Personally, I like glofish. I only have one atm, because my tank water parameters are not yet perfected but also because they have a 5.99 price tag at the one LFS in my part of Florida that sells them. I have seen both the pink and the orange.. the one I have is pink.
Firstly, its good to see you guys in here debunking the hoopla around these fish. Most people are against them and they are controversial imho, because of ignorance as to what they really are and how they are really produced.
Its been said so many times already, but yes, these fish are not tortured and dipped in acid (dyeing), or tattooed or any of that hellish nonsense that makes me hate the pet trade and dislike the corporate BS and need for money that fuels it all...
These fish were originally created by a researcher in singapore... he modifyed the DNA of the zebra danio by adding in the protein from jellyfish - his INTENT was to make them clear, like glassfish, so he could easily see their inner workings and study the fish. The fact that they glowed was an accidental happenstance.
This researcher then presented his findings at a fish-type expo because it was a curious occurrence. He was approached afterwards by a company that breeds fish and they arranged w/ him to use his technique to produce what we now know as Glofish... only they are not using jellyfish DNA, they are using a color protein extracted from the DNA of sea anemone - thats how they get different colors.
The process of introducing the DNA into the eggs is much like some of what we do in other scientific endeavors. The fish are not formed yet when it happens and have no idea whatsoever that they are different or controversial nor does the addition of a simple color protein affect anything in their biology in a negative fashion like hybridization does (such as deformity, sterilization, etc). These Glofish are healthier and have no abnormalities as compared to say, all your fancy goldfish and parrot cichlids. As with any, if we are responsible hobbyists and not releasing our pets into the wild... then this hardly has any affect on natural environments, natural populations, or pure breeding lines. Glofish are healthy danios w/ more color... if it breeds that is what it produces... parrot cichlids if they are even able to breed, produce fish w/ deformed mouths, spines, etc. (I really like parrotfish, don't get me wrong, I would still own one, I'm just using it for comparison sake).
Next, it is true that there are plenty of fish - more than plenty of fish that look natural (and some quite boring in appearance, lets be honest). And for people who want natural aquariums and natural fish to simulate their completely natural environment... well, thats absolutely fabulous and more power to you. But we have as many different tastes as we do people - its a highly subjective thing... and for some people, neon rocks, neon caves, fake buried treasure, and a whole host of unnatural decorations are a part of their aquarium. Who is to say that they should not be able to have a brilliantly colored danio? Just because it appears unnatural? To be honest, if I didn't already know better, I'd say fish like the Picasso Triggerfish (just one example) appear just as unnatural if not moreso than my spunky little Glofish.
Lastly, a lot of the people who get on their moral soapbox about this issue (when dyeing/tattoo is so much worse) will probably be some of the first to run to doctors once we begin doing gene therapy to erradicate things such as diabetes....
Firstly, its good to see you guys in here debunking the hoopla around these fish. Most people are against them and they are controversial imho, because of ignorance as to what they really are and how they are really produced.
Its been said so many times already, but yes, these fish are not tortured and dipped in acid (dyeing), or tattooed or any of that hellish nonsense that makes me hate the pet trade and dislike the corporate BS and need for money that fuels it all...
These fish were originally created by a researcher in singapore... he modifyed the DNA of the zebra danio by adding in the protein from jellyfish - his INTENT was to make them clear, like glassfish, so he could easily see their inner workings and study the fish. The fact that they glowed was an accidental happenstance.
This researcher then presented his findings at a fish-type expo because it was a curious occurrence. He was approached afterwards by a company that breeds fish and they arranged w/ him to use his technique to produce what we now know as Glofish... only they are not using jellyfish DNA, they are using a color protein extracted from the DNA of sea anemone - thats how they get different colors.
The process of introducing the DNA into the eggs is much like some of what we do in other scientific endeavors. The fish are not formed yet when it happens and have no idea whatsoever that they are different or controversial nor does the addition of a simple color protein affect anything in their biology in a negative fashion like hybridization does (such as deformity, sterilization, etc). These Glofish are healthier and have no abnormalities as compared to say, all your fancy goldfish and parrot cichlids. As with any, if we are responsible hobbyists and not releasing our pets into the wild... then this hardly has any affect on natural environments, natural populations, or pure breeding lines. Glofish are healthy danios w/ more color... if it breeds that is what it produces... parrot cichlids if they are even able to breed, produce fish w/ deformed mouths, spines, etc. (I really like parrotfish, don't get me wrong, I would still own one, I'm just using it for comparison sake).
Next, it is true that there are plenty of fish - more than plenty of fish that look natural (and some quite boring in appearance, lets be honest). And for people who want natural aquariums and natural fish to simulate their completely natural environment... well, thats absolutely fabulous and more power to you. But we have as many different tastes as we do people - its a highly subjective thing... and for some people, neon rocks, neon caves, fake buried treasure, and a whole host of unnatural decorations are a part of their aquarium. Who is to say that they should not be able to have a brilliantly colored danio? Just because it appears unnatural? To be honest, if I didn't already know better, I'd say fish like the Picasso Triggerfish (just one example) appear just as unnatural if not moreso than my spunky little Glofish.
Lastly, a lot of the people who get on their moral soapbox about this issue (when dyeing/tattoo is so much worse) will probably be some of the first to run to doctors once we begin doing gene therapy to erradicate things such as diabetes....
But as we stated ealier in the topic, i'm sure you couldn't be blamed for not watching them all the time and they mate without you knowing it.....