# glowing fish at pet store, they said it was natural???



## FTLOSM (Mar 20, 2007)

I realize these aren't cichlids but wanted to see what you guys know about this, I was in a local shop over the weekend and they had some tetras that were SUPER vibrant glowing like, I assumed they were injected or something like that and asked how long that effect would last.

I was told they were bred that way and it won't just go away, that seemed like a load of bs to me but if its true i might go pick a few up for my wifes empty and running 29 gallon at her office.

Thanks for any input,

Bill


----------



## Guams (Aug 21, 2009)

You must be talking about Glo-Fish. These guys, right? http://fencepostings.wordpress.com/2009 ... d-members/


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I had assumed they might be the Glo-Fish Danios too. They are no longer legal to sell in Ontario (Canada?) and many other places (including a number of states). They aren't natural, in that they were genetically engineered, though they breed true. If they are these fish, they brightness won't go away.

There are some tetras that have been dyed though, and they tend to fade.


----------



## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

someone might get the reference.

though this link makes it cichlid related
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2962


----------



## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

I've seen them to at my LFS. They have the tank all blacked out with a black light it is really cool looking.


----------



## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn said:


> someone might get the reference.
> 
> though this link makes it cichlid related
> http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2962


Wow nice! I love those glowing fish, but flashing tile fish is more beautiful


----------



## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Did you get the tetra's name? I know the very first time I saw glowlights or cardinals I thought they had to be fake ...


----------



## FishandFire (Jul 2, 2007)

The danios have been injected with DNA from jellyfish to get the "glo" coloration. The guy at the store is correct, they do breed true. All future generations of these mutants will also be mutants. I say mutants, because that is exactly what they are. Engineers have taken a perfectly good fish in its' intended form and altered the DNA chain. Would anybody want a dog that had been injected with DNA from a possum? Why would someone want a fish like that?


----------



## Guams (Aug 21, 2009)

FishandFire, you're comparing apples to oranges in your example. GloFish weren't bred specifically for human enjoyment. They started off as a way to make environmental pollution more easily detectable. Then people got hooked on them and wanted to keep them because of they way they looked.

A dog crossed with a possum has no aesthetic, nor scientific, value so you're point is moot, IMO.


----------



## John27 (Jun 6, 2010)

Fogelhund said:


> I had assumed they might be the Glo-Fish Danios too. They are no longer legal to sell in Ontario (Canada?) and many other places (including a number of states). They aren't natural, in that they were genetically engineered, though they breed true. If they are these fish, they brightness won't go away.
> 
> There are some tetras that have been dyed though, and they tend to fade.


Do they breed? I've been told that they are sterilized?


----------



## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

They breed (like Zebra Danios)...

Glo-fish are genetically modified...not dyed, tattooed, etc.

The bottom line is that a lot of people like colorful fish for their fish tanks. Glo fish are colorful...so people like them...and vendors stock them.

It's really that simple. :thumb:

Matt


----------



## John27 (Jun 6, 2010)

Oh okay, I remember when they first came out we talked about them in a biology class, one of the things we discussed that was "unethical" was the companies practice of sterilizing the fish, (so you couldn't breed and sell your own) I guess they don't do that anymore.

-John


----------



## kriskm (Dec 1, 2009)

From that first link from Guams:



> Another interesting fact is they are actually copyrighted under international law. While the fish themselves are the ones copying themselves, deliberately breeding and selling them without a license is prohibited. They are chemically sterilized before being sold, but some get by without losing their fertility.


----------



## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

FishandFire said:


> All future generations of these mutants will also be mutants.


 They are not mutated fish. They are gene-spliced. Mutants have a mutation in their DNA.



FishandFire said:


> Would anybody want a dog that had been injected with DNA from a possum? Why would someone want a fish like that?


 not only do I not have a problem with gene spliced animals, food, etc but I would happily BE gene spliced. I've had three kids with one on the way... here's my arm, gimme gimme!

I see nothing unethical about gene-splicing... I challenge anyone to come up with an argument against gene-splicing that doesn't also apply to any other form of medicine, food, technology, etc. and I'm sorry, but as soon as one of my kids had a problem that gene therapy could solve, I'd go for it in a heart beat and I'll bet that all of you would to. Your objections at this technology being "unnatural" would vanish as soon as you saw your child ill and in bed!

:roll:

would I take a dog spliced with a possum? yeah, cuz my daughters poof ball dog-wannabee 'morkie' is SOOOO much more natural than a possum dog would be. :lol:


----------



## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)

I agree. Not to bring up this debate again, but these 'glofish' are much more, should I say, normal and healthy than mutated hybrids (e.g. blood parrots, ballon belly what-have-you, ect...)

Manoah Marton


----------



## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

CoolCichlid said:


> PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn said:
> 
> 
> > someone might get the reference.
> ...


I see your colour changing tile fish, and raise you a hypnotizing cuttlefish










enough thread derailing.

regarding fish using the "glow" in the common name.

theres a fair few that aren't GM/Dyed

theres several I can think of
Glowlight tetra
Glowlight Danio
Glowlight Rasbora


----------



## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

Likely you are talking about the glo-fish, which are a genetically modified danio.

They added a gene to the fish so that they have bright garish colors...I will admit, a tank full of them under a blacklight in a bar type setting would look pretty neat though.

Since they are genetically modified, they are not injected, dyed or subjected to any other torturous methods. Unlike crossbreeds such as parrot cichlids, or some of the varieties of fancy goldfish, they are not gross mutations that cause body deformities. The only thing different about them is that they are a different color.

Now, if you want to get really technical about it, genetically speaking, there is no difference between these fish, and a golden ram, electric blue jack dempsey, or any of the color variants bred into discus or angelfish. The only difference is that the color appearance was inserted thus saving time over years of heavy selective breeding.

These fish are not damaged, harmed, or mistreated in any way (ok, they are grown in fish farms and sold at petco...so, not mistreated any more than the other fish).

With that said, are they natural? No. But some people will say that the varieties of discus produced are not natural either. The best way to deal with this situation is that if you do not agree with it, then do not buy them.


----------



## jameswilliam (Nov 17, 2010)

The GloFish, as they are called, have opened a new chapter in a long-term failure between aquarium owners who favor only natural fish and those who find an acceptable technique in their search for color and weird, not including cross unrelated species, improving traits like bulging eyes or even injecting dyes into the fish.


----------



## CichMomma (Mar 3, 2010)

opcorn: Great thread!

I always have enjoyed watching these lil, fluorescent green, yellow, and pink fish at the LFS but have never though about buying any for my son's tank.........hmmmmm


----------

