Ram Breeding, This True?

[Proxo]

I've got a male longfin german blue ram and my plan was to get a female longfin to try form a pair for my 'display' tank.
Wasnt too bothered about keeping the fry or trying to raise them straight away but maybe in the future.

According to a friend (manager of MA too) if i was looking to breed it'd be better putting a normal
with a longfin as 2 longfin will produce weak young, this true?

2 longfin would prob look a slight bit better in the tank but i think i'd be willing to give that up for the chance to raise the fry in the future.

 

[StandbySetting]

Yes that is true to some extent, many Rams are line bred for their long fins which means lots of inbreeding too.

 

[fluttermoth]

As with any 'line bred' animals, longfin rams do tend to be more delicate than the normal, wild type, as undesirable genes come along with the desirable ones.

The gene for longfins in fish is dominant to short, so if you cross a longfin and a normal, you'll end up with either 50% longfin (if your male is homozygous for long; ie is carrying genes for long fins only) or 25% (if he's heterozygous; ie carrying one gene for long and one gene for short).

 

[Proxo]

I see, kind of understand - thanks for the info

Would of been nice having 2 longfins in the tank but chances of me getting a hold of another longfin is gonna be slim anyway.