Steroids Being Used To Raise Fish?

[studmaster]

Just curious if anyone has ever heard of some sort of steroids that are being used to raise fish for the aquarium hobby.

Two reasons, one being the fact that I have read a lot recently about fish (mollies in particular) changing sex after they were brought home (possibly because no more steroid/hormone in water). And two, I saw the biggest mollies in a fish store the other day, they must have been 6-7 inches.

 

[GuppyDude]

My knowledge on the sex changeing mollys is a bit fuzzy, but i do know what your talking about, i hear it alot. Probably not steroids, im sure its a genetic thing.

And there are many many kinds of mollys, they all range in size from 1 inch to 5 inches. The 5 inchers are always cool to see, rare that i see those any more thogh.

See this link

 

[diburning]

ok, the sex changing is due to the chromosones in the genes. All fish of the xiphophorus and poecila type posess X, Y and Z chromosones. When the fish are born, they will be in a 1male:2female ratio since fish born with the Z chromosone are born female then change to males near middle age or during old age.

since the chromosones are paired, some have XX, XY, and XZ. The XX will be female, XY is male, XZ will be born female, then changes their sex later in life.

The sex change is a 1 way process.

This also happens in certain species of clownfish. after mating, the male will turn into a female.

 

[Annastasia]

ok, the sex changing is due to the chromosones in the genes. All fish of the xiphophorus and poecila type posess X, Y and Z chromosones. When the fish are born, they will be in a 1male:2female ratio since fish born with the Z chromosone are born female then change to males near middle age or during old age.

since the chromosones are paired, some have XX, XY, and XZ. The XX will be female, XY is male, XZ will be born female, then changes their sex later in life.

The sex change is a 1 way process.

This also happens in certain species of clownfish. after mating, the male will turn into a female.

Do you have anything to back that up? Not that I'm doubting you, but in almost 10 years of Livebearer circles I've never heard that.

I've raised Mollies for a very long time, and have never noticed any of my females changing to males past about 6 months. Which can be attributed to late developers. Why would this be, since you say they are born 1:2?

Again, not doubting you...just looking for proof, and wondering why that never happened to me in 7 years of Molly raising.

 

[wendywc]

My feeling was that most mollies/bettas/livebearers can't be sexed/ID'd properly until they get to a certain size or age. However, I can't say for a fact what all breeders do. If anything, the worst practice in the fish industry I know of is just severe breeding and inbreeding. However, the cattle industry does use hormones and antibotics in the feed for cows, maybe some breeders of fish have or will head that way too.

 

[Sp00ky]

ok, the sex changing is due to the chromosones in the genes. All fish of the xiphophorus and poecila type posess X, Y and Z chromosones. When the fish are born, they will be in a 1male:2female ratio since fish born with the Z chromosone are born female then change to males near middle age or during old age.

since the chromosones are paired, some have XX, XY, and XZ. The XX will be female, XY is male, XZ will be born female, then changes their sex later in life.

The sex change is a 1 way process.

This also happens in certain species of clownfish. after mating, the male will turn into a female.

Do you have anything to back that up? Not that I'm doubting you, but in almost 10 years of Livebearer circles I've never heard that.

I've raised Mollies for a very long time, and have never noticed any of my females changing to males past about 6 months. Which can be attributed to late developers. Why would this be, since you say they are born 1:2?

Again, not doubting you...just looking for proof, and wondering why that never happened to me in 7 years of Molly raising.

I can back that up... or at least the fact that a female mollie can change sex. I have 1 Marble Male and 5 Females. I now have 2 Males and 4 females. And i can honestly say hand on heart that i have now bought any more so theres no other way that that additional male has got in to my tank.

 

[Annastasia]

How old were they?

Check out this topic on Swordtails, maybe one of those things happens to Mollies, which makes them seem like they changed sex? http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=127711&hl=

 

[Sp00ky]

How old were they?

Check out this topic on Swordtails, maybe one of those things happens to Mollies, which makes them seem like they changed sex? http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=127711&hl=

i have also had females swords change as well. I knew swords did it, but i didnt know mollies did it until this one in my tank at the moment did it. Strangly enough, its the same one that i posted about in the emergencies section about it having cloudy eye. HOWEVER, i was always under the impression that female swords would only re-sex if the male to female ratio was not right within the tank( bearing in mind that swords can and will x-breed with platys... so thats another one to take into account)

 

[bleechme]

ok, the sex changing is due to the chromosones in the genes. All fish of the xiphophorus and poecila type posess X, Y and Z chromosones. When the fish are born, they will be in a 1male:2female ratio since fish born with the Z chromosone are born female then change to males near middle age or during old age.

since the chromosones are paired, some have XX, XY, and XZ. The XX will be female, XY is male, XZ will be born female, then changes their sex later in life.

The sex change is a 1 way process.

This also happens in certain species of clownfish. after mating, the male will turn into a female.

Do you have anything to back that up? Not that I'm doubting you, but in almost 10 years of Livebearer circles I've never heard that.

I've raised Mollies for a very long time, and have never noticed any of my females changing to males past about 6 months. Which can be attributed to late developers. Why would this be, since you say they are born 1:2?

Again, not doubting you...just looking for proof, and wondering why that never happened to me in 7 years of Molly raising.

I'd also like to see some proof. As Annastasia said, we don't doubt you, we just want to know if it is true so we can store it into our knowledge. Because I HATE storing rumors and fake facts and get them messed up with the truths.

 

[studmaster]

One molly that I thought changed sex could have been a "late bloomer", he was about 4 months old when he became male. His siblings matured a lot sooner than he did.

The other molly that really peeked my interest was large (3 inches). I can't say for sure how old he/she was, but after about a month or two in my tank, he/she started to change to a male. Now it's definitely a male.

 

[bleechme]

One molly that I thought changed sex could have been a "late bloomer", he was about 4 months old when he became male. His siblings matured a lot sooner than he did.

The other molly that really peeked my interest was large (3 inches). I can't say for sure how old he/she was, but after about a month or two in my tank, he/she started to change to a male. Now it's definitely a male.

He also could have been a late bloomer. I once got a male (my older females had him so I didn't buy him) that was the size of an adult female before he turned into a male, but through his life, I knew he was a male because I didn't see any gravid.