Exhibitor Eligibility
- This is a hobbyist-only show; all fish entered must be owned by and accompanied by the registered entrant. Entries brought in by dealers cannot return back to dealer at end of show.
- Entries are open to all members and non-members of Atlanta Koi Club. Koi or Goldfish dealers or their employees, even part time or informal fish dealers, are not allowed to exhbit fish.
- Past Grand Champions—WE HAVE CHANGED THE RULES! – a fish that has won Grand Champion at an Atlanta Koi Club (AKC) Show, it is now eligible to participate in subsequent AKC shows. This includes koi, long fins and goldfish.
Entry fees
- For koi and long fins the fee will be $45 per tank. Pre-registration is suggested to guarantee a tank. Use the point calculator below to determine how many tanks you will require.
- For goldfish the fee is $20.00 per 20 gal tank and $10.00 per 10 gal tank. Goldfish will be displayed in 10 gal aquariums with a limited number of 20 gal aquariums reserved for “large &/or active fish.” When registering indicate if you will need a 20 gal tank. The judging rules published by the AGA (American Goldfish Association) will be used as the basis for judging.
- You can do one transaction to purchase show registration (Exhibitor or Vendor). Trophiy Sponsorship and Banquet Tickets. Please see our the online Shop. Payment is made via PayPal.
Fish Check In and Benching
- Fish can be checked in on Friday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Saturday morning check-in is only by permission of the show chairman. Contact the show chairperson if you require special accommodations.
- The Atlanta Koi Club provides one net and one show bowl to each exhibitor tank. All nets and bowls are disinfected after each use. You are welcome to bring your own.
- All water quality is monitored by our Water Quality Chairperson.
- The owner or a representative of the owner of the fish must be present at the tank during benching.
- The benching team will check all entries for injuries. If a fish is found to be ill or injured, the fish will not be judged. The owner may elect to remove the fish from the tank or leave it until the end of the show.
- Benching standards have been established to place a koi into the judging class where it will be the most competitive against other varieties within that judging class. Varying from these benchmarks will “typically” put the koi at a disadvantage. Of course, the competition on the day may cause some variances, but that again is the exception. The benching team may discuss class assignment with the owner/representative during benching, but the judges will make the final determination of which class a fish is assigned to.
- Class A will include kohaku, sanke, showa and shiro utsuri. Gin Rin, metallic or doitsu of these varieties will be benched class B. Hi and Ki utsuri will be benched class B.
- Doitsu is defined as all Doitsu that are not metallic.
- Bekkos must be in the Bekko class
- Tanchos include only Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa
- All metallics (scaled or Doitsu) are placed into the Hikari classes
- Hikari Muji (single colored, including Matsuba)
- Hikari Moyo (patterned)
- Hikari Utsuri (metallic Utsuri and metallic Showa)
- All Longfins will be shown based on size in the Longfin category.
- Community Tanks for Vendor Purchases -The Atlanta Koi Club has available show tanks for dealers who sell fish to be entered into the show. Entrants not showing other fish in the show must register their own fish. There is a $5 charge per individual which is waived for Atlanta Koi Club Members. Fish must be in the community tanks by 9 A.M. Saturday. No fish are to be placed in a tank until registration is completed. This includes the digital photo. The actual owner of the fish must be present at the time of benching.
- The judges shall not view the tanks until the show chairman has removed the list of owners and indicates that the tanks are ready to be judged.
No one other than the judges, club president, show chairman, and registration committee shall be in the display area while the fish are being judged. Observers and entrants are to refrain from communications with the judges during judging. - All entries will be left on exhibit for the duration of the show unless permission is obtained from the show chairman. If you feel you will need to remove your fish early please make arrangements as far in advance as possible so that we can have water and oxygen available for you. You should plan to remove your fish starting at 2 PM on Sunday. All fish must be removed by 4 PM on Sunday
- The Atlanta Koi Club will take all necessary and reasonable precautions to safeguard entered fish but the owner will assume all risk and responsibilities of said fish
- The decisions of the Judges and Show Chairman are final.
Ineligible Fish
Fish fitting any of the following criteria are NOT eligible for this show and should NOT be transported to the show site.
- Fish that have visible signs of injury or illness will not be allowed to compete in the show and should NOT be transported to the show site. The decision of the Benching Team will be final.
- Koi that have been exposed in any way to Koi Herpes Virus (KHV): Examples include, but are not limited to, surviving a KHV infection, sharing the same water system with a koi with KHV, sharing the same water system with a KHV survivor, receiving a vaccination of a live virus KHV serum. AKC will enforce this rule to the best of our ability, but we must ultimately rely on the honesty and integrity of the exhibitor.
Pre-Show Preparation of Fish
Remember to follow a few simple steps to make your journey to and from the show as stress free as possible:
- Do not feed fish 4–7 days before the show. This is important because it helps to reduce ammonia buildup in the show tanks.
- Inspect your fish thoroughly for signs of illness or injury prior to bringing them to the show. Fish that show signs of either will be disqualified.
- Double bag the fish before transporting them to the show and fill the bags with oxygen.
Koi A & B Awards
Please note that koi “A” show awards include only the following 4 varieties: Kohaku, Showa, Sanke and Shiro Utsuri; koi “B” awards are for all other varieties.
The Trip Home
- AKC will provide oxygen and water for the return trip.
- Remember to quarantine your fish once you return home.
Calculating The Number of Show Tanks Required
Fish Point Calculation: This is an English style Koi, Long fin, and Goldfish Show meaning each exhibitor must have their own tank or tanks. Entrants are encouraged to reserve their tanks early as there are a limited number of tanks. Since the Atlanta Koi Show volunteers will maintain water quality for the exhibitors, AKC requires that tanks not be overcrowded. Atlanta Koi Show reserves the right to make adjustments in the number of tanks required. To calculate the number of tanks required, the show employs “Fish Point” system adapted from the one used by MAKC as a guideline for tank loading.
Koi and long fins are measured from tip of the nose to the end of the tail (caudal fin) for determining the fish points below.
Calculate the fish points for your entries using the following table. Enter the quantity for each size of Koi and Long fins you are exhibiting. Multiply the quantity times the Points per Size. Put the subtotal in the Total Points per Size column. Add all the subtotals and enter the Total Points at the bottom of the table. Divide the Total Points calculated by 25 to determine the number of tanks you will need to reserve. Please round up any fractions.
The Atlanta Koi Show uses only 7 foot tanks filled to a 18 inch depth (approximately 285 gallons).
Tank Recommended Maximum Absolute Maximum
7 ft. 25 points 35 points
Maximum of 10 fish per tank
| Fish Size | Points per Size | Quantity You Are Exhibiting | Total Points Per Size |
| Koi Size 1 (0” – 8”) | 0.4 | ||
| Koi Size 2 (8” – 12”) | 1.0 | ||
| Koi Size 3 (12” – 16”) | 2.0 | ||
| Koi Size 4 (16” – 20”) | 5.0 | ||
| Koi Size 5 (20” – 24”) | 8.0 | ||
| Koi Size 6 (24” – 28”) | 12.0 | ||
| Koi Size 7 (28” – 30″)
Koi Size 8 (30″+) (Awards are given up to Size 7. Size 8 is listed for tank load calculations only.) |
15.0
20.0 |
||
| Long Fins (0 – 8”) | 1.0 | ||
| Long Fins (8 – 20”) | 3.0 | ||
| Long Fins (20” – up) | 6.0 | ||
| Total Points | |||
| Total Points / 25
(Number of Tanks) |
Indemnification
By registering as an Exhibitor the Registrant acknowledges that they have read and agreed to the following:
- I declare that I own the Koi or Goldfish I am exhibiting.
- I declare that I am a hobbyist and not a Koi or Goldfish dealer or employee of a Koi or Goldfish dealer.
- I declare the Koi being entered have not been exposed in any way to Koi Herpes Virus (KHV).
- Exhibitor agrees to indemnify the Atlanta Koi Show and Atlanta Koi Club, including members, officers and agents, from all legal harm arising from exhibitor’s participation in the Atlanta Koi Show. Exhibitor agrees to pay all legal fees, court costs, and damages that may arise from exhibitor taking any civil action against the Atlanta Koi Show and the Atlanta Koi Club, including members, officers and agents, due to or caused as a result of any action or negligence of any party.
- Payment of legal fees, court costs and damages by exhibitor shall be directly to The Atlanta Koi Show and the Atlanta Koi Club. The club shall have the exclusive right to purchase, consign, or enter into any contract for the purpose of establishing a defense, to include hiring consultants, experts, and co-council.
Proceed to the Shop
Visit the online Shop to reserve show tanks for koi and goldfish, aquariums for goldfish, sponsor trophies and purchase banquet tickets. Payment is made via PayPal.