can’t keep
grindals or white worms alive, so I don’t
bother. I feed three times a day, and make
sure to never overfeed.
I have very hard water here in Arizona.
The fish I raised for the time I spent com-
peting in the New Breeder classes were
raised in my well water—I ruined more
Page 12 FLARE! May/June 2013
fins in that water than I care to list. I set
up a very simple Reverse Osmosis filter
(branched off my laundry room water
spout), and it’s made all the difference. I
don’t fool around with trying to reconstitute
a balanced water chemistry out of plain RO
water as it requires too much math. I “cut”
my well water 50/50 to bring the hardness
down to roughly 8 or 9 GH. I make sure my
KH stays above 4.5 degrees when cutting
the well water by testing periodically. I cor-
rect my pH down to 7.0 using an acid buffer.
I use one drop of PolyViSol plus Iron per
gallon of new water during water changes
(this is mostly a cheap way of supplement-
ing the live plants). I use one tablespoon
of salt per five gallons of water for general
parasite prevention, this level is lower than
the recommended one teaspoon per gallon
but I find this level has kept me from seeing
velvet or ich and does not kill my snails and
plants.
I don’t typically try to power grow my
fish. I definitely don’t get around to doing
daily water changes, unless it’s a very large
spawn. Every other day or every third day
is more common. I supplement my lack of
water changes with strong LED or T5 light-
ing and tons of plants. I typically have one
type of moss, some Guppy Grass or Horn-
wort and Amazon Frogbit all growing in
my growouts. As long as these are actively
growing, they are absorbing a good portion
of the biological waste products and their
byproducts.
The overabundance of plants in my tanks
help to reduce dominance related stress by
blocking visual access and chasing ranges.
By mixing up my water in the same way
every single time, I prevent the fry from
being shocked by changing water param-
eters (thus I can get away with doing larger
percentage water changes).
John Leach: In preparation for the show
season, I  take a look at the most recent
class list and standards according to the
IBC rules/guidelines. Since the shows begin
around Labor Day, planning and prepa-
ration begins usually in the spring with
decisions on who to spawn and what I am
trying to achieve. Spawning is in full swing
April/May. If needed, new stock is ordered
to commence a new line or outcross. I also
make sure proper shipping supplies are on
hand—box, styrofoam cut to appropriate
size, shipping bags , heat packs (if neces-
sary), entry forms and postage labels.
Yvonne Chaban: I set up as many spawn
tanks as I can take care of. This way I will
have a lot of fish to choose from and can
select the best for show. The fry are fed well
and kept together until they start to nip at
each other. They are then jarred and given
frequent water changes.
Sherolyn Craig: Save more money up in the
PayPal account. I am committed to support-
ing shows so make sure I set aside the funds
to do it.  I also start to evaluate the spawns
growing out for possible show fish. I look for
fish I feel will be competitive, and get them
in larger containers. I give these selected
fish increased feedings, more frequent water
changes, and they are also carded.
I have tried to time spawns to be maturing
when the seasons start, but have given this
up for a few reasons. I can not always get my
fish to spawn exactly when I want them too.
Bettas have a mind of their own and often do
not spawn as I had planned. I am also more
breeder than exhibitor. I show to establish
my credentials as a breeder and receive feed-
back on how well I am doing. Seeing what
fish place tells me what I am doing right and
shows where I need to improve. I also have
only so many resources in tanks and time.
Spawning to compete in several classes gives
you a lot of fish maturing at the same time.
For those new to the hobby, that is a lot of
work time wise. I prefer to have a more stag-
gered approach, so I always have spawning
fish, fry, Juvies as well as mature breeders or
show fish at any given time.  
When and how do you select show fish
for the season?
Sieg: Selecting show starts about four weeks
before the first show according to the IBC stan-
dard. I only jar show fish. Males are housed in
half-gallon and females in quart jars.
Stacy:  Show fish selection starts early with
jarring. My first jarred fish are usually the
best formed of the larger fry. I remove large,
but not so nicely formed fish, for retail sales
and swap shops—this is usually enough to
minimize nipping while I wait for another
crop of larger nicely formed fish to appear
in the grow out. I find that body growth will
slow drastically once the fish are jarred, so
I try to push the group as long as I can in
the grow out. I jar both males and females,
Top Five IBC Breeders
keeping show girls in a sorority setting does
not work for me. All jarred fish are kept
carded at all times unless they are being
flare trained which I usually do once a day
for about 15 minutes. When I have as many
well-formed fish from the spawn as possible
I watch and sort them by faults as they grow.
Usually a few nights before the first show
of the season I hold a mock show for each
group/class of fish. Some fish I just have a
feeling about but most are selected through
comparing faults with the standards and
flashlight in hand just as a judge would. Fish
with equal faults are sorted by size and the
larger wins. I’m developing a better work-
ing knowledge of the standards as I go; I
feel this is a very important part of being a
serious exhibitor.
When fish return from a show I will
again sort them by place and compare them
to the ones that stayed home. Most of the
time the show line up will stay the same but
as the show fish get sent hither and thither
there are times that homebody fish will be-
come a better show candidate. I usually add
a new hopeful to the current lineup instead
of replacing a fish (unless the show fish is
beginning to weaken or develop condition
issues). If a new hopeful bumps a previously
placing fish out of the placings then I’ll usu-
FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 13
ally sell the bumped fish at the next show or
set it aside as a breeder backup if necessary.
John: After growing out spawns for several
months I ususally take a good look at them
about a month before the shows commence
and at this point make my picks for showing,
ie: are they corrrect size  or will they makle
it by the show date, can they be properly
classed ? Dont want a ton of fish ending up
in form n finnage because there isnt any way
of classing them. Who catches my eye? Does
one deport betta than another? Who has
betta form, finnage, balance, color, etc.
Yvonne: I start selecting potential show
fish very early in their lives. When they are
young I look more for behavior than form
and finnage. I want a fish that is calm not
and afraid. The show circuit is stressful and
there will be a lot of people looking at the
fish. Once I have a fish that exhibits those
traits then the body, fins and color are the
next consideration. Any potential candi-
dates are separated and put into a show
situation. They get to practice their deport-
ment with the other candidates. Some will
be eliminated at this point. If they don’t
deport they will not do well in the shows. I
then have them lined up with the younger
ones last. These will be the fish that will
go to shows later in the season, when they
have had a chance to grow more.
Sherolyn: Every day I look at them. It is
part of the culling process. Any thing that is
not showable, is also not breedable. Show
fish are breeder culls, basically good fish
with slightly more faults than those I want
to breed. They are also fish I’m willing to
risk losing. Those not of show grade I sell or
cull to pet homes here locally. Prospective
show fish are kept in the same general area
and as a show date approaches, they are
evaluated for size, color, form and deport-
ment. Final decisions are made the week-
end before a show.
What is the average age of your show fish,
and do you retire fish at a certain age?
Sieg: Average age of males is 4 to 6 month,
where as females and Plakats can be shown
to a much higher age. A HM male usually
only lasts for one or two shows and have to
be retired and replaced.
Stacy:  Since I don’t push my fish very hard
the average age of my show fish is between
5 and 9 months. I have been able to show
fish as young as 4 months old, but I don’t
like to. I find that when pushed to show
size at a young age they tend to “finish out”
too soon, meaning their fins go floppy or
get ruined far too soon in the season. One
of my copper lines is completely intoler-
ant of being pushed along, so they show
from roughly 7 months on. My males are
normally retired after one half-season to
breed. Females that make it cleanly through
spawning or aren’t being bred are shown
for as long as they stay up to standards. One
of the females in my current show string
has been showing since last Spring and was
born 30 January 2012.
John: The average age of my show fish are
4.5 months or betta and usually they are
retired by 6 or 7 months old tops.
Yvonne: The average age is 6 to 9 months.
There are some that are ready earlier.
Some fish can be ready to show as early
as 4 months. Depending on when the fry
hatched some of the fish are going to be
older when the new season starts. As far
a retirement goes, there are several fac-
tors that can determine that. I had a nice
halfmoon plakat that could have continue to
show if he hadn’t blown his caudal during a
return trip. His show career was over but he
has gone on to produce some nice offspring.
Another factor that can determine retire-
ment is size. Some females can get very
large and they will not show well. It really
just depends on the fish. You know when it
is the right time.
Sherolyn: I have a line that matures VERY
late. Six to eight months and the males are
just peaking. The others I find males look
good around 4-6 months. Females are a bit
easier and I can show them as soon as they
reach size and often for a few seasons. I do
not like excessively long fins on my girls. Be-
cause I select for balance when choosing my
female breeders, I don’t tend to have them
outgrow the balance needed at a show to be
competitive. Females I keep as long as I feel
they can compete. Points are points, and if
they continue to place, they continue to be
shown. Males I tend to re-home once I get
the next generation of a line to the fry stage.
The fish I use for breeding are my interest.
So others, once past showing, are often sold
to other breeders.
What is your method for keeping your
show fish pristine for the season?
Sieg: I think the old fashion jar method is
still the best for keeping show fish in condi-
tion. I do a water change every 3 days and
cleaning the jars every 2 to 3 weeks with vin-
egar and a good rinse with water. A 30 gallon
drum is always handy with aged water.
Stacy: I baby them while they’re home.
They get as many meals a day from different
food sources as they’ll take and gentle water
changes every other day. They are kept on
a heated mat and carded so that the males
don’t blow their fins. Once a day they are
un-carded for some exercise. Having luck
when it comes to shipping is helpful, some
fish are going to come home with tears or
broken rays. There’s really nothing that can
be done to prevent that 100%. Clean water
will heal tears in time for the next show
usually, but exposed and shortened rays
from shredding or biting will land them
some rest time and a skipped show (or end
their career and start their breeding early).
John: Water clarity is A1 most important
for show fish and carding them all the time,
this way they will deport (flare) , and hope-
fully eliminate blown fins before a show.
Yvonne: Frequent water changes and good
food. All of my fish get this anyway. I actu-
ally don’t treat the show fish different from
the rest.
Sherolyn: Water change, water change,
good food, water change. Feed a quality
food and stay on top of the water changes
and you should have nice fish with great
fins. I also have to watch water hardness as
have found it can curl fins if it gets too hard.
Page 14 FLARE! May/June 2013
Since I use RO with minerals added back, it
is my error when that happens. So I test the
TDS of any water used on the show males
before use to make sure.
I have run full circle in carding, not card-
ing and then carding again. I am starting to
breed for aggression and encourage it with
carding and time spent flaring. The greatest
fish in the world with no deportment will not
win anything. Need to think about everything
that is judged, and keep fish accordingly.
Do you keep records of your fish and
lines?  If so, how?
Sieg: Every spawn is numbered, and dated
starting with having eggs in the nest. Fish I
keep from a spawn will also be numbered and
dated with labels. This way I can trace my fish
generations back. For example, I’m able to
trace my turquoise HM line back to 1994.
Stacy: I keep meticulous records of all of my
jarred fish and spawns. Each fish produced
in my house that is jarred is given a unique
identifier consisting of a shortened ver-
sion of their spawn number and a number
or letter that corresponds with the order
in which they were jarred. My spawns are
labeled like this: 12-023. 12 represents the
year, 2012; 023 represents the 23rd con-
secutive spawn. The first male and female
from that spawn receive a jar label of 23-1
or 23-A (numbers for females, letters for
males), and so on and so forth for the rest
of the jarred siblings. When fish are sent to
a show I put this identifier in the remarks
column. When the show chairs send back
the show log with placings, I correlate
this information (grouped by spawn) into
a spreadsheet. This way I can track how
successful each spawn is, how many times
a fish is placing, and whether their placing
changed between shows (showing possible
degradation or improvement over time).
I also use this information in the picture
pedigrees I make for all of my spawns.
John: In keeping records of fish and lines,
it’s just a simple number system document-
ed on an Excel spreadsheet or at the very
least a handwritten record of each spawn
describing the parents and outcome.
Sherolyn: Most definitely. I keep pedigrees
on all of my fish, and I am starting to take
even more notes on the results of crosses. I
contemplate in-house crosses by looking at
their breeding and lineage back several gen-
erations. I breed solid-colored fish, so like to
see solid breeder fish out of spawns of solid
fish as far back as I can. White fin edges or
colored ventrals are something I now note,
not only in breeders, but also their siblings.
After four years of breeding, I am notic-
ing some things in color and form. So going
forward, I want to determine if a trait
is dominant or recessive, can I compile
enough data to make some predictions
about it and get some quantitative numbers
on ratios of the trait in spawns. Recordkeep-
ing is a big part of my fish keeping.
Yvonne: All of my breeders are kept in a
record book. They are numbered and have
a description. The description includes the
breeder, if it is an outcrossing, color and
type. On the breeding tank I have removable
tape with the breeder’s number and the
date the spawn hatched.
The number of the fish is kept on its
container at all times. My record book also
keeps track of the spawning. This helps
with future spawns. I need to know who
was aggressive, who doesn’t spawn and
which pairs not to spawn again.
Betta Crossword
This puzzle consists of words and terms you will
encounter when showing your fish. The answers can
be found in this issue of Flare!
1 2

3 4

6 7

10

11

12 13 14

15

16

17 18

19

Across Down
3 Increases the ambient 1 When you have a new color or form,
temperature in a box when this is the class you should enter
shipping during the colder your fish
months. 2 Must be done before show to let
7 What the fish are measured show secretary know you are
against. entering fish.
9 Division B consists of this type of 4 Class for a Red Halfmoon Male
fish. 5 Division for those in their first or
10 Fish with least faults in a show second year of showing.
earns this title. 6 Last show of the year and awards
12 Type of box needed to ship fish. are given out at.
15 Grand Champion Breeder that 8 This is done to prevent water from
earned the most points in a show leaking completely out when
season shipping fish.
16 Title given to breeder that earns 11 What must be filled out and sent to
the most points in a season. compete at a show.
17 Division A is for showing what tail 13 Marble / Grizzle STM would be
type? entered in what class?
19 Color of first place ribbon 14 Before you can choose a class you
must determine this.
18 Fish are evaluated and pulled for
Answers on Page 37 these.

FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 15

 Proper Form Learn how to fill out a show entry form.

By Sherolyn Craig
To enter fish in an IBC show, you need to fill out an entry form,
which will specify the class you want the fish entered in and also
inform the show club if you are going to sell the fish at auction. The
first time filling out the form, though, can be confusing. So here is
a step by step to get your entries completed and done correctly. A
copy of the entry form in Excel format can be found at
www.cbsbettas.org/files/2012-2013EntryFormClassListArea1.xls.
Show Entries
The form has tabs across the bottom. The first tab is the ENTRY marker and start labeling containers of show fish with big consecu-
form, the second is the current year’s CLASS LIST and the last tab tive numbers. As I go, I take my clipboard with the ENTRY form on
is a sliding SCALE used for the cost of entries. Once you access the it and make notes as to what fish corresponds to what number. Be-
file, fill out all of the information on the top of the entry form. Put cause my fish have an ID number, I list that ID number and a brief
your name, address, email address and so on in the blank spaces description in the LABEL/REMARKS column on the entry form. I
provided. Once the top part of the form is filled out, right click and continue marking fish and adding their info to the entry form until
create a copy of this first ENTRY form and add it right behind that I have all of the show fish listed. At this point, all I do is notate what
first tab. Then right click and rename that tab AUCTION. Now save fish goes with what number. Once finished numbering and listing
the file as MASTER. After saving, go to the ENTRY tab and print out the show fish, I will typically then bag each fish for the show and
a dozen copies and a copy or two of the CLASS LIST. I put them on a box them up using the entries list I just made as the “packing” list.
clipboard to use in the fish room when getting ready for a show. Plan on three to five minutes per fish to bag.
On the Sunday a week before the show weekend, make the One copy of the entry form needs to go in the box to be shipped
final decisions on what fish will ship to the show. I use a dry erase with the fish, and an electronic version needs to be emailed to the

Page 16 FLARE! May/June 2013

show chair prior to the show.
The electronic entry sent to the Show Chair is your official entry
into the show and the secretary often needs to have this entry by
the Wednesday night before the show weekend. This preregistra-
tion is needed to ensure enough containers are provided and to get
some of the paperwork out of the way before the show begins. If
you miss this date, you might find your fish returned to you with-
out being able to participate in the show. If problems arise, always
contact the show chair and work something out.
To fill out the entry form, take your scratch entry sheet, head
over to the computer and pull up your MASTER Excel file. Then
save another copy of the Excel file under the name of the show,
show date or however you want to name your entry forms. Now
take a look at the first fish you have listed on your scratch sheet.
Type your fish description into the Excel file, and decide if you
want the fish shipped back or auctioned at the show. If you want
the fish back, put a “N” in the auction column, “Y” if you want the
fish auctioned plus the minimum amount the fish is to be sold for.
Currently, the opening bid is $5, but you can set whatever you want
above or below that. That tells the club they cannot sell the fish un-
less this minimum price is met. If you set a minimum price of $10
and no one wants to pay that for your fish, the fish is shipped back.
Continue to fill out the Excel file with your fish information. Once
you get all of the info on the form, it is time to fill in the classes you
want the fish entered in. This is where your descriptions will speed
things along. If you take a look at the class list you will see some
general divisions. The first group is for the Halfmoons, then comes
Double Tails, Crown Tails, Plakats and finally Variations. The New
Breeder has its own section as well. Then in each group you will
have the classes based and broken down on the color of the fish. So
when entering fish, you first go Regular or New Breeder section,
find the section for your tail type, then start to look at the color of
you fish and where it fits in the classes.
Most colors are self explanatory. A red Betta obviously will go in
the Red class. You need to be familiar with the standards enough
to understand any faults that might get the fish moved to another
class, like white fin edges or metallic covering. Once you determine
the correct color class, you then drill down a little further and
choose either male or female. When satisfied with your choice of
class, note its number and the division. Enter those letters/num-
bers on the entry form under the correct headings. Continue look-
ing up all of the classes until the form is complete.
What about the ones you are not quite sure where they go? For
fish you are not sure about, enter the description and if you are
selling at auction, but leave the Division and Class spaces blank. In-
stead write HELP to the right of the description field. A judge at the
show will evaluate the fish and place it into the correct class. You
FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 17
will also receive feedback as to the class it was entered in and why.
After all the fish have been entered in classes, you then tally up
the number of fish you are showing and put that number at the
bottom right of the form. Look up the total number of fish on the
last tab of your spreadsheet and enter the amount owed for entries.
Some clubs will allow you to pay entry fees through PayPal to the
show chair as a “gift” so you pay for any PayPal fees. If a club does
not have PayPal, or you do not want to use it, make a check out for
the entry fees and include it with your fish.
Auction Only
Every show takes a lot of work and money to be successful. One
way a host club makes money is to have an auction after the show.
Some of the show fish will often be offered for sale as well as ad-
ditional fish from breeders are sent to help the host club make ends
meet. Anything auctioned has a split of 75% of the selling price to
the breeder and the remaining 25% is given to the host.
Because shows have very nice Bettas on display and breeders
available to discuss fish and answer questions, you will find most
shows are well attended by those interested in breeding and raising
Bettas. Many will come looking to purchase Bettas, so sending fish
to auction is also a good way to help offset some of the expense of
sending the fish to the shows.
The auction takes place after the show and it is not unusual to
find class- or variety-winning fish being offered for sale. To enter
fish you are not showing in the auction, go to the second tab, AUC-
TION, and enter your fish descriptions. You do not need to enter
any class or division information, but you do need to determine any
minimum bids. Make sure you put the corresponding entry number
on the fish bags to keep them straight.
Submitting the Entries
Once you get everything filled out, do a final save on the file. Print
out a copy of both the entries and the list of auction fish if you have
them and include them in the box when you ship your fish. Then you
get the email address for the show secretary and send a copy of the
file to them before the due date. When I send the the file as an attach-
ment, I let the secretary know about the AUCTION tab if I have fish
listed there, and I also ask them to confirm they can open the file.
Walk Ins
The only thing different if you are going to physically take your
fish to a show instead of shipping them is the bagging a week
before. You still will determine the fish you are sending at that time
and get your entries to the show chair by the deadline. Then you
will bag your fish and make sure you get them to the show to have
your fish benched before the deadline set by the show.
So, there you have it. Pretty straightforward once you get
through it. Hope to see everyone’s fish at the show!
 Off to the Show
Follow these easy step-by-step instructions for sending your fish to a show.
S
By Sherolyn Craig
o, the first show of the
season is a few weeks
away and you have
been looking at your
young Bettas, thinking
they turned out real nice. The
thought of entering them in a
show sounds fun and exciting,
but you are new to the hobby
and are not sure how to get
your fish entered and delivered
to the show.
Getting Ready
The first thing you need to do is deter-
mine what fish you want to send. Make sure
you go over the IBC standards and your fish
fit into in a show class. The ones I am think-
ing about showing I take a dry erase marker
and write “SHOW” on their container. As
the show approaches, these fish get a few
extra meals to build condition, extra water
changes to get size and maximize finnage
Page 18 FLARE! May/June 2013
and constant scrutiny for faults. You will
also want to download the Excel file of the
current entry form and class list.
Show date is now a week away. Most
clubs require pre-registration of entries so
they can be prepared with containers for
the show. It also allows the show secretary
to get some of the paper work done or
ready for the show. Since fish have to be
shipped I do all this the Sunday before the
show weekend.
Grab a blank entry form and head to the
fish room. If you look at the entry sheet
you will see it is numbered down the left
side 1-25. So, the first fish is listed on line
#1 and the entry number is marked on the
fish’s container with a dry erase marker. On
the forms, I usually list my fish ID number,
the color and if DT in the label/remark col-
umn. At this time, that is all the info I put on
this form. Then I move to the next fish. After
a good look over, they are listed as entry #2
and so on until the show fish are all listed
on the entry form.
At this point this is all I do on the entry
form. Now it is time for me to bag and box
my fish to be shipped out in the morning on
my way to work. If I had the day off I would
bag, box and ship on Monday. I usually have
a few fish to ship so I lay everything out
before I even grab the first fish.
You will need clean water, shipping bags,
an insulated shipping box, and I use small
Dixie cups, and the top of a soda bottles for
reasons to come. I have become rather anal
about disease so I have a beanie with steril-
ized nets so I can use a clean net on each
fish. And I lay out a dish towel to work on
and catch all the drips.
Bagging & Boxing
I take a large one-gallon container and
add clean, clear water. At the shows, the
bags are floated in beanies. After about 30
minutes, the top is cut and both fish and wa-
ter are dumped into the show container. You
do not want Meth Blue or Indian almond
leaf in that to discolor the water. If you send
your fish in colored water, you might end up
getting the fish disqualified.
To prepare my water, I add just a pinch
of salt and dissolve it. Salt increases the
slime coat and that increases resistance to
parasites. I do not use salt on a regular basis
so it might help with the stress of shipping
to give just a little more protection.
I take a Dixie cup and add water to
almost the top. Then I grab a net and go get
my #1 fish and put them into the water in
the Dixie cup. I take the top of a soda bottle
and put the neck opening into the top of the
shipping bag and grab it there, creating a
funnel. I tip the funnel slightly and slowly
pour water and fish into the funnel and
down into the bag. They slide very easily
through the funnel hole and into the bag. I
have several of these bottle tops so I can do
several fish before sterilizing them for use
on another fish.
I then tie off the bag with some air in the
top. You have to look at how deep your box
is and make sure you don’t have so much
bagged air you cannot get a lid on. Ideally,
you will have the bag so one-third is water
and the other two-thirds is air. If I have to
use heat/cold packs, I go a little less air so
there is more space between the fish and
the heat/cold pack.
Make sure you tie this bag TIGHT. Pull
that knot a few times and then once more
to be sure. The last thing you want is a bag
to leak. Then you invert the bag and slide it
down into another bag with the tied knot
end in first. Once the fish is double bagged,
you mark its entry number on the outside
of the bag with a permanent marker. Then
check off that fish on your list, and head
for #2. Continue doing this until all fish are
double bagged and in their shipping box.
Fish need to be shipped in an insulated
box. That might be a USPS box with styro-
foam cut to line the sides inside, or a larger
styrofoam box. You can often get the styro-
foam boxes from pet shops, veterinarians
who receive vaccinations that need to be kept
cold and other sources. My mother received
some steaks she ordered in a styrofoam box.
I have several sizes on hand to use depending
on the number of fish I need to send.
When you put the bags in the box, you
want to put the knot from the outside bag
down in the box. That will put the knot on
the inside bag up and the bottom will be
smooth for the fish. Pack the fish in so that
there is no play and the bags do not move
FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 19
around inside the box. Once the fish are
boxed, you need to add a few more things
before taping up and shipping.
After the fish are shown, they will be
rebagged and shipped home unless they
are sold at auction. If you are getting your
fish back, you need to send enough bags for
them to be returned in. I take the number
of fish am sending, double it and add some
more. Some bags could have a hole, some
fish might not sell at auction and often
someone forgets to send some bags and the
extras get those fish home.
I take a large Ziploc bag and insert the
bags for my returning fish in there. Also, to
be included in that Ziploc bag, is your entry
form and check for the entry fees unless you
sent payment through PayPal.
The Ziploc keeps your paperwork nice
and dry in the event of a leak from your
bags. Once you have your box packed, you
can now turn your attention to the entry
form and printing shipping labels.
Entries
At this point I sit down at the computer
and create the entry form I will email to
the show chair as well as send a copy in my
shipping box.
Starting with the first fish, I add my fish
ID and color info into the label/remarks col-
umn. Then I look up the class the fish will
go in. On the entry form spreadsheet, the
last tab has the current class listing. So you
go there and determine the Division and
the Class your fish belongs in and add that
information in the first two columns.
In the box under AUCTION is where you
let the show chair know if you want the fish
back or will be placed in the auction. Fish
currently start at a minimum bid of $5, but
if you want more than that minimum, you
will put your desired dollar amount in the
column.
If you put NO under auction, then the fish
will be returned to you, with the possibility
many sad faces since it will not be for sale. If
you mark YES then the fish will be auc-
tioned after the show. The rest of the form
to the right of the label/remark column is
for the show secretary to fill out.
Continue entering your fish until they are
all listed. Total up your entries and deter-
mine your entry fees. Make sure the top of
the form is complete with your information.
If something happens or there are ques-
tions, you will receive an email or a phone
call, so make sure the info is correct.
The “return fish via” section determines
how the fish are to be sent home. Check the
appropriate box for how you want yours
returned.
Shipping
There are a few ways to get your fish
back from a show. Many people just include
enough money with the entries for postage
to be purchased for the ride home. If you add
what it costs you to get them to the show, it
should be enough. Looking to make things
simple and avoid any accidents, I print a
return label and include that in my box.
 The best way to print these labels is to use PayPal, and use the
multi-order shipping option. To find this shipping option, you do
need to do a search for “multi-order shipping.” To make it easier for
the next time you ship fish, bookmark the link.
The first label I create is from me to the person receiving the
show fish. You can get this information from the flyer the shows put
out with the show information. Make sure you get the correct ad-
dress as the show site address is also listed on this flyer.
Then I create another label from the show back to myself. But
The Wait
there is a little catch to get the fish back to you as the address of the
sender will always display your home address. To get shipping from The first show you do will be a bit stressful getting it all together.
the show you need to look further down on the “SHIP FROM” tab, and Once you leave your shipping box at the Post Office, your stomach
you will see a box for originating ZIP code. Put the ZIP code of the will probably knot up a bit as you send your babies off to spread
show in that box. That will take care of where they are leaving from. their fins and strut their stuff. Most shows will send an email out
letting people know boxes have been received and the condition of
Then you just add your shipping address in the “TO” tab for them
the fish. You will relax a bit knowing the fish made it in fine shape.
to come home. I have mine shipped to my work so I can guarantee
they are not left out in weather where the fish might freeze or bake. Then the real wait and stress begins as you try to keep your
mind off the show and the fact that the results STILL have not been
After the labels are created you just print them out. The return
posted. Do not feel bad if you are feeling this way on Friday night,
label from the show to home will go in the Ziploc bag with your
and you know fish are still being benched. Even after a few years of
entry form and check. The other will be attached to the outside of
showing I find this time waiting for results the hardest.
the box.
Eventually a notice is posted that show results have been
There are a few more things to consider before closing that box.
uploaded and the link is given. Hopefully, you will find your name
Depending on the weather, you may want to add a heat or cold
listed and feel that surge of excitement of having bred a winner.
pack. Whichever you add, you want to make sure neither comes in
contact with the fish bags. I add some layer of insulation between After the show, the fish are bagged up and sent home. Once they
the fish and the pack. Because I ship out the morning after the fish are home, you will acclimate them back to their water and feed
are packed, I do not seal up the box and add the packs until I am them well. They have been without food for at least a week, so it’s
ready to walk out the door. Everybody gets a once over, then heat or better for lots of smaller feedings to get them conditioned up again.
cold packs are added, the box taped, and the box dropped off on the As you get your show babies fat and sassy again, hopefully you
way to work. will be thinking of the next show.

Page 20 FLARE! May/June 2013

Show Ready
Bettas that have been conditioned often place better.
C
By Karen MacAuley
onditioning a fish for show actu-
ally starts before the spawn even
happens. Choosing the right
breeding pair that complement
each other is the first step to suc-
cessful show stock.
When I choose my pairs for breeding,
I make sure to start off with the very best
pair possible by taking into consideration
that the female is going to play the biggest
role in the outcome of my spawns. I never
breed a male or female that has less than a
180 caudal spread.
Another thing to take into consideration
is when to plan your spawns. I like to spawn
at least four months prior to the show sea-
son beginning. This way, the fish will be the
perfect age to compete. I have found in my
line that the best age for males to compete
at the top level is 16 weeks, although I had
one male win a Best of Show at 2 years of
age and his sibling sister go Reserve Best of
Show at the 2012 Convention at 2 years old.
I try to do my spawns in January and May
as this works well for the spring and fall
show schedule.
FLARE! May/June 2013 Page 21
Once the spawn has taken place, the next
few weeks will all play a part in condition-
ing for show.  when growing out show fish. Because the
When the fry are around 6 weeks old, I
start watching to see who is showing the
most promise. I sit by the tank and begin to
select my fish for show.
The first to come out is the largest most
aggressive males. I look for balance first and
foremost. Symmetrical finnage is also very
important in selecting my show stock.
Next, I look for scale alignment, which
has to be perfect on a show fish. Any fish
with scale issues will be left in the fry tank
to grow out and be placed as a pet. It is very
important to get the biggest most perfect
males and females out as soon as possible
to avoid any fin damage at a young age.  better at the show. This might sound silly
After all of the superior males and fe-
males have been pulled, I start carding them.
I start this from the very first day they are
separated in preparation for the next few
weeks of show training and conditioning.
These select will be fed three to four times
a day. I feed Atisons Betta Pro, tubiflex worms
and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp.
Water changes are extremely important
fish I have selected for show will be eating
more than my other fish, they will need
routine water changes of at least two times
a week if they are in a half-gallon container. 
Two weeks prior to a show is when I
start the serious training. I uncard the fish
at least six times a day for five minutes at
a time. This gets them used to flaring on
command.
Another thing I do is bring everyone
who comes to my home into my fish room
and have them uncard the fish. Show fish
need to interact with the judges. Seeing a
lot of different faces will help them perform
to some, after all they are just fish, right?
But I have found Betta fish to act more like
a Cocker Spaniel puppy than a fish. So re-
member socializing them is important.
I also increase the the amount of tubiflex
worms in order to bulk up and change the
water every other day. I feed my fish right
up until the night before they are bagged to
leave for the show.
During the last week prior to a show, I
start moving the fish around to different
shelves. This way they will not become too
familiar to their next door neighbor. A hap-
py surprise for the males is when I uncard
them and it is not their mean brother on the
other side but a pretty little female.
You have to remember at a show depend-
ing on how well the fish places he or she
will be moved around several times and
placed next to fish he has not seen before.
The last thing you want to happen is for
your fish to refuse to flare for judging. This
will knock him or her right out of the judg-
ing for Best of Variety or BOS.
Also, extremely important is how the fish
are shipped to the show. I only use USPS Ex-
press Overmight mail. I have found the less
time they are in the bag being transported,
the healthier they are when they arrive.
So, remember, for the best show fish,
beef him up, keep his water clean and make
him confident! These three things will make
the difference between a pretty pet and a
top-winning show Betta.
Golden State Betta Show
By Charlie Lease
On Saturday, May 10, I arrived at the
United Cambodian Community Center in
Long Beach, California, for the IBC Interna-
tional Spring show. I had no idea what to
expect. A few months ago a family member
posted an image of a pure white HM male,
and that’s all it took. I started reading ev-
erything I could, watching Youtube videos
and emailing everyone that I thought had
any remote information. I knew what Bettas
I wanted to keep, so I began cycling some
five-gallon, planted aquariums.
In my search for information, I came
across the IBC and Golden State Bettas web-
sites and found out about an upcoming show
that was just miles from my home! When I
first walked into the show, my eyes were im-
mediately drawn to a group of containers of
males and females separated from the rest of
the fish. In this group, I saw a stunning deep
wine red HM male that looked as if some-
one had carefully drawn a fine black line on
the edge of his fins. A gentleman came over
and explained to me that these were the
“Breeder’s Cup” Bettas and that I could win
these if I purchased some raffle tickets and
placed them in the container next to the fish
I wanted. This guy obviously had no clue how
bad my luck was with winning anything, but
I took the bait, got a few tickets and stuffed
them in the container for the raffle.
I also purchased raffle tickets for the
other gifts they had like grab bags filled was looking for a pure white HM male, just white HM. After a short bidding war, I finally
with necessities. They had lamps and some like the one I had seen on the Facebook post. outbid the others. My aquariums at home
really nice bags filled with small aquariums And I was looking for a black HM. They only would all be filled now. I was on the phone
etc. I could already be a winner right? had one of each so I chose a few “runner’s up” having my brother thank his wife for posting
It didn’t take long before the room was full of different colors just in case I lost the bids. that stupid picture of the white HM as they
of people checking out all the fish on display. There was so much variety. Then I began the drawing for a “Breeder’s Cup” pair.
I had found out through a breeder weeks thought that there were so many people While I was talking, I dug out my tickets and
before that they auction off some of the fish that I’d never be able to keep up with the scanned the numbers. It was the drawing
at the show, and when I found out which bidding, so I just took a seat to watch. I sat for the awesome red HM I saw when I first
ones were up for bid, I began making my down next to a very knowledgeable and kind walked in. They called out the number ... not
list. Unfortunately, my eyes were bigger than woman who was answering my barrage of mine. Oh well, I didn’t have room anyway.
both my wallet and the amount of space I had questions. As it turns out, she’s a breeder. Wait! Nobody claimed the number! They dig
at home to house everything I wanted. And And as it turns out, she had some of her for another ,and call it out. I won!
I wanted nearly everything I saw! I would own Bettas in the show. And, as it turns out, I should have gone to Vegas with that
spend my time months before the show just I’m talking to the right person because it’s kind of luck. I have to say that I had so much
going into the local fish stores to see what IBC Vice President Karen Mac Auley. I was fun that day. The fish that I had no room for
was available. Most of the time, blah. The rethinking my decision not to bid, and Karen all went to good “homes,” and I met some
same colors, the same patterns, the same told me it wasn’t too late so I went for it. I really great people. The auction was excel-
quality. Just blah. I was lucky one day and had never been to an auction, so I was a little lent. I learned a lot about Betta keeping and
found two excellent fish that were just de- apprehensive. The black HM came up and breeding, and it inspired me to continue my
livered, and I had to get them (I didn’t know the price went well beyond my budget (he research and get involved in a local Betta
about the show yet)! That left me with only was beautiful, as were all the fish). A nice club. I’m really looking forward to the next
two available tanks at home at show time. I blue HM came up and I won! Then came the event. Hope to see you there!

Page 22 FLARE! May/June 2013