**We can use volunteers to help with setup on Friday Morning @ 9:00 am and all weekend to staff the MASI sales table and talk about the club and fish to the public**
Also, Class sponsorships
are just $10.00 each – help your club by sponsoring your favorite class-
there are still 5 classes left!
Contact Information:
Show Questions, Class Sponsorship, Show and Vendor Registration and Banquet
Signup
Randy Ison 636-926-7575 or rjison@prodigy.net
Auction Registration
John Van Asch 618-277-6165 or johnsfishy@aol.com
Raffle Tickets
Mike Hellweg 636-240-2443 or michaelangelah@aol.com
Also speaking this year will be Thorney Pattenaude from Cleveland speaking on "Gouramies and other anabantoides". He spoke at one of our annual shows several years ago and has a lot of knowledge to share with you. Thorney is widely known in the Ohio area for his knowledge of breeding and judging these fish. Thorney also possesses one of the best laughs known to man. Be present on show weekend and I'm sure you'll hear him on more than one occasion.
Our other speaker will be our good friend Al (Indiana Al) Andersen will be speaking on "Breeding Fishes". Al has bred everything from catfish to cichlids and of course his beloved killifish. Rumor has it that he once got a female pink convict to spawn with a piece of pink granite and actually raise the fry! He'll give you some common sense advice on how to get your fish in condition and then how to get them to breed.
We've had a change of plans for our banquet speaker. We tried to get Lee Finley, but due to a communications snafu that fell through. The Kingfish was booked and we were too late for the great Charley Grimes as the Pittsburgh show is on the same weekend. Unfortunately we also missed the cichlid-mad Steve Sommermeyer. Instead....... we're going to do things a bit differently.................
Did you ever ask yourself - why did I get into this hobby? Was it to do water changes? Was it to get your spouse mad at you when you produced a stinking tank of blue-green algae? Certainly it wasn't for the electric bills, the water spills or the sick fish ills! Most likely it was because of ....
The Beauty Of The Fish.
On Saturday evening, April 26th after you've enjoyed a great feast of Bandanas Barbecue and picked up your awards you'll get to sit back and enjoy
"Fish Classics"
While you're letting your meal settle you will relax to the wonderful colors of the fishes in our hobby. Two projectors (and a stereo) will provide the entertainment. No Genus, no species, just color, behavior and fins, the reason you got into the hobby in the first place. Interspersed among those slides will be the reason that you stayed. Speakers and members present and past will be represented. They all helped to make this great circle of individuals that make up our aquarium society.
Many of these slides you may recognize as quite a few of them have been published in Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Aquarium Fish Magazine and Freshwater and Marine Aquaria. Others have never seen the light of day but were taken "just because". You'll see marine fish and corals, catfish, cichlids, livebearers and of course rainbowfish. There will be shrimp from a view I'm sure that only a few have had the patience to witness. Of course there will be tetras, barbs killies and bettas. It just wouldn't be right to exclude the plants, flowers and ponds either. There is something for everyone and a pleasant journey for the eyes.
I hope to see you at the banquet
Sincerely,
Gary Lange
Entry
Open to all with payment of entry fees. Junior entrants are encouraged.Multiple
entries per tank allowed as long as they are compatible and easily distinguishable
by the judges (i.e. male/female, color variants, different species, etc.). Plant
entries are allowed with fish entries inthe same tank. All entries are eligible
for Class 1, Aquascaping, without additional fee.
As a matter of ethics, entry must be the property of the entrant for at least 60 days before Show and/or must be work of Entrant. No hybrids, deformed, diseased, artificially colored (painted, dyed, or injected) or illegal fish may be shown.
Display
All fish are to be entered in flat-sided bowls or tanks a minimum of ½
gallon or larger up to 30 gallons (for larger tanks, entrant must provide their
own proper aquarium stand). All entries are to be covered with an appropriate
cover and lighted. Sides and back of the display must be covered with an opaque
covering (i.e. paint, contact paper, or commercial background), and gravel or
sand must be used on the bottom. Live plants are encouraged. Filtration and
aeration are optional, but strongly recommended for the health of the entry.
Air and electrical outlets will be supplied. Guppies, Killies, and Betta splendens
may all be entered singly or in pairsin covered bare bowls or tanks of ½
to 1 gallon in size. Naturalistic artificial decorations are allowed in all
entries, and a flowerpot or PVC pipe may be used if needed for the comfort of
the fish.
Judging
All entries will be sight judged based on appropriate standards for
the fish being judged.
Decision of Judges and/or Show Chairman is final. Show Chairman may move entries to appropriate classes if entered in wrong class or if there are too few entries in class.
Awards
First, Second and Third place in each Class; Best Junior Entry; Reet Thomas
Outstanding Livebearer Award; Ralph Wilhelm Outstanding Catfish Award; Best
Egglayer; Judges Award for the most Outstanding Entry; and Best Fish in Show.
MASI Show Classes 2003
1. Aquascaping
Must be a naturalistic aquascape; may include realistic artificial materials,
will be judged on overall artistic impression and impact, must contain fish
2. Novelty
Theme tank designed/built by entrant, must contain at least one live fish
3. Domestic and Fancy Finned Fish
All "man-made" and domestic colors, veils, and long fins that don't
occur naturally: includes Guppies, all popular color varieties and fancy finnage
varieties of Livebearers and Egglayers
4. Betta splendens
5. Goldfish
Classes 6 - 16 are for Naturally Occurring species, subspecies and locality
variants.
6. Wild Livebearers
7. Cichlids - New World
8. Cichlids - Old World
9. Anabantids
10. Characins
11. Cyprinids
Barbs, Danios, Rasboras, Minnows, and their relatives (except for Sharks
and Loaches)
12. Catfish - Armored Cats (Callichthyids)
Members of Corydoras, Aspidoras, Brochis, Hoplosternum and their relatives
13. Catfish - All other Catfish
14. Sharks and Loaches
15. Killies - New World
16. Killies - Old World
17. All Other Fish
Fish not included in any of the above Classes
18. Aquatic Critters
Includes fully aquatic Amphibians, Crustaceans, Insects, and other Invertebrates,
both Freshwater and Marine
19. True Aquatic Plants
20. Photography
Must be taken by Entrant, includes photos, slides, video and electronic media
21. Arts & Crafts
Must be made by Entrant
22. Collectibles
Must be Fish or Aquarium Related
23. White Elephant Collectible
A fun class for all! Must be Fish or Aquarium Related, but it must be the
most awful thing you can find!