I've talked to a few people growing out F1s and they seem to be much hardier. I've seen a wide range of water params for F1, from typical Altum water, to pH in the 7s and above. They seem to be much more adaptable. The one knock on F1s is that they don't always look like wilds - stripes can be off & body shape too. I think Tony Tan is probably the best know breeder currently - quarter size fish run $100...I'm waiting to see more adult F1 fish & get more info before I pull the trigger.