Kiddie Pool Stock Question - What type of molly would you breed?

[henningc]

It is time to start my annual summer back yard fish farm planning and I want some advice on what is of interest to others so I don't breed stuff folks don't want. So here are the questions:

1) Sailfin mollys, Red Sunset, Black, Dalmatain, Bronze, Marble, Chocolate, Silver, Orange with black fin fring, Giants?(typically green with yellow gold highlights)

2) Should they be Lyer Tails,

3) Normal: Gold Dust, 24Kart, Dalmatain, marble, silver, black
4) Should these be lyer tails?

5) I've already decided on Creansicle Sailfin Lyer Tails Yes or No

I used approximately 12 sailfin booder females and ended the summer with over 700 fish. I still have some and want them to get out of here faster this time around. Funny the fry actually followed my arounf the parameter of the pool at feeding time.

Next week, if I get a good response I'll ask about swordtails

 

[myswtsins]

IF I were to have mollys I would want them to be lyretail for sure, sailfin meh maybe. I've always liked the black, silver, dalmatian and marble best. Some would say I am weird so I'm probably not the majority vote here and I'm not saying I am gonna buy any so take it all with a grain of salt. I would like to follow along with your breeding program though!

 

[SnakeIce]

I don't have a strong preference for one or another, except to say that whatever you end up with should be chosen based on quality. I see very few color strains of mollies or swordtails that appeal to me as much as wild caught fish based on one factor. The wild caught fish more often have clean lines. If the fish has stripes down the length they are straight, the fin rays are straight, curves are clean with no kinks to them.

I think you can guess my opinion on balloon anything based on that preference.

Wavy lines, bent tail on aquarium strain
http://www.aquariumdomain.com/images/fish_freshwater/NeonSwordtail1.jpg

This is what catches my eye
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lotsoffish/media/Livebearers/Wild/03-15-12061.jpg.html

Not my images so only linking to them.

 

[pbeemer]

since you are doing this at least in part to make some money, you ought to ask your lfs (or wherever you sell most of them) what they think is most marketable.

if WE are your intended market, then my admittedly abnormal choices would be

- as far as mollies go, i'm really old school -- black yucatan, maybe sailfin. they ought to get huge in the pools

- like snakeice, i also like swordtails -- particularly the big wild types (montezumas?) similar to the one in that photo

 

[SnakeIce]

The Swordtail photo I linked is a helleri from Rio Otapa. That you'd guess they were montezumas is evidence of how degraded aquarium strains of helleri are.

 

[henningc]

Thanks for the inital replies. I agree about quality and have been lucky enough to have one of the Florida Farm people give me a hand with QA on the brooder stock. I don't do a lot of color varieties, but what I do blows away the average seen now days.

Sadly, the local fish stores are all gone in the St. Louis Metro. I sell to people in the aquarium society, on aquabid and in the forums-This forum is not a good place to market fish trust me. Now understand that my activity here is to learn and pass on knowledge. Making money on fish is kind of like the Cubs winning the World Series, not in the last 100 plus years but I'll let you know if it happens!

 

[CoryWM]

You should work with Charles Clapsaddle mollies. He gets em up to 5 inches. Biggest ones I've ever seen and wins every single ALA convention in the molly category. http://goliadfarms.com/product-category/fish/commercial-mollies/

 

[Wild West]

henningc , what part of the country are you in?

 

[henningc]

I'm in St. Louis, Missouri-Weather Armpit of the World!

 

[CoryWM]

You should grow some rainbowfish out from Gary Lange if you're in St Louis
I'm trying to decide what containers I want to use for in ground mini tropical ponds. I'm thinking the ground will help insulate. Both heat and cold come the cool season. Perhaps extend the grow season a month on each side.

Has anyone buried an IBC tote like the one in this link? I'm worried they aren't rigid enough. I'm wondering if the cage holds them from bowing out, would dirt bow them in. https://www.ntotank.com/275gallon-nto-white-rebottled-ibc-tote-tank-x7738443

And on that same note, I've never buried one of these yet, but want too. I think these are rigid enough, they are like the rubbermaid totes but a better footpring that I like. https://www.ntotank.com/150gallon-acerotomold-green-stock-tank-x7675171

Hasn't stopped raining here yet. But I'm itching to start prepping for outdoor stuff already. This is the first year I own my home. So things can go in the ground! Always had to be removable before without leaving a gaping hole lol.