breeding same colors matter ?

[piranhafreak]

does it make it any harder to breed them if they are different colors ?

[Carol_Roberts]

Nope :)

[cobalt]

I agree with carol,
I would also carefully say that I have an easier time crossing diffrent species with others than with there own. most of the time anyway.
for example oriental leopard will spawn easely with red torquise but not with its own with the same ease.
but I cannot get red spot green to spawn with blue diamond in order to get a blue fish with red spottes (at least 25% of F2- thats mendel for you :o)
well it must boil down to sheer luck ....
I once had a chinesee PHd student that said that his mother had a saying
"the goddes of luck likes hard workers"
I don't belive in the godess of luck but the point is clear like a crystal lake ;D
Cobalt

[piranhafreak]

thanks for the replys
:)

[jjgallow]

I think this is a very interesting issue to anyone trying to get different strains.

It IS much harder to breed fish of the same strain. From my limited experience I have always found the that two most opposite fish in the tank are the two most likely to pair off. >:(

The general theory behind this is called MHC-dissassortative mating. It's preprogrammed into all vertebrates to prevent inbreeding...which is unfortunately what many breeders aim for. :o

A quick reference on MHC-dissassortative mating can be found here:
http://www.psychologie.uni-kiel.de/~eggert/mhcandbehaviour/abstract/penn.htm


Inbreeding can help achieve optimum colors and traits ;D, as well as introduce various genetic diseases such as poor eyesight, stunting or lack of parental instinct. :'(

Many breeders will occassionally cross their inbred strains with wilds, and thus achieve healthier, stronger and sometimes more colorfull varieties (yes? no? I can't breed wilds myself, lol) ???

It is still preferable, in many cases, to inbreed. If you have troubles getting fish to inbreed, there is a way around it BUT it has to be planned: ::)

The fish use MCH-dissasortative mating to AVOID fish most similar to the PARENTS WHO RAISED THEM and their SIBLINGS. Likewise, they are attracted to discus most different from those fish.

To trick discus into inbreeding that otherwise wouldn't, you might have to raise them, from hatching, by different parents and if possible with different siblings. More on this here:

http://www.psychologie.uni-kiel.de/~eggert/mhcandbehaviour/abstract/penn.htm



(yes, I'm going out on a limb!) :o :o