What do you do with a CULL ?

[PhishPhreek]

With the large numbers of fish keepers locally and our many auctions, It’s easy enough to sell or give away fish you no longer want even if they are not suitable for breeding, but what do you do with the runts or deformed ones that no one wants ?   Or, if you know a fish is a gonner, and y’all know that, even though “hope springs eternal”...

Some of us have larger fish and the option of letting them “swim with Oscar” but the humane thing to do is to euthanize it.

I know one breeder that uses a blender and makes “fish food” but that has shades of “mad fish disease” for me.   In the past I have placed culls in a shallow pan of water in the freezer.   They say freezing is painless.   Today I herd that carbonated water (soda water from the grocery store) works fine, and is painless.  I suppose the C02 suffocates them.  

So what do you do ?

[wesleydnunder]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

If I'm going to euthanize a fish, I use my fillet knife and remove the head quickly.  For the squeamish, a couple drops of clove oil in a bowl of water works quickly and supposedly painlessly. Small fish I generally feed to my predators.

Mark

[armthehomeless]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

Larger fish get Alka Seltzer in a small body of water. Like wesleydunder, smaller culls are fed to bigger fish.

[szidlon]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

I prefer to use the clove oil method on larger fry and adults, but on very, very small fry a quick dunk in a bowl of ice water immediately does them in.  I've also heard of people making fish food out of their culls.  I personally would not do it, but if the fish are being culled due to genetic issues and not illness I would think it would be okay, it's really no different than feeding them to predatory fish.  I've also heard that freezing is painless, but how do they really know?  Has a fish survived a near death experience by freezing and lived to say "well, that wasn't really too bad, just a bit cold".

[imagirlgeek]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

I fill a large bowl with ice, then put the fish in a smaller bowl with some of his tank water.  Then set that bowl inside the one with ice.  I've got it in my mind that this is somehow a more 'gentle' way to do it.  Nothing will change my mind because this is the only way I can do it.

Having said that, I have never put down a fish because of a deformity.  I've only done it when a fish was sick, my attempt to heal them has failed, and they are absolutely suffering.  

We currently have a 1 eyed Tropheus (he was born with only one eye so his head is a bit mis-shapen) that we got from a LFS.  I was worried that they would end up culling him once they noticed.  I paid $5 for him, but would have paid $20  :wink:  And we have 6 blind Trophs who were on their deathbed when we got them, who are now just gorgeous!  

So, as a last resort, we will euthanize using the cold water method, but ONLY as a last resort.  It's too hard on me.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

Swift thump.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

Swift thump.

Remindes me of the 3 brick method I use on snakes.  Works every time.  


Place the snake on brick "A"
Place brick "B" on the snake.
Hit brick "B" with brick "C".
Repete if necessary.  

[edmlfc]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

Ditto

I have never put down a fish because of a deformity.  I've only done it when a fish was sick, my attempt to heal them has failed, and they are absolutely suffering.

I keep them until they are a ripe old age and die on their own.

[alexarae]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

I can't kill them. I just can't. I usually put them in a tank alone so they won't get picked on and let them die peacefully.
It's too hard on me. I'm like imagirlgeek...I usually prefer the ones who are a little "special".

I got an albino cory from walmart that was smaller than a dime.
He was getting chased by some cichlids in another tank and his fins were all shredded.  
I saved him (with my hand) and put him in my water bottle with some of the gross walmart water.  :snooty: (which is indeed gross).
When I asked the "fish guy"  to price him, he labeled the little guy as a feeder fish...so I got him for a few cents.

He grew and was adopted by a fellow fishboxer when I tore my tank down. He turned out beautiful.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

Culls keep the hobby healthy.

Everyone says that they will keep them forever but only a small part of them will actually keep them....

[CichlidFan]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

I wont off any fish of mine intentionally..... I let the fish have every chance possible to make a come back, they either get better or get flushed, if their too big for the toilet, they they get a quick cerimonial burial in the back yard.

CF

[eklikewhoa]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

1. Natural selection
2. Thumper time

[PhishPhreek]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

I wont off any fish of mine intentionally..... I let the fish have every chance possible to make a come back, they either get better or get flushed, if their too big for the toilet, they they get a quick cerimonial burial in the back yard.

CF

As a breeder, I have more fish than I can properly take care of.  When they are sick or injured beond quick repair, rather than buy expensive meds and risk the chance of an epedimic, I will cull them.

I would rather keep 10 of the best bettas from each of 10 different spawns than 100 from a single spawn so I end up culling a lot of juvies.

Also as a result of having more fish than I can take proper care of, I feel no compulsion to spend my time & resources on a less than superior fish.  Any time and food waisted on a cripple would have to be taken from a potential show winner.

But I got my start rescueing baby fish from the LFS when I was in Jr.Hi so I know how you feel

[myjohnson]

Re: What do you do with a CULL ?

1) small fish: flush time.
2) big fish: hummmm.....I just eat it.