Balloon Rams

[Rubyuk]

Are these cute guys a naturally bread fish or just a hybrid German/Blue ram.

I've seen some in my LFS but am struggling to find much info about them.

Are they any hardier/easy to keep than the 'normal' blue/german?

Would I be able to home two of these with my 2 Bolivian Rams? Would they coexist relatively OK or would it be a disaster?

I've had my Bolivians for over a year so am well aware of their 'play' fights and head butting that never lead to anything more serious.

They get on or at least seem to do with my 2 Kribs.

Would adding a second pair of rams be better than adding a second pair of kribs? or at least less potential risk?

 

[shroob]

Balloon rams are deformed normal rams, not a hybrid. They are just like regular rams, but have a bent spine. I personally don't like them and wouldn't describe them as cute, but thats just my opinion .

 

[ChilliPepper]

Urgh, just Googled them I would never buy deformed fish, it only encourages breeders to keep doing it

 

[ajs2294]

Urgh, just Googled them I would never buy deformed fish, it only encourages breeders to keep doing it

I agree they are also very prone to problems and don't seem to live very long.

 

[~T~]

Urgh, just Googled them I would never buy deformed fish, it only encourages breeders to keep doing it

I agree they are also very prone to problems and don't seem to live very long.

I actually find the balloon variety much hardier than most though saying that my lfs's usually get in the asian mass bred ones that dont last very long and must be getting the balloons from a different source. I've kept the balloon ones several times and never had them suffer problems that regular ones wouldnt. The last one I had I had to give away as he was terrorising rainbow and sajica cichlids over twice his size.

I'm not sure why people are so horrified at short body fish though seem fine with other line bred mutations like super long fins or bright rainbow colours. Bettas are a prime example, in the wild they are sleek short finned fish and nothing like the sluggish weak mass produced fish we see today. It's similar to breeding dogs to have smaller shaped bodies such as pugs or bulldogs. Pretty much anything that is bred to have a different shape body to the origional is going to have a nigher chance of suffering health problems.

 

[meguro]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

 

[shroob]

Gotta agree with Merguro, haven't seen anything mentioned about long fins or bright colours. Though I see where you are coming from ~T~.

I personally prefer a fish to be natural, its just my preference. I accept that tastes vary and some people will ofcourse like different aspects of a fish. What I take issue with though, is when a man made alteration impairs a fishes quality of life eg. dying, tattooing and to an extent fish like blood parrots.

I think I am right in saying short bodied fish suffer due to their internal organs being squashed in a way that they aren't designed for, due to the spinal deformities.

The ballon ram is generally seen to be hardier than normal rams, though I rather put the blame on the poor quality of imported rams for this fact.

 

[ChilliPepper]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

Exactly

 

[~T~]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

 

[ChilliPepper]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

None of those fish have bent spines though, and are all perfectly healthy fish despite having longer fins or line bred colouration

What exactly is your point? You obviously support the breeding of deformed fish. I suppose you also like those hideous 'fancy' goldfish. Well done.

 

[ajs2294]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

None of those fish have bent spines though, and are all perfectly healthy fish despite having longer fins or line bred colouration

What exactly is your point? You obviously support the breeding of deformed fish. I suppose you also like those hideous 'fancy' goldfish. Well done.

HAHAHA...Gave me a good laugh but on a serious note almost all fish sold in the hobby are breed for one thing profit. Profit is influenced also by supply and demand, breeding your fish to look good and they sell. Having genetically altered fish to force deformities on the other hand is just as bad as tattooing fish in my view.

 

[ChilliPepper]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

None of those fish have bent spines though, and are all perfectly healthy fish despite having longer fins or line bred colouration

What exactly is your point? You obviously support the breeding of deformed fish. I suppose you also like those hideous 'fancy' goldfish. Well done.

HAHAHA...Gave me a good laugh but on a serious note almost all fish sold in the hobby are breed for one thing profit. Profit is influenced also by supply and demand, breeding your fish to look good and they sell. Having genetically altered fish to force deformities on the other hand is just as bad as tattooing fish in my view.

I presume you are laughing at ~T~'s comment, not mine?

 

[~T~]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

None of those fish have bent spines though, and are all perfectly healthy fish despite having longer fins or line bred colouration

What exactly is your point? You obviously support the breeding of deformed fish. I suppose you also like those hideous 'fancy' goldfish. Well done.

That depends how you look at it, IMO long fins are a deformity. Some bettas have fins so long they struggle to swim, I've also seen this with angels, oscars, rosy barbs etc. I had a long fin bristlenose who would actually get tangled in plants and that proved to be the end of her one day. Breeding for fancy bright colour strains also tends to make for weaker and weaker fish. Just look at Electric Blue JD's. Super Red Sevs too, they tend to be sterile and often develop chronic wasting disease round the head area (not to mention the breeders pump them full of hormones to intensify that red colouration). So again my point is some people are hypocrites when it comes to what is and what isnt a deformed fish. To me a short body fish is the same as a long finned fish or a colour mutation. Both occour naturally and both have their good points and bad points. It just comes down to peoples personal taste.

 

[ChilliPepper]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

None of those fish have bent spines though, and are all perfectly healthy fish despite having longer fins or line bred colouration

What exactly is your point? You obviously support the breeding of deformed fish. I suppose you also like those hideous 'fancy' goldfish. Well done.

That depends how you look at it, IMO long fins are a deformity. Some bettas have fins so long they struggle to swim, I've also seen this with angels, oscars, rosy barbs etc. I had a long fin bristlenose who would actually get tangled in plants and that proved to be the end of her one day. Breeding for fancy bright colour strains also tends to make for weaker and weaker fish. Just look at Electric Blue JD's. Super Red Sevs too, they tend to be sterile and often develop chronic wasting disease round the head area (not to mention the breeders pump them full of hormones to intensify that red colouration). So again my point is some people are hypocrites when it comes to what is and what isnt a deformed fish. To me a short body fish is the same as a long finned fish or a colour mutation. Both occour naturally and both have their good points and bad points. It just comes down to peoples personal taste.

Breeding deformed fish is not the same as selective breeding to enhance a fish. How is shortening a fish's body enhancing them?

 

[~T~]

where can i find the part where ppl in this thread say they like veiltail pearlscale angelfish and crowntail halfmoon bettas?

It was just a general observation, it wasnt directed at anyone in this thread. Saying that though, just by looking at peoples avatars and signatures in this thread I see bettas, discus and super red severums which have all be intensively line bred to produce the exaggerated fins or un natural colours.

None of those fish have bent spines though, and are all perfectly healthy fish despite having longer fins or line bred colouration

What exactly is your point? You obviously support the breeding of deformed fish. I suppose you also like those hideous 'fancy' goldfish. Well done.

That depends how you look at it, IMO long fins are a deformity. Some bettas have fins so long they struggle to swim, I've also seen this with angels, oscars, rosy barbs etc. I had a long fin bristlenose who would actually get tangled in plants and that proved to be the end of her one day. Breeding for fancy bright colour strains also tends to make for weaker and weaker fish. Just look at Electric Blue JD's. Super Red Sevs too, they tend to be sterile and often develop chronic wasting disease round the head area (not to mention the breeders pump them full of hormones to intensify that red colouration). So again my point is some people are hypocrites when it comes to what is and what isnt a deformed fish. To me a short body fish is the same as a long finned fish or a colour mutation. Both occour naturally and both have their good points and bad points. It just comes down to peoples personal taste.

Breeding deformed fish is not the same as selective breeding to enhance a fish. How is shortening a fish's body enhancing them?

No it really is the same. Like I said it all comes down to peoples personal tastes. Some people like the shorter bodies. In some asian cultures they are a sign of good luck. It's similar to saying whats wrong with the wolf? How is breeding something like a pug or a bulldog enhancing it. But people do like pugs and bulldogs and they will continue to be bred no matter how deformed they are, it's the same with any domestic animal. Just because you don't think it's right to own a deformed pet doesn't mean that everyone has to agree. I have a JD that looks like someone put it through a mangle then hit it in the face with the a spade I like the little guy, ok had I bred the fish myself I would have culled it and would never dream of breeding from it but just because it's a bit "special" doesnt mean it shouldnt be given a good home (not to mention the LFS gave me it for free).