Breeders Award Program (Proposed)

Breed fish and earn points towards awards

The BAP Rules have been proposed to the FMAS Board for 2025. Revision 2.

The Breeder's Award Program is established to recognize member achievements in breeding tropical fish and aquatic animals.

Why Join the FMAS BAP?

  • Learn and Grow: Gain valuable experience and knowledge from fellow breeders.

  • Contribute to the Hobby: Share your success by donating fry to club auctions.

  • Earn Prestige: Achieve recognition for your breeding milestones with awards and honors.

  • Lifetime Membership: Receive a lifetime membership in FMAS when you reach 100 Points (Master Breeder)

Award Levels

AWARD I - Breeders - 10 Spawns

AWARD II - Advanced Breeder - 25 Spawns

AWARD III - Expert Breeders - 50 Spawns

AWARD I - Master Breeder - 100 Spawns

Additional awards are at the discretion of the FMAS Board of Directors

BAP Program Rules

Definitions

Location: The specific geographic area where the fish were collected in the wild. For example, the killifish Nothobranchius robustus “Kalisizo”.

Color Variants: This refers to a group of fish within a species that exhibits distinct and consistent body coloration beyond the natural, wild-type range. For example, freshwater angelfish: Pterophyllum scalare “Phillipine Blue”.

Hybrid: This refers to offspring resulting from the crossbreeding of two different species.

Fin Variety: This refers to common, accepted finnage variations such as Lyretail sword or a Veiltail Angelfish.

Eligibility

To participate in the Breeders Award Program (BAP), you must be a FMAS member in good standing as defined by the FMAS Constitution.

Breeding and Fry Requirements

  • Successfully spawn and raise at least 5 fry to 60 days old, starting from when they become free-swimming.
    FMAS recommends submitting 6-8 fry or each entry to promote the best chances for continued maintenance of the species.

  • You must be the owner of the parent fish before spawning occurs.

  • Fry must be offspring of your personal fish housed in your own tank or aquarium.

  • Each species, species-location, or species-fin variety, or species-location can only earn you BAP points once. See Location and Color Variant Recognition below.

Documentation and Reporting

  1. Record spawning details on a BAP "Breeder's Report" and submit it to the BAP Chair for verification at a regular meeting in order to receive credit.

  2. Contribute five or more (6-8 recommended) properly bagged and fry from each spawn to the FMAS regular meeting auction.

  3. Ensure that the bag is clearly and properly labeled with the words BAP on the bag

Location and Color Variant Recognition

The FMAS recognizes different locations, fin varieties and color variations within species.

Color variations or "tank strains" must be well-established in the hobby and approved by the FMAS BAP Chairman to receive BAP credit.

Please consult with the BAP Chairman for eligibility for hybrid fish.

Location Variant Rules

  1. Location strains must be from a generally accepted and documented location to be accepted.

    • To maintain the integrity of the program and encourage responsible breeding practices, all fish with location entries must have verifiable origins. Entries with locations or provenance that cannot be substantiated will be disqualified. Parent fish must be purchased from a reputable source that can accurately document their location of origin.

  2. You may not submit an aquarium strain (no specific location) and a location variant for the same species from the same spawn or the same parents

Fin Variety Rules

  • Fin variants are acceptable for fish which generally are line bred for this purpose. For example, you may submit long-fin Corydoras aeneus and short fin Corydoras aeneus.

  • You may not submit multiple fin varieties from the same parent fish or the same spawn.

Prohibited BAP Entries

  • Fish which are not legal to keep in the state of Florida.

  • Hybrid Fish: Only commonly crossed hybrid fish are acceptable such as common livebearer varieties and Flowerhorn cichlids.
    We do not wish to encourage new hybrid varieties. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the BAP Chair or FMAS Board.

  • Population (Location) Crosses: Crossing two known locations within a species to create an aquarium strain.

Exemptions

Participants may retain fish from two spawns per calendar year without the obligation of a donation.

Proof of exempted spawns must be presented to the BAP Chair for points to be awarded, for example:

  • Present the fish at a meeting to the BAP Chairman

  • Present a clear photo of the actual parents and fry from the participant’s tank to the BAP Chair

  • Validation of Exceptions is at the discretion of the FMAS and is not guaranteed

Verification and Disputes

  • Only FMAS Board and BAP Committee members can verify spawns.

  • Verification is only allowed at regular FMAS meetings

Dismissal from the BAP Program

You may be dismissed from the BAP program under the following circumstances:

  • Submitting fish or animals you do not own or have bred. e.g going to a pet shop, buying fish, and submitting them as your own

  • Submitting fish or animals bred or raised in tanks which you do not own

  • Providing inaccurate location or species information. It is not acceptable to “guess” the species or species-location.

    • If you do not know what fish/animal you have, do not submit it.

  • Repeatedly disputing BAP requirements with the BAP Chair may lead to dismissal from the program.

Eligibility Questions

Participants who are unsure about the eligibility of a location variant, tank strain, or color form should contact the BAP Chair before acquiring or submitting fish.

FMAS does not have any financial obligation to participants in the BAP program.