Question On Breeding Bolivian Rams (Or Any Fish Really)

[FishLover66]

Does it matter if I get females and males from the same tank at the same LFS and have them breed? I mean, how do I know if they are brother & sister, which would be gross (my opinion) and potentially cause the fry to have health problems or be deformed? Or does that even matter with fish?

 

[fluttermoth]

Fish are a lot more tolerant of inbreeding than mammals; a brother/sister mating is unlikely to cause you any problems, unless you were to continue in that way, with no outcrossing, for a considerable time.

If you do want unrelated fish to breed from, you'd better off getting the parents from separate suppliers, as most fish in a tank at your LFS will be related, if not actually from the same spawning.

 

[FishLover66]

Ok, that's what I thought. Thank you for the response. I guess I'm more personally opposed to cross-breeding....well, anything. I have two girls I got from Petsmart and am planning on getting a male from my favorite and very reputable family owned LFS. Hopefully, the male and one of the females will become a pair.