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of course a pet store will take culls and resell them. another i idea is to give them to fundraisers or other things that can get money and make the world a better place.

Bettachris, I understand you just wanted to state a point that would help out the culls, but to bring fish to a pet store, I dont think you know who will end up with the fish, breeder or just a hobbyist.

IMO, a cull would be deformed or another problem which would mean its a cull. In nature, the deformed, or stunted fish, will be killed, so I dont see what's wrong feeding or euthanizing humanely.

Shannen, my personal opinion on what I would like to do with the fish that would have a not so great life (i.e. bent spine etc.) would be to get a big tank and stick an oscar or some type of fish that eats smaller fish. I have thought of this extensively due to the betta fry and the guppy fry. At least you would be using them for something useful and not just "disposing" of them.

hey my idea wasn't to give them to breeders but to make the worlda better place.

Calla, I will be breeding on that large of a scale. I thought about giving the culls to LFS but then again I will be doing that with what ever I can't sell anyhow. I've even read about one guy/breeder who just tossed his culls out in his yard. IMO that has got to be the very worst way to deal with them. ]:|

well, no, bettas/guppies whatever... i personally think ANY fish that you are going to purposely breed deserves a chance at a cushy life.

if you are breeding that many fish, ok, fair enough i suppose, but i do think for the average hobby/backyard breeder, there are other ways around mass kill-culling.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

If you raise every healthy fry, you'll be out of bettas for lack of time pretty darned soon - 200 fry or more, twice-weekly or more often cleaning, and maybe two spawns on the ground at any given time? Hopefully by culling well breeders work toward a point when less will be necessary, but keeping the best bettas in the gene pool. Growing out 150 imperfect bettas to saleable size is no mean feat. Feeder guppies are sold as food every minute of every day - what's the difference? Do the bettas deserve life any more than the guppies?

EDIT: Umm, sometimes I don't seem to make this clear enough - I'm debating, not attacking. I think it's easier just to say it than hope it's obvious from the writing ... Silly written emotion/interpretation problems.

[span class="edited"][Edited by LittleMousling 2004-08-19 23:38][/span]

-Molly
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If yuo need to cull a lot of fish by killing them, you are really doing something wrong.

Some fish, yes ok, i can accept that, but if from a spawn of 200 you cull all but 10 in this way, i think thats unnecessary.

The fish that arent massively deformed (the ones that just arent up to your standard) can be 'culled' by giving them to a pet store or something.

Cull doesnt always mean kill, it means to separate out the good ones.

I am a fan of no kill culling.

failing that, i have cray and axolotls.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Bettachris, i think that defeats the purpose of breeding fish, to help improve the genelines. Selling culls will end up to other people, which isnt that great.

Typically, feed them, smash them on the floor inside a bag, freeze them.

Just wondering what most do with this unpleasant part of breeding bettas?

[span class="edited"][Edited by phoneshannen 2004-08-19 10:20][/span]

Yeah, I used to feed mine to our pond goldfish, so anything big enough and willing to chase 'em down will work, although for culls at medium sizes something like an Angel isn't going to cut it, probably.

-Molly
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any large predatory fish will do.

Yeah I see your point. Well at least this gives me a reason to get an oscar.

Friend with a big predator is your best bet. It's sad but if you don't cull you'll never get anywhere, and you on't have the space for the best fry. Besides: oscars need food, too. Betta fry are no more deserving of life than feeder guppies, right?

-Molly
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some people use clove oil, and some people like me use the helpful stomach of an oscar

when u cull a fish u kill it ..... im not aware fo how people do it but i ma sure someone wil help yah

6x2x2 - Firemouth and Oscar Tank
30+ royal pythons.

Back in the game after 4 years out ..

Sorry, Culls as in fish that are not good quality like they are runts or too thin or just deformed. What do you do with them? Thanks.

what are you saying. if you make it clear i will help.