HAP Programs

["Karen Randall" <krandall@world.std.com>]

Now that a couple of you have weighed in, I'll post the response I sent to
this person directly, as they also contacted me about the issue.  I agree
with Mike as far as splitting up points by "high tech" vs. "low tech" or
"CO2" vs. "non-CO2".  Either you are meeting the requirements of the species
for captive growth and propagation or you're not.  I don't think I'd even
separate out the pond growers, for that matter.  This is always an option
for anyone who has even enough outdoor space to set up half a whiskey barrel
out doors.  A number of people in our club breed fish for the BAP in ponds
during the summer... There's always a big surge of BAP fish in the Sept. and
Oct. auctions.  Is that wrong?  Not to my way of thinking; it's just a
different approach to the same problems we all face.

Karen

===============================================================

I wrote:

I think that telling people they will only get partial credit for plants
grown with CO2 is pretty much like telling people they only get half credit
if they use anything but flake food to condition their breeders or raise
their fry.

Or another way to look at is this. It would certainly be easier to produce
enough fry to meet BAP requirements if I set a species up in their own
breeder tank without competition from other species, and fed them lots of
live food.  Should I get twice the credit for the fish I bring in for BAP
points just because they happen to reproduce on their own in my planted
community tanks?

The argument that some of these people are beginners and happen to be doing
better than the "old timers" doesn't cut it.  Beginners who have done their
homework and learned to do it right, certainly deserve the credit.  It
sounds to me like this person has learned the basics of plant physiology
that some of your older members have not.  Supplying plants in aquaria with
CO2 is not like "hormoning" fish.  CO2 is one of the essentials for plant
growth.  Good light is another.  This is just good aquaculture.

Now, it may be that you need to adjust the point value for some species,
because if they are kept properly, they are rampant growers, and easy to
flower.  But I think you have to do that going forward, not change the rules
on someone who has already met standing requirements.

Finally, I have to tell you that we have a person in the Boston club who has
earned tons and tons of points with a huge number of species, not by using
CO2 or expensive lighting, but by growing the plants outdoors in his pond in
the summer time.  For those who want to use "old fashioned" methods, there
are ways to do it... they just need to think outside of the <glass> box. ;-)

Karen