Balloon Cichlids

[catfishblues]

Today i bought a fish labeled as a balloon cichlid at the lfs. i thought it was just a nickname for what was really a bolivian ram but after putting it in with my German blue ram and looking at bolivian rams on the internet i realized it is not a bolivian ram and looks like a swollen german blue ram. is this at all an altered fish and if so is it done so cruelly such as dyed fish?

 

[fluttermoth]

It's caused by a genetic mutation that causes the fish to be deformed (same as the fantailed goldfish); so one fish was born like it and someone decided it would be a good idea to breed from it and make more.

Whether you consider it 'cruel' is a bit of a moot point; some people do, some people don't Is breeding dachshunds cruel?

It's (probably) not painful for the fish, as such, but it does make them more susceptible to swim bladder problesm, they can become egg bound more easily and they don't normally live as long as a 'normal' fish would.