MAP

If you grow coral or breed marine fish this is for you!!

Yes you read that right. The board has voted to introduce a new category, the Marine Award Program. This is for your saltwater fish, corals, corallimorphs (mushrooms), and anemones. This started partway through our 2022 year. It will not have year end prizes at our December 2022 party but instead will end its year at the December 2023 party. We have had interest from members who propagate these to figure out a way to include them and this is what the board decided. Those who have turned in under this category already will receive points for the first year. The points will vary based on the difficulty to propagate and keep the item and are as follows:

Soft Coral– 10 pts (Zoas, palys, leathers, mushrooms, etc.)

Anemones– 15 pts

Marine Fish– 15 pts

Large Polyp Stony Coral– 20 pts

Small Polyp Stony Coral– 20 pts

A turn in for corals will consist of enough new growth to self-sustain the coral (commonly referred to as a frag). What this includes will vary from coral to coral and we are trusting the members to not abuse this. If it is abused the board will further revise and the BAP chair has a right to refuse turn-ins. Marine fish turn-ins consist of a fish that you bred and raised and require only 1 fish due to the inhabitability of multiples of many marine species within one system. Any discrepancy on category or quality of turn-in is left to the decision of the BAP chair. Additionally, color morphs submissions are allowed. For example you can turn in both Pandora Zoas and Halle Berry Zoas. The full rules and guidelines of this have not been established yet so there is discretion amongst the Awards Program Chair to modify the program as long as it is done so consistently among all members. 

MAP submissions are auctioned off at our meeting. The club keeps $1 and you get the rest. We instituted a minimum bid for all submissions turned in  of $6.00. How this will work is bids start off at $6.00 and if we don’t get the initial $6.00 bid it’s up to the seller if they want to either take the turn-in home or allow the bidding to continue at a lower price. Anyone turning in for MAP points will still get the points even if you choose to take it home and stop the bid process. No more “buck a bag” for that hard work you’ve put in. 

If you've raised something that you really don't want to sell we recently allow for you to now make turn ins without auctioning it off. Instead you are required to document the process including water parameters, food, origin of it,lighting, flow, etc. and make a presentation on it at our November meeting. This doesn't have to be long but someone should both see your process and be able to replicate it. In addition, we require a short write up on it including a bit about their history and origin along with the above process to breed them. This is supposed to feel like a bit of work. The main reason the MAP was started was to "spread the wealth" and be able to share cool growth among the club while recovering some of your cost. But if you have something that is just too expensive and you don't want to sell them at a club meeting you can meet these guidelines instead.