# Fishy dilema



## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

G'day peoples,

I have a dilema.

Last weekend I walked into a LFS and saw a half a dozen juvenile GBR's (one female, one stunning male, and four smaller males) and an adult pair of Gold GBR's. Now these are all proper German bred and imported Blue & Gold Rams, not the cheap and faded looking Asian version I normally see down here.

I fear that by next weekend, if they haven't been sold, I'll walk back into said LFS and buy the pair of Gold Rams and the stunning male & female Blue Rams. Infact I know I'll be outside thier door at 5 minutes to 9.

Here's the thing, 2 months ago I would of had a moral dilema with this. I'm not a real big fan of line breeding and colour morphs. I've always maintained the view that fish that resemble wild caught fish are preferable to _fake_ fish.

What has happened to my fishy morals? Have I slipped? Will I be able to look myself in the mirror on Sunday morning? Let alone do a water change on my wild caught dorsigera's tank again?

Not to mention that if I buy them I'll have to sell my L397's and Laetacara curviceps.


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## fishyfishyfish (May 8, 2008)

Don't worry - wouldnt you rather have a pretty fish than a dull wild fish? I know i would.

Plus on a similar note i have a jack russell terrier and thousands of years ago all dogs are bred and distant rellatives / cross breeds from wolves but you wouldn't want a wild wolf as a pet now would you?

:-? Mind you it would keep the burglars at bay!!!

That analogy is naff i know but hey ho!!! :dancing:


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

Nobody is going to judge you but yourself on this matter. You aren't buying a hybrid, you aren't buying a fish that has been genetically altered, you aren't supporting other poor husbandry practices. You're just thinking about buying a fish that has been bred for color traits. It's not a whole lot different than going to a shop and picking the fish with the nicest color from a tank full of wild caught fish.


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## fishyfishyfish (May 8, 2008)

kornphlake said:


> Nobody is going to judge you but yourself on this matter. You aren't buying a hybrid, you aren't buying a fish that has been genetically altered, you aren't supporting other poor husbandry practices. You're just thinking about buying a fish that has been bred for color traits. It's not a whole lot different than going to a shop and picking the fish with the nicest color from a tank full of wild caught fish.


here here


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I don't see any problem here, DFF...

If you've got the tank space, go for it. :thumb:

Variety really _is_ the spice of life!

I have a tank full of wild (read "expensive") mbuna. It sits right across the room from my tank of "balloon" rams and Bolivian rams. I sleep just fine. :lol:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

36x18 breeders have enough space for two pairs of dwarves *DFF*. You were going to do apisto's opposite the acaras anyway.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> 36x18 breeders have enough space for two pairs of dwarves *DFF*. You were going to do apisto's opposite the acaras anyway.


But I still like stocking with fish from the same river system/ecosystem. Just seems right to me. So I'm toying with these two possible stock lists when I move.

*Tank 1*
1 pair Laetacara dorsigerus - Red breasted dwarf acara
1 pair Apistogramma borelii sp. paraguay
15 Aphyocharax rathbuni - Redflank bloodfin tetra 
or Aphyocharax paraguayensis - Dawn tetra 
or Moenkhausia dichroura - Bandtail tetra 
12 Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi - Black Neon tetra
10 Corydoras hastatus - dwarf corydoras
5 Otocinclus

*Tank 2*
2 pair German Blue ram
15 Paracheirodon simulans - Green neon tetra 
12 Hemigrammus rhodostomus - Rummy-nose tetra
6 Corydoras metae 
7 Otocinclus


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

So you are sending your curviceps to the states for me right??? :lol:

Yeah, I much prefer keeping the fish habitat related ... it's killing me seeing my dorisgera in with colombian pikes right now. Of course, mine is a temporary thing until I get my breeders up and running. So I completely understand, but at the same time, with your importing restrictions, I probably wouldn't be as strict on that myself.

Remember the _Laetacara_ club!!! Don't give in to the flashier rams!!! :lol:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

So did you fall prey to the rams *DFF* or stay strong and did the dwarf acaras proud??? :lol:


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> So did you fall prey to the rams *DFF* or stay strong and did the dwarf acaras proud??? :lol:


Well I just got back from a LFS crawl with a few other locals (yes we are very _sad_ down here).

Sadly, when we visited said LFS, the batch of GBR's had been sold, and they had a new batch in that was femaleless, :roll:.

They still had the pair of Gold GBR's in thier planted display bowl, it's about 40 gallons and really awesome.

Unfortunately the attendant I spoke to said they weren't for sale, and I know better than to try and haggle with a LFS manager on a busy Sunday lunch. I will probably go back next Thursday, which is a rdo fo me , and see if I can talk him into selling the Gold GBR pair. Thursday also happens to be the day they get thier new stock in each week.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Too bad orangeflossen aren't available down there, they are from both the rio ***** and rio orinico, thus in theory could possibly be found with rams. But of course you'd need a 3rd 50 breeder tank. Dwarf acaras are like pokemon, gotta catch them all!! :lol:


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## cc_woman (Jan 31, 2008)

Too bad about the rams  It is difficult to find great quality GBR's here. I like the stock lists you have there, the tanks would be gorgeous with those fish. I many times have changed tanks of fish because I fell in love with something else. Or I just bought more tanks  :lol: The MTS set in and I couldn't help myself!!!


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