# What to do with hybrid fry.



## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

I been long time keeper of AC and use to breed but at this time I don't want the hassle of breeding. So wanted to go all male tank but the dealer I bought some larger peacocks from made me take couple females. Well I should of rehome them but didn't, my fault and I new better. So any how every time I empty my filter socks I have fry. I just not someone that culls or kills anything on purpose. I talk to local shops about getting rid of them but just don't want to send my problem to someone else. Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciate.


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

That's easy.....take the females out.


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

BlueSunshine said:


> That's easy.....take the females out.


That still does nothing for the fry I have.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I see only 4 choices, remove females (future spawns), keep the fry for their lifetime (future spawning problems), use as feeder fish or euthanize them.

I have not had hybrid fry but if put in that position, I would euthanize because setting up more tanks for just hybrids is not something I am willing to do and I wouldn't even consider sharing them with other aquarists. This topic comes up frequently and while opinions vary, there aren't a whole lot of responsible options.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

If you want to be responsible... the only option is to raise the fry and see what they are like. If you don't want to do that, you could try to give them to someone who doesn't care (and probably will not give them very good care). You know the options.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Deeda said:
 

> I see only 4 choices, remove females (future spawns), keep the fry for their lifetime (future spawning problems), use as feeder fish or euthanize them.
> 
> I have not had hybrid fry but if put in that position, I would euthanize because setting up more tanks for just hybrids is not something I am willing to do and I wouldn't even consider sharing them with other aquarists. This topic comes up frequently and while opinions vary, there aren't a whole lot of responsible options.


Plus one. I hate euthanizing so I'm very conservative about what I will stock together in the same tank.


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

CeeJay said:


> BlueSunshine said:
> 
> 
> > That's easy.....take the females out.
> ...


That's easy to fix also, as deeda said, kill them.


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## joeyk (Aug 7, 2016)

Sell them as feeders. Or just leave them in the tank, chances are they'll get eaten eventually


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I find once they live beyond a week or two the adults will not eat them. Better not to sell them as you have no control over whether the new owner will raise one and post it on a forum like this for ID, LOL.


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

Deeda said:


> I see only 4 choices, remove females (future spawns), keep the fry for their lifetime (future spawning problems), use as feeder fish or euthanize them.
> 
> I have not had hybrid fry but if put in that position, I would euthanize because setting up more tanks for just hybrids is not something I am willing to do and I wouldn't even consider sharing them with other aquarists. This topic comes up frequently and while opinions vary, there aren't a whole lot of responsible options.


Thanks for the response. Your right there aren't many choices other to raise them for me. I do have friend that said he would take them but I afraid they would breed in his tank and start the whole process over. There not bad looking fry and I may wait until there older to see what to do.

[


noki said:


> If you want to be responsible... the only option is to raise the fry and see what they are like. If you don't want to do that, you could try to give them to someone who doesn't care (and probably will not give them very good care). You know the options.


Thanks for the response. Your right passing the problem to someone else is my biggest concern



joeyk said:


> Sell them as feeders. Or just leave them in the tank, chances are they'll get eaten eventually


Thanks for the response Sorry I just can't do that. Beside how do you know they won't sell them and start this all over again. There out of the tank and in one of my quarantine tanks. There also fry in the main tank as someone had wrote if you have 3D backdrop you almost for certain have fry live.

That's easy to fix also, as deeda said, kill them.[/quote]

It's good thing your mom and dad like you. 

Females have been removed that turn in to a two hour job but hopefully that's the end of breeding


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## plug (Nov 10, 2013)

I have a 55 gallon tank where I put all my hybrid babies in and grow them out just to see what they look like
as they grow , I usually toss them in my Malawi tank where my Malawi Hawks eat them...as they seem to be the only ones that will eat larger babies

Once in a while I will see a hybrid baby that will catch my eye. I currently have about 30 babies from a Male Dragon Blood Peacock and a female venustus, and one of them is a stunning looking fish about 2 plus inches long with a blue face already...looks like it may be a keeper...unfortunately for the rest they will probably end up as a meal for the Malawi Hawks...


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

plug said:


> I have a 55 gallon tank where I put all my hybrid babies in and grow them out just to see what they look like
> as they grow , I usually toss them in my Malawi tank where my Malawi Hawks eat them...as they seem to be the only ones that will eat larger babies
> 
> Once in a while I will see a hybrid baby that will catch my eye. I currently have about 30 babies from a Male Dragon Blood Peacock and a female venustus, and one of them is a stunning looking fish about 2 plus inches long with a blue face already...looks like it may be a keeper...unfortunately for the rest they will probably end up as a meal for the Malawi Hawks...


Thanks for the response.

I'm going to keep them for a while. I'm pretty sure there a cross between dragon blood and another peacock. The fry are yellow. If they look like the dragon blood I would be happy.

Every pet store I go in have large tank full AC that all look like hybrids. I just don't want to add to this problem. A lot people like to buy adult fish and buy them just for there looks. As far as hybrids go unless your buy wild fish you really don't what your getting. Actually the whole lake is full of hybrids almost all the fish came from one or two different species and that was a salt water fish to start with.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

CeeJay said:


> plug said:
> 
> 
> > I have a 55 gallon tank where I put all my hybrid babies in and grow them out just to see what they look like
> ...


The lake is not full of hybrids, and I suppose you could say that cichlids evolved from a once salt water fish but that was long ago. You don't make new species with hybridization, you eliminate species with hybridization, the hybrids do not create a new distinct breeding group they become less specialized, more generalized. Hybrids can be absorbed into species when times are tough or change, but long term new cichlids came from specialization and isolated breeding groups, not from generalization and mixing.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

What Noki says is accurate.
-Kanorin, PhD


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

I would just put a more predatory cichlid in and then you won't have to worry. A Compressiceps or livingstoni will take care of them and won't bother your adult peacocks.

You don't want to let them out of your custody in any case. Once you do that you can't control whether someone breeds them and distributes them.


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## stalefish83 (May 22, 2014)

I'm curious why you have a problem with using them as feeder fish? Fry are an integral part of the food chain. Maybe not in aquaria, necessarily, but it's nature. It certainly is not the good Lord's intent to have trillions of cichlids overrunning our waters because each batch of 30+ fry per female every week never gets culled... That's an oversimplification, but I'm still curious what the issue is? Moral? Your stomach? ...something else?


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

noki said:


> CeeJay said:
> 
> 
> > plug said:
> ...


Thank you for the information and maybe my understanding was wrong, this site is so good for information.



stalefish83 said:


> I'm curious why you have a problem with using them as feeder fish? Fry are an integral part of the food chain. Maybe not in aquaria, necessarily, but it's nature. It certainly is not the good Lord's intent to have trillions of cichlids overrunning our waters because each batch of 30+ fry per female every week never gets culled... That's an oversimplification, but I'm still curious what the issue is? Moral? Your stomach? ...something else?


Tank is full of predator fish. I don't see fry in the tank. Yes this is my problem I have a hard time killing anything. I have guns and love to shoot but don't hunt and don't kill. Don't get me wrong I love meat just not the killing part. So for me just not a option.


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## Melanddave6571 (Jul 5, 2016)

I've thought about the same issue since I have AC's in my tank that are male and female, some same species. Some I have no idea because they were juveniles but some were easy to sex as juveniles. I have no issue with the fry getting eaten. It's the circle of life I suppose. Coming from the horse world I am for slaughter rather than horses being abused or going to wrong homes or the so-called rescues that are even worse off. Husband is opposite with the fish. He can't handle the thought of fish getting eaten. lol He''s a super softie.


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

Been a while and updated is needed.

I end up buying a grow out tank and my hopes is to see what I have. There are some where around an inch long. It looks to me that there father was a Dragon Blood Peacock. Which in it self is a hybrid anyone know what color there fry are most of mine are a yellow color?

Also wanted to thank everyone who responded .

Ceejay


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## Melanddave6571 (Jul 5, 2016)

CeeJay said:


> Been a while and updated is needed.
> 
> I end up buying a grow out tank and my hopes is to see what I have. There are some where around an inch long. It looks to me that there father was a Dragon Blood Peacock. Which in it self is a hybrid anyone know what color there fry are most of mine are a yellow color?
> 
> ...


Ceejay.....I had no idea where males or females when I bought mine. I still have the same 12. My Auratus turned out to be a male. From what I read the Alpha male is the one that breeds. I had 1 fish holding way back. Now I have 2 others. I don't plan on keeping any so I let nature take it's course. I have 3 babies left and they know where to hide. So I'll see what happens.


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

[Ceejay[/quote]

Ceejay.....I had no idea where males or females when I bought mine. I still have the same 12. My Auratus turned out to be a male. From what I read the Alpha male is the one that breeds. I had 1 fish holding way back. Now I have 2 others. I don't plan on keeping any so I let nature take it's course. I have 3 babies left and they know where to hide. So I'll see what happens. [/quote]

My thoughts are to give them a way. I would love to give some young person that's starting out on budget just the males as way to make there transition to the hobby. I believe in the more people in the hobby the better for all of us. Most of us started with gold fish in a bowel at one time are another me included.

About the fish. I have several now that are getting up to the two inch mark and starting to see some male aggression. I have several that are very gold in color with black spots on there head. Not bad looking. I like the name 24 carat peacocks. I not going to trade mark the name.


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

Quote from CEEJAY
Tank is full of predator fish. I don't see fry in the tank. Yes this is my problem I have a hard time killing anything. I have guns and love to shoot but don't hunt and don't kill. Don't get me wrong I love meat just not the killing part. So for me just not a option.

I can respect your thoughts on this issue. It's what makes the world go around.


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