Anybody else have adult Electric Blue/Gold ("Platinum") Dempseys?

[liquidlizard]

You're correct, that previously, platinums have only been produced by breeding two normal-looking dempseys that carry the genes for both gold and blue. So only 1/16, or about 6%, of the fry were platinums.

BUT as far as I know, this is the first time an actual platinum has been successfully bred. Since he and his mate are both gold, all the babies are gold. Since he is also electric blue, and his mate carries the gene for blue, half the babies should be electric blue golds...AKA platinums
If the platinum male had been bred to a female with any other combination of genetics, that would change everything, and there would be a far less number of platinum offspring.
Later today I will sit down and draw up a Punnett square and post it...it would probably make a lot more sense that way...

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

Thats awesome! Maybe with more platinums you will have a greater chance of having more that are of better quality.

 

[liquidlizard]

That's exactly what I'm hoping
Next, my plan is to get several wild-caught females to outcross the platinum with, to strengthen the bloodline...

 

[liquidlizard]

Ok, another update...I've had my hands full keeping up with all these fish!
So on 1/23, I pulled a spawn from the platinum x gold. A week later, I started watching for signs of the next spawn. Well, they must have fooled me and hid some eggs, because on 1/30 they were herding around a small school of fry!
So with several batches containing platinum fry, I pulled the gold female to give her a little break, and threw the blue gene female back in with the platinum to make some more electrics. Took them about a day and a half to spawn. The platinum has no problem switching back and forth between the two females, and it gives them a break to fatten up and rest between spawns.
So the oldest gold/platinum fry are almost a month old now, and there is a very clear difference between the gold fry and platinum fry. Like the electric blue fry are more yellow colored than normal Dempsey fry, with broken black bands, the platinums are an almost orangey
color with the broken bands. Looks like about 150 little platinums out of the spawn, and they are growing fast. They seem to be growing faster than the electrics--the baby plats are just about as big as the electrics that are 2 weeks older!
Pics coming soon, I promise...if I ever get a few minutes between water changes and hatching out brine shrimp


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[worldbelow07]

Damn! Cant wait for pics!

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[McFall]

yes cannot wait! congrats!

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

Liquidlizard I can't wait to see your results! Your male sounds like a stud (or a ho, lol) Having a breeder that accepts multiple partners to spawn with really makes a difficult selective breeding project like yours much easier to handle. You definitely got lucky with your male so congrats!

You've increased your yields of platinum fry so that will hopefully increase your end number of higher quality examples. I feel quality will continue to be an issue with a large % of this cross but your use of excellent breeders should start taking things in the right direction.

I take back what I sad previously about platinum dempsey just because your male is obviously a bad ass. If he's so willing to spawn let him breed until you have no more room for his fry. How long do you intend on growing out the fry? Will you be selling and shipping any? I demand update pics! Very cool breeding project you got and looking forward to seeing your results, can't wait to see both the ebjd and platinum juvies.

 

[liquidlizard]

Thanks guys--

Aquatic Aggression, thanks for your comments! No offense taken on your original opinion of the platinum morph I know there are not many surviving platinums out there, and there is a very high rate of deformity with this cross. That is one reason I am so glad my efforts seem to be paying off. I want to see this morph become widely available as a healthy and hardy fish. I know I really lucked out with this male, and I want to spread his genes around with as many females as he can handle! LOL
I have a couple nice normal females in quarantine, that will eventually be used to outcross the platinum to. I am drawing up plans to expand the fishroom as we speak

I plan on growing out the ebjd fry for about another 3-4 weeks before starting to sell them--they should be about 1-1.25" by then. I'm probably going to hold onto the platinums a little bit longer than that. But I do plan on selling and shipping both morphs in the near future!
So far there are no deformities or weaklings--all the fry are healthy and eating like pigs, and the baby platinums are already as large as the ejbd fry that are two weeks ahead of them. If anything the plats seem to be more vigorous than the regular ebjd's! They all get spoiled with a varied diet of baby brine shrimp, cyclopeeze, earthworm flakes, spirulina flakes, New Life Spectrum small pellets, Omega One flakes, and starting to munch on live blackworms. Daily water changes don't hurt either!

Ok, you asked for it--pics! Sorry they're not the greatest--couldn't get the little guys to hold still! The only way I could even get these pics was to stick my fingertips in the water to make them think it was feeding time But you can see how the platinum fry are so much more orange than the ebjd's...

Ebjd fry



Platinum fry



Mama blue gene with the latest spawn

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

Nice fry pics. Looking good so far.
You are pretty much the jd master with this project. Gonna be able to supply the hobby with nice examples of every type of jd know to man lol.
I find it interesting you say the plats are more vigorus compared to the ebjd fry and they are growing much faster than the ebjd fry are. I have read otherwise (platinums growing super slow much slower than standard ebjd) so I think you must have an excellent pair as well as providing quality care for your fry.
One more request- More pics of your adult platinum please. Im thinking these things are pretty rare and I know for a fact that sexually mature adult examples are almost non existant.

 

[Bb66cuda]

Good to see you are breeding my creation. I have a few "oddball platinums" still around. I kept the freaks of my breedings.