# To Cull or Not to Cull? How Do I Cull?



## Fishshed

I have 5 brown colourless crossbred peacocks that i need to get to get rid of. I cant sell them becuase no one would want them and I dont want to sell non pure fish especially peacocks. I have no idea what cross they are or any knowledge of there orign i was given them without really wanting them, but i certanally know they are crossbreds.

So do I cull them?

What do I do with them if not?

What would be the best way to cull them?

Since I do not have a large predator fish to feed them to like an oscar it isn't an option. They aren't very large only about 1.5 inches.


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## Rhinox

> I have 5 brown colourless crossbred peacocks that i need to get to get rid of.


How do you know they're not just pure females? Female peacocks aren't colorful like males.

Edit:



> They aren't very large only about 1.5 inches.


Not sure but they might just be too young/small to be showing any color yet as well. I'd keep them for a while and see what develops.


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## CSchmidt

I think he is saying that he does not want crossbreds Rhinox.


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## natalie559

I would get some clove oil, add a drop or two to a small bag of water, mix well, transfer fish into the bag, they will become very sleepy and probably turn upside down, transfer them to the freezer to finish the job.


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## MalawiLover

natalie559 said:


> I would get some clove oil, add a drop or two to a small bag of water, mix well, transfer fish into the bag, they will become very sleepy and probably turn upside down, transfer them to the freezer to finish the job.


Clove oil is my method as well. Works as an anesthetic, then the freezer, well freezes. Commercially they sell this in LFS as Euthanaze

Thougfh at the size you fiash are at, unless you are absolutely sure they are hybrids, I would let them grow a bit. Peacock males do not start to show any color untill areong 2.5-3 inches, usually starting with a slight blue sheen in the right light. And the females will alsways be drab.


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## Rhinox

CSchmidt said:


> I think he is saying that he does not want crossbreds Rhinox.


I get that but he is also saying this:



> I have no idea what cross they are or *any knowledge of there orign* i was given them without really wanting them, but i certanally know they are crossbreds.


Since he doesn't know what they are or where they came from, just because they're brown they aren't necessarily crosses. They could be pure females, or just all too young to be showing color yet.

Thats why I suggested holding on to them a bit to see if they color up or not. Although, even if they do get some color there will never be a guarentee that they're not crosses, I'm just saying that being brown and small does not mean that they definately are.


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## Jeepguy

I have a hard time reading these posts. I have never heard of anyone shooting a dog because it was a mut.

Put them in spot so they cannot breed, but do they deserve to die?


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## gnomemagi

^^ +1.

Why did you accept them if you did not want them?


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## 24Tropheus

Jeepguy said:


> I have a hard time reading these posts. I have never heard of anyone shooting a dog because it was a mut.
> 
> Put them in spot so they cannot breed, but do they deserve to die?


But many many muts are put down because they have no homes. Besides a mut is not a hybrid. Just a cross of breeds not a man made cross of species. How can you stop them breeding and producing more unwanted fish unless they are put down?

I too wonder why Fishshed accepted hybrids as a gift.
No one would I hope give me such an unwanted gift.
I would need to pay the electricity and upkeep for their long lives in separate tanks for the sexes and away from any fish I wanted to breed to keep everyone happy.
Hmm hate to think what that would cost. :wink:
Oil of cloves then vodka. :thumb:


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## Jeepguy

I understand everything you guys are saying, that is why I said I don't really disagree, it is just hard for me to read about killing the fish. My wife makes fun of me all the time, as I hunt and fish, and eat what I shoot and catch, but I won't kill a hybrid fish. I know it is odd, trust me I hear it all the time. I have a few Hybrids that I have gotten, and I keep them in a tank where they cannot breed, yeah it cost me a few bucks but I just can't do it. Maybe if I could eat them it would be diffrent, :?


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## Number6

Jeepguy said:


> and I keep them in a tank where they cannot breed,


 all it takes is a small mistake and the hybrids breed with hybrids... unless you want to end up with a gazillion tanks and no wife, you will need to get over your squeemishness and learn how to kill fry.

I've often had to put down many a purebred fry as I had no homes for them to go to, so this isn't about them being hybrids, but the fact that you take on a responsibility when you take on pets that you musn't try to escape. If you can't sterilze em, you have to kill em. I hate it... with a passion, but I do it.

suggest you figure it out or sell your tanks now!


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## cjacob316

my uncle spent over 1k on a lab and shot it because it jumped out of the duck blind too early, worse things have happened, i noticed a fish of mine had a bad case of ick when i was just about to leave town and the only thing i could do was kill it, if i hadn't it would have died anyways and infected the rest of my tank including some very pricy fish


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## Jeepguy

cjacob316 said:


> my uncle spent over 1k on a lab and shot it because it jumped out of the duck blind too early


Ummm, nobody else finds this a bit odd? I think your uncle might want to seek help with his temper. I imagine that must be a very tense thanks giving dinner for your aunt, I mean if she burns the turkey will he cap her @**


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## Fishshed

I thought that destroying these fish would be the reponsible thing to do as a fish keeper.

Maybe I should just release them into the river to reak havoc on Australia's echo system after all they don't deserve to die? :wink:


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## cjacob316

i think that keeping them isolated until they get bigger is a good option to make sure you're not just looking at some juvies, but as for females, i don't know how you can tell is a female is pure, most people say let the hybrid fry get eaten, these didn't so everyone seems to be fine with letting hybrids die, until they are too big to be eaten

maybe find someone who will want them and not breed them

as for the dog, you spend a ton of money on a dog that is ultimately useless, just like when you spend hundreds of thousands on a prize horse and he won't let you ride him, he has an attitude and throws everyone, he gets put down, it's very different from killing a person, and i think it's scary that you can't see a difference, cuz it seems to me that we should be afraid of you if you see killing an animal the same as killing a person, if you kill an animal you will kill a person
do you justify letting animals fight because we let people fight?


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## Number6

cjacob316 said:


> do you justify letting animals fight because we let people fight?


 although an interesting counterpoint, let's try and stay on topic... we kill fish because it is a relatively normal thing to occur. Fish have 200 babies so that perhaps 2 survive to adulthood... not so 200 live. Fish have a high mortality rate in the wild.


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## cjacob316

i think what you should do is make your decision and never bring it up or tell anyone what you did lol, we'll all pretend that the fish are living free and happy


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## Rhinox

Instead of arguing over the ethics of killing fish, the real issue is whether or not the fish are actually hybrids. The OP didn't see where the fish came from, and wasn't told anything about them. He is basing the conclusion that they are hybrids on nothing but the brown color. They very well could end up being colorful pure males, drab pure females, or hybrids. What the OP does is dependent on his goals... if he just wants a tank with colorful fish and doesn't care about breeding, it might be worth it to wait it out and see if any males color up, and then cull the drab colored ones. If the OP wants to breed or just doesn't want those types of fish, then they should all be culled because even if they become colorful and even if they look like a pure species, there is absolutely no way to know for sure if they are pure without knowing where they came from.

A few dead aquarium fish are not enough to make me lose sleep, but if i wanted some colorful peacocks and didn't care about breeding, I'd wait it out to see what I had - culling now would basically be throwing money away (the money you'd use to buy the colorful fish you might not have had to if these "hybrids" actually turn out to be colorful).


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## Number6

Rhinox said:


> Instead of arguing over the ethics of killing fish, the real issue is whether or not the fish are actually hybrids. ....culling now would basically be throwing money away (the money you'd use to buy the colorful fish you might not have had to if these "hybrids" actually turn out to be colorful).


I don't agree. These fish breed... with good care, you basically cannot stop them doing so. Fish of unknown lineage (even if they color up wonderfully) just don't sell for much, and the chances of distributing hybrids is high (something the OP specifically said is undesirable). So valuable tank real estate is used growing out something worth a small amount or none and any fry produced would result in having even MORE fish to kill.

So... in my opinion, culling these fish and beginning again with known good fish could be considered cheaper in the long run as even the colorful adults could be sold for a high price.


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## fox

What we do with bullies or undesireable growing fry is bring them to one of our LFS who feeds them to this voracious catfish. I've seen it dispatch a 6" fish quicker than you can blink.

We no longer strip our fish and just let nature run its course in our tanks. We get one or two fry that survive now and then and find that acceptable


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## Jeepguy

This whole thread is nuts. This guy took fish he did not want only to kill em. Guess I am too pro life for this forum. can anyone recomend a better place for a guy like me


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## Number6

Jeepguy said:


> This whole thread is nuts. This guy took fish he did not want only to kill em. Guess I am too pro life for this forum. can anyone recomend a better place for a guy like me


 Personally, I think that the OP is trying to be honorable and INSTEAD of passing these fish off to the next guy like someone did to the OP, they are trying to decide what to do with the fish viewing themselves as the final stop on these fishes journey.

See what happens when people pawn off THEIR responsibility onto the next guy? The next guy has the pain of these decisions...

If you cannot handle a discussion with folks who see things differently than you do, then I doubt any discussion forum will be to your liking.


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## MCKP

Why not give these fish away for FREE but make sure to explain that they may be hybrids..... heck, if you want to send them to me.... I would take them. I don't care if they are mixes or not.


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## sisonek

how about some pics of these fish, and how big are they?


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## Fishshed

I think i might take cjacob316's advice and make my own quiet decision on what to do with these fish and let you bicker amongst yourselves about the ethics of killling fish.

Let me say this 
as I have said already I am absoloutely positively sure (like 100% sure) these fish are crossbreds.

I think destroying these fish instead of selling them or keeping them will stop my small (tiny) problem from becoming everyone elses big (massive) problem.


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## steelers fan

hey listen as long as they dont make it back out into the market(if they are hybrids) then whatever. it _is_ in the "grand scheme of things" a tiny issue, its just nice to sit around have a drink and bullship


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## Fishshed

24Tropheus said:


> Oil of cloves then vodka. :thumb:


You said you used vodka after clove oil. I read that vodka isn't necessary and is actually a irritant to the fish causing them to struggle. Just thought I'd say.


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## eddy

cjacob316 said:


> i think that keeping them isolated until they get bigger is a good option to make sure you're not just looking at some juvies, but as for females, i don't know how you can tell is a female is pure, most people say let the hybrid fry get eaten, these didn't so everyone seems to be fine with letting hybrids die, until they are too big to be eaten
> 
> maybe find someone who will want them and not breed them
> 
> as for the dog, you spend a ton of money on a dog that is ultimately useless, just like when you spend hundreds of thousands on a prize horse and he won't let you ride him, he has an attitude and throws everyone, he gets put down, it's very different from killing a person, and i think it's scary that you can't see a difference, cuz it seems to me that we should be afraid of you if you see killing an animal the same as killing a person, if you kill an animal you will kill a person
> do you justify letting animals fight because we let people fight?


 Yeah hunting dogs that won't hunt or won't listen or in your case even ruin your hunt for you get shot.....it is pretty common. *** seen numerous coonhounds shot for running deer.

You can't just have junky hunting dogs filling up all the shelters. Then your taking space away from a dog that could have been adopted and giving it to a dog that will likely be put down eventually.

Big hunting dogs are not happy if they don't get to hunt(labs are but most are not) and if they can't hunt right........

Id just cull the fish if you don't want them.....Its no big deal 90% of fish were not meant to live anyway.

Culling animals is just something that has to be done to put a lid on a problem while it is small.


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## Number6

Fishshed said:


> I think destroying these fish instead of selling them or keeping them will stop my small (tiny) problem from becoming everyone elses big (massive) problem.


 :thumb:

It is what I would do in your shoes.


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## MCKP

Can the OP post pictures please? I was actually serious that I would take them..... if they are still alive....


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## Number6

MCKP said:


> Can the OP post pictures please? I was actually serious that I would take them..... if they are still alive....


 shipping from Australia would be expensive, not to mention the difficulties in getting these fish through customs. I am not sure you are thinking that all the way through for a handful of little brown peacocks. 
Besides, if you want free (likely hybrid) peacocks, there's often some floating around on craigslist that would appreciate the rescue.


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## 24Tropheus

Fishshed said:


> 24Tropheus said:
> 
> 
> 
> Oil of cloves then vodka. :thumb:
> 
> 
> 
> You said you used vodka after clove oil. I read that vodka isn't necessary and is actually a irritant to the fish causing them to struggle. Just thought I'd say.
Click to expand...

Please explain. I was under the impression that oil of cloves did not kill cichlids but just prevented and killed pain (put under sedation). The alcohol kills fish very well (cheap vodka is the cheapest source to those without access to medical alcohol I think) but is thought to cause pain to fish if used on its own. Personally I have the stomach for throwing the small guys real hard into a bucket giving them instant death without long pain but I would like a solution I could recommend that would not involve such extreme measures.
I am not a vet but I would tend to take their advice over mine.
As far as I know oil of cloves then alcohol or extreme instant head damage are the recommended euthanasia methods for fish by UK Vets.
I beg to differ on the folks who say this is a silly post I think this gets to the core of ethical fish keeping and breeding. :thumb:


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## MCKP

Sorry, I did not realize the OP was in Australia.... I did not look.... I just do not like the thought of them being killed because they are not pure.... being sick, or something is one thing, but just because they are not pure is not a good enough reason for me...

I am sure there are plenty of people who don't mind having just 'pets'....

Turk, my hormoned female Fryeri, does not look like she should and pretty serves no purpose, and honestly, she isn't even that pretty but I am not going to kill her.


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## Number6

MCKP said:


> I just do not like the thought of them being killed because they are not pure....


 They are not being killed because they are hybrids, but because they are of unknown origin are not appropriate to be allowed to continue as a bloodline.

I have had many many purebreds that had to be killed. That doesn't bother you?


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## MCKP

Unless they are sick or injured, I see no point in killing them.

If you are breeding fish but are not able to care for all of the ones that are produced(i.e. let them spit in the tank and allow them to try and survive, or find appropriate homes for them -LFS, seperate tank, etc) Than I do not think you should breed them, or allow them to breed.

Not allowing to continue as a bloodline, and killing are two seperate things. If Turk ever managed to hold, I would not try to keep the babies.... I would let her spit in the tank and see what happened. But I would also not kill the ones that made it.

I am all for breeding pure lines. I really am. But, I am not for killing others just because they are not. Give them away. Or, keep them in a separate tank. It really doesn't take much to do that. It really is as simple as separating the males from the females and letting them live, but preventing the bloodlines from continuing.


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## Number6

*MCKP*
so, it is fine to allow fish to kill each other off, but not ok to actively put them to sleep?

and as for the fry that do make it... they grow up to then breed and hold gain... and those fry begin to grow... how many aquariums does one end up with? or do we simply allow a tank to get so overpopulated that "fortunately" disease sets in and does our dirty work for us...

sorry, but in my eyes, you are still killing your fish, just in a cruel, slow, and ridiculous fashion. Either that, or you will one day end up as that single crazy guy at the end of the street with whole fishrooms of mutt fish.

AS much as it pains me to do it, I have managed to suck it up, take fish and smack them hard to the concrete floor. Much quicker than waiting for disease to set in to an overpopulated tank or ending up with tanks full of "pets". Whenever I hear posters like you go on and on about never killing fish, I cannot help but jump to the conclusion that you are a. not a fish breeder, b. likely have one or perhaps two aquariums max and less than three years with the same fish in your care. Am I right? or wrong?

If I'm right, then perhaps once you've had an 8 yr old mbuna and seen how prolific they truly are before they die of old age, we may have a different conversation...


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## MCKP

You are right on both accounts(except I have lost fish to disease). I am not a fish breeder but because I would not intentionally breed these fish knowing they had no where to go. It is no different to me than any other animal. Cats, Dogs and Rabbits.... They all breed alot... but that doesn't mean you should kill them.

Perhaps it is because I have worked in shelters, perhaps it is because of all the rescues I have taken in, I hate to see people killing perfectly healthy animals for no reason.


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## MCKP

Hey listen, I don't want to get in to it.... Just something I get irked about... The OP hasn't really responded at all, and so there really is no point in continuing...

Sorry for getting upset.... I like this forum alot and love how peaceful it is pretty much all the time, and I don't want to change that....

But, if people near me have fish they don't want because it is a mix, and are considering culling it, let me know, I will take it and A. Keep it if it can work with my tanks that I have now, or B. Find it a home with one of my friends, and/or family......

Number6...... again, sorry for getting snippy.... I am a nice person I swear! lol


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## steelers fan

i think the OP has not responded cause hes so entertained by you two that he is satisfied just to read as am i :lol:


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## Fishshed

24Tropheus said:


> Fishshed said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 24Tropheus said:
> 
> 
> 
> Oil of cloves then vodka. :thumb:
> 
> 
> 
> You said you used vodka after clove oil. I read that vodka isn't necessary and is actually a irritant to the fish causing them to struggle. Just thought I'd say.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Please explain. I was under the impression that oil of cloves did not kill cichlids but just prevented and killed pain (put under sedation). The alcohol kills fish very well (cheap vodka is the cheapest source to those without access to medical alcohol I think) but is thought to cause pain to fish if used on its own. Personally I have the stomach for throwing the small guys real hard into a bucket giving them instant death without long pain but I would like a solution I could recommend that would not involve such extreme measures.
> I am not a vet but I would tend to take their advice over mine.
> As far as I know oil of cloves then alcohol or extreme instant head damage are the recommended euthanasia methods for fish by UK Vets.
> I beg to differ on the folks who say this is a silly post I think this gets to the core of ethical fish keeping and breeding. :thumb:
Click to expand...

I read it in a book regarding Betta splendens (fighting fish) which said Clove oil mixed  with vodka irritates the fish. I'm not sure if it is different when you use vodka after the fish is knocked out but it makes sense. I would probobly take the vets advice aswell. I did a bit of research and I found that colve oil was sufficient to kill cichlids on its own (I posted some links) but again I would probobly take the vets advice aswell just thought I would give you something to think about, another thing to think about, lol, its like we don't have enough to think about already. :lol:

http://bettysplendens.com/articles/page ... cleid=1047
http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/foru ... pic=1280.0

As for know the fish are still swimming happily in my tank (not sarcasm I promise) It will be a while before they are a problem

And yes importing and exporting in Australia is a tricky business and expensive. They have to be quarantined for like two weeks, have to be legal import/export blah blah blah.

Sorry I didn't mean to rock the boat that is cichlid forum though I sure did make a splash  
And no i'm not a monster :lol:


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## Number6

No offense can be taken when we all reply civilly and with respect. MKCP, you have been exemplary in your replies... no worries.

Like you, I hate seeing any animal die or be killed. I also agree that there is no real difference between dogs, rabbits, fish, etc. with regards to breeding/ rearing/ and their deaths.

Unfortunately, dog breeding frequently requires dogs to be put to sleep. Even no-kill shelters have several scenarios where the animal is put to sleep. It is a reality of the pet world that gets hidden, glossed over, but is a very common event that an animal has to be destroyed. No kill shelters frequently send the animal to a shelter that does kill to spare some animals undue stress and misery from long term confinement. Like I said... you either kill or you pawn your responsibility off on someone else to do it but ethically, you are bound to kill animals that cannot or should not be rehomed.

Fishshed, clove oil then vodka or freezing is common and preferable to clove oil AND vodka mixed. It sounds like your reply is referring to the two being mixed.


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## gus211

I've had a lot of fun reading this discussion as most have and I really don't mind culling fish at all the only problem I do have here is how are you forced to take fish you don't want was there a gun involved or some type of physical harm I would never take in fish I didn't want or know anything about as far as pureness come on every one in here is arguing over to cull or not to cull when in fact this would not be the issue if the person would have used a little commen sense and come one people this shouldn't be that big of a deal just pet them down if you don't want them and really learn that you don't take free fish if your not willing to give them a chance


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## eddy

gus211 said:


> I've had a lot of fun reading this discussion as most have and I really don't mind culling fish at all the only problem I do have here is how are you forced to take fish you don't want was there a gun involved or some type of physical harm I would never take in fish I didn't want or know anything about as far as pureness come on every one in here is arguing over to cull or not to cull when in fact this would not be the issue if the person would have used a little commen sense and come one people this shouldn't be that big of a deal just pet them down if you don't want them and really learn that you don't take free fish if your not willing to give them a chance


 Unless you find a 200 gallon tank for 100$ and the fish must go with it :wink:


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## MCKP

My LFS will take mixes, most of the time they won't give you credit for them(depends on the store here).... I would do that over culling personally.


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## steelers fan

they suffer more at the lfs than being taken out quickly...take a good look at the water conditions and crowding next time yer there


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## steelers fan

keep in mind the OP is talkin bout hybrids...dirty lookin hybrids at that...not good lines that we would all benefit from going back to the lfs


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## MCKP

Actually, he is assuming they are hybrids...... they have not even reached maturity yet or gotten coloration(if they are going too)

Granted, it is still unknown lineage, but so is 90% of what you get at most LFS...... How many people are posting in the Unidentified section saying they were sold fish 'A' as fish 'B' and it turns out to be a totally different fish....


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## Number6

MCKP said:


> My LFS will take mixes, most of the time they won't give you credit for them(depends on the store here).... I would do that over culling personally.


This would be an example of "pawning off your responsibility". It's not something that I can respect. The LFS will either sell those fish to make them into someone else's problem just like this OP is having or else the LFS will have to kill those fish.

I view the Unidentified section as a great "proof" that the OP on this thread is doing the right thing. I do not look at the junk the LFS sells and the unidentified section here on C-F and think "oh well, might as well add to the problem". 

Just a different perspective, but one that I think that it takes time to develop. One has to see certain fish move in full circles to realize small mistakes DO matter. :thumb:


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## MCKP

I fully agree with not purposely creating hybrids or mixes, but just because you end up with some doesn't mean they should die.

The fish store that I go to does take in mixes but only advertises them AS mixes.... not misidentifies them.

Again, if it was me, I would be setting up another tank and letting them grow out..... Or give them to someone who is not interested in breeding and would just like pet fish(someone like me)......


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## Dewdrop

This thread probably should of died a long time ago but it doesn't have my 2 cents...yet :lol: .
I spent a whole night without sleep doing fishy cpr & trying to save a & $6.00 run of the mill callainos after a heater malfunction but I don't have a problem lethally culling either. I had a maingano in a batch of fry that was very pale. Keeping it and letting it breed might have resulted in more of the same. I don't think it makes me a monster, just like working with a fish all night to save it's life doesn't make me a saint...just hopefully a responsible fishkeeper.


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## chopsteeks

At first I tried to keep all the ****...deformed, odd color....

But I soon realized I had to cull them. These fish did not grow as fast as the others. Soon enough these fish were getting picked on, harassed. I ended up using them as feeders.

Hybrids ? Heck I will take some males....they will be great addition to my all male tank.


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## skurj

MCKP said:


> My LFS will take mixes, most of the time they won't give you credit for them(depends on the store here).... I would do that over culling personally.


That is probably the worst thing that you could do, (apart from releasing back in to the natural habitat...)


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## Azawakh

It is very stupid to shoot a dog because he jumped too early. Other then that, I find that the fishing method of killing a fish is the most painless and takes the less time. You snap it's neck just at the base of the skull. Anything else is painful. Freezing is a long process. Vodka burns their gills.


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## Azawakh

You don't kill a dog if he jumps to early. Neither will you kill a 100 000$ horse because you can't ride him. Nor do you kill a person. One does not exclude the other. As for the fish, If you just want to get rid of them because they are of a dull colour, well, what can one say. IT is still just a fish. To cull them, I would use the good old fishng technique. Snap the neck at the base of the head. Quick and painless. Freezing is slow. Vodka burns the gills. Give them away?


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## DJRansome

I prefer to stock to avoid hybrids and sell any extras to fish clubs or the LFS. To humanely keep all fry produced you would have to buy tank after tank after tank which may not be realistic. When required to euthanize I use clove oil to put the fish to sleep and then freeze.


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## cichlid-gal

MCKP said:


> My LFS will take mixes, most of the time they won't give you credit for them(depends on the store here).... I would do that over culling personally.


And the fact that those mixes will be sold to some unsuspecting buyer...geez...its a vicious cycle. Save the fish/hybrids because its cruel to dispose of them, give them to the local fish store (because my LFS will take mixes) where they are either sold or fed to other fish, unsuspecting buyer gets fish and raises up fish who breed, babies are hybrids or who knows what and now the buyer is faced with this question again...destroy the fish or give them away or send them to the local fish store. Soooo...back to the original post. Cull or not? I say cull if you know they are hybrids and you cannot find a basic home for them where someone just wants a few fish and nothing more.

Sorry...somehow missed the last page of this thread and this had already been responded to a number of times. Oh well...just more input  even if its the same.


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## Coln

cichlid-gal said:


> MCKP said:
> 
> 
> 
> My LFS will take mixes, most of the time they won't give you credit for them(depends on the store here).... I would do that over culling personally.
> 
> 
> 
> And the fact that those mixes will be sold to some unsuspecting buyer...geez...its a vicious cycle. Save the fish/hybrids because its cruel to dispose of them, give them to the local fish store (because my LFS will take mixes) where they are either sold or fed to other fish, unsuspecting buyer gets fish and raises up fish who breed, babies are hybrids or who knows what and now the buyer is faced with this question again...destroy the fish or give them away or send them to the local fish store. Soooo...back to the original post. Cull or not? I say cull if you know they are hybrids and you cannot find a basic home for them where someone just wants a few fish and nothing more.
> 
> Sorry...somehow missed the last page of this thread and this had already been responded to a number of times. Oh well...just more input  even if its the same.
Click to expand...

 You can't sell on hybrids, I had hybrids that were bred in my tank and that was fine they were not going anywhere 
Glass front cracked a couple of months ago and had to shut tank down and cull the fish
Clove oil mix and then clove oil mix half and hour later is for me the most humane way to go


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## SupeDM

I get wild looking hybrids all the time in my 125 mixed malawi tank. I just leave them to their own demise in the tank. Nothing that has bred in there ever comes out. Gets sold or traded in any way. If they grow up thats fine if not thats fine too. Most get devoured by tankmates early on anyway. I find that just keeping them in there is better for me as it is a display tank and the more different looking fish the better. My breeding is all done in single species or completely different type of species tanks. Such as Cyathopharynx and calvus in a tank. These fish will not hybridize as they spawn using completely different methods. Actualy I have to regress a little I have a pair of Archocentrus Semperfasciatus in with the africans in the 125 and I am keeping some of their spawn. They were placed in there when I had a opportunity come up that required their home for a while. They will be moved out when the next 125 is ready for the parachromis.


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## PiccoloJr

cjacob316 said:


> my uncle spent over 1k on a lab and shot it because it jumped out of the duck blind too early


That's absolutely ridiculous.


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## Azawakh

The man who shot his dog because he jumped too quickly is an idiot and should not be allowed to have dogs.


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## chopsteeks

Sadly, these types of idiots are quite plentiful. I once went racoon hunting from an invitation from a friend. Never never will do this again. Most of the folks that went into this hunt had the same mentality. When a dog did not perform to their expectations, next resort was to shoot the dog. No one did shoot any dogs that night, but that was their solution to an under performing canine.

On a happy note.....no racoon shot in that hunt either.

My career as a hunter was over after that experience.


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## Azawakh

I understand. WHat is the use of hunting racoons anyway? You don't eat them. And I am sure they didn.t use the fur to wear the hats.


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## DJRansome

Any more fish-related comments, LOL?


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## chopsteeks

DJRansome said:


> Any more fish-related comments, LOL?


Can a racoon be able to get my favorite hap out of a tank and eat it ? opcorn:


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## GTZ

Yes, a racoon be able to do that.
=D>


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## DJRansome

I've had racoons toss around aquatic plants I had submerged in tanks on my deck to grow in the sun.


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## AfricanLove

Azawakh said:


> I understand. WHat is the use of hunting racoons anyway? You don't eat them. And I am sure they didn.t use the fur to wear the hats.


Hey who said you cant eat *****. We eat squirrel and rabbit, Whats wrong with *****


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## Azawakh

As a rule of thumb, you don't eat animals that eat meat. They just don.t taste good.


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