Breeding your fish.

Aquatic Village
Posted by Ian Patrick Compton · 1 min ·

Hello and good morning to everyone. Over the last few months and especially on the forums you will read about people breeding fish. And for the most it is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. We do a lot of it our selves at Aquatic Village and have done so for 20 years. There is one big problem however and I thought I might raise the issue. People are going in to Aquatic Stores and buying say for argument sake a dozen apistos or a dozen angels them they take them home feed them up, watch them grow and hey presto they have babies. Well for one the big problem is this. If you buy a dozen fish from the one batch they are most likely related. So you are breeding brothers and sisters with one another.Now where I come from up in the hills that's allowed, but fish wise it aint.

Now I spent the first 5 0r 6 years of my career breeding koi by the gazillion. And breeding a plethora of other fish. So I would like to share this experience with you. And I am only offering up these ideas for you to mull over and consider.

When breeding is on the cards make sure you either choose from wild stock, and ask for proof, do not be afraid, ask the shop to prove that their stocks are wild. I have no problem doing so. So no other shop should as far as I am concerned.

Very, Very few shops will be able to do this for their stocks are just the same regurgitated junk that's doing the rounds ie most shops will buy the cheapest and tell you its top quality.

Now I am saying this for your benefit.I am not pointing fingers this is just a logical argument.Buy one or two individuals from different stores as a way of reducing the odds of this happening. This means that I could lose business too, but the point of this article is to make sure the end user gets the best.

Buy wilds by all means. The myth but around wilds is a joke. Wild fish are not as difficult to acclimatize as some would make out. Remember your test kit is your god. Keep your parameters in check and you should be fine. Do not buy your fish from superstores and garden centers go to a proper Aquatic store with a good reputation and develop a relationship with the people who care.

Every body is an armchair expert so be-careful. Ask breeders to prove their bloodlines before you buy. That should not be such a big deal because you deserve the best for your dollar and this is a way of getting it.

Buy pairs. Genuine. We do a lot from Czech republic. They are pairs and our dealers guarantee they are not from the same gene pool. We will have wild Apistogrammas coming in soon with wild angels and wild discus, ultimately that is the route to go to keep fish in the hobby strong.

Do not be fooled by price. Do not be afraid to ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question. I hope this will enlighten you a little and make you think. I would just like to raise awareness. Don't by groups for breeding either make up your own from different sources or else by wild.

Cheers Guys Have a lovely day.

Ian Patrick Compton.
Aquatic Village

ipcompto wrote:

So you are breeding brothers and sisters with one another.Now where I come from up in the hills that's allowed, but fish wise it aint.

lol,
Great Read Ian thanks, Making me wonder now about my rams, Next time im definitely sourcing from different places,

Stephen.

Have u any more tips on breeding great topic thanks for shareing with us I am trying to breed red terrors two came from different parts of the country and both are different sizes I don't know if they are from the same blood group though and will never know.

In the case of Apistos and other cichlids, isn't it true that wilds only possess the potential for wonderful colouration but only display drab natural colours? Rams etc included?

Kev.

Thanks for reading guys....I will try post more stuff up but getting the time is tough....i keep having to get up earlier and earlier to catch up.....the article on breeding was meant to enlighten and freshen your approach to this subject.Because i am so long in the trade over the years i have built up a vivid picture on how the grand scheme of things work. Now i mean i do this thing night and day for 20 years 7 days a week its an all consuming passion. So as a result i like to share my thoughts on subjects whether people take note or not i don't really care.

I am in the firing line. We cater for such an enormous diversity it is mind boggling...i have to be an expert at everything or nothing at all....so i rely on my common sense and overall ability, so when i come on here and scribble stuff down i seem to always cause conflict.....and it is funny if you look at it in a positive light.

All of a sudden the buzz word is wilds wilds wilds.....we are 20 years handling wilds wilds wilds......So the subject of breeding is a very topical and important subject close to every hobbyists heart so i try to enlighten that person....and guide them so in the end they get the best from the hard work they inject. Most guys in the trade should not be kicked up the arse for the level of ineptitude they have....it actually scares me......really. So all i can do is my best when it comes to helping people who want to get involved with us.....and that means being truthful and honest.

Wild fish are not difficult to look after. If they were my tanks would be empty. and thats the simple truth. There is no other. Stop buying fish from crappy shops. And you will find that your fish will live longer. Now this is the truth. Your opinions do not matter because i am telling you from the heart call it whistleblowing but most of the time you guys are buying your problems.

Now if what i have said offends you then tough. But it is the simple truth. How can i keep so many wild fish alive on my own most of the time.......450 tanks of them........i am not a god......i am just practical and pragmatic. If a fish arrives at Aquatic Village....it stays there until i am 100 percent happy that it can leave.....

So as for colouration Kev, you have a point.......but your point touches off in many directions but your sentiment is more correct...the potential of a specimen. Thats the nut right their. You have made a very good point. The wild fish is your blank canvas. What you do from there is up to the brilliance of the individual.

To be honest i prefer getting wilds in. For health reasons alone. Mutant parasites from wholesalers etc are not so much of a problem. Most of the issues we can deal with. Death solves the others. Water parameters are of course important. But they are also a smokescreen for idiot traders to hide behind. So i tell my customers buy a test kit see your results for yourself....then your job as a fish keeper is done......most fishkeepers are pretty good at this....but what chance do they have if their lfs is responsible for most of their problems......it really scares me.....thats why my articles nearly always turn rageful...

i am sure there is a whole host of people that are not happy with me......i cannot help that but there is also a legion of followers that keep us going. We are hidden from view in the middle of no where with a thousand euro esb bill every week...20 years later we are still there.....because we care....theres is nothing we wont tackle for you. 3 veterinary clinics send their customers to us....i fix fish for free.

My point is this....i have to end this somewhere. I dont write these things to stir people up, i do this to inform and enlighten. Why? Because as a hobbyist myself every lfs ripped me off.....emotionally. I can remember every diseased fish i ever bought...like the fool i was.......bloated fish that were sold as pregnant......not gravid but pregnant and i the fool feeling privileged. Jez,....it embarrasses me....so now when we get a fish in thats deformed etc we give it away for free.....well i do anyway i cant speak for my staff but thats the general rule.......convicts sold to me as rare....and you will make a fortune lie ringing out even now 20 years later.

Be careful who you put your trust in. And if this loses me a customer or two so be it....but be careful. There are guys on here who would put most shop owners to shame....i am just glad that i can run my shop without anyones help.....this is not a job to me its a cancer....but i will enjoy the slow death knowing that every day i get to do this.....and every day i can make people smile......if you do not believe me check our facebook reviews we are so lucky to have this kind of support it is overwhelming. So when i can and i can think of things that will help you guys get more from the hobby i will post up. But the hobby is you. The passion is yours. My job is to stoke it. And guide it. And if in doing so i give the wrong impression then i apologize.....i speak my mind, i curse too much but recently i read a survey and it said people that curse tend to be more honest than people who dont.....god bless that surveyer.

So choose your stock with your head and not your heart. If you want to breed go for the source. Kevin has pointed out that an original is indeed beautiful but the potential within is to be unlocked. If in doubt ask ask ask ask ask.....dont just stand there thats why i am so frivolous with people so they don't see me as an expert but more as someone they can be friends with....there's no such thing as a stupid question...

Your hobby is too important to me.....the other day a man from Waterford came into me. he told me he does not keep cardinals anymore.....everything he ever buys dies....so he has given up.........i sent him home with a free bag of cardinals....why? because what he said was shameful. he rang me two weeks later i think....the cardinals are thriving....he said he will never go to another shop again......do you know how good that makes me feel.......i hope some of you can relate to this. I would give away a 1000 cardinals if it would make the lives of my customers happier ones.......

anyway sorry to take up so much of your time...this is not a rant...this is me explaining me to you.....its been a tough road and you and i are still here.......that speaks volumes.......

Respect from Me and Aquatic Village.....

Ian

Interesting post and a good read, and I would be inclined to agree on most points. The specialist shops have been squeezed by the superstores/online shopping in recent years and it is to your credit that you are fighting back. Without the specialist shops all the hard earned knowledge picked up in the last 30 years will be lost to future fishkeepers.

Thank you for your input....

Ian

Great read .