Culling Fish - Methods?

[Phatphish]

Just interested to see firstly:

1)Do you cull fish?
2)For what reasons?
3)If so, what method do you use and find the best?

Me, I only cull fish that are clearly ill and distressed and that are too far gone to heal with treatments and also deformed fish that would not survive long anyway. For fish that don't have the desired breeding traits that I'm looking for but are 100% healthy,I just separate them into a same sex tank to ensure they don't get the chance to pass on their genes.

I realise this can sometimes be an emotive subject as I have been taken to task by a couple of people in the past who are against culling for any reason, but I stand by my guns.......

 

[5teady_2012]

I use clover oil (2 drops in a small tub)

 

[TribeOfShroom]

I use my fishing priest

EDIT* although I have used a hatchet on a large goldfish before. not pleasant, but effective.

 

[hollyp0p]

cold water with crushed ice, works fast.

And only on very ill, suffering fish....basically fish on their very last legs

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Most breeders usually have a tank with a decent sized predatory fish and that is how they cull.

 

[Duck and Dive]

I put mine in the fridge so they just go into a deep sleep. I have only done this once when a internal worm paresite wiped out my whole tank.

 

[BlackSwords11]

The most humane way, although I still don't like it, is to fill a ziplock bag with their water, put the ffish in it, and put it in the freezer. The cooling of the water will lower the fish's metabolism until they die. This is like putting the fish down. This also keeps it dark to calm the fish.

 

[dunchp]

I feed mine to my Pseudoxiphophorus bimaculatus or my Belonesox belizanus.

I have also put them in neat melafix which also kills them very quickly.

 

[Tolak]

Most breeders usually have a tank with a decent sized predatory fish and that is how they cull.

This is what I do with fish that are small enough to be eaten in one bite, and do not meet quality standards. Larger fish that are beyond a cure get decapitated, quick & effective.

 

[dunchp]

Most breeders usually have a tank with a decent sized predatory fish and that is how they cull.

This is what I do with fish that are small enough to be eaten in one bite, and do not meet quality standards. Larger fish that are beyond a cure get decapitated, quick & effective.

A bit too blood thirsty for me, but I am sure it would do the job.

 

[rmanpf]

Most breeders usually have a tank with a decent sized predatory fish and that is how they cull.

This is what I do with fish that are small enough to be eaten in one bite, and do not meet quality standards. Larger fish that are beyond a cure get decapitated, quick & effective.

A bit too blood thirsty for me, but I am sure it would do the job.

I too, find that mental image a little too disturbing, but it probably is quick.

 

[Phatphish]

I couldn't bring myself to decapitate the fish.....

In my early days of fish keeping I used to flush down the toilet, as I'd heard that this was a quick method of killing them, but now use crushed ice in water. I think I'll get some clove oil though as a few people have suggested it.....

 

[screamingdonkey]

I couldn't bring myself to decapitate the fish.....

In my early days of fish keeping I used to flush down the toilet, as I'd heard that this was a quick method of killing them, but now use crushed ice in water. I think I'll get some clove oil though as a few people have suggested it.....

I remember reading a scientific article on the subject at some point last year, which had been linked to from this forum in a post on the same subject.

The report recognised that decapitation with a sharp knife is still THE most humane way to kill a fish that is too ill to survive/beyond medication etc
That being said, most aquarists would find it hard to 'stomach'. I did it once to a very poorly Peppered Corydoras. Although it was instant, it was something I wouldn't want to do again.

Anyway, the report also suggested that using something along the lines of Alka-Seltzer was almost as human and effective. I have used this method and would agree. The way I did it, as suggested by another forum member, was to remove the porly fish from the tank and place it in a jar with a minimal amount of water. Then drop in 1 - 2 Alka Seltzer tablets, cover with a lid quickly and within about 5 seconds the fish was dead.
NB: the report did stress that this would not be advised on fish that were over 3" - I tested it on a Red Eyed Tetra.

In that same thread, there was something written on the subject of freezing and a couple of forum members had experience of the freezing method not being fail-safe.

If I get time, I will try to locate the original thread and scientific report.

And flushing down the toilet was a positive no-go. I'll have to let someone else explain as it's gone 5.30 and I've got a home to go to - I don't want to be locked in the office all night!!!!