Line Breeding for genetics

[CJs Aquatics]

Hey fish friends, quick question:

Anyone have any clever systems they came up with outside of dividers making it capable for them to controlled line breed specifically livebearers like guppies or bristlenose plecos without multiple tanks? Just a random early morning thought…

Also: 

when you guys are breeding, what’s the best way to continually improve the genetics of your fish? Like Male and female fish make baby fish, then from there what’s your process? do you introduce new lines after each batch or do you inbreed? Do you remove the males or the females or the fry, just curious as to what people have came up with and been successful at, those willing to share there secrets at least lol

[tolstoy21]

I'm pretty new to line breeding and have been keeping it simple and follow the most basic formula that I've found in my reading. For now, I'm trying to avoid any methodology that seems overly complex at this stage in my learning.

I inbreed brother-to-sister for a few generations, keeping two separate lines going without crossing them. Then in generation 4, I cross a male and female from line1 and line2 and start the process again. 

I'm sure at some point I will need to outcross to bring in more genetics (maybe?), but I'm not at that point yet.

I don't use separators. I just use individual 10 and 20 gallons.  Everything I'm not holding onto for breeding, I move to 40 gallon grow outs.  These hold a mix of fish from the different pairs, undifferentiated.

Like I said, I am very new to this . . . . total noob. Much to learn. Many mistakes still to be made. But the above is my starting point.

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by tolstoy21

[Cinnebuns]

On 8/31/2022 at 4:11 AM, CJs Aquatics said:

Hey fish friends, quick question:

Anyone have any clever systems they came up with outside of dividers making it capable for them to controlled line breed specifically livebearers like guppies or bristlenose plecos without multiple tanks? Just a random early morning thought…

Also: 

when you guys are breeding, what’s the best way to continually improve the genetics of your fish? Like Male and female fish make baby fish, then from there what’s your process? do you introduce new lines after each batch or do you inbreed? Do you remove the males or the females or the fry, just curious as to what people have came up with and been successful at, those willing to share there secrets at least lol

So I don't exactly do line breeding because of a lack of ability to have that many tanks but I do a janky kinda version of it which includes never having more than 2 females pregnant at a time. I have a all male tank, a fry tank, a female tank, and some male keepers in my main display tank. I remove the fry from the female tank after they are born, sometimes giving them 8 or so hours to thin the herd a little.

At about 4 to 5 weeks of age I start to sex them. This is to avoid the females becoming pregnant for a few reasons. 1.  So I can keep my numbers down and 2. So i can control who they mate with if I chose to mate them. If one is questionable it goes in the male tank. 

I feel like there's more but my brain all of a sudden stopped. Sorry haha. That's a good start tho I think!  I'm by no means an expert or highly experienced but this has worked for me so far!  Also, for the last several months I have had only 1 pregnant female and have had people call me a liar. I find it funny lol

Edited August 31, 2022 by Cinnebuns

[WhitecloudDynasty]

I would write everything down and keep good records..whatever works for you.

 

If you breed bother and sister together that would just be inbreeding, but if you breed toward dad or mom side it's call line breeding. 

I wouldn't add any new stock in unless they have the genetics you want. You can alway breed for health without add new genetic, adding new genetic is just a fast way to reset your stock, some time bringing in genetic you want and  don't want.

 

[CJs Aquatics]

@WhitecloudDynasty thank you sooo much for this it’s exactly what I needed I truly appreciate it