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Hobbyist Challenger Contest 2012 OFFICIAL RULES
Official Rules for The Hobbyist Challenger Contest 2012
Simplydiscus.com
Simplydiscus.com
1. The enrollment period for the contest is May 15 to Sept1, 2012. (Note this is an extension from the original date to allow more participation.).Interested members need to enroll in the contest by this date.
2. The documentation needed is pictures of the parent stock and fry that demonstrate what their age to be, easy enough to accomplish by placing a current newspaper in the picture. Breeders participating should have no trouble with this. Members getting fry from someone else to work with need to ask the breeder to do this for them and start the documentation once the fry is dime-sized. Fry should be obtained by dime sized. (dime sized in this context means approximately the size of an American dime (~20mm) from tip to tail )Other methods of documentation may be acceptable determined on an individual basis.Generally speaking, dime-sized fry are generally a few weeks old. Ideally we want to see the fry developing from the earliest point point possible and track them thru adult.
Weekly updates are required by pictures at the minimum for the first three months. Videos are highly encouraged as well.. After three months bi-weekly updates are required. If three updates are missed (consecutive or other) you will be disqualified, no exceptions. You must tape a quarter or other similar sized object on the side of the tank as a reference mark for size after you have picked your 8 contest fish.. Additionally, at 6 months, you must net all of your entry group and take photos with a tape measure next to it. You will do this again at the contest end. You may post photos like this at any time point but 6 months and 1 year are mandatory.
Disclosure of your methods is required, water changes and water parameters at a minimum. Periodic posting of fish measured is encouraged.
3. The way to get enrolled; you will need to send this documentation to brewmaster15@comcast.net IF accepted, a sub-board will be created for you to document everything in. This contest is open to everyone, that’s the beauty of it, members in America, Canada, Australia, Malaysia; everyone can participate, so it’s truly a global undertaking.
4. A suggestion is to start with a group of 30 dime size fry and you then document it weekly.. You may start with less than 30 fry but you decrease your odds of a good group. You can not have more than 30 in this initial group. You can tape a dime or other similar sized object to the tank. When your fry are approximately two months old you will choose the best eight fry to follow the rest of the year. At this point a quarter must be taped to the tank or a similar sized object as a reference.All others should be removed from the tank.
5. YOU MUST REPORT ANY ISSUES, DEATHS, THAT YOU ENCOUNTER AND MUST REPORT ANY CULLING ETC THAT YOU DO. This is part of raising fish and needs to be disclosed.
6. Multiple entries per participant are allowed if all rules are meet and spawns are from different parents or different parental combinations.
7. At the end of the year the participants will measure and report the length of all the fish in the group. Two fish will be selected and pictures taken for judging from each entry.
8. Judges will be drawn from those not participating but fully qualified to judge fish. The judging will take place middle to end of September 2013. All fish will be judged based on one year of participation. Judges will follow a set format to be announced, but that will loosely follow standard Discus show rules and the scoring system used in the Simplydiscus University. Judges will be selected based on their experience and willingness to donate their time. Individual score cards of each judge will not be posted, however averages will be. Individuals interested in judging should contact me (brewmaster15) to discuss this. Emails or pms can be used.
9. This contest is supposed to to be a friendly competition among hobbyists, Hobbyists are encouraged to discuss techniques with one another and the forum membership and to be supportive and civil to one another. Poor sportmanship will not be allowed. Additionally, the general forum membership watching this contest unfold should refrain from being critical of any contestants techniques or entries. This can be discussed at the contest end, but we want to allow the contestants to do their best along the lines of what they feel is how to raise these fish. In the end when we look at all the methods used and the results, we should be able see what works and what doesn't. This contest is after all one between those entered and their fish and their respective understandings of the hobby.
A note on funding this contest. As you are all aware, this forum does not charge a membership.It is funded thru sponsorships,donations and sales of my Freeze dried Australian Blackworms. I would very much like to provide trophies and prizes for this contest and but will be relying on everyone's help. I am asking all participants to donate to the forum what they can afford and think is reasonable and I will use that for trophies, awards etc. I'll supplement that with other private donations as I can, and if need be out of pocket if I can do so at that time. Voluntary funds for this contest can be sent to me by Paypal at simplydiscus@comcast.net (This email is different than the one we use for contributions to the forum. At this point I can make no commitment to what these awards and prizes will be or if they will be.
Lastly, I will be appointing several individuals to help with the contest as part of a contest committee. These members will make sure rules are adhered to and updates are followed. Should a dispute arise, they have the final say, and will consult with the forums owner on resolutions. As the forum owner, I reserve all rights in all matters pertaining to this contest, including the right to append the rules should we determine something needs to be revised. Changes to these rules will be posted and explanations given.
Best of luck to all Challengers..DO YOUR BEST!!
Simplydiscus.com
Al Sabetta
Owner/Admin
Thanks for posting them and for conducting this contest. Sounds like you are having a busy summer which is good.
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