IS BACK!

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL
BETTA CONGRESS
THE BETTA PHOTOGRAPHY
OF KENNY SEAW
2021 GENERAL
CONVENTION

OVERVIEW OF
THE NEW IBC
STANDARDS

ON THE ROAD TO GLORY! PART ONE

NEW BREEDER GRAND CHAMPION TELLS HER STORY

AND MUCH MORE

FLARE! 1
 IBC Board Members & Committee Chairs
Executive Board
President Luis Navarro president@ibcbettas.org
Vice President Lorena Burgueno vp@ibcbettas.org
Secretary Jamie Stine secretary@ibcbettas.org
Treasurer Stacy Fenhaus treasurer@ibcbettas.org
Judging Board Gerald Griffin jbchair@ibcbettas.org
Member-at-Large Kasey Clark ebmember1@ibcbettas.org
Member-at-Large Kenny Seaw ebmember2@ibcbettas.org
Member-at-Large Christina Simpson ebmember3@ibcbettas.org
Area 1 Member-at-Large Heidi Burkle area1member@ibcbettas.org
Area 2 Member-at-Large TBD area2member@ibcbettas.org
Area 3 Member-at-large Wu Yi Che area3member@ibcbettas.org
Area 4 Member-at-large Fazel Shah area4member@ibcbettas.org
Area 5 Member-at-Large TBD area5member@ibcbettas.org
Area 6 Member-at-Large Gerry Ong Tan area6member@ibcbettas.org
Area 7 Member-at-Large TBD area7member@ibcbettas.org
All Executive Board Members ebmembers@ibcbettas.org
Judging Board
Judging Board Chairs Gerald Griffin jbchair@ibcbettas.org
Certification Certification handled by Area Rep certification@ibcbettas.org
Standards TBD standards@ibcbettas.org
Training TBD training@ibcbettas.org
Registrar Handled by Area Reps registrar@ibcbettas.org
Area 1 JB Representative Aurelia Ogles representatives@ibcbettas.org
Area 2 JB Representative James King representatives@ibcbettas.org
Area 3 JB Representative Wind Wang representatives@ibcbettas.org
Area 4 JB Representative TBD representatives@ibcbettas.org
Area 5 JB Representative TBD representatives@ibcbettas.org
Area 6 JB Representative Shalan Nasha representatives@ibcbettas.org
Area 7 JB Representative Michael Chang representatives@ibcbettas.org
executiveboardrep@ibcbettas.
Executive Board JB Representative Christina Simpson
org
All Judging Board Members judgingboard@ibcbettas.org
Committee Chairs
Archives Luis Navarro archives@ibcbettas.org
Awards Aurelia Ogles president@ibcbettas.org
Chapters Kenny Seaw chapters@ibcbettas.org
Constitution Rob Simpson constitution@ibcbettas.org
Events JB Chair, see JB list for Area Specific events@ibcbettas.org
Finance Stacy Fenhaus finance@ibcbettas.org
FLARE! Editor Christina Simpson and Gerald Griffin flareeditor@ibcbettas.org
Marketing TBD marketing@ibcbettas.org
Membership Stacy Fenhaus membership@ibcbettas.org
Nomenclature Gene A. Lucas nomenclature@ibcbettas.org
Nominations Jacqueline Nicki Gray nominations@ibcbettas.org
Publications TBD publications@ibcbettas.org
Research and Grants Andres Bendesky research@ibcbettas.org
Species Maintenance Bill Little & Missina Burcaw smp@ibcbettas.org
Technical Assistance Heidi Burkle ta@ibcbettas.org
Web Team Stacy Fenhaus, Larissa Williams webmaster@ibcbettas.org

FLARE! 2
On the cover
Multicolor Show Plakat
Photographed by Kenny Seaw
Cover Design: Gerald Griffin

Columns
4 Editor’s Message

5 President’s Message
Lius Navarro
About Kenny Seaw:
6 From the Judging Board Kenny has been breeding Bettas for many years and
Gerald Griffin has only ventured into photography in the last three
years. His photographs can be seen on many sites
22 The Breeders Corner
and in the IBC Show Standards.
Lorena Burgueño

Articles IBC
7 The Betta Photography of Kenny Seaw 2 Board Members and Committee Chairs
FLARE! Staff
53 Meeting Minutes
14 On the Road to Glory! My Quest for New Breed-
er Grand Champion 57 Finacial Reports of the Congress
Julie McKee 65 IBC Code of Ethics
17 Overview of the New IBC Standards
Gerald Griffin
27 Hosting IBC Convention 2021
Christina Simpson Show Info
34 My First IBC Convention 59 Show Info
Jen Cannon
35 OBM Master Bettas
Lorena Burgueño Coming up in the next FLARE!
37 The Show Must Go On! Online Betta Shows in
the Covid Era On the Road to Glory! My Quest for Grand Champion
Gerald Griffin Dodi Sunjaya

39 Covid-eo 2020 Betta Show The Breeders Corner

Cristina Simpson Lorena Burgueño

41 Covid and Canadian Fish Clubs And much more!

Morgan Ruttle
43 Brazil Betta Show
Paulo Faria
51 Let the Show Begin
Lorena Burgueño

FLARE! 3
Hello IBC Members!
We are happy to see FLARE! back in action and after this first issue will
have your quarterly magazine back up to full speed. As you might have
noticed we have two editors. The plan is that we will trade off the lead
as to who is the primary editor on each issue. We hope that this will
bring new ideas and perspectives to FLARE! Also if you look the FLARE!
team is actually quite large.
One of the new concepts we are trying is the publishing of FLARE! in
multiple languages. The IBC is a global community so our goal is that
our magazine matches this belief. How we are planning to make this
work is that we will print the English version first. Then members of the
FLARE! committee will then translate the articles into other languages
and then the editors will switch out the text.
You will also begin to see regular colums in FLARE! We look forward to
serving you, the IBC membership and give you your magazine which
has been overdue. We hope you enjoy the New FLARE!
Christina Simpson
Gerald Griffin
FLARE! Editorial Team
Christina Simpson, Gerald Griffin, Kayla Griffin, Luis Navarro, Lorena
Burgueño, Valaree Brown, Morgan Ruttle, Julie McKee, Kurt Bihlmayer,
Paulo Faria, Massimo Butera, Raul Brenes and Francisco Alvarez.
IBC Membership Dues
Electronic Membership with Color FLARE!
$20 Individual
$22 Family
$50 Corresponding (fish hobby organizations and commercial entities)
$500 Lifetime Membership (for individuals and families only)
Volume 53 Issue 1
FLARE! Is the official quarterly publication
of the International Betta Congress (IBC),
a non-profit organization. The views and
opinions contained within are not necessarily
those of the editors and/or the officers and
members of the IBC.
FLARE! Submission Guidelines
Articles:
Please submit all articles in electronic
form. We can accept most popular software
formats and fonts. Photos and graphics
are encouraged with your articles! Please
remember to include the photo/graphic
credits. Graphics and photo files may be sub-
mitted in any format, however uncompressed
TIFF, JPEG or vector format is preferred, at
the highest resolution/file size possible. If
you need help with graphics files or your file
is too large to email, please contact me for
alternative submission methods.
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.
Photos and graphics are encouraged with
your articles! Please remember to include
the photo/graphic credits. See the previous
information on submissions.
Show Information:
Show Chairs are responsible for submitting
Show Information and Show Results. Please
submit results in the electronic format ap-
proved by the Judging Board Registrar. Show
Ads cannot exceed a 2 pages in length. If you
need help in creating an ad please contact
the editor.
Art Submission:
Graphics and photo files may be submitted
in any format. However, uncompressed TIFF,
JPEG or vector formats are preferred. Please
submit the highest resolution possible.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All Rights Reserved.No part of this publica-
tion may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, transmitted, distributed, sold or pub-
licly displayed in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record-
ing, or otherwise, except for fair use, without
the explicit permission of the International
Betta Congress (IBC),
FLARE! 4
president’s message
A
s the new President Elect to the International Betta
Congress (IBC), I wanted to say hi and to all the
fellow members of IBC and to state that I am overly
excited to have been given the opportunity to hold this po-
sition. I am going to make the best possible effort to make
this organization the premier Betta hobby organization.
I am looking forward to working with all of you in all our
efforts and hopefully meet you sometime in the future.
There are new plans and already in progress, projects that
will revitalize the organization.
Among the future great happenings in IBC are:
The Flare! Magazine. Yes Flare! will restart in Digital Format
and we are all excited about it we hope that we continue to
keep you informed. The monthly bulletin continues for now
as it serves its separate purpose of informing us frequently
about issues happening inside the organization.
The new Standards are coming out soon and the excitement
is building. Soon we will have a brand-new set of standards
with many updates, there are new illustrations, new clas-
sifications and restructuring of the overall content among
other changes. The size of the manual doubled and maybe
more. To compliment the new standards a new set of class
lists have been created, also Judges and trainee Judges will
have to be retrained to make sure that the updates for the
new standards are accounted for in all the new shows.
This will be another tough year for the world as COVID19
and its variants are starting to make a comeback, I am sure
we have learned from the past and take the precautions
needed to avoid going into full lockdown again. I truly hope
that this show circuit that just started in July we can be a
complete Betta show circuit. Let us not forget that we have
implemented the closed-door modality for IBC shows for
those of you planning a show, closed-door shows take place
with minimal staff, only judges and organizers participate
with no public allowed.
Virtual Shows will continue as many countries are still in
full or partial lockdown. We have also found out that virtual
shows have a very special benefit, we have noticed partic-
ipants from very remote parts of the world, and I mean
really remote. These participants are from places where we
could have never done an in-person show. Another virtue
of the Virtual Shows, no pun intended, is that people in
low-income areas that could have never afforded to pay for
shipment of their fish and registration are now participat-
ing. A Virtual Show can be requested just like a regular
show in the IBC web page, this year we will keep track of
the winners of Virtual Shows so please send in your results
for virtual shows and clearly mark them as virtual shows.
The new modality of KIDS shows is something new, you
can also request a KIDS show on the IBC web page. These
shows are for kids aged 6 to 16 and the winners for those
shows will also be tracked to declare winners at the end
of the IBC circuit. There has been a lot of interest seen
throughout the world and this last year kids from all over
the world registered to participate. KIDS shows will be on
virtual and in-person mode and both modalities will be
accounted for equally.
There are a number of new chapters and activity in different
parts of the world and our membership has experienced
growth like we have not seen in a while. So, we look forward
to a great circuit year.
Have a happy IBC new season and lets all compete. If you
have any questions, comments or concerns do not hesitate
to contact me.
Luis I Navarro
President
International Betta Congress
president@ibcbettas.org
FLARE! 5
from the judging board
In addition, the Judging Board have taken testing
online. Yes, it was one of those things that has been
discussed in the past and never worked on. This last
cycle of the Judging Board made it a reality. We have
tested it out in more remote parts of the world, and it is
working. We are very pleased with the results. Anoth-
er thing we started was doing Seminars 1 and 2 online.
This has also been a huge success! Online Seminars
have been conducted in Areas 1, 4 and 6. I have been
elated with how well this has actually worked out.
Personally, I was expecting a lot of problems but there
were surprisingly few problems with this. We are look-
ing at a possible new future however despite how good
It is nice to be communicating with you all again these things have worked they will never replace the
since we have brought back FLARE! There are a lot of interaction we get with live audiences.
changes going on in the IBC and activity on the Judg-
ing Board is at an all-time high! A majorly updated However, we do have some issues to address. With the
version of the Standards have been released at the time new Standard we are going to have to take some time
you are reading this in FLARE! We are also in the and refresh our Judges. In starting next show year all
starting phase of the next version of the Standards to Judges must do the revised Seminars 1 and 2 to refresh
be released next year. I am not going to bother you themselves on how the new Standards work and to
with the details of those changes since there is also anbrush up on the changes that have been made from
article about those changes in this issue of FLARE! going to the old version to the new version. We will
probably have them available on the website so they
Since Covid hit the JB has done a lot of work. Probably can do it on their own time however personally I feel
the most notable was the Virtual Show Circuit. Some it would be better for the Judges to do it in person at a
of these were under IBC Sanction, some were not. If show so they can ask questions.
you had been reading the Betta Briefs that Christina
Simpson have been releasing you might have seen Remember that if you ever have any questions, you
one of my tirades against some of the people attack- can feel free to contact me or your Judging Board Area
ing those shows. Will Virtual Shows ever replace real Representative to ask and we will eventually reply to
shows? Not a chance! No matter how good a video is, you. If your Area does not have a JB Rep you can con-
many faults on Bettas may never be seen in those vid- tact me directly. I hope you are as excited as I am for
eos. For me, the best thing that came from those Vir- all that is going on in the IBC!
tual Shows was the moral boost it gave Betta Breeders
in a time of need. They were able to do what they love
(show off their hard work) and these shows received
much praise. When someone complains remind them Until Next Time
that the people who sponsored these virtual shows did
not have to but did it for the love of the hobby. With- Gerald Griffin
out these individuals our Covid times would have been Judging Board Chair
much bleaker. So, I applaud them for their efforts,
made a difference these people have!
FLARE! 6
The Betta Photography
of Kenny Seaw

FLARE! 7
FLARE! 7
 FLARE! 8

FLARE!: How long have

you been working with
Bettas?

Kenny: I started breeding

bettas since I was 13 years
old. Over 30years now.

FLARE!: What is your favor-

ite type of Betta to work
with?

Kenny: I always more into

long fin.

FLARE!: What is the hard-

est type of Betta to work
with?

Kenny: I feel longfin, the

most difficult form to
maintain

FLARE!: Are there any

strains you refuse to work
with?

Kenny: Always open to

different type if I have the
time.

FLARE!: What are the

strains that you are cur-
rently working on?

Kenny: Mainly Solid co-

lour.

FLARE!: What trends do

you see coming in the Bet-
ta hobby?

FLARE!
FLARE! 88
Kenny: I have no ideas. In
fact I only create what I like.

FLARE!: How many different

strains have you worked on
in the Betta hobby?

Kenny: I have done DTHM,

HM, HMPK, CT and just into
dumbo ear.

FLARE!: How long have you

been photographing Bet-
tas?

Kenny: I started photo-

graphing 3 years ago.

FLARE!: What is your favor-

ite picture of a Betta you
have taken?

Kenny: A Super Black

Plakat.

FLARE!: What type of setup

do you use to photograph
Bettas?

Kenny: A commercially
available light box used for
photography.

FLARE!: How has your pho-

tography of Bettas changed
over the years?

Kenny: I am using puluz

photo box with DSLR cam-
era.

FLARE!
FLARE! 99
FLARE! 10
FLARE! 10
FLARE!: What other things do you like to
photograph?

Kenny: Everyday is a learning day. Keep try-

ing and trying for improvement. I think peo-
ple like my photos

FLARE! 11
FLARE! 11
FLARE! 12
FLARE! 12
Thank You Kenny Seaw for
answering our questions
and for your Fantastic
Photographs, many of
which are in the new IBC
Standards.
FLARE!
FLARE! 13
13
On the Road to Glory!
My Quest for New Breeder
Grand Champion
T
o me, as a novice in the hobby, the New Breeder
classes were very appealing. A chance to learn
how to become a successful breeder without the
pressure of jumping right in to compete against es-
tablished breeders was exciting and offered a pathway
to the next levels of my hobby. Or so I thought. New
Breeder class turned out to be so much more than that
for me.
I was able to meet and learn from experts who turned
out to be some of the nicest folks who were exceed-
ingly generous with their time and knowledge. I also
learned that New Breeder class is definitely not a “cake
walk”! All of us are trying to prove ourselves and the
competition is both fierce and thrilling.
There are lots of ways to enjoy showing your fish. For
me though – I had to have a plan. I went through show
results from past shows to see who was doing what
with the various types of classes; I looked at what past
winners of the New Breeder of the Year title had done;
I talked to breeders who had experience with the tail
types and colors I wanted to develop. And I set up
spawns. Lots of spawns.
I won’t deny it – breeding and showing Betta is work.
It can also be expensive if you jump in without doing
enough research. I learned about raising my own live
cultures and how to find and order the best foods,
medicines and tank additives (tannins, set up materi-
als, hides, etc) so that I could look for good deals and
keep my budget manageable. I also started a local betta
Story by Julie McKee
club and hosted bowl shows so I could practice and
learn more about the process. By the spring of last year,
I was pretty confident in my fish and my chances to do
well.
But then, Covid happened. Shows went online and my
photography skills couldn’t do justice to my fish! None
of us knew how long the lockdowns would last or what
would happen next. My fish friends and I continued to
work our lines even though we knew many of the fish
we produced would never see a live show. IBC mem-
bers worked hard to keep things going to prepare for
a future for showing our lovely fish. Finally, the lock-
downs were eased up and the clubs opened up shows,
including the annual convention. I was ready. My fish
were ready.
Shortly before the first post-pandemic show, a freak
storm hit my area and Houston suffered record cold
temperatures. Our power went out in the first round of
blackouts and didn’t come back on. The temperature
in my house was below 40 and I lost nearly all my fish.
Almost 200 show fish and breeders were lost during
those four frozen days. By now, with the delays and
status changes, I had spent nearly three years working
for this. People say, “they’re only fish” and truthfully, I
don’t view all of my betta as “pets” but still, I was dev-
astated by the loss. All my carefully laid plans, which
tail types to spawn, how many fish to aim to enter in
each class, my long-worked lines…gone.
Funny thing about betta people though - we’re as tough
FLARE! 14
tough as these little fish we raise. Probably as stubborn My method of showing has been to make sure I’m able
and ornery too. Local aquatic clubs and stores brought to have showable fish in as many classes as possible. It’s
clean water right to my door when the city put us on a sound strategy. Now, that wasn’t going to be possi-
a boil notice (which is particularly hard to do with- ble. I’d lost my doubletails, most of my halfmoons and
out power). IBC Members sent breeders and good crowntails, and my plakat lines – let’s just say neither
wishes to help me get re-established for the next year line was more than barely adequate. All that remained
(for which I am eternally grateful) but I knew THIS were the veils. Those tenacious, tiny veils. In the last
year was going to be a hard task to complete. I had no few weeks before Convention, they finally decided to
choice but to work with what I still had remaining and “swoop”. That’s my term for the growth phase where
try to hold on to my lead in the standings. they stop looking like malformed deltas and begin
to look like proper veils. It’s one of the hard parts to
One tank of two month-old fry survived the freeze. I breeding veiltails - waiting until they mature enough to
don’t know how. They had no heat and being so young, assess their form.
I assumed they had all died on day 1 and I focused my
attention on the remaining jarred show fish. Somehow And “swoop” they did. With a vengeance. FINALLY!
though, life finds a way and about 20 second gener- Now I knew. I would not have a massive point showing
ation veiltails came warily up from the moss when I and I would not sweep the classes like I wanted to do,
shone a light on the tank to survey the damage. I’d had but I KNEW these fish, these fish who had no business
it in the back of my mind for 2 seasons that it would even surviving to this point, would do well. I’ve never
be quite an accomplishment to produce a veiltail nice felt like everything depended on so few fish, but this is
enough to win a big prize. I’ve always had a soft spot where I ended up.
for underdogs and it seemed like a fun challenge. They
were tiny, and probably never going to fully develop And they didn’t let me down. The males took first,
having endured such difficult conditions at so young second, and third in their class. The females took first
an age, but I couldn’t give up on them. They’d already and third. One male and one female each would make
beaten the odds in my book. it to the final judging table. Males were judged first. I
held my breath and tried not to show any expressions
I held a large lead in the point standings during the a as I listened to the judges go over each entry. From
fall season, so there
was some grace on that
front but that security
quickly eroded when
a very talented new
competitor entered the
field in the last inning.
Having solid under-
standing of how points
work, I knew I was in
trouble as Convention
neared. Winning isn’t
everything and the
knowledge and expe-
rience I’ve gained fair
outweighed the po-
tential thrill of victory
but I’m not going to
lie – losing at this point
would be a very bitter
pill to swallow.

FLARE! 15
ten fish, the field had been narrowed to four and then
three and my fish was still in the running. Now, it was
just two! I could breathe again. First or second place,
it didn’t matter – he was going to be a winner. Reserve
best of show! (Silent hallelujahs and wild dancing in
my head).
Now for the females. This would be harder. My en-
trant was cello. For a colorless fish to beat a colored
fish, she must be excellent in form – not an easy task.
Cellos have no way to hide flaws – every ray and bit of
webbing nearly glows under even a normal flashlight.
They’re quite literally naked on the judging table. One
judge seemed to favor her from the start but I couldn’t
tell what the others thought. One by one, other fish
were removed from consideration until all the judges
were able to closely examine the remaining contenders.
I don’t think I took a breath. I fidgeted in my chair like
an impatient kindergartner. And then, just like that,
SHE WON! BEST IN SHOW!
I tried to walk away from the area in a dignified,
nonchalant manner but I’m pretty sure it was more
a wiggle/dance/yeehaw movement than a walk. I
couldn’t believe it. After everything my fish room (and
me) had gone through – the scrappy little VEILTAILS
did it! I still didn’t know if I had enough points overall
to hold onto my lead against extremely talented com-
petition but for the moment, I was better than okay
– I was elated. There is no feeling like setting a diffi-
cult goal and seeing it achieved. By the next evening,
points had been tallied and winners were announced at
the banquet. I wasn’t completely sure until they called
my name. New Breeder of the Year. Maybe they are just
fish and maybe it is just a hobby, but it sure feels great
to earn that title. If you’re still on the fence about com-
peting, I hope you give it a chance. You will meet the
nicest people and learn so much. Plus, it’s really fun!
See ya’ at the shows!
FLARE! 16
 Overview of the
New IBC Standards
1. Navigation
The new Standards have all of the pages indexed where you can easily find all of the information by look
ing it up in the Table of Contents. The previous version only had a Table of Contents for the first four
chapters and no page numbers. This not only saves time, it also helps prevent frustration trying to find
something you know is in there but cannot seem to locate.

FLARE! 17
2. Logically laid out Charts.
In the previous version of the Standards some those charts were in the Standards when I joined in the
late 1980s. Personally it took a number of pass throughs for me to understand some of those charts. I
recently redesigned those charts to make them easier to read.

FLARE! 18
3. An Expirental Wilds Standards
This Expirment is with the Splendens Complex in Chapter 8 of Standards. What we have done is accept
some of the Wilds Standards being used in Area 6 to see if Judges from outside of Area 6 would like to
use these Standards and determine their feasibility. If the reports are favorable then we will add more
standards like this to the other Wild Betta Complexes.

Previous version of the

splendens complex

FLARE! 19
4. Easy to Read
Header Topics are done with a Blue Header and Subtopics are done in a Green Header. When you look
on the Table of Contents the first indent is the Blue Header and the Subtopics will be indented under
neath and done in the Green Headers.

FLARE! 20
5. Judges Aides
In Chapter 10 we have added many items to Aide Judges, Breeders and anyone trying to understand the
Standards. All of the Class Lists from All Areas are posted there. In addition we have some Judges Cards
that could be useful in learning how to Judge. We have also included a several page narative and check
list on how to hold an IBC Show. There is also a lot of other useful information in there that I personally
wish I had before I starting Judging and holding Shows.

One of the daunting thing about redoing the standards

is that a number of errors still are overlooked. We do
realize there will be errors in this version and future
versions.

If you see anything that pops out as a potential error let

us know and we will fix it or explain if it is not an error.
Our currently plan is to send out monthly updates of
the errors found and to also print them in FLARE!

You can contact us at jbchair@ibcbettas.org or judg-

ingboard@ibcbettas.org
International Betta Congress ®

FLARE! 21
THE BREEDER’S
CORNER
By LORENA BURGUEÑO
In a growing wave of Covid, new Betta breeders find
a haven in the hobby. Bettas draw crowds and arouse
passions. Many people have bred bettas throughout
their lives and many others have encountered these
curious fish at other stages of their lives, but the truth
is that new or old breeders have a point in common ...
love for this beautiful fish.

In this first edition of The Breeder’s Corner we will

have the chance to meet Mr. Jaylord Villaluz, a pas-
sionate new breeder who has won several awards
worldwide competing with his specimens.

The one that motivated me to raise and breed this

beautiful species is my family especially my youngest,
my daughter she’s 9 years old, the day we got the two (2)
male veiltails a Super Red and a Royal Blue Blackhead
that was August of 2020. She never stop knowing what
fish it is she even made her own research about it. We
call it fighting fish usually and my daughter keeps on
correcting us that its a Betta, she even told us about a
brief history of the fish… splendens, where it originated
and all that stuff oh my kids this days and the technolo-
gy…

FLARE! 22
 BETTAS GIVE ME A PEACE OF
MIND
When I got hooked on and got very interested
on this creature (BETTA) which gives me a
peace of mind because of its amazing displays
while swimming and joined some Betta enthu-
siast, I got to see all sorts of different beautiful
strains short tail, long tail and wild bettas.
Since then I started to copy what my daughter
was doing I did also my own research on how
to take care of them, breeding them and know
all different species. I got very interested on
the WILD BETTA and since then I got hooked
collecting them breeding and even showcas-
ing them in a show. I got Smaragdina Copper,
Green and Yellow, Hybrids too a Blue and
Green Alien, a Mahachaiensis, Blue and Red
Imbellis. I love WILD BETTA.
Part of my research I came across the IBC. I’ve
been hearing about this organization from all
betta enthusiast, how this organization works
and the purpose of the organization which
gives me more knowledge about betta spe-
cifically on what to look for when choosing a
quality if you are going to showcase a betta in
a show. Now I really appreciate what this orga-
nization have given me in terms of knowledge
and I am on a process of being part of this
wonderful organization.
FLARE! 23
My first ever IBC sanction show I ever joined was a
very unforgettable one for sure and its on Area 4, BET-
TATLON-2021 organized by Ms. Lorena Burgueño.
A very accommodating person who helped me and
guided me how to join since I was not an IBC mem-
ber yet and coming from a different part of the globe.
Feeling was different, got to compete in a standards
and judged by known judges in the betta world not one
(1), two (2) nor three (3) but twenty (20) plus judges
with hundreds of different variety of beautiful bettas.
Surprisingly four (4) out of my five (5) entries all wild
got in and placed first 1st, and second 2nd placers, I
was also chosen as BOV Best Of Variety on male and
female and become one of the finalist on Best of Show
BOS.
This hobby made my life a GAME CHANGER and
opened up good things. I got to be with my family for
longer periods than ever had before. I also got to enjoy
and know the real beauty of the Bettas and made me
pushed hard to succeed in breeding them and show-
casing my own breeds to other enthusiast. Now I have
decided to have my own breeding farm, “JACOBS
BETTA FARM”. I am thankful for joining such an
interesting betta group here in the Philippines name-
ly Philippine Betta Competition (PBC) created by an
avid betta enthusiast RAI BETTA BAGSAKAN for this
group. I got to know and absorbed some techniques on
betta care, breeding and joining shows and find some-
By Simon A. Eugster - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31748137
body who can help me avail good quality bettas, I was
helped and mentored by a friend RHYNN AQUATICZ
which supplied me quality WILD BETTAs and en-
courages me to join and show my wonderful fish. My
first local show is organized by Philippine Betta Mas-
ters and I entered my copper smaragdina pair and won
1st Place in the trial category.
How do I take care of my Bettas?
Here’s my secret
#1 Good Quality water and #2 Food balancing. In
maintaining a good quality water it should be free
from any harmful chemicals and bacteria. I used tap
water stored it in a big container about 200 liters ca-
pacity and I put 1% sea salt/rock salt and let it stocked
for three (3) weeks. I do my water change depending
on the size of tanks/ containers, for small tanks every 2
days 50% for bigger tanks like 50-100 gallons once ev-
ery 1 week 30-50%. I used dried Indian almond leaves,
Dried Banana leaves and fresh Turmeric root as key
ingredients for my water conditioner.
As for feeding I used all commercial grade pellets, but I
use it as a supplement food, I gave them live foods like
Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS), Infusoria (Unicellular Al-
gae/Protozoa), Moina (Water Flea), Daphnia (Cladoc-
era), Tubifex (Sludge Worms) and Mosquito Larvae.
FLARE! 24
Overfeeding is usually causes fish sickness and worse, times a day to control the body form and to develop its
death more than water quality does. Overfeeding them deportment. Feeding sludge worm should only be in
is very fatal at times, so every stage of the fish I have the morning where the fish is more active.Grooming/
methods from the newly hatched spawns up to adult- Conditioning fish for show usually I prepare them on
hood. For newly hatched spawns they usually feed after treated water slightly darker than I used in some of the
4 to 5 days they feed on the yolks, then after a week fish (own conditioning extract). Feeding them daph-
they will feed on things that will fit on their mouth and nia and mosquito larvae 3 times a day small quantity/
infusoria and baby brine shrimp is usually the right amount on a lighted area and every after feeding I flare
food for them and small quantity should be consider train them. I don’t use mirror and flare sticks, I use
on feeding the spawn to avoid over feeding and pos- 4 tanks 3 males and a female. Depending on the fish
sible tank pollution. For my case I put apple snails to form, fins, pattern and behavior depends on how long
clean the uneaten food and other waste to prevent the will I groom them, and the result will be based on IBC
water being polluted. As the spawns becomes bigger I show standards.
slowly introduce a much nutritious food that is high on
protein, fats, fiber and with probiotics so I feed sludge
worms, mosquito larvae and daphnia. For fiber they Time To Breed
have the algae that is developing from the tub and the
dried banana and indian almond leaves in the tank. For breeding I will chose a pair that will give good
spawns so make sure that both has good form, fins pat-
When I do my feeding I usually give different approach tern and are healthy. I prepare the breeding tank ahead
from maintaining growth. I give more sludge worms of the planned breeding. I put dried banana leaves, In-
about 2 times a day, for breeding I give daphnia and dian almond leaves and live plants like guppy grass this
mosquito larvae 3 times a day for 3 days then before way it will produce infusoria and the plants and leaves
putting them in the breeding tank. I increase the feed- serves as hiding place for the female or male after the
ing to 4 times a day, this way fish would stand the long breeding rituals to prevent damage on both fish. After
days of not eating while mating. 2 to 3 days female lays eggs I remove it from the breed-
ing tank and let the male take care of the eggs. I don’t
For grooming/conditioning fish for shows I give them remove the male even the spawns are on free swim I let
daphnia and mosquito larvae with small amount 3 the male stay for a month in this way the survival rate
of the spawns increases.

FLARE! 25
Behind the Breeder
I want to share to you what I am before I became a Betta Enthusiast and Breeder. I am by profession a Flight,
Ground and Simulator Instructor in my country the Philippines full time, teaching people how to fly a plane and
getting certified. I have been teaching since 1996 then came CORONA VIRUS that made a Global Pandemic,
which stopped most of the industries specially aviation sector, which totally devastated most of the people work-
ing in this sector and that includes me.

I do share this hobby with my entire family, my wife who assists me all the time and my daughter as my best crit-
ic and my mom who gives us people to re-home my bettas.

International Betta Congress ®

FLARE! 26
 Hosting T
his This was a journey that started for Alpha
Betta Chapter (ABC), not in 2021 or 2020, but
actually in 2019. When I joined ABC, there was
talk about trying to host the 2020 International Betta
Congress (IBC) General Convention. However, as a

IBC group, we decided it wasn’t our year yet. Instead, we

set our eyes on 2021…Little did we know that Betta
Breeders Canada (BBC) had the same aspirations for
Convention 2021. Over 2019 Fall, we visited numerous

Convention
hotels, consulted with prior Convention hosting clubs,
and ultimately put together a Convention package that
we believed would work. In addition, ABC made a
plan to host shows twice a year to help build our club

2021
account to support our Convention bid. Early 2020, we
found out that we had competition… BBC had a great
package, less expensive, and combined with another
larger aquarium event. By combining with the larger
event, BBC was able to offer both better incentives and
better pricing. ABC was sadly prepared to bow out. But
then…. COVID-19 happened. In the blink of an eye
the show circuit for 2020 was shut down, Convention
2020 was canceled, and no one knew what was going
to happen in 2021.
In June 2020, ABC found out we had received
the Convention bid for 2021 after BBC bowed out due
to uncertainty with their partner club for their event.
And we had to struggle through multiple new nego-
tiations with our chosen hotel. The hotel had given
away our reserved space due to moving other events
from 2020 to 2021. The original hotel event planner
we spoke with was now on indeterminate furlough.
So all of our negotiations were no where to be found
by the hotel itself. Thank goodness we had emails that
detailed what we had already negotiated. Long story
short, ABC was moved to a larger room space. We
were so thankful. Now that we had secured the bid and
the location, the hard part began…. Advertisement
and organization of the event itself. We now had dead-
ines for numbers and schematics to be drawn. And of
course, all during covid when we couldn’t just swing by
the hotel to look at things in person.
In addition to restriction visiting the hotel, the
local ABC members were also restricted and unable
to visit as usual. We started having to communicate
via Facebook and email. We made a spreadsheet that
showed both what was coming in and what needed
to be purchased. General Convention budgeting was
complex. Especially with the uncertainty of whether
By Christina Simpson COVID-19 would even allow a gathering. We didn’t
want to have another canceled Convention. In August
FLARE! 27
FLARE! 28
of 2020, ABC had hosted an International show with
minimal people present and virtual only auction…
And it had been a success. So even as we planned for
our ideal in person event, we made back up plans for
virtual. We knew visiting the hotel was not an option,
so we planned for a spring show that would allow us to
trial run hosting a show on site. In addition to testing
setups, we were also determined to test a new venue
for virtual auction based on feedback from August. We
decided to go live with Zoom. And boy were we happy
we did. Despite vaccinations becoming more available,
we had zero in person attendance for the auction in
April (outside of exhibitors who had traveled with their
fish for the show). Woah. Talk about scary, and talk
about being so thankful we had prepared for a virtual
auction. After much input, and some trial and error,
we were able to host a successful live virtual auction.
Because of that auction, ABC was able to break
even on show costs in April. Not quite what we were
hoping for, but we learned a lot. Now the real work and
final push for General Convention began. Updating
our new website, posting on Facebook, updates in the
Newsletter, requesting donations, and searching for t
shirt people. And of course, we added more work by
hand making awards for Convention. This allowed
us to save cost while also providing eye catching and
unique show awards. Donations were slowly coming in
from class sponsors. Outside donors were difficult to
find and communicate with due to COVID-19. How-
ever, SEACHEM came through for ABC in huge ways
by donating wonderful raffle items. They were even
planning to attend right up until the week before when
a family illness prevented attendance. ABC cannot
say thank you enough, and any support you can give
SEACHEM would be appreciated. They have wonder-
ful products, foods, and supplies for bettas.
In May 2021, we finally hit our goal for number
of people signing up for convention attendance. Deci-
sions were made for T-shirts, using Custom Ink. Local
club members were vaccinated, so we made a plan to
meet up and formulate plans for welcome bags, raffles,
and general Convention planning. Everything was
coming together, even awards were ready for the event.
Betta Breeder’s United stepped up and helped both
with donations and with contributing to welcome gifts!
June 24th was here before we knew it.
Set up on Thursday had more hands than usual,
which helped as we had over a hundred more entries
than usual. First Coast Bettas showed up in full force
on Thursday and helped with set up and supplied.
FLARE! 29
So many in the betta community were there. Through-
out the weekend, our mighty ABC force of 4 people
present were stretched thin. With 3 rooms to watch,
and multiple hands needed everywhere, we could
not have done it without the support of so many who
jumped in here and there and everywhere. Robert and
I did our best to keep the schedule in mind and all of
the events moving smoothly. We offered virtual semi-
nars which all had attendees. The mighty Griffins, es-
pecially Kayla, were amazing in helping keep the Hos-
pitality Suite open, running, and fully stocked. One of
my favorite (repeated) memories of the weekend was
finding myself standing next to Siegbert Illig, catching
his eye, and asking if he was looking for something to
help with. He always smiled and said sure, and I would
give him a new task we needed help with, we even got
Mike Cuaresma’ to have some extra helping hands
getting his fish bagged so we could open the hospitality
suite on Saturday night. As much as there was plenty of
work to do all weekend, we loved seeing our betta fam-
ily and friends. I believe a great time was had by all.
And I loved learning the Nicki Gray and myself share a
love for Asti wine. As Sunday arrived, the next big task
was upon us, the auction.
Sunday’s auction was set up well from all the
work the previous night. We had a live auctioneer lined
up, and he was great. We had some locals present, the
usual parties, and our live online auction. With about
200 entries in the auction, it took from 10am until after
3pm to reach the end. The auction was a great success.
For those wondering whether online/virtual auction
attendance is worth it… ABC had over $1000 in online
auction purchases. If your club is willing to put in the
extra work, our experience has shown the online pres-
ence for auctions is definitely worth it. Once the rush
of auction was done, the next and final step was clean
up. Which lasted all night. As the time grew later we
slowly lost more and more hands. Until it was a core
few of us pushing that last bit. Stress and anxiety grew.
But by 1pm on Monday, all the fish were shipped, the
show room was empty, and lastly the hospitality suite
checked out. Hosting IBC General Convention 2021
was exhausting. And about a week later, ABC released
that last bits of information and results that closed the
door on Convention. We are now recuperating, and
planning for our next show… maybe next spring….
Time will tell. Thank-you again to everyone big, small,
and in between that helped ABC. We could not have
done it without each and every one of you.

FLARE! 30
FLARE! 31
 BEST OF SHOW
Photos Courtesy of Kasey Clark

Males Females

BOS Male Self Bred Breeder (Group A) BOS Female Self Bred Breeder (Group A)

NBBOS Male Self Bred New Breeder (Group B) NBBOS Female Self Bred New Breeder (Group B)

CCBOS Male Collector (Group C) CCBOS Female Collector (Group C)

FLARE! 32
 RESERVES
Photos Courtesy of Kasey Clark

Males Females
RBOS Female Self Bred Breeder (Group A)

RBOS Male Self Bred Breeder (Group A)

NBRBOS Male Self Bred New Breeder (Group B) NBRBOS Female Self Bred New Breeder (Group B)

CCRBOS Male Collector (Group C) CCRBOS Female Collector (Group C)

FLARE! 33
 My First IBC Convention
By Jen Cannon

H
ello fellow fishy friends!
Let me introduce myself. My name is
Jen Cannon and I currently hail from North
Carolina. I’m a hairstylist in real life, coming up on 30
years in the industry.
I have been actively spawning bettas for 4 years
and just finished up my third season showing. These
little fish started out being a “hobby” and have turned
into so much more. They bring me much joy. I recently
was able to attend my first IBC convention in Atlanta
Georgia. I am blessed to be able to travel with my fish
to the majority of shows, so having convention just a
mere 7 hours down the road was perfect!
We are no strangers to the work involved with
putting on a betta show, 14-16 hour days, unboxing
fish, unbagging fish, moving fish, rearranging fish,
moving fish again… you are in constant motion with
the only “down” time being the few hours you get to
sleep before waking up to do it all over again the next
day. Not knowing what to expect at convention, but
assuming since it is a much larger show, the work vol-
ume would also be much larger. I was not wrong in my
assumption! So, Much, Work!
BUT…. While there are more fish, and more
beanies, and more boxes and bags, there are also more
people! More people that share the same passion as
you, more people that want the show to go off with-
out a hitch just like you, and more people that enjoy
seeing the clubs succeed and the fish and the breeders
that made them, win! While the days are long, and the
sleeping hours short, I COULD NOT imagine it any
other way. The camaraderie and genuine connections
we have with our fellow betta people, I WOULD NOT
want it any other way.

In closing, a little unsolicited advice… If you

currently breed, please consider showing them. We
would love to have you join us! If you’ve never attend-
ed an IBC convention, we would love to have you join
us! I know the crew and I will be there!

FLARE! 34
 KID’S CIRCUIT
With the arrival of COVID-19 and the government-
mandated quarantine that followed, IBC took a big hit.
We had to close the doors to in-person shows and we
went from having normal activities to no activity from
one day to the next.
In many countries such as Mexico, some Chapter
implemented closed-doors events and virtual events.
OBM Master Bettas was one of these chapters that
decided to go with was available at the time, utilizing
virtual and closed-doors events with only judges and
bare bones staff. They also conducted virtual meet-
ings and training on the different platforms available
such as Google meet and Zoom. At this point, regular
in-person shows are still in limbo and as some coun-
tries come out of isolation, others are waiting for the
isolation to end.
The quarantine affects us all differently and each sector
and each activity has its own particular concerns. The
closure of non-essential activities leaves us hand-tied
for various economic reasons. However, the spirit is
not appeased and ideas arise in the middle of a desert
of uncertainty.
by Lorena Burgueño
Those hardest hit by the lack of encouragement are
our Kids, and OBM Master Bettas has launched a new
activity to encourage the Betta hobby. This achieves
not only to incentivizes future breeders, and it also
encourages the responsibility of ownership and proper
care of a pet.
Jaqueline Ramírez, president of OBM Master Bettas
tells us that the KIDS CIRCUIT arises from her love
for children. In her profession as an educator and
observing young betta breeders, she saw the need
to include them so that they learn the process of the
show circuit. Luis Navarro accompanied that idea and
helped to promote this in order to take it to the Board
of Judges. The KIDS circuit is a reality thanks to the
commitment of the people who are betting on the
future of the Betta hobby.
FLARE! 35
“It is important to encourage children at
this point in life, at times like this our kids
are enduring a lot of stress and sometimes
they grow overly aggressive. Encouraging a
healthy hobby helps them in their personal
growth”.
Finally, Jaqueline comments on the great projects that Thanks to the hard work of the chapter, this great
the group she represents has: “We have had the plea- KIDS circuit idea is without a doubt the hope of an en-
sure of being the first official Chapter here in Mexico during hobby. Children are the future of our hobby as
to carry out the first international virtual show that breeders and hobbyists. This seems to me a wonderful
was under the endorsement of IBC. We had a lot of bet that the importance of being able to transmit the
impetus to do something else for the hobby, to be able passion of the hobby to the future of this organization
to implement innovative things, to make the hobby is considerable.
more attractive”. As part of those activities, Jacqueline
told me that they are participating in a national project
called Informed Volunteers, and there they collaborate
by reporting on the Betta Splendens species.

FLARE! 36
 The Show Must Go On!
Online Betta Shows in the Covid Era
A
s we were prepping for Spring Break, I had a
feeling that something was going to be rad-
ically different about how we were going to
do business. I told my students not to be surprised if
we had a three-week spring break. I was looking at
what the universities around us were doing and what
school districts in other states were doing however, I
did think that we might be back in the classroom a few
weeks after the break. Well that did not happen. As it
turned out my wife ended up getting exposed during
my Spring Break to the Covid-19 and I was a few days
behind her on this journey. During the mean time I
was left dealing with the world situation and the Coro-
navirus. So, I had to analyze the world shutting down
in Pandemic mode and then dealing with the Interna-
tional Betta Congress Show Circuit. I had conducted
an Emergency Meeting of the Judging Board to pull in
the votes I needed to shut down the World Betta Show
Circuit as that was the responsible thing to do. This
was a monumental feat as I wanted all the chapters
in the countries involved to voluntarily shut down or
have their regions shut down. For Area 2 (Europe) this
was easy as they closed everything up. Area 3 (Primar-
ily China) was the epicenter of the Pandemic so it was
already shut down. Area 7 (Australia and New Zea-
land) also were totally shut down. That left Areas 1, 4
and 6 to deal with. Area 1 (North America) was pretty
much shut down except for Mexico which followed
the US lead and did shut down as we were making
the decision to cancel the show season. Area 4 (South
Article by Gerald Griffin
America) also shut down quickly leaving us with Area
6 to deal with. Most of Area 6 (South East Asia) was
already shut down but there were a few countries that
were still open for business. Thanks to Joty Atmadjaja,
he was able to convince the last chapter trying to hold
their show to shut down. I then had the votes I need-
ed to declare the 2019-2020 show season over and the
points were to be tabulated to calculate the show year
winners as they were as of March 2020.
The next problem. Several breeders had been breeding
for the second part of the show year and had nothing
to do with their fish, how was the IBC going to deal
with this? Result, online Betta Shows! The first to con-
duct one of these shows was the Alpha Betta Chapter
in Area 1 and was the brainchild of Rob and Christine
Simpson. They used a clever name of the Covid-eo
Betta Show. More on this in their article. The second
show to go on was Betta Breeders Canada doing a
show for their annual show as part of CAOAC (Cana-
dian Association Of Aquarium Clubs). Area 4 then
held 2 shows independent of each other, their articles
also follow. Area 6 has had a show and has another
one in the works at the time of this article. Although
not the ideal situation it does allow for the Breeders
to show their fish and gives the public fish to look at.
After judging four of these shows (and no idea how
many more in the future) I can say that they are possi-
ble to judge however they are not the idea situation as
we have to contend with a number of issues.
FLARE! 37
First, the better quality the
video, the easier it is to find
flaws with the fish. Lower
quality video and some faults
slide right on by. I was most
impressed with the show
conducted by Paulo Faria. His
show had drop down menus
to apply faults to the fish and
different areas we typically
look at for faults. At the end
I looked at the scores that the
judges scored, and most Judges
had very similar scores. This
is a good thing as it shows that
our IBC process is giving good
results for our Judges.

The rest of this “Article” will

be about the shows from the
viewpoints of the Organizers of
the various shows. I hope you
enjoy this montage of “Online
Betta Shows”.

Right, various screen shots of

different “Online Betta Shows”
from the Judging aspect.

FLARE! 38
 Article and
Photos by
Christina
Simpson
M
arch of 2020 was truly a month like no
other for the Alpha Betta Chapter (ABC)
of the International Betta Congress (IBC).
As COVID-19 became a pandemic and the United
States began putting restrictions on social gatherings
in place, ABC was in full discussion on the safety and
practicality of holding our scheduled Area 1 Interna-
tional IBC show on the weekend of April 4th, 2020.
On March 21-22, 2020, the announcement was made
that all IBC sanctioned shows would be canceled/post-
poned through June at the least and Convention 2020
would also be canceled. Many IBC members had fish
prepared and everyone had been excited to start the
show season after a long winter of conditioning. ABC
quickly began considering alternatives to the tradition-
al shows.
On March 24, 2020, thanks to the initiative of Chris-
tina Simpson, Jen Cannon, Karen MacAuley, and
Kristan Dionne, ABC announced the COVID-eo Betta
Fish Show. We had a half a dozen judges volunteer
their time to judge videos if we could get the entries.
Since this was our first fully online event, we made
rules that were simple for video formats and simplified
entry classes to encourage everyone to submit (see next
page). Jen Cannon made a “how to” example video for
participants. Christina Simpson volunteered to make
awards for winning participants. Since there would be
a physical award in need of being mailed, entry fees of
$1 per entry were required. Facebook seemed to be the
most universal system for participants, so a COVID-eo
group was created. Initially, only self-bred betta were
allowed; however, we had enough interest, that a col-
lector’s class was added. By judging time, we had 146
entries from 14 different participants. The next task for
the organizers was grouping the videos for easier judg-
ing. This is where Facebook definitely lacked in viable
options. Ultimately, all videos were uploaded to indi-
vidual “Collections” on Facebook that could be shared
privately with assigned judges.
Judges: Gerald Griffin, Kayla Griffin, Holly Rutan,
Aurelia Ogles, and Kurt Bihlmayer, gathered on April
4, 2020, via Facebook group message to begin judg-
ing. Each class collection of videos was assigned to
each judge (or judging pair). Enough quality entries
were received that most classes were split into solid vs
patterned fish or by tail types. This was exciting and
also meant a slight change in awards. By that evening,
all the winners had been determined. On April 5, 2020,
videos began being uploaded for everyone to view on
the Facebook group in albums. Judges comments were
added later. For fun, a “Popular Vote” occurred as well
via “likes” on the COVID-eo group. Probably the most
amazing thing was that the Judges BOS male and Fe-
male were also recognized in the Popular Vote.
Overall, we had great participation, and much better
FLARE! 39
than anticipated. ABC ended up
awarding each participant a wood-
en plaque and made electronic cer-
tificates for each 1st and 2nd place
winner. First place winners re-
ceived a photo certificate designed
from their video submission, while
second place winners received an
ABC emblem certificate. Despite
delays on getting awards made,
mailed, and designed; ABC has
received nothing but great sup-
port from everyone. If you have
any questions about more details,
please send ABC an email at ABC-
BettaChapter@gmail.com.

FLARE! 40
 Covid and
Canadian
Fish Clubs
Article by
Morgan Ruttle
I
like many fish hobbyists was looking forward to
the start of the Spring/summer Auction and Show
Season on top of our monthly club meetings. Many
of my local clubs in Ontario had their auctions and
attached shows almost upon us, amping up for the
Canadian Association Of Aquarium Clubs (CAOAC)
National Convention in May Hosted by the Durham
Region Aquarium Society. This national convention is
always a big event for myself and for my Local Chapter
of the IBC: Betta Breeders Canada (BBC) as we hold
our International Betta Show in conjunction with them
each year. Its always a lot of fun to spend 3-4 days
listening to speakers, seeing friends and participating
in the show. This year I was also planning on traveling
to Chicago with a couple of my Betta Club members
to the IBC Convention to see all our friends from the
states and have a little vacation as the same time. Alas
when Covid 19 started to hit the nation all these plans
had to be postponed and canceled.
A Fish Show Online
Depending on where you are located one’s Covid-19
experiences are vastly different. While Canada has
thankfully been spared compared to some of the
world’s worst hit areas like our neighbors to the south,
it has still affected us and our hobby immensely. In a
very short time almost all fish events had to be can-
celed or postponed. With this news that BBC need-
Photo by Steven Tran
ed to cancel our largest show of the year we quickly
organized a small chapter members only online Virtual
Fish show. Having never done an online show before
there were a lot of challenges that we had to overcome.
We decided to run the virtual show like a local betta
show with 2 classes for purchased and self-bred fish. It
was open to club members only and not to the entire
IBC so we could work on building club moral during
the unprecedented times. We elected to have all videos
sent to the show chair who then sorted and renamed
the entries like normal show labels to simulate a
normal show as much as possible. We used Dropbox
to upload videos so that they lost as little quality as
possible and allowed both IBC judges, Gerald and
Peter to view the videos together at the same time.
Like in a normal show judges like to collaborate, and
we used ZOOM to video conference both our IBC
judges and the show chair. This was a fast, simple, and
effective way to judge and was a very enjoyable ex-
perience. We tried to make it as much like a normal
show as we could using new methods to go online. The
BBC Virtual Covid show was Sponsored by Coomara
Aquatics and was a lot of fun to both participate in and
help organize. This was the first show we have given
out monetary top prizes along with our typical show
ribbons for placements. It was a good first try at this
type of even and we look forward to doing another
soon. Feedback from the show was very positive from
those who participated. While the quality of the videos
FLARE! 41
varied making some of the judging harder a short
tutorial on how to set up a video tank is in the works
for next time to help to show off the fish the best ways.
Talk of adding a mandatory top view of the fish was
also discussed while judging to help show all sides of
the fish. While many Chapters of the IBC are localized
to a local area or State/Province the BBC is the only
Canadian Chapter of the IBC and as such has mem-
bers stretching coast to coast. While the majority of
members are in Ontario as this is where our in-person
shows are typically held we have always accepted mail
in entries from our further members. The Virtual show
presents as an easy non expensive method for mem-
bers to show off their fish and still have a sense of club
comradery and competition. We are looking forward
to progressing with this virtual show format in the
future.
Virtual Meetings:
I am fortunate enough to be a member of both my IBC
Chapter Betta Breeders Canada (Canada Wide) along
with my local Peel Regional Aquarium Club (PRAC)
and all species club. While PRAC meets monthly in
person, the BBC has select meetings throughout the
year in person that typically rotate locations depending
on who is hosting. Because the BBC is Canada Wide
it is troublesome to try and hold national meetings
online via messenger apps and the last few we had held
had poor member turnout to the point we had stopped
doing them altogether this last year. With the COVID
Gerald Griffin giv-
ing a talk on Wild
Betta Species
Michael Beat talking
‘What about Barbs?
era came a wonderful application called Zoom. I had
never heard of Zoom before the start of Covid and it
is an amazing program that lets groups meetup, show
documents, Power Point, video etc.. and lends itself
to an online Fish Speaking Event quite well. Our Vice
President Peter suggested trying to hold a virtual meet-
ing instead of our proposed in person Meeting April
19th. We selected a time slot that was agreeable for all
time zones in Canada. There is a 4.5-hour difference
coast to coast, so this poses some challenges when
planning events like this. Our first Virtual Meeting
speaker was our own Club Member Steven Tran speak-
ing about his methods of breeding
bettas. This event was well received
and even being out first-time using
zoom for this type of meeting it
went smoothly with little issues.
We had a good showing of mem-
bers and the interest to continue
meetings was there. Since our first
meeting we have since hosted two
additional meetings on May 9th
and May 31st. We used the op-
portunity to reach out to Speakers
from outside of Canada for these
meetings and opened participation
to our fellow IBC Members. Sieg
Illig joined us from the USA and
talked about his line breeding set
up as well as his breeding tips and
tricks. Sieg was a wealth of knowl-
FLARE! 42
 rest of its monthly meetings. It has now
hosted two meetings in May and June.
The first Meeting speaker was our own
Club Member Michael Beat talking about
‘What about Barbs?”. He runs a YouTube
channel called Fishez with a lot of edu-
cational videos on different fish. Michael
shot 3 short segments on Barbs and
shared them over the Zoom application
Multiple time IBC Grand Cham- while taking questions after each video.
pion Sieg Illig talking about how Our Second Speaker was Gerald Griffin
he breds and rasise Bettas. talking about ‘Wild bettas’ and touched
base on almost 100 different wild bettas
edge as always and there were a lot of questions and and answered over an hour of questions afterwards.
amazing advice given out. Everyone learned something Many PRAC members had no idea there were so many
from the new breeder to the experienced. Then Sa- wild bettas to consider keeping. Feedback was been
brina Dichne joined us all the way from Switzerland, mostly positive for these meetings and the idea is new
that’s a 9-hour difference between British Columbia and different. Many older members may find this hard
Canada and Zurich Switzerland. She talked about her to engage with and hesitate to use the new technolo-
Fish Farm Adventures and it was very interesting to gy. Some may also not have access to technology that
see how Bettas are mass produced on farms and how to works with this online application. But even if not, all
go about planning a farm tour. membership is able to participate it is still good to keep
going and connecting with the ones who can in the
Feedback from the BBC virtual meetings have been interim.
outstanding. Many people have messaged saying they
are enjoying them immensely, that they have helped
to keep themselves sane during the quarantine, A way
to not be isolated and engage with friends. The BBC’s
large online presence via Facebook has helped with
this online virtual meeting idea being readily accept-
ed. The BBC is currently planning on our next virtual
meeting and looks forward to continuing this onwards
after covid for our regular national chapter meetings
and looking to work this zoom format into our in per-
son meetings as well so our friends coast to coast can
participate as well. On top of hosting these meetings
we are able to record the meetings and then edit and
upload them online via YouTube for members who
missed the meeting or could not participate. We have
successfully uploaded one meeting and have plans to
continue this going forward as a great resource. Please
note that these YouTube uploads are not viewable to
the public and you need to be given a direct link. If
you’re an IBC member or a Member of Oklahoma
Betta Breeders Association or Oklahoma Aquarium
Association and would like to view these meetings
please email bettabreederscanada@gmail.com

PRAC missed two in person meetings before orga-

nizing and implementing a Virtual Format for the
FLARE! 43
 Brazil Betta Show
Article and Photos
by Paulo Faria
B
razil is known in the world market of ornamen-
tal fish for having numerous native species of
commercial interest. Most of these species come
from the Amazon Basin, and its export volume makes
Brazil stand out in this market.
What the whole world doesn’t know is that despite
having numerous species of native ornamental fish,
Brazilians generally prefer exotic, imported fish, dif-
ferent from those caught in the waters of the national
territory.
There is no official statistical data on the best-selling
fish in Brazil, but without a doubt, Betta fish is the
most commercialized and present fish in the home of
Brazilians.
There are regions in Brazil that are major producers
of Betta fish. It is important to mention the biggest
producer, the State of Minas Gerais, where there is a
large pool of ornamental fish farming. In this region
alone, more than 600,000 betta units are produced
per month. Breeding in this region is characterized by
greenhouse cultivation using PET bottles to separate
the bettas. Almost all Betta production in the region is
sold wholesale and destined for large urban centers in
São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
There are also other major production hubs in Brazil,
for example the states of Rio de Janeiro, Paraná and
Ceará as the largest ones.
In addition to this large wholesale betta market, there
is still a great demand for show bettas in Brazil. This
market is currently very strong in the Northeastern
states of Brazil and also in large centers such as São
Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Betta shows started in Brazil in 2005, and since that
date they have been held in various regions of Brazil
and are organized by different groups and associations.
In recent years, exhibitions have taken on greater pro-
portions and the number of participants, aquariums
and quality fish has greatly increased.
Betta shows have grown so much in some regions of
Brazil that, in addition to being a hobby, today it is
considered a business, generating a lot of jobs and
income for several breeders.
In 2018 there was a stage of the World Guppy Contest
in Brazil and the breeders of Betta mobilized them-
selves to also perform an international Betta show. For
that to happen, the first chapter of the IBC in Brazil
was created. At the time, the 2018 IBC President
(Gerald Griffin) was contacted and he gave us the
guidelines to hold the first IBC show in Brazil. It was
the first time that an international Bettas show was
held in Brazil, with an IBC judgement and the pres-
ence of official judges.
FLARE! 44
After this achievement, IBC started to be recognized
by several breeders in Brazil, however, it was also not
well accepted by many. There was a certain difference
in the IBC’s way of judging from the other judgments
that took place in Brazil.

Despite the resistance of some breeders, most of the

organizers and producers realized that, in order to
have a worldwide standardization, it was necessary to
adopt the IBC in all exhibitions in Brazil.

In 2019 I was invited to participate in the CIPS - Chi-

na International Pet Show, to participate in the Plecos
judging and I could not miss the opportunity to take
the Brazilian Bettas. For the first time, fish produced in
Brazil were taken to participate in an IBC competition
outside the country. In all, 29 fish from different breed-
ers were sent to participate in the Betta exhibitions in
Singapore, CHINA and Indonesia. A massive thank
you to Frank Chang, Rodrigo Ziviani, Wind Wang,
Betta Leong and Hermanus Harianto for making our
participation possible.

In all, there were 9 awards won by the Brazilian breed-

FLARE! 45
 The Speakers for Aquirismo 2018
ers, which gave Brazilians the hope of always being
able to participate in these competitions. The lack of
knowledge of some breeders about the IBC standards
meant that the fish were not better placed in the com-
petition.
At the beginning of 2020, a plan was made to lever-
age once and for all the creation and realization of the
betta show in Brazil:
1st - Translation of the standard IBC;
It is in the final stage of translation (It is estimated to
be published in August 2020);
2nd - Creation of a National Betta Circuit;
It was proposed to create a National Betta Circuit. This
circuit involves the main producers’ associations in
the country and envisions the realization of 10 stages
carried out in various regions of Brazil.
As the breeders in Brazil were not accustomed to the
IBC Standards, It was proposed to have a training
program for each stage, showing each breeder the rules
used by IBC.
To support these breeders, the creation of the IBC-
BRASILBETTAS chapter was proposed at IBC.
3rd - Participation in the IBC - USA - June conven-
tion;
The proposal would be to participate in the IBC Con-
vention, allowing Brazil to have one more IBC judge
and a second participation in an international show
with Brazilian fish.
4th - Award
To further encourage producers to study and use the
IBC standards, a major award was proposed for the
end of the year’s exhibitions. The great champion
would be awarded a round trip ticket, with accommo-
dation, to Shanghai during CIPS 2021, where brazilian
fish would participate.
COVID-19
In March 2020, while the second stage of the circuit
was happening, encouraging more and more creators
to participate in the IBC shows, the great villain ap-
peared: COVID-19. The entire proposed schedule had
to be canceled, but the proposal to adopt IBC in the
face-to-face exhibitions in Brazil was only postponed.
FLARE! 46
Above: The Juding Panel for the
Online Brazil Betta Show.

Right: Larissa Williams is train-

ing the new Brazilian Judges.

Bottom: An Ad for the Online

Brazil Betta Show.

FLARE! 47
Social isolation and the lack of face-to-face exhibi-
tions was the stimulus that was needed to think about
something different. Even though it was far from ideal,
it was necessary to innovate so that breeders were not
left without a show. They were all in social isolation in
their homes, taking care of their fish, with the pos-
sibility of increasing and improving their fish. Those
producers who live on betta production had no sales,
since it is during the shows that they most commer-
cialize their fish.
ONLINE BETTA SHOW
With the impossibility of having an on-site (face-to-
face) show of the National Bettas Circuit, NORD-
BETTAS, together with the Federal University of Rio
Grande do Norte (UFRN), and, through IBCBRASIL-
BETTA, proposed to hold the Bettas’ Online Exhibi-
tion.
It was needed to do more than just have an online
show through photos and videos. It was necessary that
each breeder learned about the judging standards that
are required all around the world.
The first step was to invite judges who could collabo-
rate with the proposal. The idea was to invite judges
from other countries, to show each breeder how their
fish could be judged in an exhibition outside Brazil.
The IBC judges listed above, kindly accepted the chal-
lenge and represented the American, European and
Asian continents at the judging phase. More important
than selecting the first three places in each class, it was
necessary to explain to the Brazilian breeders the rea-
sons why their fish was awarded or not at the show.
This took some hours for the judges to do, since every
fish had a complete assessment, with a description of
each failure. The participation of each one was deeply
grateful and appreciated
To make the judges’ work possible, an online platform
was created, allowing each judge to view individually
the fish in the competition.
In the page, the visitor and the judges had access to the
different categories. To facilitate access, it was created
an image for each category, with the aim of showing
the varieties to the experienced public, as well as the
inexpert public, helping them to identify the categories
more easily.
The website also briefly explains how the judgment is
made and directs the most interested participants to
the IBC website for more information.
FLARE! 48
When accessing the
categories, it is possible
for the visitor to watch
the videos of each of the
entries, as well as mon-
itor the exhibition and
simultaneously visualize
competitors, making
evaluations and compar-
isons, as in the image to
the right.

For the judging phase, it

was created a space for
the judges. Each judge
identified the faults
related to: dorsal, caudal,
anal, ventral, pectoral,
dimension, deportment,
head, body, color, video
faults and extra faults.
The scoring system used
was the same as for the
IBC: -17, -9, -5 and -3
points.

After identifying the

faults, the judge wrote
comments on each one.
Thus, the breeder re-
ceived the evaluation and
can improve his fish in
the next generation, and
also choose better in an
upcoming show.

At the end of the trial, the

classification of each fish
already appeared auto-
matically on the website
and it was possible for the public to follow the awards,
the fish, the breeder, get in touch with them through
social media, make purchases and enjoy the event.
The best fish in each category were judged again, to
choose the Best of Show male and female. A webpage
was created showing all the fish at the same time. Each
judge was able to choose the best fish and after the
decision of Best of show, the platform presented the
event’s champions, always with sharing options for the
breeders.
The best thing about the platform is that from now on,
it will be used even in face-to-face exhibitions. With
the website, it will be possible, even without leaving
home, to follow any exhibition, as long as someone in
person is filling the page with videos of the exposed
fish.

FLARE! 49
It was the first online exhibition using this platform,
and another one will soon happen. The first version
met our expectations, but improvements are coming to
the platform.
The next step is to adapt the site for smartphones and
tablets. With this, the face-to-face judgment can also
be made using the platform, and with a simple touch
on the screen, failures of the fish can be indicated and
the first placed can be identified; without, however, us-
ing several spreadsheets that demand much more time.
There is a preview of the champions of the event
below. In addition to the certificates, there was prize
money and trophies. For the champions of each class,
the award was the annual fee of the IBC. With this,
the IBCBRASILBETTA chapter of the IBC reaches 15
effective members.
A sincere thank you for the participation of the follow-
ing judges:
Gerald Griffin, Luiz Navarro, Jamie King, Sabrina
Dichne and Betta Leong. Without any of you the suc-
cess of the event would not have been possible.
COVID-19 has brought incalculable damage to people
all over the world and in the betta market this is no
different.
The realization of the online Betta show brought hope
to the creators of Betta of Brazil, since it brought a lot
of learning to everyone involved and also considerably
helped the local commercialization of fish.
FLARE! 50
 Let the
Show
Begin
Article by
Lorena
Burgueño
S
hows through the virtual modality are a growing
trend. It is not something new as they have exist-
ed for several years, but it is in these periods of
pandemic where people resort to technologies in order
to unite in different areas, aquarophilia has not been
the exception.
For several years, bettas’ IBC shows have been recur-
ring in Area 1, but in Area 4 the economic and/or
information difficulties on IBC have served as an ob-
stacle to expanding activity throughout South America
and part of countries from Central America. Many
Spanish-speaking people were frustrated at not being
able to understand the articles and even Flare maga-
zine, but the age of technology and social media have
destroyed language barriers.
América Virtual betta Show aims to unify all the
concepts that kept us apart. The idea of doing virtual
shows was being implemented at IBC for the cause of
Covid-19, but the idea of doing an event at the Ameri-
can level is unprecedented. Mr. Luis Navarro, together
with the Argentine Scientific Federation and the Bettas
Cuba Association, planned this dream, but we knew
that such an ambitious plan required a staff that could
work in coordination in various areas such as plan-
ning, multimedia and broadcasting. Carlos Muñoz and
Evrando Mistrelo joined the staff on behalf of their
chapters, Carlos president of Ecuador betta Breeders
and Evrando president of Aquabras Brazil. Once the
staff was formed and the organization of the event was
carried out, the Broadcasting Staff Bettas Guadalajara
and the OBM (Organization Bettas Mexico) joined, to-
gether with them. The first dissemination of work was
carried out together with our main financer Biobloo
and CROA (Club Rosarino de Acuarismo in Argen-
tina). More and more chapters from all over America
are joining the broadcast team, as an event that is not
broadcast is doomed to failure. Our goal is to bring
IBC Shows closer to each of the 37 American countries
and that each person whether they are a member or
not, can have this wonderful experience.
In order to have fluent communication with each
country, we have created a web page that allows read-
ing in several languages. For us, the inclusion of each
region is the priority and the language has been a
barrier for members for years, with new technologies
and available translators no longer pose communi-
cation impediments. On the page we can find vital
information about the dates of each stage of the event,
information about the standards and a blog that allows
you to read informative articles about our judges and
members who stand out for their work within IBC. In
FLARE! 51
this way, people know more about our beloved organi-
zation and those who are part of it.

Our final conclusion will be appreciated in the month

of October where we can see the results obtained. We
will be able to make statistics to compare the success
of these shows and how to apply them more efficiently
in the future, training the judges to adapt to online
formats where the perspective of observation in dig-
ital format is very different from the observation of a
live fish. All organizers, broadcasters, multimedia and
collaborators are thanked for this unique opportunity.
Let the show begin!

FLARE! 52
 Executive Board Meeting Minutes, July 17, 2021
The meeting was held in the Slack Chatroom #ExecutiveBoard.

The meeting was called to order at approximately 8:04 AM CST By Roll Call

EB Members Present Online: Stacy Fenhaus, Luis Navarro, Heidi Burkle, Gerry Tan, Fazal Shah, Kasey
Clark, Lorena Burgueno, Gerald Griffin, Kenny Seaw (slightly late)

EB Members Not Present: Jamie A. Stine (excused), Christina Simpson (excused)

Votes Conducted:
• Approve Consent Agenda: 9 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain
• Table prior meeting minutes: 8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain
• Approve financial statement: 9 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain

• Reimburse ABC $64.90 for Expedited Shipping Expenses for Convention: 7 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain
• Cancel monthly newsletter: 8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain
• Appoint Aurelia Ogles to Chair Awards Committee: 9 yes; 0 no, 0 abstain
• Appoint Rob Simpson to Chair Constitution Committee: 9 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain
• Appoint Andres Bedensky to Chair Research & Grants Committee: 7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain
• Remove current Flare! Committee Chair: 8 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain
• Appoint Gerald Griffin as Flare! Committee Chair: 8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain
• Adjourn meeting: 8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain

Discussion/Old Business:
• Minutes of general meeting
o Table to forum for secretary; very hard to decipher the audio

Discussion/New Business:
• New fiscal year budget
o Incentive Fees: we can revisit these later in the year as needed; at the moment no incentives are
needed
o Research and Grants: $1640 available as interest from the Gene Lucas Fund
• Do we need to budget a separate amount to cover the costs of purchasing the articles, or
shall we just use the $1640 to do this
o New Packet Line:
• We have $810 but we are no longer printing and mailing them so we would like to re
duce this amount to $0
• We can use this money for the refunds of people who are tired of waiting for their New
Member packets.
• TA Library
o Leo stepped down, so we need a new chair who will be able to get us access to the most
recent peer reviewed articles
o Stacy also has a bank of about 20 articles that we could host
• Someone needs to contact the authors to get permission
•Luis proposed Andreas Bedensky
• Expedited Shipping from Convention

FLARE! 53
 o Some extra shipping expenses due to the approach of the tropical storm immediately following
convention
• $64.90
• Convention Update
o In the black, even after paying for the beanies for the Simpsons
o Stacy needs all of the receipts for our records
o Aurelia is working with Puerto Rico on a tentative convention bid
o We need to have bids in by October 31st
• Luis to start a forum topic keeping track of potential bids and following up
o Area 4 will be having an A4 convention, probably in Brazil.
• Flare! & Monthly Newsletter Coordination
o Currently have people translating flare into 4 languages
• So we’ll need 4 different editions
o We should abandon the newsletter and only publish Flare!
• As long as flare is coming out on time, we don’t need the newsletter
• Vacant Posts
o Area 2 Rep
• Talk to Jaime King and see if he will recommend someone
• Send email to all active A2 members to petition for rep
o Area 7 rep
• Not needed, they don’t have 20 total members
o JB has extended Must Judge By to December 2022
• But all judges must be retrained
o Open Committee Posts
• Send Stacy the vacancies so she can update the contact us link on the website
• What followed this was a huge, off the rails discussion on people’s particular failings as
committee chairs by people who have no idea what the committee chairs are actually
supposed to be doing, and who also tried to railroad their agendas without following
proper parliamentary procedure, so I will not give it further mental energy. Suffice it to
say, people need to check the bylaws and the constitution before they try to make over
arching changes without following the rules.
o Elections
• Lots more shenanigans, none of which had any base in reality.
o Complaints
• : dismissed, not an IBC show
• : not an IBC member, nothing we can do

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:25 PM CST by majority vote.

FLARE! 54
 Minutes of Judging Board Meeting 10th 11th July 2021
Conducted in the Slack Chatroom #JudgingBoard

Meeting called to order at 08:00 AM CST by Gerald Griffin

JB Members In Attendance: Gerald Griffin, Aurelia Ogles, Jamie King, Joty Atmadjaja, Hiroki Ishizu, Shalan
Nasha, Mike Cuaresma, Kurt Bihlmayer, Luis Navarro, Mulyadi

Members Excused: None

JB Members not in Attendance: Wind Wang

Votes Conducted:
Approve Agenda
Yes 10 No 0 Abstain 0
Approve Gerald Griffin to be JB Rep to EB for 2021-2022
Yes 08 No 0 Abstain 0
Officially clear the complaint from xxxxxxxx as it is outside the scope of the Judging Board as it pertained to
a local show and not an Official IBC Show.
Yes 10 No 0 Abstain 0
Adjourn Meeting
Yes 9 No 0 Abstain 0

Discussion Old Business

Discussion on Standards Update

Discussion New Business

• Vote on Gerald Griffin to continue as JB Rep to EB
• Complaint from xxxxxxxx. Dismissed as it was not officially connected to an IBC show.
• Discussion on compensation for Judges judging shows. Updated in Standards.
• Discussion on the Virtual show circuit. JB will continue it as many areas are still in lockdown.
• Discussion on Confidentiality breach by EB member. JB does not approve however it is an EB matter, so EB
must handle it.
• Apprentice never completed apprenticeship was attempting to obtain the judging certificate. Irregularities
were discovered on the form (show #3 was altered). No explanation was given for the alteration and the orig
inal information was on a previous copy of the form. The Judge that signed off on the show offered no expla
nation since is happened in 2017.

Next meeting to be held on 07-08 August 2021 at 8:00 AM CST, 1 PM GMT

Meeting Adjourned at 10:59 AM CST

FLARE! 55
 Minutes of Judging Board Meeting 7th 8th August 2021
Conducted in the Slack Chatroom #JudgingBoard

Meeting called to order at 08:03 AM CST by Gerald Griffin

JB Members In Attendance: Gerald Griffin, Aurelia Ogles, Jamie King, Joty Atmadjaja, Hiroki Ishizu, Shalan
Nasha, Mike Cuaresma, Kurt Bihlmayer, Luis Navarro, Mulyadi

Members Excused: None

JB Members not in Attendance: Wind Wang

Votes Conducted:

Approve Agenda
Yes 9 No 0 Abstain 0

Approve Minutes from July Meeting

Yes 9 No 0 Abstain 0

Switching the election cycle for odd year reps, Areas 1,3,5,7
One year term followed by an election 3
Three year term followed by an election 7
Abstain 0

Adjourn Meeting
Yes 10 No 0 Abstain 0

Discussion Old Business

• Discussion on Standards Update errors and how to convey that information.
• Updates will be made to the master file available for download monthly and the corrections can be announced
in FLARE! And other locations as deemed by the JB Chair.

Discussion New Business

• PPTs have been updated for the new standards.
• All Judges will be required to take the new Seminars.
• Test questions from the new standards have been incorporated into the master test bank.
• Discussion of the realignment of JB Duties as defined in the JB Handbook and the Constitution and By Laws.

Next meeting to be held on 04-05 September 2021 at 8:00 AM CST, 1 PM GMT

Meeting Adjourned at 9:26 AM CST

FLARE! 56
6:35 PM International Betta Congress
07/04/21 Balance Sheet
Accrual Basis As of June 30, 2021

Jun 30, 21
ASSETS
Current Assets
Checking/Savings
Bank of America 53,728.21
Bank of America - PayPal Linked 3,229.29
PayPal 286.23
Stamps.com 1.23
Stripe Account 275.15

Total Checking/Savings 57,520.11

Other Current Assets

Deposits with Others
Jamie Stine's Advance 1.33
Secretary's Advance 50.00

Total Deposits with Others 51.33

Short-Term Investment 19,973.36

Total Other Current Assets 20,024.69

Total Current Assets 77,544.80

Fixed Assets
Fixed Assets
15000 · Laptop
Accumulated Depreciation -1,026.45
15000 · Laptop - Other 1,026.45

Total 15000 · Laptop 0.00

Total Fixed Assets 0.00

Total Fixed Assets 0.00

TOTAL ASSETS 77,544.80

LIABILITIES & EQUITY

Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable
20000 · Accounts Payable 600.00

Total Accounts Payable 600.00

Total Current Liabilities 600.00

Total Liabilities 600.00

Equity
Area 1 Sanction Fee Pool 510.00
Area 2 Sanction Fee Pool 545.87
Area 3 Sanction Fee Pool 545.00
Area 4 Sanction Fee Pool 50.00
Area 5 Sanction Fee Pool 25.00
Area 6 Sanction Fee Pool 936.24
Area 7 Sanction Fee Pool 210.00
30000 · Opening Balance Equity 49,308.90
32000 · Unrestricted Net Assets 14,583.53
Net Income 10,230.26

Total Equity 76,944.80

TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 77,544.80

Page 1

FLARE! 57
 6:33 PM International Betta Congress
07/04/21 Profit & Loss
Accrual Basis July 2020 through June 2021

Jul '20 - Jun 21

Income
Interest Income 167.59
Program Income
IBC Sales (New Member Packets) 945.00
Sanction Fees 40.00
0 · Membership Dues 18,691.82

Total Program Income 19,676.82

Stripe Returns -143.00

Total Income 19,701.41

Gross Profit 19,701.41

Expense
Awards
Area 1 481.50
Special Year End Awards
Awards Shipping to Recipient 190.71
Special Year End Awards 1,294.47
Year End Awards Shipping TO US 38.15

Total Special Year End Awards 1,523.33

Awards - Other 15.00

Total Awards 2,019.83

Business Expenses
Registration Fees 15.00
Business Expenses - Other 177.48

Total Business Expenses 192.48

Contract Services
Outside Contract Services 800.00

Total Contract Services 800.00

Facilities and Equipment 545.63

Flare! 865.56

Other Types of Expenses

Insurance - Liability, D and O 981.00
Other Types of Expenses - Other 0.00

Total Other Types of Expenses 981.00

PayPal Fees 378.05

Program Expenses
JB Incentives 280.70
Sanction Fee Disbursal Expense -1,000.00

Total Program Expenses -719.30

6:33 PM International Betta Congress
Stripe Payment Processing Fees 611.83
07/04/21 Travel and Meetings Profit & Loss
Conference, Convention, Meeting 2,300.00
Accrual Basis July 2020 through June 2021
Total Travel and Meetings 2,300.00
Jul '20 - Jun 21
Website
Plug-Ins 818.63
Registration, Hosting 686.45
Website - Other 19.99

Total Website 1,525.07

Total Expense 9,500.15

Net Income 10,201.26 Page 1

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AMCB
Asociación Mesoamericana y del Caribe
del Pez Betta
Area 1 International Sanctioned Betta Show
**Show will be dedicated to Pablo Robles for
his support and contribution to
IBC shows in Puerto Rico**
Main Judge: Peter De Souza - Canada
Other judges: Kurt Bilhlmayer - USA
Mails-ins must arrive by Thursday,
October 21st, 2021
Mail to Javier Naveira
Estado St. 650
Cond Santa Teresa Apt. 1A
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00907
Tel. USA 787.607. 7777
Email tracking number to:
javier.naveira@recruiters-its.com
IBC & AMCB Members: Show entry
fee $3. per entry (Regular &
Wild Type) $5. per D4 pairs entry
AMCB Non - IBC Members: Show
entry fee $3.50 per entry (Regular
& Wild Type); $5:50 per D4 pairs
entry
Non-Members $4.5 per entry (reg.
& Wild Type); $6.50 for D4
Pairs
Judging Saturday October 23, 2021
from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Awards and Fraternization 7:30 pm
Auction (no entry fee) Sunday,
October 24, 2021 from 9 -12 AM
Visitors will be able to acquire
show quality Bettas at very
reasonable price.
For registration, please send a copy of your file
as an attachment to: Giomar Rodriguez ,
giomarrodrguez6@gmail.com
Walk ins – Saturday Oct. 23 from 8 – 10 AM
For more information :
Show Chairman : Javier Naveira:
javier.naveira@recruiters-its.com
Victor Oliver -
vicding02003@yahoo.com
Salvador E. Alemany -
sal_alem@hotmail.com
For registration and PayPal
payments:
javier.naveira@recruiters-its.com
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 IBC Code of Ethics
The IBC welcomes everyone who is interested in bettas, whether new at owning and/or raising betta or an old pro that
has raised thousands. The IBC feels there is room for all betta enthusiasts, young or old, new or experienced, individuals,
families, team or commercial breeder.

The IBC is a club of individuals, families, teams, and commercial breeders who support the keeping, breeding, and or the
showing of betta bred by members, the research into the genetics of the betta, and support of the preservation of the wild
species through the Species Maintenance Program.

All Judges, Officials and Members are representatives of the IBC, and of the betta hobby. As such, all members of the IBC
shall agree to act honorably in their pursuit of the betta hobby. In betta related ventures, members shall strive to promote
the hobby; they shall embody the virtues of sportsmanship and esteem.

All members shall conduct themselves to reflect credit on the betta hobby in the general and the IBC in particular. This
includes respect for the IBC, affiliated chapters, and for fellow betta breeders and enthusiasts.

Conduct shall be directed toward educating the public, improving one’s own knowledge and demonstrating integrity. Ac-
tions should complement the IBC’s goal of promoting betta breeding and showing.

Members should take care to be good representatives at show sites, national/international conventions, on internet forums
and lists, and other social media that is in any way related to the betta hobby.

Should a member behave in a manner contrary to the above, bringing discredit to the IBC or affiliated IBC Chapter, or
causing strife to other members, a complaint may be lodged with the Executive Board using the IBC Complaint Process.

It is the policy of the IBC that members who sell, trade or give bettas to others must represent the description of the betta
in a proper manner so as to assure that the buyers, consumers or recipients are not misled. An intentional misrepresenta-
tion would be a violation of the IBC policy and Code of Ethics.

Moreover, it is the policy of the IBC that when bettas are entered in a show, the fish should be raised and bred by the
entrant or exhibitor unless clearly stated otherwise. Failure to comply with this policy would be contrary to the IBC Show
Standards.

The IBC does not participate in the fighting of fish for any reason and does not condone the fighting of bettas by others;
nor does it support any individual or organization that does.

The International Betta Congress expects all members to conduct transactions with all parties in a responsible, fair and
ethical manner in all business dealings concerning the purchase and sale of betta stock and supplies. While we hope that all
disputes be amicably resolved among the parties, the Congress, however, is not an enforcement agency for the transaction
of betta stock and/or supplies– nor can the IBC mediate disputes involving members or any individuals over said transac-
tions.

In the interest of fairness, the IBC does not endorse individual business enterprises and does not allow the promotion of
those enterprises in posts on the IBC weblist, whether they are personal testimonials or commercial advertisements.

The IBC believes that if all members abide by these simple guidelines we will have a happy, fun and stimulating club.

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WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO
SEE IN
THE NEXT ISSUE OF FLARE!?

EMAIL
FLAREEDITOR@IBCBETTAS.ORG

INTERNATIONAL BETTA CONGRESS

10408 E. Cloudcroft Dr.
Hereford, AS 85615
USA

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