In actual fact, the exhibition is organized for furry pets; hence the public reception for fishes is quite lukewarm. Most of the public went around the booths selling pet goods and services. Moreover, the GCS booth is located at the back of the exhibition area, which is quite a disadvantage. Nonetheless the warmth of the GCS members and volunteers had gotten some people into guppies, great thanks to the competition's fishes too!
Many children got fascinated by the big colourful caudals of the guppies and pestered their parents to get them some. At the GCS booth, fishes for sale were either imported from Thailand or from hobbyists' own collection. Strains such as Full Golds, metal snakeskins, pingu, red lace snakeskins, half black pastels were available for hobbyists. Some of the public was shocked at the prices; in most aquarium shops, guppies are sold much cheaper. The GCS members had patiently explained the reasons why these strains were priced higher, and the potential guppy hobbyists began to view these fancy guppies in a different light. The booth also sold food, water conditioners, aquarium décor that facilitates beginners to guppy keeping. Posters of the various guppy varieties were also available for sale.
GCS booth
Another problem encountered is the cold temperature. In anticipation of the crowd, the air-conditioning of the hall was turned up to make the environment cooler, which is comfortable for the humans and also animals but not the guppy. The guppies become less active and those weaker fishes had clamped fins. Switching on the aquarium lights only alleviate the problem slightly. It seems ironic; lights with power compact tubes were used in the last competition and the fishes found it too hot whereas in this competition, normal fluorescent lights were used but the heat generated was insufficient. Let's hope that hobbyists who entered their fishes for the competition can discount this unfortunate episode.
From the recent competition, it is seen that hobbyists had got over the “many strains” stage to settling on the few strains they really like and will maintain. The ability to resist the greatest temptation of guppy breeding signifies the greater maturity of the local guppy scene. The specialization will also boost the improvement of the existing strains. The competition has seen many red entries; the red colouration is more vibrant and of a bigger size than the usually seen red strains. It is a step forward for the guppy scene here.
On the other hand, guppy enthusiasts are not afraid to experiment. There are some new varieties that did not fit into conventional categories and often; the phenotype of the fish crosses over several categories. Classification can be ambiguous. For administrative reasons, these guppies are entered under the AOC class.
However, there is some confusion on the certain varieties, in regard of identifying the phenotypic characteristics. In my opinion, the knowledge does not come easy as there is a lack of guppy books and some of the older hobbyists could not access the Internet. The GCS would be organizing talks or gatherings to facilitate the transfer of knowledge. With the proper advancement of the hobby, I believe the guppy hobby will reach a higher stage.
By the next competition, around the middle of this year, I believe the GCS can and will achieve greater guppy awareness among Singapore's hobbyists. |
