# Does anybody know how to strip a fish of it's milt?



## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

Seriously.
I'm thinking that the texas and BP are missing a visual cue on their spawning because it's just not happening. I was going to manually fertilize the eggs and raise them myself. 
I know the general idea because I read about it on a fish hatchery web site. The whole tranquilizing the fish but how hard do you have to squeeze to get them to release their milt?

I think I have the idea pretty well planned out. Divide the tank. All decor gone with the exception of a piece of slate on the female's side. Have a cooler handy along with oil of clove, large net, towel, a bucket to scoop water up with, and a small shallow dish big enough to hold the slate. When the female starts laying eggs that's when I start filling up the cooler with water. Put the male in the cooler then add the oil of cloves to knock him out. [I still have to determine the amount.] Once the eggs are all laid then I remove the slate keeping it underwater the whole time. Bring the container out of the main tank, then remove the male from the cooler, strip him while holding him over the container with the eggs and then back into his tank to recover. Leave the eggs in the water for a minute or so to fertilize then it's off to their own tank to hatch.

Sound good? Anything I'm missing?

And please if you can give me any idea at all on the actual "how" to do this I would appreciate it!!

THANKS


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## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

If I were you I would pick gages brain on this. He knows a lot about breeding....he knows a lot about fish in general.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

LMAO :lol:, ok, back down to seriousness, i have to say i gotta pass on this one, i let my fish breed themselves, i dont breed them for them :lol:

but dont forget, if your fish have never bred before, it may take them over 3 times to get it right, so i would let them keep trying on there own for a couple more trys.

i know with sturgeon they rub there fingers with a bit of pressure down the stomach to get it out, i would imagine any other fish would be the same, but i could never bring myself to do it, i would be afraid of hurting the poor fish lol.


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## westwood8183 (Jun 15, 2003)

I don't think this is something a hobbyist should try. There are some vids on youtube but they're mostly of very large fish...and it doesn't look very pleasant.


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## Bettacreek (Mar 22, 2008)

I've seen/heard of this done on koi and salmon, but nothing smaller than that...
If only it could be done with bettas... Lol.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

I spent a summer at a salmon hatchery as one of my wildlife internships prior to vet school. I watched them do some manual fertilizing. It is very hard on the male. More then half the time, the males would die during the milking, and lots died a bit later from internal injuries. Because a single male can fertilize the eggs from many, many females, the males are really considered expendable after they are milked. The veteran hatchery guys were telling it takes a lot of practice to even get the milt out, and years of experience not to fatally injure the male every time.

I would not do it if you like your fish.

As a side question, why are you so intent to have these two fish produce fry? Its one thing if they just happen to get together and have a successful spawn, but its not really a sound husbandry practice to breed the two species on purpose.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

> As a side question, why are you so intent to have these two fish produce fry? Its one thing if they just happen to get together and have a successful spawn, but its not really a sound husbandry practice to breed the two species on purpose.


because over a few generations of this cross you can make SRT's (Super Red Texas), its no different then me breeding flowerhorns.

sorry for answering the question heylady.


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

Red Rocket? :lol:


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## Nighthawk (Mar 13, 2003)

MidNightCowBoy said:


> Red Rocket? :lol:


LMAO


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

gage said:


> because over a few generations of this cross you can make SRT's (Super Red Texas), its no different then me breeding flowerhorns.
> 
> sorry for answering the question heylady.


Thanks, Gage. I had no idea that the Super Reds were created that way. Very interesting. I am just starting to look into the New Worlders.


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

Seeing as how you are trying to create a SRT (which I think is a spectacular fish btw) you might want to check out the flowerhorn section or maybe a site devoted to Flowerhorns/hybrids. I think people on this site are for the most part anti-hybrid.


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

> because over a few generations of this cross you can make SRT's (Super Red Texas), its no different then me breeding flowerhorns.
> 
> sorry for answering the question heylady.


I have no problem with you answering Gage! That's exactly what I'm trying to do *but* not at the expense of the fish!!  Thank you so much MalawiLover for posting that!!!! I have no intention of hurting my fish - didn't know it would - so a big THANKS to you :thumb:

I think what I might do instead is to give him a chance with the female FH and see if it "clicks" then put him back with my BP.

Thanks again everyone!


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