How to Kill a Fathead Minnow

Fathead minnows live primarily in small pools and creeks, but occasionally inhabit larger rivers and streams. This fish belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which is composed of over 2000 species. Known for their extreme tolerance to adverse habitat conditions, the fathead minnow is widely used in toxicology studies.

Instructions

1. Kill off the vegetation in streams and ponds where fathead minnows live. Since fathead minnows eat mostly plant life, if they're aren't any plants, they won't have an adequate food supply.

2. Transplant fathead minnows to severely cold water climates. Fathead minnows live in most cool to warm water areas of North America. Fathead minnows are not native to the icy waters of the extreme North.

3. Introduce their natural predators to their habitat. Frogs, snakes, orfes and turtles control fathead overpopulation.

Tips & Warnings

• The fathead minnow has many uses. Some people do keep them as pets in aquariums, but they are primarily bait fish, feeder fish and bio testing fish.

• Place fathead minnows in a plastic bag for biotoxicity testing. Testers place up to ten newborns into a bag of water. After one week, scientists weigh the remaining live fish to test their levels of toxicity.