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

[bluekrissyspike]

i'm okay with hybrids, but making fish deformed on purpose is not something i like to see. same goes for other 'specialty' fish like the goldfish with their eyes half popped out.

 

[fishorama]

I don't like them, it seems to be the latest fad. I like natural looking fish most often.

 

[Zaffy]

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.

I've never heard of this before, is there a source somewhere to read?

 

[Dr. Awkward]

I read it on this website after I tried to breed balloon mollies only to find out that it's impossible. All of the fry are normal mollies, well, they had the normal molly body shape but most were so deformed they had to be culled.

 

[froglover007]

I haven't heard of zinc baths either. This would be a good subject to read up on. My answer to this is only as long as it doesnt harm the fish. Examples of this are fantail goldfish (not the ones with eyes popping out) and balloon red-eye tetras (which are created not by curving the spine, but by reducing the number of vertebrea).

 

[Dr. Awkward]

But how do you know whether the process harms the fish? A fish may look happy and eat but you have no way of knowing how much it's struggling thanks to its man made deformaties. My rule of thumb for fish I buy is that if the fish can survive in the wild it's okay.

 

[Windy]

Balloon Fish breeding

I'd be scared to breed balloon fish, they look like there gonna explode.

 

[froglover007]

But how do you know whether the process harms the fish? A fish may look happy and eat but you have no way of knowing how much it's struggling thanks to its man made deformaties. My rule of thumb for fish I buy is that if the fish can survive in the wild it's okay.

You do have a point. It is also true that many albinos and color morphs cannot survive in the wild. The way that I gauge whether or not a fish is happy is if it can behave normally like other members of the same species. For example, if the fish looks happy but is obviously having trouble swimming, that deformity is unethical. But, if the fish swims well, eats well, and has no more trouble then wild-type in any area, I think that this is perfectly fine.

 

[tanker]

What about all the Goldfishes out there?? They are all "Deformed", == Pop-Eyeded, bubble eye, no Dorsal fin, fat and double tailed, ect.

 

[froglover007]

What about all the Goldfishes out there?? They are all "Deformed", == Pop-Eyeded, bubble eye, no Dorsal fin, fat and double tailed, ect.

I dont like some breeds, like celestials and bubble-eyes. Most others I don't mind.