# tank raised vs wild/F1



## ghostrebo (Jun 4, 2008)

what are the benefits of wild or F1 african cichlids vs tank raised (domesticated) african cichlids?


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## zenobium (Jan 5, 2006)

1. Bragging Rights - People like to say they have wild fish, or F1's because it sounds impressive.

2. Fry Value - F1 and F2 fry are almost always worth more than comparable fry that have been captive bred for many generations.

3. Unique Genotypes - Many captive bred individuals are highly inter-related because they come from only a small initial sample and have been bred on massive scales. This sometimes causes individuals to have undesirable genotypic traits (heavy barring in some labs, for example). Incorporating unique genotypes helps to prevent this.

4. Wild fish quality - Wild fish can sometimes be of spectacular quality because they have have been subject to selective pressures that captive fish are not. Wild caughts can therefore be larger, more colorful, have longer fins, and have more "personality" (good or bad) than their counterparts.

-Zen


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

zenobium said:


> 4. Wild fish quality - Wild fish can sometimes be of spectacular quality because they have have been subject to selective pressures that captive fish are not. Wild caughts can therefore be larger, more colorful, have longer fins, and have more "personality" (good or bad) than their counterparts.


While I agree that WC cichlids can sometimes have nice colours in comparison to tank raised, WC cichlids are almost always smaller, and far more skittish than tank raised individuals. In the wild, they aren't fed a regular diet, and don't get the same nutrients that come in the high-quality fish foods we feed. They're also not as hardy, and are far more susceptible to otherwise minor parasites and diseases.


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## ghostrebo (Jun 4, 2008)

wouldn't the domesticated fish be more colorful due to selected breeding and more tame

i guess wild fish or F1 would be genetically "stronger" or "diverise" because the chances that they are inbreed would be slim to none.

so wouldn't having "wild" cichlids bad because that means they are taking fish from native country?


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

ghostrebo said:


> wouldn't the domesticated fish be more colorful due to selected breeding and more tame


 There is something about sunlight that brings out colors in fish like nothing else! 
Of course the genes have to be there to be expressed, but if the potential exists, sun seems to bring it out!!!



ghostrebo said:


> i guess wild fish or F1 would be genetically "stronger" or "diverise" because the chances that they are inbreed would be slim to none.


 They have more genetic diversity, but they should never be assumed to be genetically "stronger"... inbreeding is NOT a bad thing and does NOT "weaken" a fish... that sort of thinking is based entirely on a huge oversimplification of how recessive genes work.



ghostrebo said:


> so wouldn't having "wild" cichlids bad because that means they are taking fish from native country?


 1.) Any fish that has a rapid re-population rate can handle some harvesting. 2.) taking wild fish into captivity is not inherently wrong

ergo, as long as the species/variant can handle some loss of individuals, then taking some WC individuals is fine.

Hope that helps.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

ghostrebo said:


> so wouldn't having "wild" cichlids bad because that means they are taking fish from native country?


there is a conservation issue here as well. however, not as you might think.

human beings will not just preserve wildlife/habitat out of altruism, there has to be some reason for them. a fair proportion of the population (I'm guessing, may be wrong) that live around areas of great biodiversity of fish are rather poor. so to them, whether or not a fish species becomes extinct is of less importance than ensuring they get enough food to survive. by creating a value on the fish, you are placing an incentive to maintain the habitat, ensuring the species survival.

not that I'm saying that everyone should buy wild fish, just that there are some other reasons that are worth considering.

with endangered fish, wild groups have a certain appeal, as you can try and keep the gene pool as diverse as possible, allowing for the possibility of re-introduction (though it seems unlikely)


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn said:


> a fair proportion of the population (I'm guessing, may be wrong) that live around areas of great biodiversity of fish are rather poor. so to them, whether or not a fish species becomes extinct is of less importance than ensuring they get enough food to survive. by creating a value on the fish, you are placing an incentive to maintain the habitat, ensuring the species survival.


 creating a value=incentive to maintain habitat=species survival. :? 
where can i get a pair of the sunglasses you have been wearing for the past decade?


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## cater20155 (Jun 16, 2008)

Any time a natural resource, such as cichlids, has a potential to draw income, there is to a point an increased awareness of the natural resource. With that being said, groups of people, in this case the people exporting the fish, will monitor the species populations to prevent the loss of the natural resource, to prevent the loss of the income. In most cases this will lead to populations being monitored, the populations being protected from over catching/exporting, habitats being protected, or even new/old habitats being made and/or being restored.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

lloyd said:


> creating a value=incentive to maintain habitat=species survival. :?
> where can i get a pair of the sunglasses you have been wearing for the past decade?


It is not without precedent actually... there have been well documented cases where this was the exact case...

elephant licenses, Florida reefs, protected zones in the care of the local villages, swans and deer owned by the crown, etc.

Actually, one could claim it is older than any other form of environmental protections... sacred areas, trees, animals, etc. often have their roots in nothing more than preservation of something important to someone or some group...

something to think about!


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## ghostrebo (Jun 4, 2008)

do natives harvest and eat african cichlids?


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

ghostrebo said:


> do natives harvest and eat african cichlids?


Many of the same species of cichlids we keep in our aquariums, are important sources of food for local communities surrounding the lake.


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