How do You feel about interbreeding killifish?

[Aquatic Delight]

Im my reading about it i found a few threads and articles stating the "hardcore" killifish people consider it a big no no, but the bulk of what i have found is over 4 years old. so as the title asks, if still wrong?

[msawdey]

I personally dont see issues with interbreeding of a species. What I, and others have problems with are breeding deformities into fish so it creates a new species subset like "balloning". If people that raise killifish are really that uptight about it, then my thinking is that if you really want a purebred fish, you will find it and pay a premium for it.

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Originally Posted by Aquatic Delight

Im my reading about it i found a few threads and articles stating the "hardcore" killifish people consider it a big no no, but the bulk of what i have found is over 4 years old. so as the title asks, if still wrong?

Hi Will,

Same as interbreeding dogs, it is done sometimes by accident sometimes on purpose, but in either case you end up the same thing.

Just because we can interbreed species doesn't mean we should. A lot of the Killifish species are becoming endangered in their native environments so maintaining populations of 'pure' fish (genetically/DNA) becomes even more important.

[VisionQuest28]

Originally Posted by Seattle_Aquarist

Hi Will,

Same as interbreeding dogs, it is done sometimes by accident sometimes on purpose, but in either case you end up the same thing.

Just because we can interbreed species doesn't mean we should. A lot of the Killifish species are becoming endangered in their native environments so maintaining populations of 'pure' fish (genetically/DNA) becomes even more important.

Correct me if i am wrong, but this is true of hybrid pairings, not interbred. Meaning similar species that are capable of breeding and producing viable young (hybrids). Like a Labrador and a Poodle. Compared to breeding related fish from the same bloodline (interbreeding).

Careful selection of brood stock and aggressive culling of fry (future brood stock) will in no way change a fishes genetics/DNA. Keeping a species bloodline pure doesnt have to mean no interbreeding of related stock. It just means careful selection and no hybridizing.

[pmcarbrey]

Originally Posted by Aquatic Delight

Im my reading about it i found a few threads and articles stating the "hardcore" killifish people consider it a big no no, but the bulk of what i have found is over 4 years old. so as the title asks, if still wrong?

It is still a big no no. Many killifish strains are tagged with a location, the importance of these keeping these strains pure is that many display distinctive coloring patterns or slight differences that are found in no other location. due to the fact there are a number of collection locations that are no longer viable (the killi populations there have gone extinct for any one of a number of reasons) keeping these strains alive is truly important. If you breed a killifish with anything other than a killi from the same collection location you can only sell it as an 'aquarium strain' which in many cases cuts its value down to next to nothing. If you want to keep a pretty fish buy an aquarium strain killi, if you want to breed a valuable and/or unique fish buy quality stock

[Knotyoureality]

If the breeder has extra from their pure lines, I don't see the harm in experimenting with hybrids so long as they're careful to ensure the hybrids are maintained seperately and traded/sold CLEARLY documented as hybrids to keep from diluting un-hybridized lines.

[Aquatic Delight]

okay so the idea is that pure breed, or wild caught fish should be preserved as such in order to protect the genetics and the species. but when dealing with tank raised killi it is more acceptable to interbreed, for personal enjoyment, or friends.

i ask because i had a striped panchax and a blue steel breed together, and i'm trying to figure out what i should do with the fry. i hadn't intended on even trying to breed them, but they did.

[wicca27]

the thing with crossing you will come across people and every type of fish that say its a big no no cause they want them kept pur. guppy strains, endler strains, killie, and cory's are all the same thing. i know with cories there are so many out there and with so many new ones popping up if you start selling the crosses it can add to alot of confusion if some one wants a certian type. im sure its the same with killie. if its just for you and your not trying to sell and make money off of them i say do it. but if you do sell or give to a pet shop make sure to tell who ever gets them its not a pure strain/type so they know ahead of time and cant get mad later on.

also with killie people will pay top dollar for where they were collected from. even if its the same fish but from a place that no longer has them living there (in the wild) that is what people want. that is why alot of killie are named along with a location

[Aquatic Delight]

do you want some killifish? lol i don't have the tank space to hold on to them once they get larger. i may end up selling through maybe TPT or else an LFS.

[acitydweller]

you'll hear this from endler breeders all the time.

probably less an ethical one that a practical one. probably lesser so with annuals

[wicca27]

i think its personal choise but if you do mix just like with any fish i would tell people who want to buy/trade for them that they are not pure so they dont get mad. some times you end up with awsome crosses or like with parrot fish something that lays eggs but is steral and wont get babies from

[rainbuilder]

Personally, I think that it is fine. If you don't have another fish of the exact same type to breed it with, then hybridizing the same as not breeding it. The original fish aren't changed, you just have new offspring that don't really matter to the other strains. Just so long as you keep them separate and clearly mark them as hybrids like stated above, it shouldn't be a problem. You just don't want to contaminate a bunch of them.

[Noahma]

I agree, anyone you give them to must know they are hybrids. This is a big problem with rainbowfish. so many hybrids out there its hard to find good pure breed stock.