What Nobody Talks About in the Aquarium Hobby

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[@TazawaTanks]

Some people are commenting on my choice of words, and that I did not say the word “kill” instead of words like thinning, terminating, culling, etc. Please understand that as a KZbinr, I have to cater to a very wide audience demographic. While I understand that my choice of words may not seem as direct as some of you would like, I have to be cognizant about how some viewers may react, and I have to deliver information as tactfully as possible while still conveying the content. Thank you! ❤️

[@cathyhendrix7552]

I think your choice of words were exactly right. Very tactful but also informative. Some people just need to think before they speak. There are alot of kids that watch these videos. I don't think they need to hear the graphic side of this sad necessity. I am curious how clove oil acts as an euthanasia though. It's been a bit since I had my 55 gallon but am getting ready to get back into it. I was fortunate enough to never have had to cull. So in your opinion which is the most humane? I don't want to accidentally torture a fish by not being informed.

[@coriander7229]

Your choice of words was perfect so I don’t know how someone can complain about it

[@joewwilliams]

You're right that not enough people acknowledge it exists, so I'm glad you did. Doesn't help anyone to ignore that it happens. Also, your choice of terminology was fine. Don't worry about the edgy teens.

[@AussieAquatic]

The other sad reality is simply OLD AGE, which every fish will experience, and we will need to deal with as that time always comes.

[@themanfromcabowabo1559]

Delivered with class and maturity and in a professional manner. Like minded people appreciate that. Keep up the good work.

[@ScienceGalAquatics]

Always hate it when I see something wrong. I have a separate tank for the few that absolutely need to be culled out. Thanks for the video, hard to talk about about but very important topic.

[@shortsyoutubeshorts5420]

🌍🌍🌍Excellent channel🌍🌍🌍.Excellent video my friend🌍🌍🌍.

[@richardviger3086]

I appreciate you coming forward and being honest with the situation. I love your videos, very informative. Thank you for all of your honesty.

[@jjcabin]

Wow so crazy that you covered this. I breed many Tanganyikan cichlids and I’m experiencing the exact same issue!! It’s called “Muppet Mouth” and it’s caused by many generations of inbreeding. I have genetic diversity within my line but I suspect this pair are from the same line. It’s only a cosmetic defect and it will not effect their health other than passing on weak genetics to future generations. I decided not cull them and I’m giving them to a friend who will not sell future generations from this group. Big props to having the honesty & courage to cover this topic.

[@flaviodesignaquariums1690]

Thats somerhing to discuss, most fish in hobby are inbred.

[@jakearts7962]

Thanks for these videos. We started our first aquarium 3 months ago, the entire set up with the fish was very expensive so we wanted to do it right. Your channel has been very helpful.

[@ndbyers23]

Professional and well done. Sometimes methods from a knowledgeable aquarist are helpful to know because you have more experience. although it’s a touchy subject, it needs to be discussed. Thank you.

[@taylorgentry2188]

Much respect bro!! Keep grinding keep making those transparent videos bro appreciate the honesty

[@portalmasterry6765]

I thought you were going to talk about a hobbyist's bank account! =)

[@jennifermartin4415]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. A topic people need to hear.

[@cristopherrodriguezmatias9337]

Thanks for talking about this subject delicate subject. Great video as always mate.

[@aub_k2819]

I appreciate your honesty. I've bred fancy goldfish in the past. They required culling too. I used clove oil.

[@fuxington]

I havnt done it yet but now I have a few gold labs and demasoni I have to go through and check out if it's needed.

[@mau5lover2000]

Man, I feel Soo much better that im not the only one whose done this in the past. Definatly a difficult topic to talk about but im really glad you were able to step up and post this and in my opinion the freezer method is the best way just take the fish wrap it in paper towel and then dispose of it on your trash pickup day.

[@ana-bananainca790]

Do you outbreed fish in a cup of water in freezer? Sorry I know he said not to be discriptive but I don’t understand how this method works. Thank you

[@RaulsAquaticsandReptiles]

Great topic. I read your comments on a Facebook group page about this particular issue and u expressed ur concerns on it. 👍👍 Best Fish Room on KZbin 🔥

[@stevenperez2489]

Great video and thanks for being honest and speaking the truth.

[@kentsfish9761]

Great job thanks for talking about the hard stuff I feed to large fish and sometimes I keep them in separately tanks

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

I don't understand why it's "hard" stuff. To me it seems like idk "normal" like nothing is wrong with it in any way. Am I an outlier in this regard?

[@petosjr]

@@shadeaquaticbreeder2914 no, you're not an outlier. It's just part of the hobby and our responsibility

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

@@petosjr thank you

[@ock538]

sup G hope u and the fam are great!!!

[@mancfishkeeper]

Interesting video bro! i was only speaking about this the other day! but you usually get the fish police, i think feeding to another fish that is larger is the most natural and realistic for culling unless the fish is infected ect ! keep up the good work mate

[@taylorgentry2188]

Kudos bro that’s wassup you talking about real stuff!! Fish keeping isn’t always perfect!! Great explanation!! 👌🏽👌🏽

[@bhagyamaithripala6642]

Thank You

[@kaquarium7888]

Thank you for a very candid discussion of a difficult topic. I'm typically a "live and let live" type of person, but getting more into fish breeding has left me grappling with this topic myself. The timing of your video coincided with a situation I faced a few days ago, where I realized a large portion of fry from a spawning had not developed swim bladders and had severely shortened spines. This happened previously in fry from this specific pair of fish, and now that it has happened twice, I will not be breeding them again since the defect is obviously genetic. I did end up culling the affected fish, which was tremendously difficult for me ethically, especially when it came to the gray area of fish that were extremely short-bodied but still had functional swim bladders. I don't want to be morbid, but I just wanted to mention that MS-222 is a veterinary-grade anesthetic agent that anyone can buy online. I use it for fish surgeries, but an overdose is a hopefully painless method of euthanasia.

[@HeRo-qd6tk]

I had too. It is heartbreaking. But i feel ok that it happened fast with no stress.

[@sankarshdv]

I’ve noticed that growth on some of my multis’s chin too. It’s not necessarily large but a few of them do have it. I guess it came with a lot of in breeding ?

[@sherylcoley8586]

All serious breeders need to do this. Thanks for bringing it to light.

[@ReneesZooTube]

A tough topic. As a Guppy breeder, I've culled for deformities, usually bent spines. I've found for small fish such as these that an ice bath seems to be the most humane. Gill movement stops within seconds. Very quick. Not something anyone likes to do, but it's not good to breed fish that will pass on deformities. Thanks for talking about this sensitive topic. Sorry for your losses.

[@teachertomie]

Thanks for covering this. It is a hard topic when you love fish. I have home bred geophagus and there were a few that were like runts, just didn’t grow like the rest. They’re about the size of tetras, but they appear to be fine otherwise. There was just one that was bigger, but body was deformed and it just looks odd. They are all feeding well and otherwise appear to be happy. I just didn’t have the heart to cull them. So I sold all the other fish and kept these “abnormal “ appearing fish. They will never be bred and I want to see if the tiny ones will eventually grow to normal size. The deformed one has won my heart cuz he looks so derpy, but he doesn’t realize it and living his best life.

[@danieljones2183]

I have a large red eared slider in my backyard pond. I have had to transfer fish from their tank to the pond. The circle of life.

[@dennisruedel]

Hi Zenzo, I have an Insignus that has developed that deformity by the mouth. I was told in researched it and found out that it was something called viral Lymphocystis. I have let him live his life life out with the rest of my fish in my main tank for quite a few years now. He eats normal acts normal he just has that growth, so I am just leave him be due to it’s an isolated incident. Anyways, great job with the video. Thanks very much for sharing.

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

You handled this very tactfully and professionally.. one of the very reasons I don't breed fish..it's hard enough to think about my fish when they get old and I may have to euthanize any of them. I would have millions of tanks lol... But culling for diseases and abnormalities is a real thing and is necessary and it should be handled thoughtfully. You handled this subject very thoughtfully!

[@billcolin-singer7371]

Hello my friend!This is not a perfect world we are living in so every creature can be deformed and seem bad to look at or it can't move or eat properly.Sometimes we have to be brave and do the right thing...but not everyone shares with us the same way of looking at things.I had fish that experienced that problems and also some friends of mine.Most of them didn't live long but I actually never had babies in cichlids or other fish,some of my fish paired off through the years but I didn't have any spawns in healthy or deformed fish.You are doing an excellent work and every advice from you is really important,cheers!!

[@stianlitland]

I love the honest video, it is a hard topic, but I personaly also would like to hear what methods you use to cull fish. Not to judge but to learn so that I can do better.

[@awilson1578]

Great video, hard to talk about but it's a reality.

[@NordicLetsPlays]

Thank you so much for this topic! Just today i asked myself what are the people doing if they can't sell their fishs and can't share them.

[@beatap6250]

Great video 😃🤗🙋‍♀️

[@harryarmstrong5728]

Timely video - I have a multi from a recent order that has some sort of ectopic growth under and behind its mouth. I am worried that it may be something that is hereditary as well. For now I am planning to monitor the growth in case further action is required. I wish you had footage of the ones you culled for comparison.

[@Malariejane]

Thank you for sharing and talking about this. It’s a tough topic but your talking points were very tasteful for an otherwise very unpalatable topic. I am new to the hobby and it is interesting to know what people are talking about 🤦🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️. I literally didn’t know the term. I heard a lot in my shrimp Groups. I see the logic. And I’m not against it given the situation. I also do support feeding to other large fish. Fish gotta eat.

[@lizzi407]

Tough topic. Thanks for sharing.

[@mcattack2009]

Good video. I have to say as a hobbyist, not a breeder, i found it hard to find information when i needed to take care of this situation because sometimes the language is too vague. You did well y mentioning methods, and then you didnt have to go explain each one. We can go look for info on clove, freezing etc.

[@pwaquatics3290]

Great Video and honest! Man I need that hat lol

[@danielcoleman6608]

Any merch for sale.. if so do you ship to the uk

[@TazawaTanks]

Hi. Currently only in the U.S. I am working on an international option.

[@flashkan]

I had to do this with a few fish. I tend to go the clove oil route. Had a goldfish get its tail sucked into a lily pipe outflow and ripped off. The other was I received a batch of rainbow fish that came in with what looked like tumors or internal cysts. Tried multiple different medications to no avail. These fish were supposed to go in with another type and wasn't worth risking the health of other healthy stock.

[@TheeExecrationist]

Good topic! Out of curiosity, have you taken a look at the growth under a microscope? An online seminar I was recently in has me seriously thinking about purchasing a microscope.

[@CaylorsReptilesAquatics]

Clove works quickly, is painless, and almost guilt free. Never an easy topic. Thanks.

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

Most studies show that most fish species do not recognize pain.

[@petosjr]

@@shadeaquaticbreeder2914 then why do they react when they're cut by an object?

[@firethecoach8800]

Yep I always take out the bad ones and just give them to the Amazon tank. I try and wait till there a bunch but the Oscar always seems to eat all of them beautiful the peacock has a chance to grab some

[@cash_savage6609]

I do it alot wit my live breeders I have around about 200 sword tails and gupies so I cull them by putting them in harsh conditions and now at this point I have fish that can tolerate chlorinated water straight from the tap and can survive tempritures of 4 degees Celsius thre sort of super fish now and all of them produce 80 to 120 babies at a time

[@cash_savage6609]

The ones that die don't go to wast cos I feed them to my cat fish

[@marioabel3347]

X hobbyist going 15 .20 year cold Turkey. Still love watching videos good Subject. There's a lot of meaning behind it culling

[@brandonsaquariumsandterrar8985]

Great video, when breeding fish, have you ever had any neat mutations? Like maybe albino fish? Great video, sad topic, all in all i liked the video and you did a good job

[@Roland2307]

Circle of life!

[@treeehrhardt4509]

Only had to do it a few times. Nothing quicker than dropping them in the oscar tank. Not if they are sick!!

[@LthrWrstlr1]

I had a broken heater I didn't notice right away until several fish couldn't swim. Apparently they got shocked and it caused permanent neurological damage. Since they couldn't feed properly I decided to euthanize them. I used the freezer method. From what I read it's the most humane method.

[@sschario60]

Culling sounds logical and (hopefully) humane. Being new to the hobby, I wasn't aware of the practice. I am now because you tactfully covered the subject. Thanks.

[@Andreas-gh6is]

In my opinion (non-medical advice), the best option for euthanasia available to the average hobbyist for small tropical fish is an ice water bath. It's quick, the fish don't feel any pain, the stress from handling is probably less than with clove oil. For bigger fish the process is slower. "Maceration", meaning quick dispatching of the relevant tissue (=brain) is also often recommended, but not everyone has the heart to do that, and you need to do it correctly, which isn't trivial. Feeding to bigger fish is in my opinion one of the cruelest option, even if it sounds natural.

[@kaquarium7888]

I am not a particular fan of clove oil either, but check out MS-222 (tricaine methanesulfonate) if you haven't heard of it. It's a veterinary-grade fish anesthetic, but you can purchase it online. I use it for surgery, but an overdose is effective for euthanasia. Incidentally, this is also the way we euthanize large animals in vet med (overdose of anesthetic).

[@Jessmosis]

It's called evolution man....forreals though, cool video,, this is something I have never thought about.

[@richardwaldhouse8067]

I haven't seen much on utub about culling fish, all thoe there are good reasons for it.

[@johnanders8221]

Great video👍

[@ericolsen9799]

Great Information. If she has the right to choose so do I , lol. Honesty and Truth is not supposed to comfortable. I really love your channel

[@NiX_aKi]

You're fine. It's a common practice for breeders like us. It's our responsibility to make sure that the species that we share with others are not defective. Genetic defects can be a torture for some fish so making the hard decision is necessary.

[@toanao1]

On top of all this while breeding, things just happen that kill off a whole batch of offspring. Had a heater stop working in middle of winter and my 6 month old peacocks all died over night 😭

[@leeltastic7889]

I breed fancy guppy and I did not have to col any.

[@BreezyBrickyard]

That's why I have a piranha tank. The circle of life

[@andrewnicholls5082]

Appreciate that video 👍

[@knrgaquatics8032]

No matter how many times you have to cull fish as a fish keeper and fish lover it's never easy but many times it is the best option. I've raised "deformed" fish and most the time that's not a good option either health wise for the fish. It sucks that's s fact but sometimes it's best.

[@alans4281]

Thumbs up

[@amtravelsaus]

When i bred my axolotls they had up to 400 eggs ,.i choose to raise about 50 of them & to Cull the rest, .. Sometimes it's a muchly needed 'responsible' thing to do.

[@winstonpratt604]

The main reason I keep my alligator snapper is to cull my Africans peas n haps the circle of life way lol

[@Bigstank7420]

I love to breed Africans their behavior is just so interesting.. but where I live there is not many people into the hobby at all so it was so hard to find a place for my babies.. long story short it got to the point I just couldn’t morally keep breeding despite it being something I absolutely love.. it’s hard because keeping a couple show tanks just isn’t the same as having breeding operation to constantly mess with and improve

[@cathyhendrix7552]

Why not create a YT channel and sell and ship your babies? It would give you a much larger customer base. I don't know what kind you were breeding but some cichlids are hard to find and other breeders and also pet stores would be interested in buying them. Contact the other channels and talk with them about options. I know Cory from Aquarium Co Op is always willing to share information and to help other hobbyist. Just an idea for you to maybe help you with your passion! 😊

[@ricodegallo3060]

👍

[@MrCurlykid1]

R.I.P to your fish m8.

[@philipramsden4975]

I don't agree with the freezing method. That has to be pretty painful for the fish. Clove oil is the way to go in my opinion

[@TazawaTanks]

I agree too. I don’t like freezing either, but some people do it that way.

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

Most studies on this subject show that most fish species are not able to recognize pain

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

I don't like freezing them either tho. And even if they can't feel pain doesn't mean you should mutilate it at all.

[@JUSTIFIEDB]

I was sure this was gonna be about african cichlid hybrids.

[@TazawaTanks]

I made a video about that too.

[@BigFishLittleFishAquatics]

Completely agree with you, sometimes it is absolutely necessary. we as fish keepers don't have the option of taking our fish to a vet to be put down and if the fish is suffering sometimes the kindest thing to do, is to help ease its passing.

[@TazawaTanks]

No cool mutations yet.

[@catfishcave379]

Back in the old days culled fish went in the cull tank... where one or more Oscars lived. It’s funny how we can make all kinds of easily avoided stupid mistakes that kill fish and we are fine with it but when we start mirroring evolution by culling, we get all queasy.

[@jeffreyklima7612]

Seriously? This is common knowledge, and 100s of videos on youtube about it. As a master breeder culling is a must. Keeping original traits, bent spines, etc..

[@TazawaTanks]

There may videos about it if you search on the topic, but very few of the more well-known fish channels talk about it.

[@aquacat_]

I only euthanize if it's an illness that has not been responsive to treatment, and / or the fish no longer has a good quality of life. I have used clove oil but prefer ms-222 (mixed in water with baking soda). On the rare occasions I've needed it I can get it premixed from my local vet. Both methods work quickly with minimal suffering, but I cry like a baby whenever I've had to do it.

[@irshaadjaffer7065]

I have a Malawi baby that has one eye but I really don't want to cull so he is the one I am keeping

[@TazawaTanks]

Yes, having one eye should be just fine for the fish. Happy you are keeping it.

[@pamelapilling6996]

Thank you for broaching a subject that I believe as fish keepers and breedees we need to discuss more openly. Right now I have assorted fancy guppies from three breeding projects. My local pet store, whom I normally would sell the culls has closed their fish section down during this episode of social distancing. I may need to cull but I really hope not, I will be adding more tanks first. I have only ever assisted along fish that are really having trouble and I can see they are suffering. I have done as much research as possible and choose clove oil as the most humane way, I believe.

[@puirYorick]

It's strange that the more uncomfortable we all are with a subject the more we will struggle to come up with euphemisms for it. For me personally the euphemism eventually becomes more of an emotionally loaded term than the straight honest word. Apparently one large pet store chains back in the bad old days when they were buying from puppy mills and having to frequently honor warranty replacement of defective puppies that "didn't last long" when sold, told employees to note the return transactions on the customer invoices as SCHAEFFER which was essentially their internal "code word" for describing the situation. Now every time I see or hear that surname it reminds me of that unfortunate practice. A perfectly innocent name became spoiled by association. Anyway bro, thanks for talking about an unpopular subject with class. I notice that most fishtubers also seem to ignore speaking about the natural expiring of wet pets at the end of their lifespan. That too is a common part of the hobby and shouldn't be ignored either.

[@Roland2307]

Many years ago I had a girlfriend with that last name. Whoever came up with that code name probably dated her too! Lol.

[@ClayAngelly]

I commend you for this video. Thank you. I had to euthanize a fancy goldfish we had that suffered from swim bladder disease. No treatments helped. It was suffering and it was not an easy decision or act. My kids and I buried it and had a little ceremony. Thanks again for being real.

[@justinsharp3506]

Honesty's always the best. Hate to say it, but for all creatures, death is a fact of life:(

[@becksoftable]

Not a fun topic but it happens naturally in nature:/ I have used the "food for larger fish" method but I don't enjoy it all that much either. I am jealous of the corona beard tho! :)

[@D04137]

I would let nature play a part and feed them to another fish

[@waveyaquatics0012]

Something I’ve had to deal with in the past as well, I even thought about getting a bigger predator fish and letting nature take its course

[@Jotto999]

it's one of those things that makes some people think less of you. But if they took care of large populations of an animal, they'd have to do it too. In nature the "herd" is always being culled at all times, because anything not fit enough to reproduce gets killed. You either find a way to cull the herd, or the genetic quality will deteriorate. That's just how it is, and judging breeders (or farmers) for that is unfair.

[@MarksShrimpTanks]

I talk about it all the time lol I even have cull tubs :D ps I don't kill anything.

[@brianwirtz4181]

I cull frontosa in my breeding. Broken bars, faded colors, and other deformities happen. When hobbiest spend $25 for a one inch F1 fry I want to make sure they are getting the best specimen.

[@DanDannyDanielleBob]

I have culled sick fish after treating the whole tank multiple times, some corys had fungus that just would not go away. When i removed them from the population it stopped spreading through the herd. The choice seemed to be to let them slowly die or just end it.

[@salvadorvelasquez6611]

😩😩, oh yeah, MR. Zenzo, I've asked so many of my KZbin subscription(s), on how to do this and I've gotten little to no response from them, yet alot of KZbin(ers) tend to shy away from this subject and I just ask myself what would i have to do if i was a professional hobbyist and take care of it myself, yet I've lost so many of my finned members and I've euthanized them in a natural way (state), without crying or feeling like so. I've been waiting for a video from anyone on the hobby I'm glad it's one of the fewest hobbyist that i learned from thank you for your time MR. Zenzo grateful for this video 😎💪.

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

I say do what you want. Nothing is really unnatural except for abuse. And in nature organisms don't mate with others that are too close genetically if they can help it so culls are pretty much on us so I think we have an obligation to cull unless you don't care for genetic mutations of the inbred kind lol

[@flaviodesignaquariums1690]

Maybe your fish come from english royal blood lie. I believe you need to bring in new fish ( blood line) to strengthen your shelliys. If you're going to breed fish ( culling is part of breeding) thats why i recemend have a tank w a large cichlid, its a humane way to cull, now its food for other fish. Nice work. Allso some people.... change K to C. & I to U.

[@garthantash]

Oddly enough, during your intro I found using the word "thinning" more off putting and gross than just saying "killing". Maybe it is just me. While I have never had to cull fish since I have never had fish breed, I will always remember being in a bird dealer's store and after pointing out a dead canary in one of the aviaries as he picked it up he said "livestock means dealing with dead stock". He wasn't being cold, callous or mean, it was just a fact of life when you deal with animals.

[@ct2368]

Thanks for the video.

[@markvickery5894]

I personally feel like feeding culls to other fish as being the best method just bc in my eyes they dont die for nothing, they are getting used for a purpose to help another fish or animal survive and provide energy to that animal and contribute to its life, rather than just killing it and then throwing it away, I feel like that's wasting its life, however I can see how some people would not be ok with this method and so besides this I think clove oil is the best method

[@michael-ev5fk]

Good video Zenzo. Yes it's not a pleasant subject, but a real one. I currently need to remove a young male 3.5" Venustus that has a very odd growth on it's dorsal fin, don't need it breeding and passing on genetic defects. Not sure how to do it, but I'll figure it out. Thanks for addressing a tough and real life subject.

[@fishiontanktics9356]

Culled week ago. Fed my plants. Alright alright we are growing need leaves!

[@swatch12345]

Great video man. It can definitely be a touchy subject for people. I recently watched a Tank Tested interview with Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan who is a fish veterinarian. He said there are studies that indicate how clove oil may be irritating to the fish. He suggested a medication called MS 222 Tricaine mesylate which is frequently used and works really well. Just a heads up for anyone that wants to know what a professional would recommend.

[@shadeaquaticbreeder2914]

People are so soft. What do people think happens in the wild? Most often less than 10% of fish make it to adulthood. And that's just the ones that had hatched. Not counting all the other ones. I've let about a thousand guppies die in the yard bc it was hard to get them all and I did not have enough space. Hurray, food for the birds.

[@GuilhermeOliveira-vs7uh]

I breed shrimp and the only way to have good quality animals is eliminate the non-desirable bloodlines but you shouldn’t just kill them and waste them. I feed them to my lizards and anyone can feed them to fish turtles etc

[@woodsmanwhitesmith6928]

" terminating the lives of those fish " don't sugar coat it Brother say it like it is . culling is killing the fish you don't want . when you sugar coat something you lessen the seriousness of it , like when people say " terminate a pregnancy " what they mean is KILL AN UNBORN CHILD . but that doesn't sound as nice . they're just fish , i eat fish , sometimes i use little fish as bait for bigger fish , either stuck on a hook alive or chopped up alive then used as chunks of meat . but when i do this i KILL the fish , not terminate it's life force or whatever . hell i've got a horse trough with 35 goldfish in it in my backyard getting bigger so i can use them as trotline bait . but either way if you breed fish you will eventually have to cull.