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Code of Ethics

The IBC welcomes everyone who is interested in bettas, whether new at owning and/or raising betta or an old pro that has raised thousands.

The IBC feels there is room for all betta enthusiasts, young or old, new or experienced, individuals, families, team or commercial breeder.

The IBC is a club of individuals, families, teams, and commercial breeders who support the keeping, breeding, and or the showing of betta bred by members, the research into the genetics of the betta, and support of the preservation of the wild species through the Species Maintenance Program.


All Judges, Officials and Members are representatives of the IBC, and of the betta hobby. As such, all members of the IBC shall agree to act honorably in their pursuit of the betta hobby. In betta related ventures, members shall strive to promote the hobby; they shall embody the virtues of sportsmanship and esteem.


All members shall conduct themselves to reflect credit on the betta hobby in the general and the IBC in particular. This includes respect for the IBC, affiliated chapters, and for fellow betta breeders and enthusiasts.


Conduct shall be directed toward educating the public, improving one’s own knowledge and demonstrating integrity. Actions should complement the IBC’s goal of promoting betta breeding and showing.


Members should take care to be good representatives at show sites, national/international conventions, on internet forums and lists, and other social media that is in any way related to the betta hobby.


Should a member behave in a manner contrary to the above, bringing discredit to the IBC or affiliated IBC Chapter, or causing strife to other members, a complaint may be lodged with the Executive Board using the IBC Complaint Process.


It is the policy of the IBC that members who sell, trade or give bettas to others must represent the description of the betta in a proper manner so as to assure that the buyers, consumers or recipients are not misled. An intentional misrepresentation would be a violation of the IBC policy and Code of Ethics.


Moreover, it is the policy of the IBC that when bettas are entered in a show, the fish should be raised and bred by the entrant or exhibitor unless clearly stated otherwise. Failure to comply with this policy would be contrary to the IBC Show Standards.


The IBC does not participate in the fighting of fish for any reason and does not condone the fighting of bettas by others; nor does it support any individual or organization that does.


The International Betta Congress expects all members to conduct transactions with all parties in a responsible, fair and ethical manner in all business dealings concerning the purchase and sale of betta stock and supplies. While we hope that all disputes be amicably resolved among the parties, the Congress, however, is not an enforcement agency for the transaction of betta stock and/or supplies– nor can the IBC mediate disputes involving members or any individuals over said transactions.


In the interest of fairness, the IBC does not endorse individual business enterprises and does not allow the promotion of those enterprises in posts on the IBC weblist, whether they are personal testimonials or commercial advertisements.


The IBC believes that if all members abide by these simple guidelines we will have a happy, fun and stimulating club.

Ethics of Showing

Showing is very much on an honor system for the people entering the shows. We expect that all other people entering the show will also hold to the high standards of breeding and showing. This includes following all the rules set out in the IBC Exhibition Standards, no matter if anybody can see you following them or not. We expect that the bettas you enter in Groups A and B (Self-Bred and New Breeders) will be bred by yourself, and grown to show size and trained for showing by yourself, using your own fishroom resources. If using shared resources, you’ll enter as a family or collaboration.

(Areas 3 and 6 have a show exemption on bred bettas, and fish shown in Group C – Purchased are not self-bred. Purchased fish must, however, be held by the owners for at least one month prior to showing.)

The IBC respects bettas in their natural state and strives to have the best possible fish from the work of breeding show lines. We expect the shown fish in all groups to be in their natural, originally bred condition and their fins are not “trimmed” nor any other alterations. We expect all fish to be treated humanely and respectfully, and we do not condone fighting bettas nor abuse of bettas. We expect entrants to engage in fair and friendly competition without interfering with fellow competitors.