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RE: OT. bettas
I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're calling betta breeders
selfish.. Bettas are bred one way so they aren't hiding anything from each
other there.. There aren't any special breeding techniques for a strain
like with some killie species.. They're all the same species so they all
breed the same.. Also, with killies, you breed them and you get all the
same fish with pretty much all the same colors and patterns.. With bettas,
you may get only a few really nice males or females from a 100 fry
spawn.. As for the males and females being sold seperately, I think that
has a lot to do with the fact that people wanting to choose their own
fish.. They may have a really nice female or male that they want to breed
but they don't have a mate that suites their purpose.. Also, they might
want to try to keep some kind of genetic diversity in there.. Then again,
some people might not be interested in breeding and just want the male
because they're pretty.. I know that's the main reason they're sold that
way in pet stores.. People like the pretty fish with long fins but don't
have any interest in the female which is most of the time much more
drap.. I've recently bought a very nice pair of bettas for just $24 on
Aquabid.. Most of them seem to go for about that price.. Males or females
alone can go for between $5 and $20.. Depending on the quality of the fish
and it's rarity.. Some auctions even have the males for sale and offers a
free female at the winner's choice.. Betta breeders aren't holding back
information or holding back females to drive up prices.. The best bettas
are just simply harder to breed and find.. It's like a grand champion
dog.. That dog and it's offspring are going to be expensive simply because
they're the best.. People will pay for the work that another breeder went
through..
Jacqueline
>You know folks that I really can't resist getting into a good useless off
>topic conversation. Try as I might, when it comes to fish it is hard for me
>not to form and express an opinion. So here goes.
>
>First of all the question should not be why are bettas so expensive? It's
>why are killies so cheap? The difference is that as killie breeders we are
>trying to distribute our fish. We want a particular species to spread. If we
>were to sell only males and cull our females we could accomplish the same
>thing betta breeders do. One could argue that if the price were too high
>someone could just go out and collect more. But this is not always so. In
>many cases there are no more wild populations. In any case if we have a
>particular fish we could just rename them when they are collected so that it
>would be harder for more to be found.
>
>Lets think about it for a minute. When someone has a very rare killie what
>does he do with it. He breeds it and usually gives it to all of his friends.
>Those which get sold usually start out expensive but then the price goes
>down rapidly as the fish is proliferated. I have seen killies go for over
>$100.00 per pair but those prices usually last only a short while until
>everyone has them then it goes for pocket change at auction. If someone
>figures out how to breed a difficult fish they share the information freely.
>If killie breeders withheld females and kept their secrets I think that
>killies pairs would sell for much more than bettas. I am not sure about
>betta breeders. Maybe they do the same amongst themselves. I do not know.
>But the fact that so few bettas are sold as pairs gives me the idea that
>there is some method behind the madness.
>
>As to breeding special strains of killies goes, why not? How many people on
>this list have not kept albino something or red/orange or chocolate AUS.
>They are nice little fish There is plenty of room in our hobby for wild
>fish and hybrids alike (as long as they are correctly labeled).
>
>As killie folk we are lucky we are in such a wonderful hobby with such a
>great bunch of people! Most of my rarest fish were actually given to me or
>sold to me at less than the cost it took to raise them. I don't mind
>bringing fish to auction, even when I know that they will go for very
>little. Hopefully someone else will be successful with them and they will
>proliferate. If I were looking to get top dollar for my fish I would work
>hard for other good breeders not to get them. The last place I would sell
>my fish is at a club auction where others who could breed them could get a
>hold of them. I do agree that It is nice when our fish bring big bucks but
>certainly not necessary.
>
>If we really wanted to raise our fish incomes all we need do is withhold
>them, or at least withhold the females. In the end it take a lot less work
>and cost less money to raise fewer fish and we would all make a much larger
>profit. It is our willingness to share our fish so inexpensively which has
>prevented any large scale killie enterprise from ever succeeding.
>
>Finally the question is do we really want to be like betta breeders? You can
>get the males for $2.99 but if you want a correct pair it will cost you
>$300.00. I'm not sure that we are wired that way.
>
>Peace,
>
>~RJ~
>
>
>
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