Do you agree with the breeding of "Balloon" Fish?

froglover007 · 11-06-2009, 7:31 PM

I was wondering if any of you agree with the recent explosion of "Balloon" breeds in fish. This is created by bending or reducing the number of vertebrates to create a short, deep fish. Some of these fish seem unaffected by this while others may have trouble swimming. Do you agree with the breeding of fish to achieve this affect?

froglover007 · 11-06-2009, 7:39 PM

They are also called short-bodied fish.

froglover007 · 11-06-2009, 8:00 PM

Feel free to post also, as it will help to keep the poll going.

bushwhacker · 11-06-2009, 8:07 PM

i voted no as the fish just look deformed

AlexW · 11-06-2009, 8:09 PM

I don't like them personally, and watching the shipments that come in at our LFS is sad... when you compare the DOA and die offs of the balloon mollies and rams to the normal ones it's about 50% more.

Alot of people find it cute though... I think they just look too unnatural. I guess I'm neither for them or against them, they're just one of those oddities, I feel the same way about hybrid cichlids and livebearers.

angyles · 11-06-2009, 8:42 PM

I assume this is done through breeding and not something mechanical like tatooing? if that's the case, humans have been breeding animals to make them meet their needs for a very long time. We do it to get the colors we want, shapes we want, size we want, temperment we want, etc. This is really no different. BUT, as with all animals, this should be done with the wellbeing and health of the animal in mind. When it breeds in problems, that's not okay. As with dogs, we sometimes take it too far. we breed our pekinese and pugs with flat noses and then take it too far to where they have breathing problems. must make the nose flatter and wrinklier!!! oh now the dog can't even thermoregulate. too bad, it's cute.

okay a little sidetracked. BuT, if the fish has trouble swimming or eating because of the breeding we've done, I'd say we've taken it too far.

SubRosa · 11-06-2009, 8:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexW

I don't like them personally, and watching the shipments that come in at our LFS is sad... when you compare the DOA and die offs of the balloon mollies and rams to the normal ones it's about 50% more.

Alot of people find it cute though... I think they just look too unnatural. I guess I'm neither for them or against them, they're just one of those oddities, I feel the same way about hybrid cichlids and livebearers.

Just a heads up but if the only Livebearers you see are the ones commonly found in LFSs you're seeing mostly hybrids. Almost all Swords have been hybridized with Platys and Variatus and most Sailfin Mollies are hybrids as well. With Balloons the tampering is just more apparent.

blue2fyre · 11-06-2009, 9:09 PM

I really don't care for balloon varieties but I saw some balloon rams at the LFS today that's looked pretty good. I think the alteration wasn't as severe. They seemed perfectly happy.

Dr. Awkward · 11-06-2009, 9:23 PM

They make balloon fish by keeping the fry in a zinc bath until their bodies are deformed. No, I don't approve. Hybrids don't bother me because it happens in nature too but using chemicals to cause "cute" mutations is gross.

Eupterus · 11-06-2009, 9:48 PM

Personally I do like the appearance of balloon type fish. If they can live happy and healthy lives in captivity, then I'm OK with it. I still would not buy any myself.