Can't stand super weak cichlids

[duanes]

Its not that line breeding in itself, causes weak fish.
But the fact that there are many more in a spawn (that should "not" be allowed pass on genes) are allowed to survive and breed, perpetuating weaker and weaker individuals as their generations, and time goes along, and as they are inbred, and inbred again, and again.
In nature, weak individuals must pass thru a gauntlet of trials, that weed out the inferior individuals, only allowing the strongest to pass on their genes.
In a situation where a breeder wants most to survive, and without this "weeding out of the weak, many (just because they are initially, and outwardly colorful or pretty), weak individuals persist.
Its pretty obvious with all the constant reports we see about sub par Rams, or EBJDs that barely last to adulthood after being bought as juvies, kick the bucket.
I'm sure some of those are related to lack of proper maintenance, and proper water parameters, but with all the many reports, it is no coincidence something else is at play here especially with those species.

 

[neutrino]

duanes Agreed, definitely, though in the wild additional variables can come into play. Weather, behavior of a particular pair, advantages or not of a local habitat... or I've seen studies concerning bold vs timid fish, where local circumstances seem to alter which "personality" has the greater survival advantage.

 

[duanes]

I agree.
When a breeder keeps fish a perfect, mono type temp conditions, all throughout the grow out phase, that breeder is not doing future aquarists that buy those fish any favors.
One of the main survival of the fittest criteria, is the ability of a species to withstand normal variations of temp and other weather conditions a species might be subjected to, throughout normal life, in nature. (in captivity, a minor power outage)
Having a number of weak fry bite the dust by varying conditions in the first few weeks, is actually good for future aquarium generations.