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.

 

[Jaybird]

I had one that was on the juice. I put him in the tank and he started benching the decorations

I would think that putting hormones in the food would be more effective than in the water. A lot of steroids are oil-based, which would not work well in an aquarium.

 

[crazyred]

From what I understand, the reason some German blue rams that come from Asian fish farms aren't very hardy is because they use hormones to cause them to show better colors and this weakens the fish. I may be way off, but it seems I've heard that hormones are used on cichlids quite a bit to get them to "color up".

 

[studmaster]

I've also read that hormones/steroids are used to color fish better, and I'm wondering how much fish breeders/fish stores use them and what are the effects on fish. I would like to try get healthy/non juiced fish, but now I don't know where to go.

 

[crazyred]

You will usually find healthier, non-juiced fish from independent breeders (some are sold on Aquabid) The only worry there is "do they inbreed their fish?"....that can cause problems too.

 

[Jchillin]

Injecting hormones has long been a practice of the large fish breeding warehouses around the world. Their is particular concerns that it is currently being used in Asia and some Eastern European countries. The hormone injections served these folks in enhanced colors and almost rapid maturity. One fish that has been subjected to this treatment for a number of years is the German Blue Ram. It is believed by many that the treatment has weakened the "captured" strain so much that it is very hard to find any that will live the 4-6 years of life expectancy. Almost all FW fish that are imported may have been subject to this

I have no knowledge or information of this being done locally or stateside.

 

[studmaster]

Jchillin,

Any resources/information to figure out what fish have been imported? Would a LFS tell you where the fish are from?

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

Mollies will actually change sex in the wild too, but I don't know the ins and outs of the biological cause.

 

[studmaster]

really, mollies will change sex in the wild? Do you have any links to that, I think that would be a very interesting read?

 

[DepotFish]

I've seen giant mollies too, like 6 inches, I always wondered if that was how big they were supposed to get.

 

[Jchillin]

Any resources/information to figure out what fish have been imported?

Online fish retailers will definitely let you know if the fish is imported or tank bred locally by the seller. The problem is, if they are imported, the seller may not be aware if their source uses hormones or not. I will not impugn anyone's reputation without having the facts in hand. You are entitled to ask anyone whom you buy fish from to disclose their sources and if the fish are injected.