“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Henry David Thoreau
The SAWGG Breeder & Grower Award Programs recognize the accomplishments of our Members, helps species conservation, and brings new species into the Group. Participation is optional.
Rank Awards and Specialty Certifications are awarded for fish and inverts spawned by natural means (no hormones), and plants propagated. To be credited, submissions must be auctioned at a SAWGG event with submission form. The 2 Programs are:
1. Rank Awards
Point-based system awarded on the number of species or established hybrids bred, or plant species or cultivars propagated. Points are only awarded one time per species.
FISH & INVERT BAP Submission Criteria (aquarium or pond bred):
- 5 fish from a spawn that are,
- at least 45 days old, and of
- auctionable size and health (would you buy them?)
PLANT GAP Submission Criteria (aquarium-grown):
- grown cutting or division from a mother plant (simply growing a plant larger does not qualify as propagation), that has a
- root system established and independent, and of
- auctionable size or quantity (would you buy them?)
PLANT GAP Submission Criteria (pond-grown):
- same criteria as above
- pond-grown plants are eligible for Specialist Certifications rather than points.
| Rank Awarded | Species | Classes (at least) |
| Breeder (Grower) | 10 | 2 |
| Advanced Breeder (Grower) | 20 | 3 |
| Senior Breeder (Grower) | 30 | 4 |
| Expert Breeder (Grower) | 40 | 5 |
| Master Breeder (Grower) | 50 | 6 |
| Grand Master Breeder (Grower) | 60 | 7 |
2. Specialist Certification
Awarded after spawning at least 5 species in a particular Class:
| ANIMALS: |
| Labrynth Fish |
| Mouth Brooding Cichlids |
| Substrate-Brooding Cichlids |
| Characids |
| Catfish |
| Livebearers |
| Cyprinids |
| Goldfish or Koi |
| Substrate-Spawning Killifish |
| Water-Spawning Killifish |
| Marine Fish |
| Other Marine Animals |
| North American Native Fish |
| Loaches / Botias / Eels |
| Shrimp |
| Other Invertibrates |
| Rainbowfish |
| Amphibians |
| IUCN Red List Fish (endangered or extinct categories) |
| PLANTS: |
| Stem Plants |
| Echinodorus |
| Aponogeton & Crinums |
| Cryptocorynes |
| Floating Plants |
| Rosette Plants |
| Anubias & Lagenandra |
| Ferns & Mosses |
| Aquarium Waterlilies |
| Pond-Grown Waterlilies |
| Pond-Grown Plants |
| Marine Plants & Algaes |
Skylands Aquarium & Water Garden Group 