What Do You Do With The Survivors?

[number20121]

Now I keep reading here about how people breed their fish and some of them have a lot of survivors. I don't think all of you have the room to keep a dozen or more new fish, so what do you do with them?

[dogsbykat]

I've often wondered this, too. I'd love to raise goldie babies, but I only know a couple of people who I would trust to re home them to

[number20121]

Yeah, I'd probably give them away only to long-time members of this forum if I ever had babies. Well, the fish. Not me.

It probably is no problem if you arrange to have only one or two fish survive, but how could I intentionally let all the other fish die if I could save many more of them?

[ashlee18]

Yeah, I'd probably give them away only to long-time members of this forum if I ever had babies. Well, the fish. Not me.

OMG that made me

Ummmm...I would have to keep them ALL. I would live in a room filled with tanks because I couldn't give one up. For some reason to me, goldfish babies are sooooooo much cuter than angel and betta fry.

[number20121]

Well, if I had the room and money (for tanks, equipment etc) I would keep them all too. But I wonder what people that have neither do with the fry.

[BruceP]

Have you ever wondered why fish have so many babies? It's because there is a high incidence of loss. Only a few survive and thru natural selection its the most durable. Nature has many ways to determine this, weather, predation, disease, etc.

When fish are raised in an artificial enviroment, generally, many of those factors are controlled. In order keep and strengthen the species the fish that do not meet the standard must be culled out of the mass. Many euthanize the misfits using clove oil or other methods. It sounds inhumane but it is probably more humane than letting all survive and weaken the species to a point that the species collapses. It is because of this selective culling that you can go to your favorite fish store and find the cute little fish and not find a bunch of misshapen carp. Remember, these are man-made species of fish. There is nothing 'natural' about them so if we didnt cull the species would return to being carp, from which they originated.

[Cynders]

Most breeders cull the ones that are sick and imperfect due to how many there are. Usually people do at least 3 cullings at certain points during their growth. You want to keep the line pure and keep fish without illnesses and deformities like Bruce said.

[blackteles]

And most will take their culls after the second and third time to their LFS where they can either get cash for them or credits on their account for future purchases.

[Lupin]

Yeah, I'd probably give them away only to long-time members of this forum if I ever had babies. Well, the fish. Not me.

It probably is no problem if you arrange to have only one or two fish survive, but how could I intentionally let all the other fish die if I could save many more of them?

The first paragraph made me laugh as well. HAHAHAHAH!!! Oh you amuse me so, Fang.

I have nothing else to add to BruceP's statement. Definitely echoing his valid points there.

[Trinket]

The other thing to remember is statistically very few goldfish owners with tanks (not pond people of course) can actually keep lots of their babies alive due to space confines. Yes, fish have tons of eggs but if you read the archives of most fish breeding forums in most cases the owners start off with 100 and slowly the fish die off to fit their tank space...naturally? or at least unavoidably. There have been literally countless cases here of people breeding who are so annoyed they culled ..as by week 6 they only have 3 fry left or something. I think to have around 8 to 10 still alive at 3 months is very good work for most tank bred goldies.

[shellbell4ever]

I know for me out of the 18 eggs I hatched I have only 1 remaining fry that survived my beautiful Clemmy

Survival of the fittest I guess (Not to mention I was a newbie at the whole breeding thing and It was accidental and I was in no way prepared professionally to be breeding, I just wanted to see if i could do it )

[Trinket]

aw, Clemmy is exquisite

[number20121]

Ah, I feel like a lot of people miss they point of my thread. I know that most will die. I know that you don't have 100+ new fish, but even if you have only 3 fish survive but no room because let's say, it was unplanned... what do you do with them? Giving them to the LFS is the only answer I got.

I am not planning on breeding unless I know I have room for babies, but if something should happen I'd love to have some good ideas

And nice that I made some people laugh on here

[Trinket]

Some stores will take them

You have to ask.

I sold several to my LFS and many others have too. Anette sells dozens every year to her local fish store as she has a pond and new fry every year. Some stores will give you money and some wont.

Im sorry I cant say which stores more exactly as Im not in your country -maybe others have more ideas.

[Erica Stolte]

I wish goldfish were easier to sex so I could ensure a same sex pair. I hope that my goldies never breed because I'd probably end up having to kill all the babies. Only bonus I can see if that my chosen breed of goldfish can go into ponds so that part might increase my chances of finding them new homes.

[Erica Stolte]

Have you ever wondered why fish have so many babies? It's because there is a high incidence of loss. Only a few survive and thru natural selection its the most durable. Nature has many ways to determine this, weather, predation, disease, etc.

When fish are raised in an artificial enviroment, generally, many of those factors are controlled. In order keep and strengthen the species the fish that do not meet the standard must be culled out of the mass. Many euthanize the misfits using clove oil or other methods. It sounds inhumane but it is probably more humane than letting all survive and weaken the species to a point that the species collapses. It is because of this selective culling that you can go to your favorite fish store and find the cute little fish and not find a bunch of misshapen carp. Remember, these are man-made species of fish. There is nothing 'natural' about them so if we didnt cull the species would return to being carp, from which they originated.

Even so called common goldfish/hibuna and comets?.

[BruceP]

Have you ever wondered why fish have so many babies? It's because there is a high incidence of loss. Only a few survive and thru natural selection its the most durable. Nature has many ways to determine this, weather, predation, disease, etc.

When fish are raised in an artificial enviroment, generally, many of those factors are controlled. In order keep and strengthen the species the fish that do not meet the standard must be culled out of the mass. Many euthanize the misfits using clove oil or other methods. It sounds inhumane but it is probably more humane than letting all survive and weaken the species to a point that the species collapses. It is because of this selective culling that you can go to your favorite fish store and find the cute little fish and not find a bunch of misshapen carp. Remember, these are man-made species of fish. There is nothing 'natural' about them so if we didnt cull the species would return to being carp, from which they originated.

Even so called common goldfish/hibuna and comets?.

Of course!... Goldfish are not natural species, they were developed from carp.