alas....after weeks and weeks of trying to treat illness I just had to euthanise my first fish, not pleasant, but it's better than watching them struggle, I think tipping away the body is the worst bit *shudder*

I just hope all this illness ends soon so I can get back on with fully enjoying my setup, also I can look forward to stocking back up the numbers when it's all over, I took 2 danios back to LFS after they caused fish harassment, and just put another down, so 3 is a bit of a poor number.

*comforts self with hopes they might still have golden danios when I can finally get some more, and hopes they'll get on with regular zebra danios*

If I think if fish is really ill and had enough I will end it's mistery.
I hate finding decomposing bodies in the tank, thats the bit I don't like.
When my rabbit died couldn't fetch myself to touch him, but not to bad with fish.
R.I.P.

This post has been edited by Wilder: Jan 15 2008, 04:39 PM

I did it once with a guppy and I can't do it again.
I've had fish I should've euthanized, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I try to get my fiance to do it, but he's like me and just can't either.
I hate seeing a fish suffer, but to know my hands were the things to end their lives even if they're already on death's doorstep, just I dunno.... unnerves me.

I must admit i can't do it either, even when I know I should. It is very selfish that I don't want to put them out of my suffering because I feel guilty. I admire someone that can do it, and then deal with their emotions later, you put your fish first, and that is a good thing.

Its not nice I know.
Had to watch my mum die of cancer and they speeded her death up in the last hours, if something suffering real bad I can't watch.

Wilder that post nearlly made me cry x

Just curious, but what exactly is the best (humane) way to put one's fish down?

i had to take out a dead pleco once. my other fishes ate out the eyes and meat. all was left was the skeleton on the bottom of my tank. i can normally handle some pretty gruesome stuff but i had trouble with this one. i just told my mom to get me a plastic bag and i clamped it out with a plant clip. and the next 2 plecos i bought died the same way. i later found out why and it never happened again.


and i had to take out one of my dead parrots, he was a really nice parrot but something happened to him. he got something on his mouth that prevented him from eating so he eventually starved to death. i still freak out when i look though my photobucket and see the pic of him.


i cant think of a painless way to kill a fish. you could do it the way they do it at supermarkets, bash their head with a club. i assume that its instant death since they stop breathing, and if their body moves, its just muscle spasm.

ohh sry bout yo loss

The 'best' way to euthanise a fish in my opinion would be to use clove oil (you can buy it from a chemist). You shake it up and add a small amount to a cup of water which you then mix VERY well. You then catch the fish and put it in a bucket of tank water and add the cup of water/clove oil. The fish 'falls asleep' at the bottom and then after about 20 minutes when you know the fish is definitely 'asleep' you then add some alcohol which kills the fish painlessly. It's very distressing and I once had to use this method on one of my fish and it was so difficult but so much better than whacking it/flushing it/freezing it etc which regardless of whatever anyone says are most definitely stressful for the fish!

It's a horrible subject but I guess it's something we should all know about

Take care,
Jo

This post has been edited by PrettyLittleLamb: May 17 2008, 11:05 PM

you need to add alcohol after using clove oil?
i never knew that,luckily i havnt had to euthanize yet but i would go with the clove oil method as well

Without coming off as a bit of an #### (thats really not my intention), in my opinion, if you want to keep fish (or any animal for that matter. Especially companion animals such as dogs) you have to be responsible enough to euthanize your pets when their time comes. If you cant deal with death, then you shouldnt be keeping pets (especially those with shorter life spans such as fish)

I've heard a lot of people complaining and the worst IMO is when they just drop their dog off at the vets and leave them to it. I'm sure the dog would rather not be there, so for their sake (comforting and the like) you should be prepared to go though this.

It annoyed the hell out of me when the ex refused to deal with dead fish (seeing as it was her that made me get into this fish-keeping lark!)

No-one enjoys it, but you cant just let some-one else do it. If you want to be sheltered from death, then dont buy pets thats for sure!

Rant over!