Show Rules

1. For the first ten fish registered by a single person, the entry fee per fish will be $3.00 if pre-registered, and $4.00 if registered after October 9, 2008. Any additional fish after ten paid registered fish by the same person will be free. All entry fees should accompany the Show Registration Form.
2. There is no limit to the number of fish entered in the Show.
3. Fish may be pre-registered for the Show (by Thursday, October 9, 2008), by electronic means (email and Paypal), conventional mail (postmarked by October 9, 2008), or telephone arrangements. Pre-registration is encouraged to accurately plan for tanks, tables, show racks, and layout for the show. Fish entries will be accepted at the door for the Show at the $4.00 fee.
4. Fish, photographic prints, or artwork cannot be mailed in to the Show.
5. Fish must be properly registered on the Show Registration Form and identified as best as possible as to scientific name, common name if one, and sex if known or can be determined. For Loricariiad catfish, the L-names are acceptable if scientific names have not been applied.
6. Help will be available at the Show to identify and label your fish if needed. The Show Committee and/or judges as required may reclassify fish improperly registered within a Class without informing the registrant.
7. The Show Committee reserves the right to split, combine, or eliminate classes.
8. Only one (1) fish per show tank will be allowed.
9. No plants, decorations, background, or individual lighting will be allowed. All tanks will be made as equal as possible. If you require a heater in your tank it will be allowed; please provide any needed heaters and extension cords.
10. PVAS will provide 3/4 gallon “guppy show” size, 1.5 gallon, 2.5, 5, and 10 gallon tanks, airline with airstone, air supply, and water in each tank. You may bring and use your own water if you desire, and may bring a small sponge filter of neutral gray color in place of the airstone. Note: some show fish often hide behind the sponge filters and may be difficult to judge properly; therefore it may not be in the best interest of the entrant to use one.
11. If you bring NON-PREREGISTERED fish, PVAS suggests that you be prepared to provide your own tank(s). PVAS should have sufficient show tanks for all entries whether pre-registered or not, but an unusually large number of last minute entries may not allow the ideal size tank for your fish. Plan ahead.
12. If you require a tank larger than 10 gallons, PVAS prefers that you provide your own tank and stand. PVAS has one dedicated show rack for 20 gallon highs if needed and if a 20 high is requested please make arrangements with the Show Committee. Special arrangements may be made for long distance travelers who are unable to bring larger equipment with them. Arrangements must be made with the Show Committee prior to the Show.
13. PVAS will provide clear plastic film type coverage for each tank in the interest of uniformity for the Show Room. For large tank coverage, different arrangements may be made with the Show Committee.
14. Fish may be placed in the Show room tanks beginning Friday, October 17 from 10:00 AM until 11:00 PM and on Saturday, October 18 from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM. Any pre-registered fish not placed in a tank by 12:00 PM Saturday will not be allowed to be entered in the Show.
15. No fish can be removed from the Show room during the Show unless permission is granted by the Show Committee. Fish may be removed from the Show display if desired after the Banquet Saturday night, October 18.
16. All fish entered in the Show must be removed from the show stands by 8:00 AM Sunday to allow for teardown of the stands and emptying of the tanks prior to the Convention Auction .
17. PVAS will do as much as possible to observe all fish entered in the Show and notify the owners if fish are in distress or exhibit injury. PVAS will not be responsible for the death or injury to any fish entered in the Show. The Show room will be locked at night to prevent unauthorized entry.
18. Subjects for photographic prints should be of aquarium kept fish, fish in their aquarium habitats, or other aquarium related topics, preferably of a freshwater nature since the AACC Show consists of entirely non-saltwater entries.

General Rules and Judging

• The Show room will be open for viewing by the public at no cost. People desiring to attend the lectures or forums need to be registered for these events and will be provided with appropriate nametag identification.
• The Show room will be closed to the public for judging on Saturday at 2:00 PM until approximately 5:00 PM to allow for tallying the winning entries and placing appropriate stickers on the tanks identifying the winning fish.
• The Show room will be open Saturday after the judging is completed until midnight , although the doors may be locked during the Banquet. All fish should be removed from the stands by Sunday 8:00 AM to allow for teardown of the stands and emptying of the tanks.
• Awards will be made in each subclass for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
• Awards will be made for each Best-in-Class entry, as well as Reserve-in-Show and Best-in-Show for both the All Freshwater Species Classes and the Catfish Classes.
• The decisions of the judges and Show Committee are final and not open to discussion or negotiation.
• Fish will be judged on a point system using the following criteria:
• Condition: 20 points
• Overall health of the fish
• Clear eyes and no sign of blindness
• Mouth and lips free of abnormalities
• Correct body shape
• No missing scales
• Finnage: 20 points
• Intact, without damage or indications of disease
• Meet or exceed expected size for specimen
• Shaped appropriately and not unbalanced for specimen
• Size: 20 points. Meets or exceeds expectation for specimen
• Color: 20 points. Meets or exceeds expectation for specimen
• Deportment: 20 points
• Dancing in front of glass
• Some species always hide and should not be penalized for it
• Fish should act as if they were at home and at ease
• Prints will be judged on the following criteria:
• The ‘message' 50 points. What does the picture say, does it show movement, is there emotion, does it convey a story, make a statement, or express an idea?
• The ‘medium' 30 points. Are the elements attractively arranged, do the pieces fit together, does the background work?
• The ‘technique' 20 points. Consider the technical aspects of focus, lighting, color rendition, printing, presentation, composition, cropping, and balance.
• The preceding pointing system is a set of guidelines that we will ask the judges to use for each class to keep the judging as objective and consistent as possible.
• Judges will be assigned one or more Classes based on their experience and knowledge of the entries in that class. Only one judge will judge each class.
• PVAS may use scribes to record the scores for the judges and tally the results. The scribes are not to assist in the judging and should give the judges space to see the fish. It is up to the individual judge as to actual recording since some judges like to make notes as they go, especially in a large Class.
• After scoring the entries in each sub-class the scribes will total the points for each fish and indicate first, second, and third place. Fishes should be judged against an absolute standard and not each other but this is a competition and we are looking for winners, so the judges, at their discretion, should be consulted about placement before any results are finalized.
• The entry with the most points in a Class will be named Best-in-Class. At the judges' discretion, point totals may be reviewed and adjusted to accommodate the judge's choice for Best-in-Class award.
• All of the judges shall review all of the Best-in-Class entries from Classes I-V in Freshwater Species and Classes I-V in the Catfish Classes. The judges shall select one of the Best-in-Class entries for Best-in-Show for both the Freshwater Species and Catfish sections of the show. The judges will also select a Reserve-in-Show for both the Freshwater and Catfish sections of the show. The Reserve-in-Show winner may be another Best-in-Class winner OR it may be the next best fish in the same Class as the Best-in-Show winner. For example, if a Betta splendens wins Best-in-Class and then Best-in-Show, another Betta splendens may also be the Reserve-in-Show if the judges feel it is better than all the other winners of their Classes.
• Judges may determine between themselves how the Best- and Reserve-in-Show awards are selected.
• Judging sheets with scores and notations will be available to the fish owners after the Show to see how their fish were pointed if they desire.