# Can Icy be a show betta



## bluethebetta (Jul 10, 2014)

I'm pretty new to the betta world. I just heard about betta showing. How does it all work. Could my fish Icy be a show betta. He is beautiful and I am not just saying that because I'm his owner  I got him at a local pet store that just has fish and fish stuff. If he can how can I enter?


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## BettaLittleGirl (Jun 22, 2014)

Show bettas need to be bred by you. If you bought him, then you cant let him participate.


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## bluethebetta (Jul 10, 2014)

Oh, to bad. Thank you for telling me that. How do betta shows work anyway? I really don't know that much about them.


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## amphirion (Jan 15, 2014)

you have conventions throughout the year, and you mail your fish (or bring them personally) to the IBC shows. judges critique on form, fin, color, balance, aggression, etc...


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## bluethebetta (Jul 10, 2014)

You have to mail them! Is that okay for the fish? Where do they keep the fish before judging. Even if Icy could enter I don't think I could do it. I would miss him too much!


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## kevinap2 (Apr 3, 2014)

Also, if you got him from a pet store, there's a good chance he's a veiltail; and if so, that is not a valid tail type for an IBC competition.


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## amphirion (Jan 15, 2014)

bluethebetta said:


> You have to mail them! Is that okay for the fish? Where do they keep the fish before judging. Even if Icy could enter I don't think I could do it. I would miss him too much!


There are two types of betta owners: the ones that see bettas as pets and betta breeders. Sometimes they overlap, but breeders need to be objective to figure out which fish are worth keeping and which are meant to be culled. You can't devote yourself to every single fish, 50-300 fish is just too much work. What then becomes of value is show and breeding stock. Some breeders keep the very best at home, not necessarily for sentimental reasons but because if they lose that fish, they need to do a lot if backtracking or they lose their line.


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## bluethebetta (Jul 10, 2014)

I am defiantly a owner that sees bettas as pets. I think I may be little overprotective of my fish


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## Basement Bettas (May 12, 2012)

Show bettas are bred to and shown against a standard. You need to know the standard of what is being bred for. Shows are not some arbitrary "ohh he is pretty" selection. Fish are eliminated based on faults.. so the fish with least faults wins. The fish has to be getting pretty close to the ideal standards to even be competitive. And it takes a devotion to breeding to get there. Then the fish need raised and keeping a fish in show condition is not easy. Especially with crowns or a halfway mature HM. Showing is more about the breeder than the fish.


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## budgie guy (Aug 6, 2014)

a correction to bettalittlegirl's statement. show betta need not be bred by u. in many ibc comps, the fish are bought from thailand and indo for comp.


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## Basement Bettas (May 12, 2012)

They must be shown as a team entry. Again.. The breeder must be part of the equation. And they can no longer show teams in regular classes.


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## budgie guy (Aug 6, 2014)

Nope. It does not need to be a team. A person can buy a fish and use it for competition, that is not againts IBC rules.


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## Basement Bettas (May 12, 2012)

You can not show a fish in regular competition that you have not bred. And ALWAYS if you are not the breeder you had to show them as a team entry. Please post the IBC rule that allows you to show a fish not your own.


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## budgie guy (Aug 6, 2014)

Please post the IBC rules that does not allow u to show fish that u bought.


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## amphirion (Jan 15, 2014)

somebody didnt drink their coffee this morning?

since i dont think this is worth sherolyn's time:

"A betta OWNER (sometimes referred to as “collector”) 
is a person who owns a fish but did not breed it him or 
herself. These fish may be entered in a show, but only as 
a team entry with the breeder. See ETHICS OF 
SHOWING below. While breeders own their fish, they 
are referred to as BREEDERS. " 

"ALL entrants must: 
1. Be IBC members in good standing; and 
2. *Should have bred and raised the entered bettas or 
provide written credit to the breeder at the time of 
showing*. Points earned exhibiting other breeders’ 
fish are not eligible for "end-of-year" points. "

"The IBC has long felt that bettas shown in an IBC show 
should be bred by the entrant or shown with credit given 
to the breeder. The IBC feels that just buying a fish to 
show it does not promote the betta hobby. In accordance 
with the IBC Code of Ethics it is the policy of Area One (1) 
that all bettas entered in Area One (1) sanctioned shows 
must be bred and raised by the entrant unless clearly 
stated otherwise. The IBC considers it unethical for 
entrants to exhibit bettas that are not bred and raised by 
them in IBC sanctioned shows, unless written credit is 
given to the breeder at the time of showing. "


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## budgie guy (Aug 6, 2014)

it is the problem of context here. Area 1 does not allow showing fish that are bought, but what about other areas, Area 6 for example .


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