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culling?

2K views 23 replies 14 participants last post by  DogFish 
#1 ·
I have finally found myself at the wall many have hit before me. I am having a very hard time with the how's & where's of this. I know, in nature, very, very few fry survive, but, I need to hear how others might feel about this as I have absolutely run out of room. It's a different cruelty to pile my fish up hoping to give a home to fish others would not take as ugly uncolored or runts. Advice? Opinions?
 
#4 ·
When you said culling I thought you meant the freeze/vodka treatment. If your oscar is the alternative toss em in! He will appreciate the live food and it's all natural the circle of life so to speak. I also have problems with culling when it comes to killing it's just hard to do after raising up babies but if they are to become live fish food its WAYYY better than just killing them.
 
#6 ·
I am so glad to find so many like minded people! I have been fretting over this since my third batch of eggs never heard of the vodka freeze thing is that considered the most humane second? Feeding the fry is natural & healthy for all. The big fish & the fry with roomy clean tanks...right?
 
#8 ·
Hahaha OK I never heard of either. But... the vodka won't freeze so drop em in? Just kidding I'm glad you guys helped me past this I am gonna make my Oscar happy! Sometimes the simplest things are so hard for beginners.
 
#15 ·
wise choice that :proud:

Freezing a cold blooded animal is not humane,,, sorry so many think so
:iamwithst

Just because it stops moving doesn't mean it's dead. Sever the spine right behind the skull then open a fish up so you can see the heart beating and start an egg timer, I think many would be amazed and a little horrified at how long it remains active. Using ice water until the core temp reaches the 30's brain function remains. I'm not a card carrying member of PETA but aquatic animals can experience distress, panic and (imo) pain. Having an Oscar your good to go OP. For others that don't have a predator tank consider the same chemical used to tranquilize fish for surgery. At a higher dose it puts them down with only mere seconds of distress and the cost is minimal as it relates to what most spend on the hobby.
 
#14 ·
If you have an oscar already, boom - problem solved.

Any aggressive cichlid would do well with live hunting/food scenarios. I know my convict loves it.

For a large group cull, dump the fish into a very near freezing bowl of water. The system shock should cause organ shutdown and death within seconds. This works very well for smaller fish and it's easy to just dump the entire batch afterward, either down the drain or onto the lawn.

For larger fish, the fastest method is simply crushing the head, but it's not for the weak-willed.

Some folks simply use a running garbage disposal. The fish are dispatched quickly, and it's essentially the same method used for culling male chicks in the poultry industry.
 
#20 ·
Some people do that, effective and fast. Here are other culling, um, techniques(?) that I've picked up from discus breeders:

1) Garbage Disposal
2) Put in plastic bag and slam on the cement dump in garden
3) Slam on concrete then flick in the garden with a stick
4) Sever head with sharp knife then chuck in garden
5) Feed to ferret
6) Feed to dog
7) Feed to cat
8) Feed to fish eating snake
9) Feed to fish eating lizard
10) Feed to larger fish
11) Feed to turtle
 
#21 ·
I didn't read the whole thread but doing a mixed vodka and freezing won't work since vodka lowers the freezing temp quite a bit :p
 
#22 ·
It's a rather interesting exercise to try and find ways to close the circle in aquatics.

My plant trimmings go to the compost, which provides soil enrichment to the houseplants I take trimmings from to add to my riparium setup--or are aged and used to supplement the usual debris in my tanks to feed snails and my red claw crab.

Excess snails are smashed as treats for my various stock, or dumped in a bag to dry--at which point I crush them to a powder and add 'em to my homemade shrimp foods to provide high mineral/protien content.

Excess endlers--including the gradual reduction of my female population--get chopped up and served up to various fish, shrimp, the crab, my cats and--if any is left--dumped in a jug on the balcony that holds an ever evolving fermented brew that I use to fertilize my houseplants. :)
 
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