I decided to re-publish / re-blog
Kathleen Roberts interview with Luke Roebuck …
it’s been two years now … YOU are not forgotten …

 Kathleen Roberts

If you’d like to go beyond just having a few guppies to watch,
perhaps you’d be interested in show guppies.
Learn what makes show guppies special
and how you can get involved in this rewarding hobby.

 Luke Roebuck, IFGA judge and guppy breeder.

Guppy Expert Luke Roebuck

Luke Roebuck has been raising show guppies since the 1970s
and is currently an International Fancy Guppy Association (IFGA)
certified judge who maintains over 250 tanks.
His show quality guppies are sold worldwide,
and he has won various IFGA breeder awards over the last ten years.

Photo by New England Fancy Guppy Association

Showing Guppies

LoveToKnow (LTK):
Luke, what exactly is a show guppy?

Luke Roebuck (LR):
Show guppies, as compared to pet store quality guppies,
are bred over many generations to meet specific standards
of perfection for competitive showing.

Similar comparisons exist in other animal husbandry hobbies
such as dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, etc.,
where you have common “mutt” quality animals versus pedigreed,
show quality animals.

LTK:
How prevalent are guppy shows
and how many people typically attend such events?

LR:
The International Fancy Guppy Association (IFGA)
is the local USA association of clubs and hobbyists nationwide
as well as other countries.
These clubs sanction, manage, and provide oversight
and set up of the shows.
They also maintain guppy standards and judging standards
as well as judges for shows nationwide.

Affiliated clubs hold annual shows in their local community
each year as part of the show circuit.
These shows are a part of the competitive circuit
in which breeders enter their guppies in national competition
to garner trophies and points to annual breeder awards.

LTK:
How are guppies judged?

LR:
Just like at other types of pet shows,
guppies are judged for their conformance to specific standards
and physical characteristics which are developed by the IFGA.
These standards are documented and published in the Judging Rules
and Standards booklet available at the IFGA.

Guppies are judged by teams of qualified judges
at the IFGA sanctioned competitive shows.
These shows can have several hundred entries
from all over the nation shipped in
as well as hand carried
and entered in their specific classes.
There can be up to 76+ classes that are entered
with judging standards for each type.
More detailed information can be had
at the IFGA website at ifga.org.

Getting Started

LTK:
How can someone get into showing guppies?

LR:
Someone interested in showing and breeding guppies
can contact the IFGA and become a member
or become a member of a local club
which will offer additional mentoring
and strains available for breeding and showing.

LTK:
Is raising show guppies an expensive hobby?

LR:
Raising show guppies can be an expensive hobby
or a relatively modest investment.
It will greatly depend on how involved you get
and how many tanks and guppies you plan to maintain
as well as how intensely involved you
want to be in the hobby and IFGA organization.

Several breeders maintain garage or basement fishrooms
with several hundred tanks,
and many breeders get by with one or two strains
and a one or two dozen tanks.
Many can afford to travel and ship entries to all shows.
Many cannot and just show at their local show.
Many don’t show at all but maintain interest,
friendship and camaraderie.

Tips and Resources

LTK:
What are some tips for raising winning show guppies?

LR:
Start with the best guppies you can buy or acquire.
Give them the best available foods,
water quality and tank space.
Learn how to breed guppy strains by using inbreeding,
line breeding and outcrossing methodologies.

Develop a friendly relationship with a mentor
(IFGA Master Breeder) who can help
by answering all your questions.
It takes months and years to become proficient
in raising show winning guppies,
many years if you want to raise your own strains
of show winners and not just someone else’s strains!

LTK:
What resources do you recommend for people
who want to learn more
about raising and showing guppies?

LR:
Read everything that you can about these fish,
and check out the IFGA website as well
as some of the other club websites.
Try to connect with a mentor,
acquire his or her guppies,
ask questions and get involved at club events.

LTK:
Anything else you’d like to add?

LR:
Show guppies can be fun and very addicting
and provide years of pleasure and challenges.
You will make many new friends in this hobby!
Anyone who is seriously interested
can contact me through my website,
Luke’s Show Guppies, for further details.

A Rewarding Hobby

Raising and showing guppies
is a fun and rewading hobby.
With so many strains of guppies available,
you may also find it difficult to choose
which one you want to begin with.
Start small and learn all you can from experts
like Luke Roebuck,
and soon you may be winning awards of your own.

LoveToKnow would like to thank Luke Roebuck
for taking the time for this interview.