Goldfish Showing

[Lolafish]

How Does a Goldfish Show Work?
© goldfishpages.com


Since Goldfish are creatures of the water, a lot of the aspects that make a Goldfish show different than, say, a cat show revolve around water. There has to be good water available at the show site, of suitable quality for Goldfish. The water that the fish are in has to be monitored for quality and changes performed if the parameters deviate too far from ideal. There also has to be aeration available, aquariums or other show vessels of suitable size and complete cleanliness, and a venue that has a uniform, appropriate temperature, and space for the aquariums that is out of direct sunlight.



© Carolyn Wiese
 
Let us say you have all these things. Are you ready to hold a Goldfish show? Oh we wish! The best Goldfish shows in the United States begin preparation for their big annual events the previous year with a "lessons learned" meeting right at the end of that year's show. Usually the first question is "do we really want to do this again?". Most answer "Yes!" and then it is off to find a location, line up sponsors, sign up vendors, lock in judges, put in place an advertising campaign, hire caterers, ... you get the idea.

Okay, okay you say ... but how does a show work? Usually there is a show committee and a show chairman who oversee the various activities and the budget to make sure everything comes together. Entries are accepted for the show, and right before the start of the show aquariums are set up, filled with properly treated water and with the aeration system put in place. Hours are established to bring the fish in and put them in the show.


© Jim Castillo

When the fish are brought in by the exhibitors, they are "benched". This involves logging the fish in and associating its entry number with its aquarium number. The fish is then placed in the aquarium and a benching committee member (often the show chairman) verifies the health of the fish and the variety and class entry. A fish with any visible external sign of ill health will be disqualified and the owner asked to remove it from the show. Because of the variability of Goldfish, verifying that the fish is in the correct class is not always that easy.

In the "old days", Goldfish and Koi were often judged in the traditional Asian manner, where fish in the same class might all be combined in the same container, usually a tub or small pool. And then class winners would be combined in another container to judge the overall show winners. This is very good for the judges and worked well when everyone was from the same club in the local area, with no unknown fish from other areas.

But the modern-day shows have fish from all over the world in them. In this scenario, often even the owners may not realize what latent diseases their fish are carrying. So for safety, most Goldfish shows are "English style" shows where the fish remain in their aquariums and the judges move around to view all the fish in the class and select a winner. Much harder for the judges, but far safer for the fish.

Usually there is a team of judges, most often a head judge and one or two assistants. There will be a period of time reserved for judging, when the public is excluded from the show floor and the judges make their decisions. It is not at all unusual to have judging require 5 or 6 hours, particularly if there are a large number of high quality fish.

Usually a winner is selected in each class, and then these fish are judged against each other to select a grand champion and reserve grand champion. There are often a number of special awards that are given based on other criteria. Examples are the "chairman's award" which lets the show chairman pick his or her favorite fish and commemorative awards that honor the favorite varieties of cherished past members.
 

© Carolyn Wiese

There is always an awards ceremony to honor the owners of the best fish and entertain the rest. There will be a specific period of time for the exhibitors to remove their fish. And then clean up of the tanks and the show site. And the start of preparations for next year!

How are Goldfish Judged?

Most western Goldfish judges work off a standard that allocates different points for different features. An ideal fish would score 100 points. In some cases there is a published standard that describes the features and the point allocations in detail. An example of this would be the judging standard developed and sanctioned by the major Goldfish societies in Great Britain. In other cases the judge may have established his own standard. The GFSA has a set of judging guidelines that we have developed and published. The guidelines are a little weaker than a "standard", but describe the important attributes and recognized types of different popular varieties and then suggest the point allocations for different features. The guidelines allow a lot of latitude for judges to apply their specific interpretation of how a variety should look.

What features of a Goldfish are judged?

Almost all standards cover the following categories:

Body

The shape and size of the body. Generally, other things being equal, a larger fish will outscore a smaller one.

Special Features

Many Goldfish varieties have characteristic features that are unique. Eye-type fish, like Telescope Eyes, Celestials, and Bubble Eyes may have one-third of their total judging points assigned to their eyes. Head growth fish like Orandas, Ranchus, and Lionheads would have significant points assigned to the conformation of their wens. Pearlscales have points associated with the quality of the pearling of their scales.

Fins

The presence or absence of fins, the appropriateness of their shape and size.

Color

The quality and intensity of color, the uniqueness and attractiveness of the pattern. For some colors, like calico, the definition of the "best" color type is quite complex.

Condition and Deportment

The most subjective and often the most important element in the judging equation. Is the fish in peak health, with no missing scales? Does the fish swim properly and hold its body correctly in the water? Is it lively and responsive to the judge, but not flighty? This is one element that often does not come through in photographs and can make it hard for people to understand the judges' decisions after the fact. But in person it is an unmistakable aspect of an exceptional Goldfish.
 
Judges judge fish by classes

The best-in-class fish are judged against each other for the next higher level of recognition. Until the grand champion is selected as the best fish in the show. Judging completely different varieties of Goldfish against each other is very challenging: arguably a Common Goldfish class may consist entirely of fish very close to the standard, while a Ranchu class (because of the demanding nature of the standard) might all score lower. Does this mean the Common Goldfish should always win? Probably not. Most judges, through experience, have a mental ability to normalize classes for the inherent difficulty involved in producing a given variety. Thus, it is usually the most exceptional fish that wins in a show.

Preparing and Showing Goldfish

Specimens selected as show candidates should be in perfect health. If nothing else, transporting Goldfish to and from a Goldfish show, plus the time in the show, is a stressful experience for owner and fish alike, so all must be physically prepared!

The fish to be shown should be acclimated to the type of containers they will be shown in. For example, fish from a pond might need several weeks to become used to a small aquarium. This depends to a large degree on the individual fish; some are more flexible than others are.

The fish should also be fasted prior to the show. One of the most experienced US hobbyists recommends a one-week fast prior to showing. The most important reason for this is to limit the ammonia output of the fish, which is a major source of stress for the fish during the transportation and showing process. Secondary benefits are the reduction of feces in the show tank and an increase in the fish's responsiveness to humans around the tank.

A quarantine period for the fish after they come back from the show is probably a good idea. Make sure they are all eating again and that they have no long-term trauma from the experience.
© The Goldfish Society of America - goldfishsociety.org

 
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