What's your Line Breeding program?

[pedrofisk]

I have started two Endler N-class colonies that of course are breeding. One colony is in a 15 gallon outdoor tub and I am leaving them to their own devices. The second colony is currently split between one 10g and one 20g with a few Marina breeder boxes. For this colony I want to attempt to breed the best males. When I got them I took the two best males (which were identical) and put them with three females to get started. They were all young and I can't say for certain the females were virgin but that's fine.

My question is does anyone have a specific line breeding program they like to follow in written or chart diagram? I am thinking about should I start to breed F1 females back to P1 males or do people prefer to breed the best of each generation to themselves and then breed back to P1 around F5?

I know I may be over thinking this and the best idea may be to let them do their thing and pull out inferior males as I go (which would go to the other colony or eventually a males only tank for my kids). However I want to use these Endlers to get good at this before moving onto a more complicated fish.

Thanks!

[DaveSamsell]

6 minutes ago, pedrofisk said:

I have started two Endler N-class colonies that of course are breeding. One colony is in a 15 gallon outdoor tub and I am leaving them to their own devices. The second colony is currently split between one 10g and one 20g with a few Marina breeder boxes. For this colony I want to attempt to breed the best males. When I got them I took the two best males (which were identical) and put them with three females to get started. They were all young and I can't say for certain the females were virgin but that's fine.

My question is does anyone have a specific line breeding program they like to follow in written or chart diagram? I am thinking about should I start to breed F1 females back to P1 males or do people prefer to breed the best of each generation to themselves and then breed back to P1 around F5?

I know I may be over thinking this and the best idea may be to let them do their thing and pull out inferior males as I go (which would go to the other colony or eventually a males only tank for my kids). However I want to use these Endlers to get good at this before moving onto a more complicated fish.

Thanks!

I am breeding Blue Moscow Guppies & Red Wag Platies right now.  I would imagine that everyone has a different approach, but I like to "pick & choose" the ones that look the best for breeding.  Probably fairly unscientific, but effective.    😊

[Brandy]

I am just beginning breeding fish. But my other job involves breeding things (don't ask, it isn't as fun as fish). We are not a huge operation so very analogous to a hobbyist, except we maintain 10-15 discreet strains at a time.

My general strategy is to "braid" two lineages in the strain. I try to choose strong breeders, get 2 lines running, then cross the lines every 3 generations or so, and repeat. 

In cases where we have a deleterious recessive arise, we often do not have access to fresh foundation stock. In that case my strategy is to expand the strain as much as space allows, and resample away from the problem genetics. Typically we have access to more raw genetic information than a hobbyist, but the suddenly arising negative mutation is rarely included in that information. The principles of husbandry hold true, in spite of that. Breeding a trait out can be even easier than breeding one in.

[H.C. Aqua]

For each strain that I'm line breeding, I like to keep at least 4 setups. 

1) Breeders
2) Male grow out
3) Female grow out
4) Fry (to moved out to grow outs when sexable)

I seed the Breeder tank with the best of the best new stock from time to time as well as retire old looking ones.  It's a simple concept but does require space. 

Edited July 30, 2020 by H.C. Aqua

[Brandy]

14 hours ago, H.C. Aqua said:

For each strain that I'm line breeding, I like to keep at least 4 setups. 

1) Breeders
2) Male grow out
3) Female grow out
4) Fry (to moved out to grow outs when sexable)

I seed the Breeder tank with the best of the best new stock from time to time as well as retire old looking ones.  It's a simple concept but does require space. 

Well that is basically my exact setup. So there you go, I guess I am line breeding...mutts...lol.

I guess I didn't think of it that way, since my breeder tank is fully planted and has shrimp and snails and multiple parents and whatnot. I just figured I would learn on the cheap fish! 

[pedrofisk]

Yep, I need more tanks!

[Brandy]

39 minutes ago, pedrofisk said:

Yep, I need more tanks!

Make them do double duty! RCS under the baby fry and snails and plants in the sexed grow outs--for my future pea puffer project, lol.

You are right. We need more tanks!

[WhitecloudDynasty]

I normally bring F4 x P1 for one set

F4 X uncle or aunt 

And F4 x outcross

 

I do my best to widen out the gene pool as much as possible while keeping the traits I want. Any fish that show deformity or wrong conformation is cull.