Guppy problems

[Aquila]

I think what really good guppy breeders do is select the look they are going for and then breed 2 strains from that initial group (or breed the groups for 2 different things sequentially). So for instance, they work on colour or tail size with one 1/2 of the group, and body size/shape with the other. Then at some point they cross breed between the 2. If the 2 groups were started off from the same line, then not too many of the genes are lost with the cross over but you get the benefits from the hard work you put into both groups with just a few generations. This is more easily achieved when you concentrate on one thing at a time and not try to incorporate all your goals in one go.

Health is more dependent on genotype while appearance is the phenotype. Selectively breeding for 'pretty' traits doesn't always...but can take away the focus from the genes which keep the line healthy and strong since the genotype is invisible. Fortunately, certain phenotypic traits can be reflective of good health (and thus a potentially good genotype) such as body condition/size and swimming ability and so it is important to not just concentrate one one superficial aspect when breeding a good strain. Fancy guppies which are far removed from their wild cousins can still be successful and healthy, but only if the breeder did a good job.