malawi chiclids

Question
hi ive been keeping chiclids for about 3 years. and had mutch luck with breeding'but but from every batch of new fish there seems to always be one or two from about nine that flick there head left and right and just stay in the same place for hours on end this i notice when they are about 1-2 inches in left and dosent manifest until that point they normally have muted colours from birth but thats it.is there a mental issue because they do look troubled.is there sutch a thing as a runt of the litter as in dogs'as the fish get beaten by others and die.should these fis be put out of their missery when they first exhibit the sympton as it always results in death even if segregated.
sorry its a bit longwinded but i dont like to see fish suffer.
kind regards. chay

Answer
Hi Chay,
  As with any animal, sometimes development doesn't work out perfectly for some fish and they have big problems and their bodies don't work right.  It would be unusual to always have about 1 or 2 in 9 that showed this. It should be at a lower rate than that, but it could happen.  
If you see a fish that is obviously deformed then you might consider freezing it as a humane way of killing it.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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