What are your favorite Thorichthys species and why?
- Thread starter SCM_2123
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F0 would be wild caught fish. F1 would be their offspring. F2 would be the next line of offspring and so on.
Fish that are closest to F0 fish are normally better quality fish provided the correct water parameters are met.
Fish that have been bred for many generations can be hardy fish but on the flip side, fish that have been over bred for many generations from the same line can produce genetically weak offspring. These will often lack colour, be prone to bacteria infections and illness and generally be short lived. This is the case for many firemouths in the hobby.
Fish that are closest to F0 fish are normally better quality fish provided the correct water parameters are met.
Fish that have been bred for many generations can be hardy fish but on the flip side, fish that have been over bred for many generations from the same line can produce genetically weak offspring. These will often lack colour, be prone to bacteria infections and illness and generally be short lived. This is the case for many firemouths in the hobby.
What you said is partially true depending on how the breeders are selected. If you keep breeding brothers and sisters, it will lead to inbreeding decline. I have personally experienced breeding third to fourth generations of cichlid and live bearers and notice spontaneous
I have personally experienced breeding third to fourth generations cichlid and live bearers from initial pair and notice spontaneous pop up of deformity and albinism. The grow out I raised to adult also turned out to be less hardy, and live shorter life than normal.
Good fish farmers, however, understand inbreeding drawback and will introduce outside strain to restore vigor of which the source can be wild fish or from other fish farms.
When I kept African cichlids in the 80s, I suffered many losses to bloat. Today, African cichlids have been domesticated for 50+ years, and I hardly ever lost Africans to bloat. On the other hand, I tried newer CAs such as Thorichthys and Cryptoheros species lately and experienced losses to bloat and bacterial infection reminiscent of my early days Africans experience. Old timers like Firemouth, Jack Dampsey and convict cichlid never seem to get sick, even living in sewage water. Yes, long time domestication without introducing wild genes suffer from poor quality, hybridization and wash out color manifestation, but not hardiness because fish farms know to avoid inbreeding decline. Exceptions are albino, balloon, short body, or electric blue fish purposely inbred to produce designer look. Fancy goldfish are classic examples of intensive inbreeding for deformity that live short live, 3 to 5 years in best condition, versus their wild cousin gold carp that can live for decades.
Good fish farmers, however, understand inbreeding drawback and will introduce outside strain to restore vigor of which the source can be wild fish or from other fish farms.
Spontaneous what?? Combustion?
When I kept African cichlids in the 80s, I suffered many losses to bloat. Today, African cichlids have been domesticated for 50+ years, and I hardly ever lost Africans to bloat. On the other hand, I tried newer CAs such as Thorichthys and Cryptoheros species lately and experienced losses to bloat and bacterial infection reminiscent of my early days Africans experience. Old timers like Firemouth, Jack Dampsey and convict cichlid never seem to get sick, even living in sewage water. Yes, long time domestication without introducing wild genes suffer from poor quality, hybridization and wash out color manifestation, but not hardiness because fish farms know to avoid inbreeding decline. Exceptions are albino, balloon, short body, or electric blue fish purposely inbred to produce designer look. Fancy goldfish are classic examples of intensive inbreeding for deformity that live short live, 3 to 5 years in best condition, versus their wild cousin gold carp that can live for decades.
Some young T. meeki guarding new fry from Vieja maculicauda yesterday:
T. helleri guarding fry from hets and chets in May:
T. helleri guarding fry from hets and chets in May:
Very nice indeed. You are really making me miss these fish, particularly my old Hellen group.
Your fish look great.
