# deformed fry. will he live a happy life?



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

So i was looking at my betta fry tank and i saw a deformed fry! He has a bent spine. I cant get a pick cause the fry are a month old (too small). I see him in the tank everyday as he swallows bbs. And he is always there. For now i decided to call him/her bendy. What will i do when he grows? Will he act normal? Or will he have any special needs?


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

He acts and swims fine


----------



## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

How bent is it? Like its slightly bent, or what?
If its just slightly it will be fine, if its badly bent he probably wont live long or will have along of health problems, obviously fish with deformities aren't desirable so probably won't be bought, also will have a hard time swimming so will need a slow current.


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

The bent part is really obvious


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

And thank u for ur response


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

And I am gonna keep all the fry so they are all gonna stay with me


----------



## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

how many fry are you keeping?


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

I don't really know. About 50


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

Well I am gonna give some out to my friends and stuff


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

When they grow


----------



## Aquastar (Jul 17, 2015)

I had this metal image of your room with wall that were literally tanks, and you were sitting on a chair crying over electric bills.

I have no clue what your room or house looks like, but as soon as you said: I'm keeping them all...


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

not all of them. i am gonna give some out. lol


----------



## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

How many are you keeping? D: LOL


----------



## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Ok, would give him a heated and filtered 5g, a sponge filter will do,oh and lots of fwide leaved plants and betta hammocks, he will have a hard time swimming if its bad


----------



## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

I'd cull him. Serious external deformities almost always manifest themselves as internal deformities as well. When first breeding everyone tries to save the runts, the ones that are deformed & so on. You soon learn that they suffer from a slower growth rate, mostly due to those internal deformities, and live a much shortened life. Culling isn't easy, probably one of the worst parts of breeding.


----------



## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

I agree partly with tolak. But if he is swimming normally then there is no need to cull him. But if his deformity causes his life to be different and causes him to suffer I don't think that's a life at all.


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I am on the fence. While I normally cull any deformed fry (which is rare), I did have one fry with a severely bent spine. It was like a concertina fold, which is why I dubbed it 'Zig-Zag'. 

I thought for certain this fry wouldn't survive as I couldn't see how any of its internal organs functioned normally. 

However, not only did this fry match the growth rate and development of its normal sibling (without any special intervention needed on my part), the spine deformity has gradually lessened over time. 

This is a photo of Zig-Zag taken a while ago. He is much bigger now, and the spinal deformity is even less obvious. It's just a small indentation in front of his dorsal. 

http://redwinebettas.weebly.com/blog/introducing-the-fish-i-couldnt-cull

A fish like Zig-Zag would never ever leave my fish room. However, sometimes these 'obvious' culls can surprise you.


----------



## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

I agree with you. But if they are growing way smaller and can't act like a fish what's the point of keeping him alive? It would be a life of pain and suffering.


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

In any case where a fry is not thriving, I cull. Normally I don't have to, as I raise my fry differently to the majority of breeders on this forum, and any weak or deformed fry generally die early on because they can't compete against their healthier siblings. 

I won't have a fish in my fish room that can't lead a normal life.


----------



## Johnson1905 (Aug 15, 2015)

I would like to see a photo of this fry and your others


----------



## betta fish lover2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

Ok. And his size is the same as all the other fry. And he eats and i see him open his mouth to eat. And he swims just fine. Do i have to put him down?


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

You will find culling is a topic that divides a lot of hobbyists. If the deformity isn't impairing the quality of life of the fry, it really comes down to you and your beliefs. 

Some breeders will cull (kill) healthy fry simply because of minor aesthetic faults or because of space restrictions. Some breeders won't even cull deformed fry because they feel they have a right to live. Most seem to fall somewhere between the two extremes.


----------



## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I don't breed bettas, but I breed many other fish species. I'm harsh when it comes to culling. Spine deformity = out. There is a chance some deformities may correct themselves over time, but I'd rather cull them when they're young and undeveloped than when they've grown. I don't want all the fry to suffer because I chose to save ones with no potential.


----------

