The monthly LAC Jar Show is a chance to show everyone what types of fish, other aquatic animals and plants you have taken care of for 30 days or more.
Every month, two $20 gift certificates from local fish stores will be awarded to the two “Best In Show” winners.
Monthly Jar Show Results
Best In Show
| Month | Member | Specimen | Award Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | Byron Vanderwerf | Junior - Endler's Livebearers (Poecilia wingei) | Big Al's Aquarium Services |
| May | Adam Hatch | 24 Karat Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) | TBA |
| May | Adam Hatch | Starlight Pleco (Ancistrus dolichopterus) | Pets 'n Ponds |
| April | Blake Vanderwerf | Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) | Pet Paradise |
| April | Walter Luzak | Snow-white short-finned Bristle-nosed Pleco (Ancistrus sp.) | Pets 'n Ponds |
| March | Blake Vanderwerf | Blue Acara (Andinoacara pulcher) | Pets 'n Ponds |
| March | Andrew Radmore | Pinto Bee Shrimp (cardinia cf. cantonensis) | TBA |
| February | Blake Vanderwerf | Small Tank Beautiful: Guppy, frogbit, hornwort, Valisneria | Pets 'n Ponds |
| February | Walter Luzak | Alien Copper Betta splendens | Pet Paradise |
| January | Blake Vanderwerf | Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii) | Pet Paradise |
| January | Walter Luzak | Male Delta Tail Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | Southwestern Pet Centre |
| September | Walter Luzak | Flagtail Corydoras (Corydoras robineae) | Big Al's Aquarium Services |
Monthly Entries
| Month | Member | Category | Specimen Name | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | Byron Vanderwerf | Junior - Endler's Livebearers | Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) purple with red/black tail | First |
| May | Adam Hatch | Open Plant | Pink Flamingo (Anthurium andraeanum) | First |
| May | Adam Hatch | Pairs | 24 Karat Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) | First |
| May | Paul Sundre | Open Fish | Clown Killiefish (Epiplatys annulatus) | Second |
| May | Adam Hatch | Open Fish | Starlight Pleco (Ancistrus dolichopterus) | First |
| May | Adam Hatch | Endler's Livebearers | male Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) forked tail | Second |
| May | Blake Vanderwerf | Endler's Livebearers | male Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) marble body | First |
| April | Adam Hatch | Open Plant | Anubis sp. | First |
| April | Blake Vanderwerf | Family | Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) | First |
| April | Walter Luzak | Open Fish | Snow-white short-finned Bristle-nosed Pleco (Ancistrus sp.) | First |
| March | Andrew Radmore | Open Plant | Riccia | First |
| March | Blake Vanderwerf | My Favorite Fish | Blue Acara (Andinoacara pulcher) | First |
| March | Andrew Radmore | Open Fish | Pinto Bee shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis) | First |
| February | Blake Vanderwerf | Small Tank Beautiful | Guppy, frogbit, hornwort, Valisneria | First |
| February | Walter Luzak | Anabantids | Alien Copper Betta splendens | First |
| January | Blake Vanderwerf | Guppys | male multi-coloured Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | |
| January | Walter Luzak | Guppys | male top sword Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | |
| January | Walter Luzak | Guppys | male bottom sword Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | Third |
| January | Walter Luzak | Guppys | male delta tail Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | First |
| January | Walter Luzak | Guppys | male double sword Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | |
| January | Steve Machado | Guppys | male Vienna Tiger Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | Second |
| January | Steve Machado | Guppys | male red/black Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | |
| January | Steve Machado | Open Fish | marble Bristle-nosed Pleco (Ancistrus cirrhosus) | Second |
| January | Adam Hatch | Open Fish | double-crowned Betta (Betta splendens) | First |
| January | Blake Vanderwerf | Non-fish | mystery snail (Pomacea bridgesii) | First |
| January | Adam Hatch | Open Plant | Cryptocoryne Wendtii | First |
| September | Walter Luzak | Loaches, Suckers and Catfish | Flagtail Corydoras (Corydoras robineae) | First |
| September | Walter Luzak | Open Fish | male Blue Delta Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | First |
| September | Blake Vanderwerf | Open Fish | male Endlers Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) | Second |
September 2025 – May 2026 Jar Show Winners
– to allow club members to learn more about a variety of fish and plants through first-hand viewing and conversation with other club members
– to give recognition to club members for keeping healthy fish and plants
Point System:
– entries will be judged (preferably by a certified CAOAC judge if possible) and awarded points and ribbons as follows:
first = 10 points, blue ribbon
second = 7 points, red ribbon
third = 4 points, white ribbon
each entry = 1 point (when no ribbon is awarded)
Show Rules:
1. Anonymity: names of entrants will not be disclosed until after judging is completed
2. Age classes, who can enter:
– all members aged 17 or over as of September 1st must compete as seniors, juniors may compete as seniors
– all fish and plants must be entered in the jar show by their LAC owners only
– there will be two classes: senior and junior
– junior members only, do not have to be present to enter fish or plants in the jar show
– all fish and plants must be owned by the participant for 30 days prior to being entered
3. Show Categories:
September
Open Plant
Open Fish
Loaches, Suckers and Catfish (e.g. Corydoras, Brochis, Plecos …)
Family
October
Open Plant
Open Fish
Cyprinids (e.g. Goldfish, Koi, Barbs, Danios, Sharks, Rasboras, White Clouds etc.)
Themed Novelty Tank
November
Open Plant
Open Fish
Cichlids – substrate spawning (eg, Angels, Kribs, Rams etc.), and mouth-brooding (e.g. Guentheri, Aulonocara …)
CARES Fish
December
None (Christmas Party!)
January
Open Plant
Open Fish
Guppies (e.g. fancy, Trinidadian etc.)
Non-fish
February
Open Plant
Open Fish
Anabantids (e.g. Bettas, Gouramis, and Paradise Fish)
Small Tank Beautiful
March
Open Plant
Open Fish
Swordtails, Mollies, Platties
My Favourite Fish (e.g. any type of fish)
April
Open Plant
Open Fish
Characoids (eg. Tetras, Hatchetfish, Silver Dollars etc.)
Family
May
Open Plant
Open Fish
Endler’s Livebearers
Pairs
June
None (Awards Night)
– the open plant category is always open to all types of true aquatic plants
– open fish category means any type of fish be entered (non-fish animals cannot be entered in this category)
– other categories (for example: Cyprinids, Guppys, families, pairs, …) are for those months only
3. Show Categories continued:
– my favorite fish category – any number of fish can be entered by each member, but animals such as crayfish, frogs, turtles, snails, or salamanders cannot be entered as my favorite fish, may only be entered in March
– family fish category means both parents and 6 to 10 fry (fry no more than 4 months old) are judged as a group and compared to other families, egg layers will be judged separately from live bearers if there are at least 6 entries, more than one jar may be used per family if necessary, families may only be entered in September and April
– CARES fish category means any fish listed on the Conservation, Awareness, Recognition, Encouragement, and Support Preservation Program list of fish, contact the L.A.C. CARES program co-ordinator for the list
– pairs fish category means a male and a female of one species are judged as a group and compared to other pairs, pairs may only be entered in May, the pair may be shown together in 1 jar or in 2 separate jars if one fish may injure the other
– non-fish category means any fully aquatic animal (other than a fish, such as crayfish, frogs, turtles, snails, or salamanders), one animal per jar, may only be entered in January
– themed novelty tank category – entries must have a theme (such as Halloween) and the contents should reflect the theme (e.g., ghost Shrimp and a haunted house in a Halloween theme), the tank can have natural and/or man-made contents providing they are safe to put with aquatic animals, any aquatic animal may be used in the tank, all animals and items in the tank do not have to be of the same size scale, any shaped clear tank can be used
– small tank beautiful category – entries must use a clear tank of any shape, providing the dimensions do not exceed 20 cm (8 inches) in length, width or height; entries must have all natural contents such as plants, substrate, rocks and wood (e.g., no plastic plants, painted gravel, ceramic castles); one or more fish must be present; all fish and items in the bowl must be of the same size scale so it looks like a natural underwater scene (only it is in miniature); may only be entered in February
– my favorite fish category will be judged for first place by all the attending club members (using private ballots), then a tally will be done to determine the club’s top three choices for each category
4. Number of Fish:
– an individual fish can only be entered for the jar show competition once per year
– only one fish is allowed in one jar in any category (except for the family category in October, and except for the pairs category in May)
– if more than one fish is found in a jar then:
1) the fish must be separated so that only one fish is found in each jar to be entered
or 2) the jar with multiple fish will not be judged
5. Fish Criteria:
– fish are judged according to size, colour, fins, disposition, condition and overall appearance
– fish showing signs of disease may be disqualified
6. Containers:
– fish and plants should be displayed in: small aquaria, square gallon jars or flat-sided drum fish bowls
– round jars or round fish bowls should not be used because the round glass distorts the shape of the fish or plant
– no gravel, plants are permitted in fish display tanks
– backgrounds – a solid, one-colour background can be used behind tanks for any category
7. Plants Criteria:
– the plants category is always “open” which means any type of water plant can be entered
– a true aquatic plant is one which, in the wild or native state, can be found as:
a) free floating,
b) rooted with leaves floating at the surface of the water or projecting into the air,
c) completely submerged as a normal occurrence at some time during the course of one calendar year
– non-aquatic plants (such as Lucky bamboo [Dracaena sanderiana], Aluminum plant [Pilea cadierei] and
Crimson Ivy [Hemigraphis colorata]) will not be judged
– a plant may be shown in a pot or shown with exposed roots that are weighted down for judging purposes
– if separated, more than one plant entry may be kept in one tank (see rule number 6 above for appropriately shaped containers)
8. Entry Fee:
– a fee of 25 cents per entry is required to help cover the cost of the ribbons
– one family entry or one pair entry costs 25 cents regardless of how many jars are used to show each entry
9. Registration times and results:
– entries must be registered with the Jar Show Chairman (Sarah Lee) by 7:00 pm or the start of the program on the night of the monthly meeting
– results of the jar show will be announced before the end of every monthly meeting
– at the June meeting: – annual awards will be presented to the top three members who accumulate the highest number of points in the fish competition, separate awards will be presented to the top three members with the highest number of points in the plant competition
10. Prizes for winners:
– first, second and third place winners in each category will be awarded ribbons (if available)
– the best of the three first place winners in: the open plant category, the open fish category and the special fish category (such as: loaches, suckers and catfish, …) will be awarded a $20 gift card from one of the fish stores which advertise in our newsletter
– the first place winner of the extra category (such as: family, themed novelty tank, CARES, …) will be awarded a $20 gift card from one of the fish stores which advertise in our newsletter