The British system from the FBAS (Federation of British Aquarium Societies)
is used here in Queensland with minimal modification and although not
perfect is generally satisfactory. There is a scale of points with only 20
out of a possible 100 for size - but the weightage for maximum size is
important. For example the designers of the system rightly contend that it
is far more praiseworthy to raise a fish to full size than 3/4 size. So a
fish that is 3/4 size does not get 15 points for size it probably only
gets about 12 or 13 (calculated on some complicated little plastic wheel
thing).
Of course there are other groups of 20 points allocated for finnage,body,
colour condition & deportment etc . At least the FBAS rules are consistent
and easily obtainable and have stood the test of time.
<<However, there are also positive examples. On several of our AGM we
showed rainbows - in excellent colours and excellent condition.
You just have to set up the tanks at least one week before you let
the people look into them. But also if you have only one or two days,
if your aquarium has enough plants and decoration, the rainbows
will feel well after about one day. We had some advertising shows
in the last months and I can promise you, the bows showed an excellent
colour and were magnets of the show (we made the third place in an all
animal show with 26.000 visitors, first was a falconer, second a hen
breeder, best aquarist society in show!). So it is possible to show bows.>>
ANGFA here in Quensland regularly puts on displays of Rainbowfish and other
Native fish both in Pet Shows and Aquarium competitions as well as
promotional venues and as long as attention to the needs of the fish is
fulfilled they always put on a good display. Rainbowfish have regularly won
major awards. The major secret, as Harro says is, plants lighting and take
their water along to the show if there isn't time to condition the local,
water.
Bruce Hansen