Discus Crosses

[GoodMike]

As you know ive got my order from jeff including 2 pearl pigeons (slight pepper on one), 3 blue diamonds, and 2 red turqs. If any of these cross bred, what would they look like? what should i avoid? incourage? Any advice would be great. THANKS

[GulfCoastDiscus]

I'd keep them with their own. Don't like mutts but if you're trying to get some experience any pair will do. Just remember when you mix with PB you'll see a lot of peppering on the frys.

Dan

[GoodMike]

thats kinda what i figured from the PBs :-\

[GoodMike]

anyone else have some ideas? like a red turq X blue diamond?

[GulfCoastDiscus]

I'm guessing you'll come out with cobalt type. BD with some straitions. It's not fix so you'll come out with different frys. Some more turqs and some will come out cleaner like a BD.

Dan

[M0oN]

I think there are some posts in the photo gallery of good specimins from crossing red turq with blue diamond...

Getting a stable strain out of the two is a long process that would involve inbreeding their offspring to stabilize certain genes...you'll probably just get a bunch of odd looking fish with a few acceptable color patterns in some...

[GulfCoastDiscus]

In another word "Mutts" lol ;)

dan

[Lauren]

mutts can be pretty! ;D
If you dont like them send them to me! lol

[GoodMike]

right now i figure whatever breeds, ill let them and see what happens. That way i can get a hang of it so i know how to raise them. even if i get ugly babies, ill love them anyways, me and lauren both :P

[M0oN]

If you're breeding fish as a hobby then it's not necessary to get good strains, really...

I'd imagine it takes years and years of experience to get where supplier's are at, otherwise everyone would be doing it.

[DISCUS USA]

What about crossing domestic with domestic a few times too many..discus genes get weaker the more times you x domstc with domstc..back crossing domestics with wild caught or f1 is ideal to strengthen discus genes.I used to not appreciate the appearance and importance of wild caught discus..my eyes were opened last year to the fact that Blue Diamonds,Red turqs,marlboro reds do not swim in Rivers of Peru,Brazil or anywhere,these are man made crosses..why not instead of Blue diamond with Blue Diamond or mut discus like Moon says LOL!! try geting a few wilds or f1 discusand mix them up in community tank your domestics and see what happens..i think thats more original than same strain discus breeding pairs..imagine blue diamond crossed with some exotic wild discus..maybe one day you can develope your own strain discus named after you..

[M0oN]

Hector, actually there is a photograph of a wild blue diamond in my Exotic Discus Of The World book.

From what I've been told we are about 10 years ahead of mother nature on man made strains, obviously a lot of strains will never show up in nature...

Also, if you're breeding for a new strain of discus I've read from various big name breeders that you should always be inbreeding from the same stock, introducing a strain that isn't of the same gene pool can undo years of work...