# How do you "cull" fry?



## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

I am NOT breeding bettas, I just want to know because I'm curious. In the least disturbing way... How is it done?


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Feed them to larger fish


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

Some people will use clove oil, others will place fish in the freezer, others will feed them to larger carnivorous fish.


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## lelei (Apr 30, 2012)

And this is done for what reason??


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## KadenJames (Mar 23, 2012)

I've got two 7 inch tiger oscars-










They get the job done. Or, if they're small enough, I'll feed them to my adult male bettas. Usually they don't think twice about gobbling them up, and the way I see it, it's recycling. :lol:



> And this is done for what reason??


Usually if a fry is highly deformed, or contains undesirable traits such as rosetail.


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## Bethydan (Mar 22, 2012)

Circle of Life and all that...


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

lelei said:


> And this is done for what reason??


For unwanted fry. It may seem heartless but it will help them from future pain. Like deformities. Or even for sickness. It's kinda like euthanizing.


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## lelei (Apr 30, 2012)

Rosetails are beautiful tho..


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

A fry I culled earlier this week...You can see the severely bent spine. Karen Mac Auley the number one breeder in the US and the vice president of the IBC told me to cull him/her. Along with a few other knowledgable people


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I too have two have two oscars that are more than happy to help me cull the deformed fish that won't survive anyway. Mine (the oscars) are pink!


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Aw. It is better than letting them live...

I'm a little shocked that people freeze them though :shock:


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## KadenJames (Mar 23, 2012)

lelei said:


> Rosetails are beautiful tho..


Rosetails have a number of issues, though I agree they are pretty. The excess in branching causes spinal problems, bad scaling, shrunken ventrals, short bodies and a much more difficult time carrying their finnage.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

I remove eggs so I dont worry about large numbers but for culling after they hatch they go through a period of a week where I reduce feedings by 50-75% depends on the number I want to cull and the weak cant find the food and die off. Its sounds kinda mean but that and getting eaten, something that happens in the wild. Other then that I have used clove oil for older fry.


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## Curlyfatbottom (Sep 29, 2011)

Feed it to bigger fish with deform fish
Fish that I don't desire to pass on the trait
I'll give them away, feed them to bigger or leave them in a pond


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## jeffegg2 (Apr 5, 2012)

lelei said:


> And this is done for what reason??


Those not breeding for volume sales and not interested in jarring and feeding hundreds of fish.


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## Catfish Billy (Jun 27, 2012)

Maybe one day I'll try breeding some sort of tetra but to me breeding bettas sounds too complicated/difficult. 0_o

I heard alcohol can be used but that could be a myth. Apparently it's meant to stop the fish from feeling pain. This could be true because they used to use alcohol as a pain killer when doing "operations" but I don't know.


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