Does anyone know anything about the angelfish, P,scalare, called California Blue?

[Jacky12]

I am mesmerized by this beautiful angelfish. Never heard of it until recently. I am enclosing some info from the breeder. It is an incredibly beautiful variety. I do have more genetic info, but this is good enough for starters.

California Blue is a cultivar that was once developed the Philippines and the disappeared from the hobby (as many others have, like for instance, the Naja Gold, etc.). I saw a vintage picture that made me want to bring it back. I do not know what the genetics of the original stock were but I worked on what I guessed and produced my own. In my case the fish are +/+ s/+ or s/s or s/Z +/bg pb/pb. I started with a CA Green and a Bulgarian Seal Point, the progeny was selected for desirable traits and then crossed to Philippine Blue Smokeys; the progeny of these, selected again and then crossed with CA Greens with a single pb gene. Three lines were established and from these crosses among fish with the same genetics were carried out. You get California Blues. I don’t think there is any other name for them.

The green color in some angelfish comes from certain wild angels with yellow and blue base colors present, like the Amapa and Caroni, among others. However, as you point out, there doesn’t seem to be a wild fish with actual green coloration. There is supposedly a “green” leopoldi but I have never seen one or even a picture of it. Just rumors.

 

[Andy Sager]

Read this: Pterophyllum "California" - Aquarium Glaser GmbH

 

[Jacky12]

Read this: Pterophyllum "California" - Aquarium Glaser GmbH

I will, thank you.

Can’t remember if I told you or not about my Glaser experience. I came across an importer on the West Coast who has their fish. Koi & Manacapuru, scalare. They did look different than the American breed varieties and I liked them. Had them on a rigorous course of several medication and suggested that I keep up with the same. The dealbreaker at the time, but I may revisit. Seems Glaser should not be exporting diseased fish, unless perhaps it is customary to treat with this pharmacy of drugs.

 

[Jacky12]

Wow, Andy, that was fascinating. The one in the back looks like the fish this person I am in contact with has. he seems to think it went back for decades and was lost, or no longer breed, I guess he means.
The plan now is to purchase 4 subadults and 4 veils, juveniles. Nothing finalized. As I may have mentioned, I’ve been running into some bad Angelfish luck. Never happened when my primary species were the east African lake cichlids. Still my favorite, but I got into Angels about a year ago.

 

[Andy Sager]

Truthfully, to me, they just look like a variant of the smokey Angel only now with the blue gene. It was never a very popular fish.
With Angels, unfortunately, the fish has become weaker and weaker the further away from wild it gets. You can make the most gorgeous looking fish but if they don't hold up, what good are they? Back in the day, you could drop and angel on the floor, pick it up and drop it again a few times, kick it down the hallway while trying to capture it, finally get it back into the tank and the fish would just shrug off the dust and dirt from the floor and go about the rest of their day. Since the 80s when the virus came, if you look at angels the wrong way, they die. A poor resemblance to their once magnificent heritage. Ask any Angel keeper who had these fish in the 50s, 60s or 70s. I started with them in the 60s so I have seen the difference.

 

[Jacky12]

 

[Andy Sager]

Yup, they WERE an a*skicking fish at one time. Could give many other cichlids a run for their money.

 

[Jacky12]

I will never go to Aquabid again. The California Blues were not only frauds, but crappy ones at that.

 

[Andy Sager]

I will never go to Aquabid again. The California Blues were not only frauds, but crappy ones at that.

Is that still open? LOL I haven't looked at it in years. Can't trust anyone on sites like that IMO. My same opinion holds for Ebay as well. I buy what I can see first in person or I don't buy. ( But that's me. )

 

[Andy Sager]

I will, thank you.

Can’t remember if I told you or not about my Glaser experience. I came across an importer on the West Coast who has their fish. Koi & Manacapuru, scalare. They did look different than the American breed varieties and I liked them. Had them on a rigorous course of several medication and suggested that I keep up with the same. The dealbreaker at the time, but I may revisit. Seems Glaser should not be exporting diseased fish, unless perhaps it is customary to treat with this pharmacy of drugs.

There is the possibility that Glaser knows that the fish they get MAY have the virus so the best way to keep them alive is keep them medicated. It's no different than now the Asian markets selling Dwarf Gouramis which are known to carry the iridovirus but are not showing signs of it. Guppies are sold when many have internal worms but are not showing signs of it. So they don't necessarily sell " Sick fish" but fish that can become more sickly if they are too stressed.