Okay - with ALL of these ultra rare fish popping up (Mostly in Li's tanks!) why isn't anybody working on breeding programs? Nobody?
Even species that are easily bred in Asia aren't bred here - example : Giant Gouramis. They are just Gouramis for pete's sake. They have a well known breeding regime just like Tilapia in ponds.
My question is, why wouldn't more people promote the captive breeding of really rare fish (I'm excepting Cichlids here, because Cichlids are as a general rule, very easy in comparison.)
This would 1) lessen pressure on wild caught fish (except for mutations), 2) keep money within the USA, instead of international breeders profiting, 3) make RARE fish available to all of us MFK's, and 4) for the joy, experience, and learning of breeding fish that aren't bred often, if at all.
For example, there are quite a few species of concern, such as the black arowana, but nobody is "really" doing anything to create a captive breeding program. My question is... Why?
As for me, I'm working on building up a breeding group of Protopterus annectens, and already have enough specimens to do that. I have also just started collecting Osphronemus for the dual purpose of their awesome personalities, and to breed them in the USA.
Even species that are easily bred in Asia aren't bred here - example : Giant Gouramis. They are just Gouramis for pete's sake. They have a well known breeding regime just like Tilapia in ponds.
My question is, why wouldn't more people promote the captive breeding of really rare fish (I'm excepting Cichlids here, because Cichlids are as a general rule, very easy in comparison.)
This would 1) lessen pressure on wild caught fish (except for mutations), 2) keep money within the USA, instead of international breeders profiting, 3) make RARE fish available to all of us MFK's, and 4) for the joy, experience, and learning of breeding fish that aren't bred often, if at all.
For example, there are quite a few species of concern, such as the black arowana, but nobody is "really" doing anything to create a captive breeding program. My question is... Why?
As for me, I'm working on building up a breeding group of Protopterus annectens, and already have enough specimens to do that. I have also just started collecting Osphronemus for the dual purpose of their awesome personalities, and to breed them in the USA.
