Dear Pam
Is there a place my significant other can donate his various Central American fry (1")??
Nik
Fry overproduction
Moderator: Pam Chin
Dear Nik,
That can be a problem with some Central American Cichlids, what do you do with all those fry. A Cichlasomaniac only needs one spawn to flood an area with his pride and joy. You have to work with these fish because you like them. It is nearly impossible for a small time breeder to make any money when you are competing with Florida. The cost of feeding them is more than you will ever get back in monetary value. The joy comes from working with some of the rarer species, and being able to spread them around to other serious Central American breeders.
Since the spawns are so large, it is easiest to sell them to a wholesaler by the 100 lot. You won't get as much money as you might selling 6 here or 6 there, but usually they will take all of them. I don't know of any place that you could donate them to, other than clubs. The Steinhart aquarium will only take very rare species, and then only if they have room to properly house them.
The second strike against these big cichlid types is there size. At 1" they seem harmless, but the average aquarist only has one tank, and more than likely it will not be compatible in the typical community tank. Not to mention, that they will out grow the average tank with time.
A true Cichlasomaniac could care less about the going price for fry, their only quest is for more and rarer Cichlasoma type fish. These hobbyists relish the spawning ritual and the parental care. I can't say I blame them, these tank busters can be very rewarding in many other ways.
That can be a problem with some Central American Cichlids, what do you do with all those fry. A Cichlasomaniac only needs one spawn to flood an area with his pride and joy. You have to work with these fish because you like them. It is nearly impossible for a small time breeder to make any money when you are competing with Florida. The cost of feeding them is more than you will ever get back in monetary value. The joy comes from working with some of the rarer species, and being able to spread them around to other serious Central American breeders.
Since the spawns are so large, it is easiest to sell them to a wholesaler by the 100 lot. You won't get as much money as you might selling 6 here or 6 there, but usually they will take all of them. I don't know of any place that you could donate them to, other than clubs. The Steinhart aquarium will only take very rare species, and then only if they have room to properly house them.
The second strike against these big cichlid types is there size. At 1" they seem harmless, but the average aquarist only has one tank, and more than likely it will not be compatible in the typical community tank. Not to mention, that they will out grow the average tank with time.
A true Cichlasomaniac could care less about the going price for fry, their only quest is for more and rarer Cichlasoma type fish. These hobbyists relish the spawning ritual and the parental care. I can't say I blame them, these tank busters can be very rewarding in many other ways.