[Anduie]

I currently have a flourishing 30 gallon tank and a 75 gallon tank that is a bit bare but doing alright.

The problem is the 30 gallon tank is just taking off beyond what I expected. My naja grass and hornwart is growing out of control and requires taking out quite a bit of it every couple of months or else it takes over my tank. My Endler's are reproducing like mad and I think they are stressing out the platys and there is no way my tank can support the 20-30+ fry that are in there now. The girlfriend likes the Endler's and platys but she and I wish there could be something more in there. All the platys are second generation and I kind of would like to swap some out and get some new ones for the sake of genetic and color diversity.

The 75 gallon has the culled najas and hornwart, some (non-celestial) pearl danios, Procambarus alleni, and a few bristlenose plecos. Clearly, it's far from max capacity and could use more color and variety.

There are a few ideas that she and I have been kicking around. One is to just sell the fry (at least 7 of which have their color and are semi-mature and about a dozen are probably 3 weeks old or so) and the plants. Another idea is to just transfer them the 75 gallon tank and run the risk of that tank getting over run (maybe it's a capacity or the fact I use different fertilizers for the tanks thing, but the plants are not doing as well in the 75 gallon tank, then again , the lighting rig is different.) The idea that I've been more seriously kicking around is adding a "casual" predator or 2 to the 75 gallon tank and transfer fry and uppity fish to it for the purpose of getting eaten.

I think we could go with a good, modest sized omnivore that could take care of the plants, as well. I've thought about halfbeaks, but they seem to be kind of hard to find. Another idea is paradise fish because they are certainly pretty enough, the girl coos over gouramis, and they might be aggressive enough to go after the fry but won't bother the danios.

Any advice?

If we were to go with a predator, it must be able to get along with the mudbug but not predate on the danios or harass the plecos. Also, the predator must be flashy, the 75 gallon kind of lacks good color.

 

[corina savin]

Controlling plants? Manual removal. Compost them.
Controlling fish? I like the idea of using fish as a food source to a larger predator. This is what happens in nature all the time. There is no other, more humanely way to cull a fish.

 

[jaysee]

I don't know if being eaten is humane or not, but there's surely nothing more natural. Nature can be pretty brutal though.

 

[corina savin]

I believe it is humane because the fish is not suffering and you create better living conditions for the remaining fish. It is less humane to leave fish in over crowded situation that will ultimately lead to a slow, miserable death.
I often wonder if I am a hypocrite when I say that I love fish instead of saying that I love my own pet fish. Since I eat fish regularly, it is clear that I don't value a fish's life.
I care about my pet fish because of my own enjoyment and gratification and because I like the science behind keeping and breeding them.

 

[jaysee]

Well hold on just a minute - eating an animal doesn't mean that you don't value the life of that animal. Animals provide sustenance for us - personally I place a high value on that. We are animals too, and have our place in the food chain just the same.

I love fish too - I keep them, I eat them, and I earn a living working on a fishing boat. I can understand how you're feeling though. There is a duality for me, since I most certainly do not concern myself with being humane while at work.

 

[Nick1404]

You could sell them on to other local fish keepers?
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[Anduie]

Y'all, thanks for the replies thus far.

Re: composting. I live on the second floor of an apartment with a big tree outside my western-facing windows, any need for compost (I seriously need to start an herb garden) is severely limited.

Re: ethics of fish eating fish. We are talking about r-selective fish. They will reproduce until they crash my aquarium, run out of food, or they get gobbled up. Them getting eaten is the more ethical option and the most cost-effective. Could also be fun to watch, too.

Re: selling to locals. I went to my local pet store and they are not particularly keen on platys, I don't know how they'd react to less standard fare. I am not too active in the local community, which I am not really convinced actually exists.

If I were to go for predators, would anyone have a favorite that suits my needs?
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