|
Crazy Endler's Endevor
|
|
By JBo
from the Jim Smith department, Section Diaries
Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 01:50:40 PM PST
Tags: (all tags)
|
 |
|
Recently I was given a chance to work with some wild endlers. What started as a 5 tank project that I could afford just on the store credit I have accumulated over the last year has turned into a huge project! It should still be fun and I just wanted to share what has happened so far.
|
| Hello,
I was recently given a chance to receive up to 5 strains of wild Endler's and of course could not say no. At the time I was thinking 5 strains, 5 tanks, I can handle that. Especially since I have tons of store credit around here! I spent about $75 on lumber and made a nice stand that would hold the tanks as well as a small car or elephant if need be. Hey, I had extra 2x4s, what can I say :)
Anyway, since that time I've been told that the females are not sorted. Given that they are wild fish there was really no way to do so without observing their fry to maturity. Well ok, no big deal, I said to send them along anyway. I started doing some research to find the best way to determine strains of the females for line breeding. I found varying opinions, and finally got an email from Felix Breden whose opinion I respect a lot. Here is what he said:
"I would start what geneticists call "isofemale lines" - one pregnant female from the wild and all of her offspring = one isofemale line. then you could raise virgin female from these lines and mate them to one male from the line to start an inbred line. takes a lot of space but that is how you would get as pure a line as possible."
It sounded like great advise, but suddenly I was faced with around 25 tanks! Well, I decided that since there was a good chance these fish would not be around in the wild much longer it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm doing it. I've got 30 5 gallon Sterilite tubs with gravel, mini hydro sponges, etc waiting to be setup as well as the 5 ten gallon tanks. I'm not real sure where all the tubs are going yet, but that will work itself out I'm sure.
Remember that store credit I mentioned? Well, in total stores owed me around $450. I used all of that up plus spent $250 on kensfish.com on food and the filters and some misc stuff. I bought enough bio spira from fishstoretn.com that I won't have to worry about cycling as well. The tubs were about $85 and the fish were $135 which goes to a good program. I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff, but suddenly this has turned into a $1200 project!
Anyway, just wanted to share. I am sure I'll be able to sell as many f1 fry as I can get from them and will get my money back, and even if I dont I'm excited to work with the wild fish.
Jim
|
|
|
Immediate Help
