Raising a group to find the best looking cichlids?

[Omrit]

Looking at the results of my cichlid's spawns, and how different the quality can be even among such closely related fish got me thinking. Is buying a group of young fish for the purpose of finding the best looking one for your display tank something people do? Maybe more something you would do if you were serious about breeding a high quality line perhaps?



So is this something any of you actually do, or am I thinking too much?

 

[Azedenkae]

Generally I think it would not be a good idea, as often it is the most dominant of the fish that gets to color up, so you may not be ending up with what you are looking for - i.e. just whatever the most dominant fish shows, as opposed to possibly a less dominant fish but would have had better colors. This does not apply to all cichlids, so it does depend on what species you are pondering, but yeah.

I would think buying a group of fish and housing them separately, all the while adding things that would promote their dominance to get them to show their colors may be better.

 

[phreeflow]

I always buy a group of anything that I’m growing out, pick out the best, and give or trade the rest away. If I’m buying adults, I simply pick the nicest ones I can find

 

[duanes]

In the past I have usually tried to buy as many juvies as I can get (afford), but my point then was getting breeding pairs.
If ordering, I'd sometimes buy some from one end of the country, others from another side.
Although that still doesn't assure they aren't related.
But later, also separating out any "not so good looking ones" before allowing any slackers or slightly flawed individuals to breed.
With cichlids it usually takes until they are at least 3" before some flaws are obvious.
My minimum is usually is to get t least 6, but at one of the Chicago Cichlid Assn. conventions, I was able to get 20 Guianacara, and at another cichlid convention a bag of 10 young "belly crawler" pikes..

But not only for weeding out the chaff myself, with cichlids...they often weed themselves out.
With the belly crawlers, they went from 10 to 1 male in a matter of weeks in a 6 foot tank, siblings eating other siblings.
Luckily a friend at the same convention bought a bag of 10, that ended up as 1, a female , that later we combined, both being excellent individuals
I also find getting juvies, is also the most affordable way to get choice individuals.
I ordered a dozen Cribroheros rostratus from COA,

And the end results were quite stellar