Showing Guppies

Showing guppies is one way to tell how well you can breed to a standard and produce large well-shaped colorful fish. 

A few days before the show (or the mailing of the fish if you are not attending the show) pick out the fish you think are your winners. They should not be fed for at least 24 hours so that the level of waste that they dump into the show bowl or the mailing bag water is reduced and they are not subjected to ammonia and bacteria levels that might impact their health.

Proper bagging of fish will greatly enhance the condition and health of a shipped fish. In addition, the IFGA has minimum standards for bagging fish that are to be returned. 

Fish are sent to shows EXPRESS USPS mail or by DHL. The box they are put into needs to be well insulated to guard against unhealthy temperature changes. The best box is one made or lined with Styrofoam. You want to use a box that is as small as possible because if it is not you will pay extra postage and the fish bags may bounce around if you do not add additional packing material.

The cost of sending fish to a show and then paying postage to get them back adds up quickly. It is not unheard of for a top-ranked breeder to spend $1,200.00 a year on postage. Add to this that often the fish come back in no condition for future showing or breeding. If you feel that you would rather sell your fish at the show rather than have them shipped back, you can have the host club auction them.They take 50% of the final auction price and give you a check for the rest. Not bad unless you fear your precious          lines will get into the hands of the breeder ranked right behind you! 

To designate you want the fish auctioned you simply check off the appropriate box on the FORM for the show.

If you do want you fish back you need to provide a check for return postage, new bags to put your fish in, and instructions on how much water/air you like in the bags.

With your shipment of fish you must include two copies of  the official show entry form to enter your fish. The form is available as a writable pdf form on the official site of the IFGA. Obtain a form by visiting the IFGA website (click here). 

You will need to include a check for the entry fee and if you are having your fish returned a blank check for return postage.