Culling

[NirvanaFan]

How does everyone cull their clowns? I've got a couple that have flared gills that shouldn't be sold. My wife doesn't want me to keep them and jokingly (I think) that she should set up a tank for them.

So, clove oil, cut the spinal cord, what does everyone here do?

 

[phil519]

sounds morbid - wouldn't freezing be the easy way out?

 

[NirvanaFan]

It is a bit morbid, but it has to be done. I'm thinking clove oil, but would like to know what method others use.

 

[duncaholic]

lionfish

 

[SuperNemo]

i agree with phil, freezing is the easiest on fish

 

[AlexS95]

lionfish

LOL! :lmao:

 

[NirvanaFan]

I've thought about the lionfish, but I don't have any, and none of my close friends have any aggressive fish like that either.

 

[nicolassoleil]

one of the fish magazines had an article on this and said that the preferred method (the one that causes the least pain to the fish) is to freeze them.

 

[Opcn]

Messiest method is often the least painful. Quickly scoop them in a net, put them on the sidewalk, and flatten them with a brick. You will destroy the brain before it has a chance to feel pain. Freezer is a long unpleasant experience, the fish's body will be screaming at it to swim somewhere warm the whole time, and it can't go anywhere for the several minutes it takes to die. Feeder fish is probably the best option, maybe ask your LFS to find you someone who needs feeders for a lion or a grouper or something.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

You mean someone still culls their clownfish?

Look at all the wonderful over-priced designer clowns people buy now. 10 years ago, they would all have been culls.

I am still amazed that people spend the $$$ they do on these shouldabeen culls.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

I've always used an ice bath. I cull deformities, but have a tank with a few I just couldn't kill. I also have misbars, etc. that I no longer cull, someone always wants them. Even if it's a giveaway.

Jeff

 

[nicolassoleil]

opcn's statement has no basis in scientific fact. the fish doesn't suffer from freezing as we do. what happens is as the fish's body temperature begins to drop, it's heartbeat slows and it's nerves stop sending impulse signals to the brain until the fish enters suspended animation. when the fish is unconscious, that's when it stops breathing and the heart stops for good. it's kind of the same as dying in your sleep. the fish feels nothing! this person is failing to realize that there's a distinct biological difference between warm blooded and cold blooded species and is wrongly anthropomorphizing the death cycle/"feelings" of the fish.

 

[Ste Hughes]

they look ugly so your killing them?

 

[jeff@zina.com]

they look ugly so your killing them?

Fact of life for breeders. If you can't deal with culling, you shouldn't be breeding.

Jeff

 

[Opcn]

what happens is as the fish's body temperature begins to drop, it's heartbeat slows and it's nerves stop sending impulse signals to the brain until the fish enters suspended animation. when the fish is unconscious, that's when it stops breathing and the heart stops for good.

Since the heart beat is controlled by the nerves I think it's highly unlikely that the heart would keep beating after the nerves had stopped firing. No I'm talking about suffering that happens as the fish goes from it's healthy state to the state of suspended animation.

it's kind of the same as dying in your sleep. the fish feels nothing! this person is failing to realize that there's a distinct biological difference between warm blooded and cold blooded species and is wrongly anthropomorphizing the death cycle/"feelings" of the fish.

I'm a biologist, everyone knows that biologists aren't people, but don't worry I'm going to avoid the biology jargon as I explain this to you.

Lets come at it from a fish self preservation angle. When a fish is on a reef and it gets pulled out of the water and stranded on the rocks what does it do? Does it lay there like nothing has happened and go into a state of suspended animation as it's tissues acidify and go anoxic? The answer is that it gets anxious about having no air and flips and flops until it gets back to the water (if it can) When a fish is on a reef and it gets swept by an errant current into waters below that are too cold what does it do? Does it act like nothing and slip into a state of suspended animation and die, or does it get anxious and swim up to warmer waters? The answer is that it swims up (if it can) into the warm waters again. As the temperature drops pH climbs and the proteins in the membranes of the fish don't function as well, because the water is hyper saline compared to the fish the tissues take up extra water and begin to swell while the fish is still conscious. It is an uncomfortable and anxiety filled and comparatively slow death, just like taking a fish out of water.

 

[Opcn]

I can tell that I was in a hurry to get that comment in before RC shut down for maintenance! Rather than swelling up saltwater fish have the water sucked out of them.So rather than dying bloated they die thirsty.

 

[NirvanaFan]

they look ugly so your killing them?

They are deformed. I can't in good conscious sell them. If captive bred fish are bred and sold inferior to wild caught fish, people won't buy them. The goal of breeders should be to produce fish as good, if not better than wild caught fish.

Opcn, a quick death via brick/large object is better than clove oil in your opinion?

 

[thewire]

Don't even need the brick. Scoop it up grab it with your hand, a quick fast throw to the floor will instantly kill it.

 

[Opcn]

I don't know how clove oil works or how it feels, so I can't make a reasonable evidence based determination.

@thewire, I suspect you'd have to throw a little fish pretty hard if you weren't following it with a foot, I think lack of precision might lead to fish pain. With the brick its going to scramble the brain before pain has an opportunity to be felt, I don't know which end of the fish would even hit the floor first if it were thrown.

 

[rnscross]

I'd go with the knife and cutting the spinal cord/head off. Its cleaner than having to pick up fish parts from smashing them on the ground.