S
seastar0328
Guest
Hi all, I am still aiming at getting that successful spawn past the egg stage but I wanted to ask a few questions a bout what I should be looking for in a breeding pair as far as traits for the by-the-book ideal a. cac.
I have 2 male and 2 female a. cacs. The two males are from different stock and both females are from the same stock but different stock than the males. The two males are both triple reds I believe. There is reticulation on the dorsal, caudal and anal fins, though one male has more on his anal fin than the other. Here are the differences.
Male #1:
Probably a year old. He has a beautifully shaped lyre-tail. His caudal reticulations cover about 3/4 of the fin. His dorsal fin is fully covered up to the pointiest fins. His anal fins are not as pronounced. In the areas of his caudal fin where the reticulations are not found, he has faint hints of them. He is quite large in comparison to the other male and his body is darker in color. He is very very nice to the females and is very "attentive".
Male #2:
Approx 3-5 months old. He has much more reticulations on his caudal fin, almost 100%. The reticulations are strong on the upper and lower portions of his fin and they meet in the middle where the lightest pattern is found. He has colored up more and more since I've started using peat in my aquarium. His dorsal fin and anal fins all display reticulation and his anal fins have little but more than male # 1's. His dorsal fin is much more pointed than male #1's. While I may think male 1's is prettier, I think his is still pointy but more rounded. Male #2 is much lighter in his body colorations than male 1 and he is smaller. I do not know if this is because he is young yet and may grow more. He is very mean to the females so he is not allowed around them again until I give him more time to "grow up".
I lost my first superstar female and just rescued 2 which were in bad shape. They are very young, however they both display slight reticulations on their caudal and dorsal fins. They may be triple reds as the males they were sold with were young and displayed either double or triple red colorations. I tried to get a good look at the males these females were in with and they were also in bad shape. Nothing a little tlc won't fix but I don't think that an accurate assumption on their eventual qualities could have been made at this point. Also, the best males may have already been bought.
I am just trying to get a first successful spawn so I know this thinking is far into the future. If I do end up with fantastic babies I will sell them eventually to enthusiasts. If I get pretty babies but not ideal ones, I will probably give them to my lfs for the average hobbyist not interested in breeding. I am doing this for fun first and foremost, not to make money. I just love these fish. What do I breed for to make sure I propogate the species correctly? I don't want to put fish out there that will harm the species. Do I keep the first spawn or do I have to breed parents to babies to get the best coloration? Which male has the best qualities? Should I post pics?
Thank you
I have 2 male and 2 female a. cacs. The two males are from different stock and both females are from the same stock but different stock than the males. The two males are both triple reds I believe. There is reticulation on the dorsal, caudal and anal fins, though one male has more on his anal fin than the other. Here are the differences.
Male #1:
Probably a year old. He has a beautifully shaped lyre-tail. His caudal reticulations cover about 3/4 of the fin. His dorsal fin is fully covered up to the pointiest fins. His anal fins are not as pronounced. In the areas of his caudal fin where the reticulations are not found, he has faint hints of them. He is quite large in comparison to the other male and his body is darker in color. He is very very nice to the females and is very "attentive".
Male #2:
Approx 3-5 months old. He has much more reticulations on his caudal fin, almost 100%. The reticulations are strong on the upper and lower portions of his fin and they meet in the middle where the lightest pattern is found. He has colored up more and more since I've started using peat in my aquarium. His dorsal fin and anal fins all display reticulation and his anal fins have little but more than male # 1's. His dorsal fin is much more pointed than male #1's. While I may think male 1's is prettier, I think his is still pointy but more rounded. Male #2 is much lighter in his body colorations than male 1 and he is smaller. I do not know if this is because he is young yet and may grow more. He is very mean to the females so he is not allowed around them again until I give him more time to "grow up".
I lost my first superstar female and just rescued 2 which were in bad shape. They are very young, however they both display slight reticulations on their caudal and dorsal fins. They may be triple reds as the males they were sold with were young and displayed either double or triple red colorations. I tried to get a good look at the males these females were in with and they were also in bad shape. Nothing a little tlc won't fix but I don't think that an accurate assumption on their eventual qualities could have been made at this point. Also, the best males may have already been bought.
I am just trying to get a first successful spawn so I know this thinking is far into the future. If I do end up with fantastic babies I will sell them eventually to enthusiasts. If I get pretty babies but not ideal ones, I will probably give them to my lfs for the average hobbyist not interested in breeding. I am doing this for fun first and foremost, not to make money. I just love these fish. What do I breed for to make sure I propogate the species correctly? I don't want to put fish out there that will harm the species. Do I keep the first spawn or do I have to breed parents to babies to get the best coloration? Which male has the best qualities? Should I post pics?
Thank you
