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Breeders inject german blue rams with a hormone that creates there bodys to puff up. So there mutated in to a balloon ram.

So after some reading, I have learned that some of the Rams imported from Asia (not specifically the balloon strain) are injected with hormones to make their colours more vibrant, and induce premature spawning.
The balloon belly is a natural genetic abnormality that has been selectively bred (by breeding only those rams that carry that trait)
A ram with the mutation may or may not have a shorter lifespan than a ram that does not have that trait. Line breeding in any species can lead to certain weaknesses- we see it all the time with dog breeds.
A ram (of normal body type) that has been injected with hormones to enhance its colouring, is at the same risk of premature death as fish that are injected with dyes.
The balloon trait is not cause by injection of any hormones, and it is not a hybrid (crossbreed)
My apologies to the OP for this thread veering so far off topic. :hide:
 
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