What is the story with F0 and F1?

[scholar]

What is the advantage of owning F0 and F1?

All Fo and F1's I have seen looked normal to me.

Why would one want to pay more for them?

[NickH]

I don't think there is such a thing as F0. F1 means the fish is wild caught. Wild caught specimens are highly valued by people who want to pair them off (most likely with non-wild fish), due to their genetic 'purity.' In this way, breeders can keep the bloodline strong and free from defects, etc.

Also, as one would expect, F1 fish typically exhibit better coloration, better finnage, and authentic behavior. This is usually desirable.

[DarthV]

F0 denotes a wild caught fish... F1 would be fish that were spawned from F0 parents. F0 are saught after for a couple of reasons... best for breeding (less chance of inbreeding) and usually wild caught fish will have better colors (aquarium bred fish invariably will have some amount of inbreeding unless you get them from a reputable dealer).

[valerie]

F0 means wild caught and F1 is the fish that come from wild parents.

I can't tell the differnce between wild caught and quality bred fish. And it doesn't really matter what generation your fish are as long as you like them. F0 or F1s are usually better if you are planning to breed.

[peifc]

Agree with DarthV and Valerie.

F0 is wild caught. F1 is offspring of F0. F2 is offspring of F1..and so on.

You can't really tell which is F0 or F1 or F2...and so on. Unless they have been inbred or hybridize. I usually get my cichlids (SA and CA) from Jeff Rapps. Jeff Rapps does have some African Cichlids. Many of his fish are F0 to F2 (many are tank raised as well). I have gotten couple F0 from him. In fact, he has some wild caught in is stock list right now.

There are a few breeders that I know of who have African Cichlids. Let me now what you are looking for, I will get those info for you :)

[Deb2]

To add to what Valerie, DarthV, and peifc have already said. Other than better color, wild behavior cna be more interesting. Sometimes fish that are many generations removed from wild can loose their instincts such as parenting skills. It can be helpful to breed wilds with tank raised to add new blood to an established line. It will bring back some instinctual behavoir and other desirable traits.

[AikidoGuy]

FWIW, the majority of my fish are all F0 or F1. The differences are of course that your postive your getting a pure fish. Second the color on a wild caught or F1 fish will be of much higher quality in most cases, when compared to a fish that has been tank raised by a few generations of tank raised fish. one Fish that i have noticed that really has had a noticable differance was my F1 festae. I have never seen any in any lfs that werent a F0-F2 generation fish that looked nearly has bright and vivid as my F1 and the other first few generation fish. Also My F1 Midas is RED not pale like my midas that is form LFS midas parents. At its size it is considerably more intense in color than any of the hundereds of fry ive raised from my LFS midas breeders. Its really no big deal wheather you keep F1, F2 F0, or floridas finest pond raised /inbred fish as long as they ARE what they are sold as meaning if you by a midas you really get a midas or whatever, and that you like them. Thats what really counts. Bottom line is you should see a quality improvement over the F0-F2.. but, its not a big deal get what you think looks nice to you . ;)