Unknown Bubs What to do?

**Gemini** · 04-29-2009, 12:38 AM

Ok a few months ago I found fry in my African tank. I dunno who they belong to. I don't have any male/female combos. They could be peacocks, but they don't look like it. They have a more melanchromis shape to them. I'll try and get pics - anyway I'm pretty sure what I should have done with them and thats cull them. But my partner put them in my fry tank and wants to keep them. They are nice - bright tangerine colour with electric blue dots all over them.
So should I:
A) cull them as I don't know what they are. I can't keep all of them forever so keep one male for the tank and cull the rest.
B) take them to the LFS as assorted peacocks.

**bushwhacker** · 04-29-2009, 01:26 AM

i'd take em to the store but make sure they know its probably a hybrid of some sort

**Northernguy** · 04-29-2009, 02:01 AM

Decisions,Decisions,Decisions! lol

Bushwhacker has a good plan but some will argue! lol Some will say destroy them.

I think it would be cool to watch it grow!

**jackson17** · 04-29-2009, 10:19 AM

Why would people want to destroy them? lol Just because they're hybrids?

**Honey Badger 1** · 04-29-2009, 01:26 PM

i also agree with bushwhacker. no need to destroy healthy fish someone will want.

**bushwhacker** · 04-29-2009, 07:55 PM

jackson17 most serious breeders would recommend destroying the batch as they wouldnt know what the parentage was... so if you were trying to sell them as such and such and they bred again and the babies came out all wrong someones gonna get mad and you get a bad rep... your avg fishkeeper who buys them just cause they pretty fish dont care... thats why i say let the LFS store know they are a hybrid

**wolf_eyes** · 04-29-2009, 07:58 PM

Yes, some people will say cull them because they are hybrids. Some people believe that it's highly unnatural and it's playing with nature to make hybrids. Most of the fish we have in our tanks wouldn't breed in the wild so think culling is more humane.Hybrids can also have malfomed or sterile children down the road as well. Me personally, while I see their side of thinking, don't think you should cull healthy fish just because they're a little different. Make sure you tell the owner and let him make the final decision though

**bushwhacker** · 04-29-2009, 10:25 PM

thank you lady wolf eyes, your explanation was way better worded than mine

**Sir Tristen** · 04-29-2009, 10:46 PM

I'm of the same mind. Let them live and let the fish store know that you don't know what they are. They could turn out really interesting!

**Gemini** · 04-29-2009, 10:52 PM

Excellent thank you all for the replies!

I'm glad the majority are saying its ok to not cull them - I didn't really WANT to I just thought I HAD to. So glad I don't!

I'll let them grow up a bit more and then see which one I want to keep. They are looking like they will be a very nice looking fish when they get bigger.