Sa/Ca cichlid Crosses video

[dogofwar]

The fish that Mother Nature created are perfectly adapted to their habitats. They're perfect.

That doesn't mean that they're aesthetically perfect to man. So man has been breeding fish to suit his aesthetics since like 200 AD (with colored carp).

I can appreciate Mother Nature's perfection...and the skills of those who have the skills, expertise...and frankly patience to develop the "fancy" fish that are the foundation of our hobby (line bred, hybrid or both)...

Matt

 

[Aquanero]

The fish that Mother Nature created are perfectly adapted to their habitats. They're perfect.

That doesn't mean that they're aesthetically perfect to man. So man has been breeding fish to suit his aesthetics since like 200 AD (with colored carp).

I can appreciate Mother Nature's perfection...and the skills of those who have the skills, expertise...and frankly patience to develop the "fancy" fish that are the foundation of our hobby (line bred, hybrid or both)...

Matt

Very well said, I'm not a hybrid keeper but can appreciate some of the good looking ones. It's always a touchy subject around here.

 

[RD.]

Well put, Matt.

 

[dogofwar]

In the words of Edward Tayor (in BB 21), one of the founders of the ACA, in planting the seeds for the ACA Species Maintenance Program he highlighting the &#8220;higher level of <hobbyist> proficiency&#8221; required to &#8220;improve the quality of&#8230; fish by selective breeding. This art, so prevalent in breeding goldfish, livebearers and Killifish has recently started to emerge in breeding cichlids.&#8221; He cites the fancy angel - &#8220;bred into many and extremely different varieties&#8221; - as a model, noting that &#8220;<v>irtually every species of cichlid being maintained in aquaria could be selectively bred to produce more colorful, and even more important, healthier offspring&#8230;&#8221;

Taylor, in the same article, notes the dangers of indifferent breeding and cross breeding when &#8220;attempting to maintain pure strains.&#8221; He opines that the maintenance program could take several forms, including focusing on &#8220;selective breeding&#8230;to systematically improve&#8230;characteristics, both physically and behaviorally, control of cross breeding to prevent the indiscriminate distribution of hybrids&#8220;, and instituting &#8220;a program of experimental cross breeding across genus, species sub-species, racial and color variety lines&#8221; as a way of &#8220;lead<ing> to constructive progress in producing 'Man-made' or artificial breeds.&#8221;

Matt

 

[RD.]

Fascinating, thanks for posting that info, Matt.

I noticed several years ago that the ACA was accepting (and awarding) line bred hybrids, such as some of the albino strains of African peacocks, which at the time struck me as very odd as I always believed that the ACA was anti man made anything.

Learn something new every day, thanks again for posting that.

 

[xinchavoc]

Yes this belongs in the FLOWERHORN AND OTHER CICHLID CROSSES section, and defiantly not Other Hybrids section.


For the record, Convict x Green terror is not possible. Almost positive that image is a Blue Acara which is in the same genus as Green Terrors. So that one fish is appropriate to post here but not the others.

I have to agree with chrisplosion... GT can't breed outside their genus so convict x gt is almost if not impossible....

 

[edburress]

Trying.... not to... get... dragged in.

 

[Gruff Master]

Trying.... not to... get... dragged in.

For a hybrid discussion in the CA/SA section this has been quite civil so far. No one has bared their teeth yet. So feel free to voice your thoughts. You may have something informative to add to the conversation. Like I've said on previous threads, I have no problem with hybrids. There are a few that I wouldn't mind keeping. But there are still many natural occurring species to keep me busy for a long time.

 

[cacichlids]

There's some good looking hybrids there... I really liked the EBJDxJAG

But I still prefer pure specimens.

 

[aclockworkorange]

Exactly. I can never understand all the hate directed towards people that keep a hybrid in their tank. It's not like any of these fish are fooling anyone, nor is anyone using hybrids to repopulate native stock. According to some peoples standards 3/4 of the fish in this hobby would have to be flushed down the toilet. I also never see this kind of angst when someone posts pics of their midevil crosses, why is that? Just curious .....

OK, let me state that this thread was originally in the CA/SA section as noted. As far as the whole hybrid issue, nothing would have been said if this was originally posted in the hybrid section. I would never go to the hybrid section and jump on threads saying negative things about the fish. There are those who feel it's important to promote "pure" strains of cichlids, and they hang out in the CA/SA section.

I think you hit one of the reasons why there might be some tough feelings towards hybrids by some with the midevils comment... Midevils being sold as Midas or red devils, and also trimac crosses being sold as trimacs. It's one thing to purchase, breed, and promote hybrids bred for the hybrid hobby that are advertised as such, but it's another thing when these crosses get sold as "pure" fish and they aren't by unscrupulous or unknowledgable individuals. The people doing this are a big part of what gives hybrid hobbyists a bad name, and you hybrid guys should be the ones calling people out on it and educating (which I believe you already do) in order to change the entrenched dogma that exists against you. I for one don't think any of you are out there to negatively affect the pure strains of cichlids in any way, but maybe you can understand some of the frustrations people have with it.