Guppies

[mattbond]

if you bought a male guppy in one shop and females in another shop, would this significantly increase thier resistance to disease and deformity in offspring?

 

[greenbottle]

in a word yes. Unless the same brood has been split between the two shops you were buying from you would not be breeding borthers and sisters in effect.

this wouldnt SIGNIFICANTLY increase their genetic strength as the majority of guppies sold by shops are very inbred anyway. But it would improve their chances.

hope that helps

 

[OldMan47]

Genetic diversity is always a good thing with fish unless you are trying to develop a particular feature as a consistent feature in the fry. In that case line breeding with merciless culling is the order of the day. If the culling is thorough enough, you can develop lines of fish that are quite hardy in an aquarium environment. Even those fish would be at a disadvantage in the wild though.