Achievement Award - Fish Breeders
Updated June 14, 2009
BASIC MERIT AWARD
To be given to hobbyists who have advanced well beyond the novice
stage. The following requirements will be used by the Awards
Committee as a basis for selection of applicants.
1) Any application should be made by or countersigned by the
executive body of an aquarist club
or group.
2) The applicant must have experience and a good working knowledge
in the care and maintenance of tropical fish.
3) The applicant must be successful in spawning at least six (6)
species of egg-laying fish with three different spawning habits,
e.g. egg-scatterers, bubblenest-builders, substrate- spawners,
mouth-brooders, etc. and raising a reasonable number, of young to
eight (8) weeks.
INTERMEDIATE MERIT AWARD
To be given to hobbyists who have advanced to a high level of
achievement with constant success in the maintenance, breeding, and
raising of tropical fish. The following requirements will be used by
the Awards Committee as a basis for the selection of applicants.
1) It is mandatory that the applicant be a Basic Merit Award holder.
2) All applications should be made by or countersigned by the
executive body of an aquarist club or group. Applications will be
qualified and/or verified and/or visited by the regional
representative.
3) The applicant must have a consistent record of successful
spawning and raising of good
quality, tropical fish.
4) The minimum requirements will be the successful spawning and
raising of a reasonable number* of young to eight (8) weeks from the
following list. A variance of three (3) fish will be allowed
providing the total number of species (sixteen 16 or more) is
acceptable. This would allow a breeder who is not particularly
interested in some group of fish to replace a maximum of three (3)
with species of a group in which he is interested. It would also
allow for inclusion of fish which presently do not fit into the
list.
Cichlids 3 species
Minnows 1 species
Tetras 1 species
Catfish 1 species
Anabantids 2 species
Barbs 2 species
Killies (1 annual, 1 top-spawner) 2 species
Livebearers 4 species
Total of sixteen (16) species
MERIT AWARD
To be given to hobbyists who have reached a more advanced level of
achievement with consistent success in the maintenance, breeding,
and raising of tropical fish. The following requirements will be
used by the Awards Committee as a basis for the selection of
applicants.
1) It is mandatory that the applicant be an Intermediate Merit Award
holder.
2) All applications should be made by or countersigned by the
executive body of an aquarist club or group. Applications will be
qualified and/or verified and/or visited by the regional
representative. 3) The applicant must have a consistent record of
successful spawning and raising of good quality tropical fish.
4) The minimum requirements will be the successful spawning and
raising of a reasonable number of young to eight (8) weeks from the
following list. A variance of six (6) fish will be allowed providing
the total number of species, thirty-five (35) or more is acceptable.
This would allow a breeder who is not particularly interested in
some group of fish to replace a maximum of six (6) with species of a
group in which he is interested. It would also allow for inclusion
of fish which presently do not fit into the list. The application
must include at least four (4) "Target Fish". (See list or "Target
Fish" on page 8109).
Anabantids 5 species
Tetras 4 species
Cichlids (5 substrate, 4 mouthbrooder) 9 species
Catfish 2 species
Livebearers 4 species
Barbs 4 species
Minnows 3 species
Killie (2 annuals, 2 top spawners) 4 species
Total of thirty-five (35) species
SENIOR MERIT AWARD
To be given to hobbyists who have advanced to the highest level of
outstanding achievement in the maintenance, breeding, and raising of
tropical fish. The following will serve to clarify the standards
required by the Awards Committee before this award will be made.
1) The Senior Merit Award will be awarded only to those hobbyists
who, in the opinion of the Awards Committee, have reached a most
outstanding level of achievement. 2) Applicants must be nominated by
the executive body of an aquarist club or group or by a member of
the Awards Committee.
3) The applicant must already be a holder of the Merit Award.
4) The minimum requirements will be the successful spawning and
raising a reasonable number of young to eight (8) weeks of
seventy-five (75) species which cannot include more than ten (10)
livebearers. The application must include at least ten (10) "Target
Fish". (See list of "Target Fish" on page 8109)
Note: Since the term “a
reasonable number” is almost impossible to define, the applicant
should attempt to raise a quantity of fry that approaches production
capability of the species in question.