<<I understand that a continual breeding programme is necessary to maintain
these wonderful fish over a period of time, is this correct?>>
Because they fit somewhere between Rainbows and Blue-eyes they seem to have
a life span of around 2-3 years so a regular replacement program is needed
but it is not as imperative as with pseudomugils.
<<Also believe that many people have a problem keeping the fry alive.>>
With the advent of the ultra tiny micro-encapsulated foods such as APR this
is much less of a problem. In QLD an outside pond and a summer breeding
stint outside is a lazy way to keep them going. You may have to consider a
heater even outdoors if the latitude warrants it. I recommend you check
Adrian Tappin's Home Page for a good overview.
Bruce Hansen