Preparing Your Fish for Auction

  1. Plan ahead- decide what you are going to auction at least four or five days before the auction.
  2. Do not feed the fish you are going to auction the day before the auction.
  3. Plan ahead- so that you have the proper sized plastic bags for the size and number of fish you are going to auction.
  4. Pre-registeryour fish. NJAS will create a bag labels for your fish and a photo slide of an example of the specific fish you are selling. We have proven that pre-registered fish when sold with an accompanying photo will bring more money than the exact same fish without the photo. You will also get a better cut; 60/40 instead of 50/50.
  5. Plan ahead- If the fish you want to auction is in a tank that is difficult to catch fish in then catch the fish the day before and put them in a holding tank if possible. This will make catching them much easier the morning of the auction.
  6. The day of the auction fill the bag with water no more than 1/3/ of the way taking into consideration the size of the bag after you twist the top closed.
  7. If you have a larger fish 6+ inches you should put in a piece of Polyfilter, one inch square, to help with the ammonia.
  8. Once the fish are in the bag sit the bag up in a bucket or container so that you can open the top of the bag. Now with one quick motion grab the top of the bag to close it and trap the air in. DO NOT BLOW INTO THE BAG AS YOU ARE PUTTING IN CARDON DIOXIDE NOT OXYGEN.
  9. Now twist the bag while holding on to the top until you have a tight seal.
  10. Secure the top of the bag with a rubber band.
  11. Take a second bag and put the first bag in upside down. Twist and secure the second bag. This will cause the bottom corners of the first bag to be folded in and eliminate the danger of trapping your fish in the corner while the bag is being viewed at the auction.
  12. You need to put your name and email address on the bag using a water proof marker. Sometimes a buyer will contact you for more info on how you kept and raised the fish. They might also want to buy some of the same fish from you.
  13. If you have pre-registered your fish that’s all you need to do. NJAS will provide you with a printed label when you check in at the auction. If you did not pre-register your fish then you must put the name of the species, number in the bag and brief description, trio MFF, proven pair etc. on the bag using the same waterproof marker you used for your name and contact info.
  14. If your fish is too large to put into a bag you can use a bucket with a lid that can be closed.
  15. We DO NOT ALLOW; zip lock bags, containers that are not waterproof, plastic bags that are leaking. Your may either be re-bagged at a cost to you or just outright not allowed to be put in the auction.
  16. Please view the attached video to see an example of the bagging process. This video does not provide an example of double bagging as described above.