Quote:
|
I've noticed that tank bred Clownfish don't seem to host in Anemones nearly as easily as wild caught Clowns do. From what information I can gather, Tank bred Clowns are not exposed to Anemones as EGGS or as FRY. I've seen the pictures and read the text that Clowns nip at the Anemone to keep it from "Stinging" the Eggs, but I find that my Clowns only nip the Anemone back until their eggs are laid, and then they allow the Anemone to cover the eggs.(YES, their eggs DO hatch) Does anyone else out there think (as I do) that the lack of Anemones in Commercial breeders tanks could be the cause of this problem?
|
I think that this is probably a good thing, because my personal feeling is that keeping anemones should be discouraged amongst the general population and members of this hobby. If I had my way, anemones would be kept by very experienced and advanced hobbyists only. Anemones would be so rare in this hobby that you would almost never see them in the local fish store. Of course, this is a tale for another thread.
I have to disagree that captive breeding makes fish less hardy. In nearly every example I know of the opposite is true. You mentioned goldfish and discus: Goldfish and koi are still very hardy, I am not sure why you call them delicate. Many of them can be released into the wild and live just fine. In fact, I know of a couple small lakes around the city where I grew up that you can go and catch "fancy" breeds of goldfish on a hook and line. As for discus, the captive bred fish are waaaaaaaaay hardier than their wild caught relatives. Discus were once one of the most demanding of fish in terms of water conditions, especially if you wanted to breed. Nowadays, they are becoming common in pet shops and are easily kept by even moderate experience hobbyists.
Quote:
|
I'm curious, lets say a hobbiest purchases 2 tank raised clowns from their LFS, what do you believe the chances are that these 2 individuals are from the same parents? and do you think that if they are from the same parents would that have any effect on their potential to breed? If this inbreeding is repeated enough times do you think there will be issues in the future with tank raised clowns?
|
Inbreeding isn't usually as much of a problem for other species as it is for humans. It is a concern though and should be monitored. The inbreeding shoudn't be a problem because most people aren't raising the fry, as well they shouldn't. One of the worst things that can happen to a species is overbreeding by the masses. If you are breeding a species then you should be serious with it. What does "being serious with it" mean? It means selecting quality breeding stock. Only the best of the best should be bred together, which means more than picking the best two fish at the local fish stores. In additon, offspring should be culled to remove all the undesirables. Often it is these culled fish that are offered for sale in pet shops. The rules of captive and selective breeding go on and on and are well established so I will not rattle on about them. I will say, that willy-nilly breeding by everyone and his brother is the worst thing that can happen to a species or breed. If you don't believe me look at dogs. Dog breeds have been degrading for decades now. Genetic disorders from poor breedings are rampant, many breeds are becoming caricatures of their former selves. Why? Overbreeding, non-selective breeding, un-informed breeding etc.