Breeder Award Program

The Breeder Award Program (BAP) is the Society's core recognition program. You breed a fish, document it as it happens in a Spawn Log, and other members verify the record. Points are awarded by difficulty, and points become titles that stay on your name. It's open to Society members in good standing.

How does the Breeder Award Program work, start to finish?

1. Pick a species on Breeder Program, or open a blank log if your fish isn't listed.
2. Open a Spawn Log before the fish breed. You get a four-character challenge code.
3. Log five stages as they happen, with photos: Pair & setup, Spawn, Free-swimming fry, 30-day grow-out and 60-day grow-out.
4. Submit for review once all five stages are logged.
5. Review: three members chosen at random review it blind, or the judge reviews it while the Society is still small.
6. Decision: approved logs earn points, a breeder certificate for that species, and possibly the "First in Society" record.
7. Appeal once to the judge if peer reviewers rejected it and you think they got it wrong.

The how-to for each step is in Spawn logs and submissions.

What is the "open your log before the spawn" rule?

This is the rule that gives a Society title its meaning. You register the pair and the tank first, then add each stage as it happens. Logs can't be opened after the fact and stages can't be backfilled, so a photo from somewhere else has nowhere to go. As the program page puts it: "The Society isn't asked to believe you. It watched."

If your fish have already spawned, start a new log with the next pair or the next spawn.

What are the five stages of a spawn log?

Stages 1 and 5 are marked code required: your challenge code must be visible in those photos.

What is the challenge code?

Every spawn log is issued a four-character code when you open it. Write it by hand on a card and have it clearly visible in your stage 1 and stage 5 photos. A stolen photo can't have your code in it. Reviewers are told that a missing or unreadable code is grounds to deny. Your code is shown in large letters at the top of your log while it's in progress.

How are photos checked?

• The upload time is recorded by the server, not read from the photo file, so it can't be edited.
• The photo's metadata is read once for consistency and then discarded. Your location is never stored, and no reviewer ever sees it.
• Reviewers see simple flags for each stage (Metadata, Timing and Region) that show whether those checks passed, failed or couldn't be told.

How many points is each species worth?

Each species on the Society's point list has a point value, and its difficulty class is a label on that value:

A species with a point value off this ladder just shows its point number instead of a letter. You can browse the list on Breeder Program: search by common name, scientific name or group, and filter by class with the buttons (All, Class A, Class B and so on).

What if my fish isn't on the Society's species list?

You're never blocked from starting. On the species picker, choose Not on the list, I'll type it and enter the common or scientific name. Anything not on the point list gets classified before judging. Reviewers see it as "unclassified," and the judge sets the points when approving it (with a note explaining the value).

What bonuses can I earn in the Breeder Award Program?

The Breeder Program page lists these bonuses:

• First in Society: +50%. Nobody has logged this species before. The record is permanent. This bonus is applied automatically when the log is approved.
• Spawn report: +10. A written account published to the library.
• Video: +5. The spawn or fry documented on video.
• CARES species: ×2. Species threatened in the wild.

A spawn log itself takes photos and notes only. If you have a spawn report or video you'd like counted, email support@undergroundaquarium.com.

What is the Species Registry and "First in Society"?

The first member to get an approved spawn log for a species holds that species' record permanently. The log is tagged first in society on your Spawn Logs list and the approval shows "First in Society," and you get the +50% bonus. When the program launched, every species in the registry was unclaimed.

How does review work once I submit?

When you click Submit for review, your log goes one of two ways:

• Peer review. Once the Society has enough active members, your log goes to three members chosen at random. Reviews are blind in both directions: they don't know it's yours, and you won't see who they are. Each reviewer has seven days. If a reviewer misses the deadline, the review is reassigned so nothing sits stuck.
• Judge-only mode. While the Society is still small (fewer active members than the Society's threshold, 20 by default), every entry goes straight to the judge.

Escalations, appeals, high-value records and anything peers couldn't settle also go to the judge. A judge's own entries never go to the judge; they go to peers and need a unanimous panel.

What do reviewers check?

Each reviewer ticks four checks before they can approve:

1. The challenge code is clearly visible in the stage 1 photo.
2. The same code is clearly visible in the stage 5 photo.
3. The fish shown match the species claimed.
4. Eggs, fry and grow-out photos show a believable progression in the same setup.

A reviewer then chooses Approve (only possible once all four boxes are ticked), Deny or Send to judge. Deny and Send to judge require a written reason of a minimum length (a counter shows "0/20 characters minimum" or whatever the Society has set), because you'll read it. Sending a case to the judge is never counted against a reviewer.

How do I become a reviewer?

You don't sign up. Entries are assigned at random to members, and they appear in your Review Queue. You'll never be assigned your own entry. Each completed review counts toward your Reviewer badges and raffle entries.

Reviewing an entry

1. Open Review Queue and click an entry. It shows the species, the code to look for, how many days are left, the setup notes and every stage's photos (click a photo to open it full size).
2. Tick the checks that are true.
3. Write a reason if you're denying or sending to the judge.
4. Click Approve, Deny or Send to judge. You'll see "Vote recorded. Thank you, this is what keeps the titles worth having."

If the deadline passed before you voted, you'll see "This review passed its deadline and has been reassigned. Thanks anyway, it's off your list."

What does the judge do?

The judge rules on escalations, appeals and cases that reach the judge's desk. When approving, the points default to the species' list value. Setting a different number, approving a species that isn't on the list, or rejecting all need a note, which the member reads. Judge rulings are final and can't be appealed.

Can I appeal a rejected spawn log?

Yes, once, if peer reviewers rejected it (not the judge). On your log, click Appeal to the judge, explain exactly what the reviewers missed (for example "The code is in the stage 5 photo, bottom left, behind the heater."), and click File appeal. Your reason must meet the minimum length shown under the box. Appeals must be filed within the appeal window shown on your log (30 days unless the Society sets another number). The judge's ruling on an appeal is final. Details are in Spawn logs and submissions.

How do points turn into titles?

Your approved points add up to a total. The Society has a ladder of titles, each with a minimum number of points. Your title is the highest one your total qualifies for. It shows on your member card, the member area menu, the Leaderboard and your public profile. Overview shows how many points you need for the next title. Titles stay on your name.

Do Breeder Award Program points ever expire?

Nothing in the program expires points. If your dues lapse, the member area locks, but your logs, points and certificates are kept and return when you renew.

Common problems

My fish spawned before I opened a log. Logs can't be backdated. Open a log now and document the next spawn from stage 1.

The species list is empty. The Society hasn't published its point list yet. You can still open a blank log with Or open a blank log and type the species name.

"Nothing matches that." No listed species matches your search. Submit it anyway with Not on the list, I'll type it; it gets classified before judging.

My entry was denied because the code wasn't visible. Reviewers must see the handwritten code in stages 1 and 5. If it is there and they missed it, appeal and say exactly where it is in the photo.

I can't see who reviewed my entry. Reviews are blind on purpose. After a decision you see each reviewer's vote and reason as "Reviewer 1," "Reviewer 2" and so on.