Conservation, Awareness, Recognition and Responsibility, Encouragement and Education, and Support and Sharing (CARES) Rules

  1. CARES History

    Founded in 2004, the CARES (Conservation, Awareness, Recognition and Responsibility, Encouragement and Education, and Support and Sharing) Preservation Program is based on the critical and timely significance of conservation, educating the public and bringing awareness as hobbyists to the issues involved, public recognition of members, our responsibilities as fish keepers, member encouragement, sharing of fish and data, and support for those who take part in playing a vital role in ensuring a positive future for species at risk. The purpose of the CARES Preservation Program is to encourage hobbyists worldwide to dedicate tank space to one or more species at risk and distribute their offspring to fellow qualified hobbyists, while forming an information network whenever possible among aquarists, scientists, and conservationists.

    CARES is designed to be implemented through local aquarium societies, as well as national and international organizations. This way, participants will have the incredible opportunity to distribute and locate fish and share their experiences with like-minded hobbyists.

  2. Purpose and Goals

    The purpose of the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program is to create a base stock of conservation priority species through encouraging hobbyists worldwide to devote tank space to one or more species at risk and distribute offspring to fellow qualified hobbyists, while forming an information network where possible between aquarists, scientists, and conservationists.

  3. C.A.R.E.S. has four primary goals:

    1. The goal is to raise awareness of the critical situation of fish in nature, educate the public, and emphasize the importance of our roles as responsible aquarists.
    2. To recognize, encourage, and support hobbyists who maintain species at risk.
    3. To share fish as well as data and experiences through notes and manuscripts so that others may learn to maintain those identical and similar species, and to preserve species at risk for future generations.

  4. How to Participate

    1. Take a Photo

      Each registered species requires at least one side-view photo that displays the fish's characteristics, which will aid identification. Photos can be taken with your iPhone. Photos are not expected to be high quality, but they MUST be of the fish you are registering. Photos taken in the past or from the Internet do not identify the fish you are keeping and cannot be accepted for registration. Thank you for your wonderful and much-appreciated help with the registration process! Photos MUST be of Registration Colony! File name format: species name_your name_CARES club_submission date. For instance: Etroplus canarensis_James Fish_FOTAS_8-10-18.

    2. Information You Will Need:

      1. Your name.
      2. Your email address.
      3. Your postal address (optional).
      4. Your telephone number (optional).
      5. Species name.
      6. Where or from whom was it obtained?
      7. Collection location, if available.
      8. When obtained (approximate date is fine).
      9. Whether or not the colony has produced fry.
      10. Your CARES affiliate organization.

    3. Register Online

      Go to https://caresforfish.org/?page_id=879, where you will enter the information into a message box and upload your photo. Please only register one species at a time! CARES will notify you when your registration is received and again when it is approved (or not) for registration. Our Club Chair will be copied.

  5. ASCM CARES Form

    Please fill out the CARES FISH Preservation Program Registration Card online and submit it to our CARES Chair.

  6. Scoring System

    Category Points Description
    Species Registration 10 Points Each species registered for the first time with the CARES online program.
    Article Written 10 Points Submission of an article to be listed on the website regarding the keeping and breeding of a CARES species kept and registered by the member.
    Longevity 5 Points On each one-year anniversary of a species’ registration, the member will receive an additional five points toward that year’s awards upon submission and approval by the BAP Chair of a photo/video of the colony’s current state.
    Mini-Swap 5 Points Bringing a group of at least four juveniles of the member’s registered CARES species to the Mini Swap.
    Mini-Swap 3 Points Submission or donation of a group of at least four juveniles of a fish that is on the CARES Priority List to the Mini Swap.

  7. ASCM Award Levels

    • Novice Level Conservationist: (15 points) You must bring at least one species on the CARES List to a club mini swap.
    • Intermediate Conservationist: (30 points) You must register at least one species on the CARES List.
    • Advanced Conservationist: (60 points) You must register at least 3 CARES species, at least one longevity contribution, and one article submission.
    • Expert Conservationist: (120 points) You must register at least six species on the CARES list, including three longevity contributions, and three article submissions.
    • Master Conservationist: (240 points) You must register at least 10 species on the CARES list, including six Longevity contributions, and six article submissions.

    At the beginning of each year, the member with the most points in the previous year is awarded Conservationist of the Year.