Thoughts on "Balloon" fish?

[marknmelissa]

After the rather "heated" discussion on Blood Parrots, it got me thinking. How are breeders achieving the "balloon" look in many fish. I've see balloon mollies and kissing gouramies. Is this condition going to reduce the livelihood of these fish?

 

[Christmasfish]

It is probably a bad thing trying to cash in on the ballooned shapes of fancy golds..but as in that one heated thread..I point out again..the weird forms of oriental bred animals were done carefully over many HUNDREDS of years,
while american bred and commercially made "freaks " are short-cutted from mutations and very heavy inbreeeding over a few generations. they are not true tested for health, vitality or returning to original forms.

And I would boycott a store where I saw a gourmi so mangled in form. Labyrinths have enough special problems (like constipation and poor digestion) and are already slower than most tankmates and almost NEVER in specie tanks..I see hellish lives for such animals before their early deaths. A shame, Kissings are some of the longest lived of the gouramys.

A dangerous trend for poor fish everywhere. Next they'll cross a vampire tetra with a pirahnna or a giant betta with a 3 spot. Where does it end!?