Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Glow Fish

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Glow Fish

    I remember some of you looking for Glow Fish.  I was at Houston Aquatics (on N. Shephered) today and he has some glow fish.  I think they were either 3.99 or 4.99 each, probably the 4.99.  He had the lime green, yellow and that pinkish colr.  There weren't may, probably about 20 or so.  They are really cool looking fish, but would quickly become a brightly colored and rather exepnsive snack and for the fish I have.
    Reasoning with some people is like trying to nail jello to a wall...

  • #2
    Re: Glow Fish

    Is this what you are talking about?



    max

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Glow Fish

      That would be them.  I was going by the way John had them named on the tank.   Sometimes his labeling leaves a little bit of a challenge to the imagination  :wink: .
      Reasoning with some people is like trying to nail jello to a wall...

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Glow Fish

        What do you think about them inserting a gene into these fish to make them glow and then offering them to the public? I would think the sceintific uses would be easier to justify than releasing them to the public. They are not much good for my native fish collection. People who spend years outcrossing and selectively breeding guppies might think that kind of genetic manipulation is cheating? Most folks just want eye candy for the living room and this is good? Do you all buy their argument that these fish cannot survive Houston's winters in Centerpoint's cooling ponds? What do you all think?

        max

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Glow Fish

          Whether it is ethical or not, money talks.  If the public is willing to pay the outrageous prices for a glorified danio, then someone will twist all laws of nature to meet the demand.  What is even crazier, is that is a "good price" for those considering anywhere else you go they are around $7.00 each.  Just my two pennies....

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Glow Fish

            Well, the history I read said that they were originally bred to use in water quality measurement and were initially not for public resale.

            That notwithstanding, we have been GM'ing animals and plants for millenia. By selective breeding (sometimes forced) we have created living things that could never survive in the wild - corn is a prime example, domestic sheep are another. And what about goldfish? You don't get many ballon eyed twin tailed black carp in the wild!

            Some revert quite quickly to the wild forms (pigs, guppies) within a few generations, but many are so modified as require mans' direct involvement to continue...

            That in my mind means that if I dislike glofish I should also quit eating lamb, get rid of my dogs, and all of my guppies, right?
            Russ



            My other hobby?Vroom![b]

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Glow Fish

              The Glofish were a commercial genetic manipulation venture launched in the Far East several years ago and they are being sucessfully marketed wherever the laws allow them to be sold.

              At least they're not dyed or tattooed, BOTH of which I personally think should be banned in any civilized country - just my opinion of course.

              I personally don't care for them, although John's price of $4.99 is very reasonable, but many new people get into this hobby by starting out with such fish and even Bettas for their decrative/novelty qualities alone, and many of these people go on to become serious hobbists.  

              I think they could possibly survive outdoors  in Houston, but it would be a very costly experiment!!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Glow Fish

                I too am against dying and tattoing, and other cruel practices like veal crating...

                But viable GM? I don't think I have an issue with this.

                There was a post elsewhere about zebra danios being able to survive 50'F...and glofish are zebras, right? Are they more susceptible to cold?

                Personally I wouldn't want to risk it...but....
                Russ



                My other hobby?Vroom![b]

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Glow Fish

                  This is the bit I read:

                  "GloFish® fluorescent fish are beautiful and unique fish that were originally bred to help detect environmental pollutants. It was only recently that scientists realized the public's interest in sharing the benefits of this research. GloFish® fluorescent fish are safe for the environment and make wonderful pets for new hobbyists and experienced enthusiasts alike. To help address some common curiosities about GloFish® fluorescent fish, the following information is provided:
                  "
                  From Glofish.com
                  Russ



                  My other hobby?Vroom![b]

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Glow Fish

                    "To achieve their goal of helping to fight water pollution, scientists are in the process of adding a "switch" that will cause the always fluorescing GloFish® zebra fish to selectively fluoresce in the presence of environmental toxins. A non-fluorescing fish will signal that the water is safe, while a fluorescing fish will signal trouble. Although these fish are not currently available, scientists hope to complete this work soon."

                    "For over a decade, fluorescent zebra fish have been relied upon by scientists worldwide to better understand important questions in genetics, molecular biology, and vertebrate development. Fluorescent zebra fish have been particularly helpful in understanding cellular disease and development, as well as cancer and gene therapy."

                    max

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Glow Fish

                      So, I'm confused, which is nothing unusual.  :think:  If they glow when there are toxins in the water you would think they would not glow in the LFS.  Are they that sensitive that any chemical in the water will make them glow?  Or is the flourescence you are referring to only seen in the dark?  Or have they again changed the genetics so they glow all the time?
                      Reasoning with some people is like trying to nail jello to a wall...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Glow Fish

                        I think they glow all the time but I am also confused about the facts and how I feel about them.

                        max

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Glow Fish

                          They developed the glow but are still working on the switch, so right now they glow all the time.

                          Actually they don't glow at all; they are fluorescent. That means they absorb light of some wavelengths and then re-emit light, in this case red.

                          With regards to glowing: - In a dark room there is no glow. With a black light they glow, and in other artificial light.
                          Russ



                          My other hobby?Vroom![b]

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Glow Fish

                            So the pink ones emit red and the "lime green, yellow" ones are something new that emits those colors. They emit all the time in the light so they aren't any good for detecting  water pollution which was supposed to be the main big deal about them. It's all experimental and not quite finished but they turned it over to the public to make money. However they are learnig all this other neat stuff? I have never seen them so they might be real pretty to look at. It just doesn't quite sound right. Are you sure they didn't just create these things just to look at?

                            Sorry its hard to verbalize what I don't understand.

                            max

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Glow Fish

                              I'm not sure how I feel about these either. They kinda look like fish colored with a highlighter or dipped in dye. I actually thought they were dyed the first time I saw them.

                              Wouldn't it be easier to make some sort of test strips to detect environmental toxins rather than messing around with some fish genes?

                              Katie
                              Current Setup
                              20L
                              6 guppies, 1 dwarf platy, 2 pepperd corys, 1 emerald cory, 1 ghost shrimp

                              5.5G
                              4 bronze corys, 1 otocinclus, 2 mystery snails, lots of algae

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X