Question on dwarfs

Would dwarf brown and albino commons be worth anything?

im assuming you are talking about bristlenose not like a pleco or something?

maybe, it depends on how dwarf, if you have actually got a proper variation or is it just a runt? basically i would not really consider it to be a real variation until the breeder can show constant success getting constant results.

if you happen to have that then yeah i reckon you might have something, how dwarf are we talking?

2-2.5 inches 5-6.5cm

I think the word "Dwarf" is being used by some sellers to differentiate BN's from some of the larger pleco's.

There are many novice fishkeepers who see BN's and think they are going to grow into 18 inch monsters that will outgrow their tanks.

i would not consider a 5-6.5cm bristlenose to be dwarf, I have had both males and female breed at that size. I guess pictures would help. the other thing to consider is that fish respond to their tank size, while kept in smaller tanks they will not grow quickly, while when kept in a larger tank they grow mcuh faster and can often get much larger.

There are the issues I would want to clear up before I claimed a new type. I would want to say what the breeding outcomes would be based on both in and out crosses, and to remove the tank size issue I would want ot keep one in a large tank from a very young age to see if that affect its growth.

Unfortunatly, this is why breeding new types is such a lot of work and takes a long time. i would suggest about 6-10 generations of consistant results would be enough

They grew up in a 72 gallon bowfront aquarium. Is that big enough?

yeah, I would guess so

I would still wait a few generations before i claimed it as a new type.

Thrid generation growing up now, all still under 2.5 inches

santor wrote:

Thrid generation growing up now, all still under 2.5 inches

pictures would be nice.......

santor wrote:

Thrid generation growing up now, all still under 2.5 inches

santor wrote:

They grew up in a 72 gallon bowfront aquarium. Is that big enough?

There are other factors that can cause fish to become dwarf/stunted such as poor diet, stress, overcrowding, inbreeding and even oxygen levels. Some fish when overcrowded can release hormones that stop the shoal growing so their demand on food and oxygen match that available. I'm not saying this is the cause in your BN's only that other factors can restrict growth.

You say this is your third generation, have your second generation males/females been paired with normal size fish or other dwarfs?

Have you sold/given any of your dwarfs to other people and the growth remained the same?