TFH Aquarium Photo Contest Official Rules

  1. No purchase necessary to enter or win. The TFH Aquarium Photo Contest (“Contest”) is sponsored by T.F.H. Publications, Inc. (TFH). The Contest begins on June 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (EST) and ends on August 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Entries must be received by August 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Enter as often as you wish. All eligible entries will be entered in the Contest. Incomplete entries will not be accepted. Entries are subject to verification. Submissions may be investigated and voided if fraudulent. Affidavits may be required to confirm eligibility. If entering via mobile device, data and mobile charges may apply. Check with your carrier.
  2. Open to legal U.S. residents who own home aquariums and are 18 years of age or older as of June 1, 2026. Employees of TFH, its parent company, subsidiaries, affiliates, related companies, suppliers, brokers, advertising and promotional agencies, and the members of the immediate families and/or households of each of the above are not eligible to participate. By entering, entrants agree that they have complied with all Contest and eligibility rules. Offer valid in the USA only. Void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law.
  3. To enter:
    1. Visit https://www.tfhmagazine.com/aquarium-photo-contest-2026
    2. Completely fill out and submit the entry form
    3. Upload one (1) photo of your aquarium and a selfie that meets the photo submission requirements outlined below.
  4. TFH photo submission:
    • Entrants must solely own all rights and title to any and all materials submitted as an entry to this Contest.
    • Photo must be at least 1,200 x 1,800 pixels.
    • No AI-generated/stock photo submissions allowed.
    • Photo must be of entrant’s home aquarium—no photos from pet stores, public aquariums, or the wild allowed.
    • Harm/staging that stresses fish is not allowed for the sake of the photo.
    • Photo must NOT show any product branding of any kind.
    • Photo may NOT be inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill associated with TFH.
    • Photo must NOT include any images of any person or individual aside from the entrant.
    • Each entry submission must include a different photo.
  5. Submissions which violate, in TFH’s sole discretion, any of the requirements contained herein shall be deemed ineligible and any such submission shall be void. Prize will be mailed to confirmed addresses only. All entries become the property of TFH and will not be returned. TFH may use any and all entries for advertising/promotional purposes of this Contest without payment to entrant.
  6. Up to ten (10) finalists will be determined by an internal panel of judges in its sole and exclusive discretion. Entries shall be judged for:
    • Uniqueness, 30%
    • Technical Quality of the Photograph, 35%
    • Quality of Aquarium and Photo Subject, 35%
    Judges’ decisions are final. The finalists will be published by August 17, 2026. Public voting on the finalists will occur from August 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (EST), through August 27, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. (EST). Only one vote per email address is allowed. The finalist with the highest number of valid votes will be the grand prize winner. The Contest winner will be notified via email on or about August 28, 2026. Winner will be required to sign and return a prize release and other documents, as necessary, within the timeframe stipulated on prize notification, or prize will be forfeited. Unclaimed prize will not be awarded. If the contest winner declines the prize or does not return the necessary documents, the entrant with the next highest valid votes will be awarded the grand prize. Prize cannot be substituted for cash. Prize is non-transferable.
  7. In consideration of TFH’s acceptance of entrant’s entry, entrant agrees to indemnify, defend and hold TFH, its parent company, subsidiaries, related and/or affiliated companies, divisions, agents, employees, successors, heirs and all judges of the Contest harmless from and against any and all liability, claims or losses for its/their actions arising from, or related to, the drawing and handling of entrant’s entry, the use and/or publication of the entry and the conducting, advertising and sponsoring of this Contest. TFH offers its customers a loyalty program that provides certain perks, such as rewards and exclusive offers. TFH may also provide other programs, such as sweepstakes, contests, or other similar promotional campaigns (collectively, the “Loyalty Programs”). When you sign up for one of these Loyalty Programs, TFH will typically ask you to provide your name and contact information (such as email address and/or phone number). Because TFH’s Loyalty Programs involve the collection of personal information, they might be interpreted as a “financial incentive” program under certain states’ privacy laws. The value of your personal information provided to TFH is related to the value of the free or discounted products or services, or other benefits that you obtain or that are provided as part of the applicable Loyalty Program, less the expense related to offering those products, services, and benefits to Loyalty Program participants. You may withdraw from participating in a Loyalty Program at any time by contacting TFH, using the designated method set forth in the applicable Loyalty Program rules.
  8. TFH is not responsible for:
    • Lost, interrupted, inaccessible or unavailable networks, servers, satellites, internet service providers, websites, or other connection, availability or accessibility problems arising in connection with or over the course of the Contest.
    • Any malfunction of entrant’s computer, or hardware/software malfunction.
  9. This Contest cannot be republished in any other medium without the express written consent of TFH. To get a copy of these Official Rules, please visit https://www.tfhmagazine.com/aquarium-photo-contest-official-rules or send a written request to:

    P.O. Box 427
    Neptune, New Jersey 07754

    To request a list of the names of winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope after October 25, 2026, to the address above.

One (1) Grand Prize Includes:

  • One (1) $500 Visa® Gift Card
  • One (1) Hikari® product pack (approximate retail value, $100)
  • Publication of the winning photo and winner’s name in an upcoming issue of TFH Magazine (subject to the Grand Prize Winner’s execution of the required release form).

Hikari and Visa are not sponsors of this Contest nor are they affiliated with TFH. Promotion is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Facebook, Instagram, or X.




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