# balloon ram with red gills?



## wilsonlin (Feb 10, 2010)

i recently bought balloon rams and noticed the gills were red on one of them. the other one is fine. is that just a pattern difference or is there something wrong? i can post pics if you need.


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

these are genetically defective fish whose lives are shortened and fraught with suffering from cramped internal organs.they are less resistant to diseases due to their deformations..
the gills of fish should be a bright pinkish red..but you should never see them unless you lift the opercle...maybe what you are seeing is another deformation where the oercle did not develop..


----------



## wilsonlin (Feb 10, 2010)

sadly i didnt know this before i bought them, the store had no decent blue rams just the balloon ones =/
the fish seems fine, i guess its not much of a problem, just another defect?


----------



## Guest (Feb 14, 2010)

can u upload a pic for a better analysis?


----------



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

I would like to see a picture aswell if you could. I honestly didnt know fish have defects or are bred (not sure if that is the proper term) with them.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I hadn't heard of balloon rams before, but after balloon mollies caught on, it was only a matter of time. Birth defect in fish happen all the time and responsible breeders "cull" fish that don't look healthy or at least don't breed them. But apparently buyers will pay a premium for a "different" looking fish. So breeders are now breeding the culls and attempting to create a "new" variety of fish. 

I really hate all of them, even double-tailed goldfish. I'm sick of posts like "My beautiful, beloved, pregnant, balloon molly just died, Why?" It is great for stores to sell fish than don't last so you have to come buy more.


----------



## wilsonlin (Feb 10, 2010)

sorry guys, i cant find my usb for camera or phone right now, just moved. but it doesnt seem to be suffering or anything, im guessing its just a deformity


----------

