Welcome to the Mulm Breeder Awards Program! This guide will help you get started, submit your breeding achievements, track your progress, and advance through program levels.

Mulm manages three aquarium breeding/propagation programs:

• Breeder Awards Program (BAP) - Fish and invertebrates
• Horticultural Awards Program (HAP) - Aquatic plants
• Coral Awards Program (CAP) - Corals and marine invertebrates

How it works:

1. Breed/propagate eligible species
2. Submit your achievement for points
3. Accumulate points to advance through levels
4. Earn specialty awards for expertise

Website: https://bap.basny.org

1. Getting Started
2. Creating Your First Submission
3. Submission Requirements
4. Point Values
5. Draft Submissions
6. Photos and Documentation
7. Witness Requirements
8. Tracking Your Progress
9. Program Levels
10. Specialty Awards
11. Species Explorer
12. Standings

Option 1: Invitation from Admin

If your club admin invited you:

1. Check your email for invitation link
2. Click "Set Password" link
3. Create a secure password
4. You're ready to submit!

Option 2: Sign Up Yourself

Visit https://bap.basny.org:

1. Click "Sign In"
2. Click "Create Account"
3. Fill in:
   • Name: Your display name
   • Email: Contact email
   • Password: Secure password (min 8 characters)
4. Click "Create Account"
5. You're logged in!

Option 3: Sign In with Google

1. Click "Sign In"
2. Click "Sign in with Google"
3. Authorize with your Google account
4. Done!

After logging in, view your profile at:

• Your Profile: Click your name in top navigation
• Direct Link: https://bap.basny.org/me

Your profile shows:

• Current levels in each program (Fish, Plant, Coral)
• Total points earned in each program
• Specialty awards you've earned
• All your submissions (approved, pending, draft)

From the homepage or your profile:

• Click "Submit Breeding" button
• Or visit: https://bap.basny.org/submissions/new

Choose what you bred/propagated:

The form will update based on your selection.

Required Fields:

Species Type: [Fish ▼]
Species Class: [Livebearers ▼]
Common Name: [Guppy]
Scientific Name: [Poecilia reticulata]

Tips:

• Use the species search - it autocompletes from our catalog
• Check spelling of scientific names carefully
• If unsure of classification, ask in club forums or leave your best guess

Fish/Invertebrates:

Water Type: [Freshwater ▼]
Reproduction Date: [2025-10-01]
Number of Offspring: [50+]

Spawning Locations: (check all that apply)
  ☑ Broadleaf plants
  ☑ Spawning mop

Foods Used: (check all that apply)
  ☑ Live baby brine shrimp
  ☑ Frozen bloodworms

Plants/Corals:

Propagation Method: [Runners/Plantlets]
Propagation Date: [2025-10-01]
Number of Plantlets: [10]

☑ Plant flowered (bonus points!)

All Programs:

Tank Size: [20 gallon long]
Filter Type: [Sponge filter]
Water Change: 50% weekly
Temperature: 72°F
pH: 7.0
GH: 6 dGH

Plants/Corals (Additional):

Lighting:
  Type: [LED]
  Strength: [Medium]
  Hours per Day: [8]

Supplements:
  Types: ☑ Liquid fertilizer  ☑ Root tabs
  Regimen: [Dose 2x weekly]

CO2: [Yes ▼]
  Description: [Pressurized CO2 at 1 bubble/sec]

Witness (required for high-point species):

Witnessed By: [John Doe] (autocomplete from member list)

Tank Presets (save time on future submissions):

Load Preset: [My 20 Gallon ▼]
  or
Save as Preset: ☑ [Name: "20g Breeder"]

Two Options:

Save as Draft:

• Saves your progress
• Can continue editing later
• Not visible to admins yet
• Validation not required

Submit for Approval:

• Sends to admin approval queue
• All required fields must be filled
• Can't edit after submission (unless admin requests changes)
• You'll receive email when approved

All submissions must include:

✅ Species Details:

• Common name
• Scientific name (genus + species)
• Species classification

✅ Breeding/Propagation Info:

• Date of reproduction/propagation
• Number of offspring/plantlets/frags
• Spawning method or propagation technique

✅ Tank Parameters:

• Tank size
• Filtration type
• Water change frequency and volume
• Temperature
• pH (if relevant)

📷 Photos - Upload up to 5 photos showing:

• Offspring (fry, plantlets, frags)
• Parent specimens
• Tank setup
• Growth progress

💡 Detailed Notes - Include helpful information like:

• What triggered spawning
• Special feeding regimen
• Conditioning period
• Challenges overcome

The form will prevent submission if:

• ❌ Required fields are empty
• ❌ Date is in the future
• ❌ Scientific name format is invalid
• ❌ Tank parameters are outside reasonable ranges

Tip: Save as draft frequently while working!

Points are awarded based on species difficulty:

Fish (5 points):

• Guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
• Zebra Danios (Danio rerio)
• Cherry Barbs (Puntius titteya)

Fish (10 points):

• Neon Tetras (Paracheirodon innesi)
• Bronze Corydoras (Corydoras aeneus)
• Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

Fish (15 points):

• German Blue Rams (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
• Discus (Symphysodon spp.)
• Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)

Fish (20 points):

• Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi) - wild-type difficulty
• Many Apistogramma species
• Rare killifish

Plants (examples):

• Easy (5 pts): Java Fern, Anubias
• Moderate (10 pts): Amazon Sword, Crypts
• Difficult (15 pts): Stem plants requiring high light/CO2

Article Points (1-5 points):

• Write detailed breeding report
• Include photos, methodology, challenges
• Published in club newsletter or website
• Awarded at admin discretion

First-Time Species (bonus):

• First successful breeding of this species in club history
• Admin confirms during approval
• Additional recognition on activity feed

Plant Flowering (doubles base points):

• Aquatic plant successfully flowers
• 10-point plant that flowers = 20 points total
• Must provide photo evidence of flower

Guppy Breeding (5 points):

Base Points:        5
Article Bonus:      +2 (wrote breeding report)
First-Time:         +0 (commonly bred)
                    ---
Total:              7 points

Amazon Sword Propagation (10 points, flowered):

Base Points:        10
Flowering Bonus:    +10 (doubled)
Article Bonus:      +0
                    ---
Total:              20 points

Draft submissions let you:

• ✅ Save progress on partial forms
• ✅ Come back and finish later
• ✅ Keep breeding records private until ready
• ✅ Submit when you have all information

How to save as draft:

1. Fill in any fields you have
2. Click "Save as Draft"
3. Draft is saved to your account
4. Not visible to admins or public

Finding your drafts:

1. Visit your profile (/me)
2. Look for "Draft Submissions" section
3. Click "Edit" to continue

Draft status badge:

• Draft - Saved but not submitted

If admin requests changes to your submission:

• ✅ Submission returns to draft status
• ✅ You have 7 days to make edits
• ✅ Resubmit within 7 days to keep original submission date
• ❌ After 7 days, must submit as new (loses original date)

Email notification tells you what needs to be changed.

Maximum: 5 photos per submission

Accepted formats:

• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
• PNG (.png)
• WebP (.webp)

File size: Up to 10MB per photo

Recommended dimensions:

• Minimum: 400x400 pixels
• Maximum: 4000x4000 pixels
• Ideal: 1200-2000 pixels wide

1. Scroll to "Photos" section on submission form
2. Drag and drop photos onto upload zone
   • Or click to browse files
3. Watch progress bar as photos upload
4. Preview appears when upload completes
5. Click "×" on preview to remove photo

Automatic processing:

• Photos are resized for optimal web display
• EXIF data (GPS, camera info) is stripped for privacy
• Three sizes generated: original, medium (800px), thumbnail (150px)

Fish Breeding:

• 📷 Fry at various stages
• 📷 Parent fish (both male and female)
• 📷 Eggs (if applicable)
• 📷 Breeding tank setup

Plant Propagation:

• 📷 Plantlets/runners
• 📷 Mother plant
• 📷 Flowers (required for flowering bonus)
• 📷 Growth progression

Coral Propagation:

• 📷 Frags
• 📷 Parent colony
• 📷 Polyp extension
• 📷 Growth comparison

✅ DO:

• Use good lighting (avoid flash glare)
• Show clear details of offspring
• Include size reference when possible
• Take multiple angles

❌ DON'T:

• Upload blurry or dark photos
• Include identifying information you want private
• Use copyrighted images from internet

You need a witness for:

• High-point species (usually 15-20 points)
• First-time breedings in club history
• Rare or unusual species
• Whenever admin requests it

Ask your admin if you're unsure whether your species requires witness.

Valid witnesses:

• ✅ Current club members in good standing
• ✅ Someone who has personally seen your breeding success
• ✅ Knowledgeable about the species

Not valid:

• ❌ Yourself
• ❌ Non-members
• ❌ Someone who hasn't actually seen the offspring

On submission form:

Witnessed By: [Start typing member name...]

The field will autocomplete from member list:

• Type first few letters of name
• Select correct member from dropdown
• Click outside field to confirm

Step 1: You submit with witness designated

Step 2: Admin reviews witness request

Step 3: Witness confirms or declines

• Witness receives email notification
• Witness logs in and confirms they verified breeding
• Or witness declines if they haven't seen proof

Step 4: Admin approves submission (after witness confirms)

Timeline: Usually 3-7 days for full process

If witness cannot confirm:

• ✅ Admin will email you explaining what's needed
• ✅ Typically need more photos or documentation
• ✅ Resubmit with additional evidence
• ✅ May need to designate different witness

Common reasons for decline:

• Witness hasn't personally seen offspring
• Photos don't clearly show breeding success
• Witness is unsure of species identification

URL: https://bap.basny.org/me

Your profile displays:

Header:

• Your name
• Current level in each program
• Total points in each program

Program Tabs:

• Fish - All fish/invert submissions
• Plant - All plant submissions
• Coral - All coral submissions

Submission Status: Each submission shows status badge:

You'll receive emails for:

• ✅ Submission approved - Points awarded
• ✅ Level upgrade - Advanced to new level
• ✅ Specialty award - Earned new award
• ✅ Changes requested - Admin needs more info
• ✅ Witness confirmation - Witness verified your breeding
• ✅ Welcome email - Account created (with existing submissions)

Check your spam folder if emails aren't arriving!

Homepage shows recent achievements:

• Recent approved submissions (all members)
• Specialty awards granted
• Sorted by date (newest first)

Great for:

• Seeing what others are breeding
• Getting inspired for your next project
• Celebrating club achievements

As you accumulate points, you advance through levels. Each level has:

• Point threshold - Minimum total points
• Category requirements - Points from specific difficulty tiers

Formula:

Total Points ≥ Threshold
AND
Category Requirements Met

When you advance:

• ✅ Email congratulating you on new level
• ✅ Profile automatically updates
• ✅ Next level goal displayed

Example email:

Congratulations on reaching Breeder level!

You've earned 55 points in the Fish program and advanced to Breeder level.

Your next goal: Advanced Breeder (100 points)
Keep up the great work!

Awards recognizing expertise in specific species categories.

Requirements:

• Breed 5 or more different species from the category
• All must be approved submissions
• Automatically granted when threshold reached

Fish Categories:

• 🐟 Anabantoids Specialist (Bettas, Gouramis)
• 🐟 Catfish Specialist (Corydoras, Plecos, etc.)
• 🐟 Characins Specialist (Tetras, Piranhas)
• 🐟 Killifish Specialist (Annual and non-annual)
• 🐟 Livebearers Specialist (Guppies, Mollies, Swordtails)
• 🐟 New World Cichlids Specialist (Angels, Rams, Convicts)
• 🐟 Old World Cichlids Specialist (Africans, Chromides)
• 🐟 Cyprinids Specialist (Barbs, Danios, Rasboras)
• 🐟 Brackish Water Specialist (Monos, Scats, Archers)
• 🐟 Marine Fish Specialist (Clownfish, etc.)
• 🐟 Marine Invertebrates & Corals Specialist

Earned for collecting multiple specialist awards:

• 🏆 Senior Specialist Award - Earn 3+ specialist awards
• 🏆 Expert Specialist Award - Earn 5+ specialist awards

View awarded badges on your profile.

Progress toward next award:

• Count approved species in each category
• Need 5 unique species for category award
• Species must be in approved (not pending) status

Example:

Catfish Specialist Progress: 3/5 species
- Bronze Cory (approved)
- Peppered Cory (approved)
- Panda Cory (approved)
- Need 2 more species!

URL: https://bap.basny.org/species

Explore species that have been successfully bred/propagated by club members.

Features:

• Search by common or scientific name
• Filter by program (Fish, Plant, Coral)
• Filter by species class/category
• See all name variants (synonyms, trade names)

By Name:

Search: "betta"
Results: All species with "betta" in common or scientific name

By Category:

Filter: Anabantoids
Results: All anabantoid species in catalog

Combination:

Filter: Anabantoids
Search: "wild type"
Results: Wild-type anabantoid species

Clicking a species shows:

• Canonical scientific name
• Common name variants
• Scientific name variants (synonyms)
• Species classification
• Members who bred it (approved submissions only)

Great for:

• Finding species to breed next
• Seeing what's been done
• Getting breeding tips from successful members

URL: https://bap.basny.org/standings/{program}/{year}

Example: https://bap.basny.org/standings/fish/2025

Shows:

• Points earned within BAP year (August 1 - July 31)
• Ranked by total points (highest first)
• All members with points that year

Use for:

• Tracking annual competition
• Comparing with peers
• Seeing who's most active

URL: https://bap.basny.org/standings/{program}

Example: https://bap.basny.org/standings/fish

Shows:

• All-time point totals (since club started tracking)
• Grouped by level
• Sorted by points within each level

Use for:

• Seeing top breeders of all time
• Understanding level distribution
• Long-term goals

Click program tabs at top:

• Fish (Breeder Awards)
• Plant (Horticultural Awards)
• Coral (Coral Awards)

Standings are public - anyone can view (even without login).

Your submissions are visible only when approved.

1. Start with easy species (5-point fish/plants)

   • Build confidence
   • Earn your first points quickly
   • Learn the submission process

2. Document everything

   • Take photos at every stage
   • Record tank parameters
   • Note what triggered spawning
   • Write detailed breeding report

3. Join club meetings/forums

   • Ask experienced breeders for tips
   • Learn what species are achievable
   • Find potential witnesses

Strategy for "Breeder" level (50 points, ≥20pts from 10/15/20pt):

Goal: 50 total points, with 20 from harder species

Approach:
- Breed 4× 5-point species = 20 points
- Breed 2× 10-point species = 20 points  ✓ (meets requirement)
- Breed 1× 10-point species = 10 points  ✓ (total = 50)

OR

- Breed 2× 15-point species = 30 points  ✓ (meets requirement)
- Breed 4× 5-point species = 20 points   ✓ (total = 50)

Key: Plan your breeding projects to meet both total points AND category requirements.

Path to Catfish Specialist:

1. Start with easy cories (Bronze, Peppered, Panda)
2. Progress to moderate cories (Sterbai, Julii)
3. Try one challenging species (Habrosus, Pygmaeus)
4. 5 unique species = Award earned!

Efficient approach:

• Focus on one category at a time
• Breed similar species (same care requirements)
• Share fry/plantlets with club members
• Document techniques for future breeds

Good breeding report includes:

• Setup: Tank size, filtration, parameters
• Conditioning: Foods, water changes
• Spawning trigger: What prompted breeding?
• Fry care: First foods, water quality
• Challenges: Problems encountered and solutions
• Timeline: From conditioning to free-swimming fry
• Photos: Document each stage

Article points (1-5) are at admin discretion based on:

• Detail and completeness
• Photos/visual documentation
• Usefulness to other members
• Written quality

Q: Can I submit a species I bred before joining?

A: Usually yes, if you have documentation. Check your club's specific rules about retroactive submissions.

Q: How long does approval take?

A: Typically 3-7 days. If witness is required, add 3-5 days for witness confirmation.

Q: What if I made a mistake on my submission?

A: If you haven't submitted yet (still a draft), just edit it. If already submitted, contact an admin to request changes or edit it for you.

Q: Can I submit the same species multiple times?

A: You can submit multiple breeding reports for the same species for documentation purposes, but you only earn points for the first approved submission of each species. Subsequent breedings of the same species can be documented but won't award additional points.

Q: Why didn't my level upgrade after my submission was approved?

A: Check category requirements. You might have enough total points but not enough from higher-point categories.

Q: Do draft submissions count toward my level?

A: No. Only approved submissions count. Submit your drafts!

Q: Can I lose points or levels?

A: Generally no. Once approved, points are permanent. (Admins can adjust in case of errors.)

Q: Are photos required?

A: Usually not required, but strongly recommended. High-point species and first-time breedings may require photos.

Q: What if I forgot to take photos?

A: Take photos of current stage (even if fry are grown). Better late than never.

Q: Can I add photos after submission?

A: Not directly. Save as draft, add photos, then resubmit. Or ask admin to reopen for edits.

Q: Who can be my witness?

A: Any club member in good standing who has personally seen your breeding success.

Q: Does my witness have to be an expert?

A: No, but they should be knowledgeable enough to verify you successfully bred the species.

Q: What if I don't know any members to witness?

A: Attend a club meeting and bring photos. Ask an experienced member to witness. Or bring fry to meeting!

Website Issues:

• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Try different browser
• Contact admin if issue persists

Login Problems:

• Use "Forgot Password" to reset
• Check spam folder for reset email
• Verify email address is correct

Species-Specific Help:

• Search species in explorer
• See who else bred it successfully
• Ask them for tips at club meeting

General Breeding Help:

• Attend club meetings
• Join club forum/Facebook group
• Ask experienced breeders for mentorship

Contact your club's:

• Program coordinator
• Club president
• Admin team

Or reference official program rules (usually on club website or in member handbook).

The Breeder Awards Program is more than just points and levels - it's a community of passionate aquarists sharing knowledge, celebrating successes, and preserving species through home breeding.

Get Involved:

• Attend club meetings
• Share your breeding stories
• Help new members get started
• Donate fry/plantlets/frags to club auctions
• Write breeding reports

Good luck with your breeding projects! 🐟🌱🪸

• Admin User Guide - For program administrators
• Database Schema - Technical database structure
• API Documentation - Developer API reference
• CLAUDE.md - Full project documentation