An Unpleasant Topic

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Torrean

The Hairy Potter
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I thought this might be a helpful thread for those of us trying to decide what form of euthanasia to use when necessary. Please tell us about your experiences with various forms of euthanasia. Please include time until death (as near as you can tell) size and species of fish, illness (If known) as well as any other information you can think of.

Personally I have used the freezer method and the deep cold immersion method.

I used the freezer method on a 3 1/2 to 4 inch blue gourami...he had spinning disease. I didn't know much about euthanasia at the time and I had heard it was a quick painless death. Since then I have learned otherwise. I don't know how long it took for him to die but I'm sure it wasn't quick.

I have also used the deep cold immersion method. This method involves chilling water as much as you can...preferably until a thin ice crust forms on the top, and then quickly immersing the fish in the water. I used this method on a white cloud mountain minnow which was slightly less than 1" in length. I don't know what was wrong with him but he was not long for this world. The poor little guy went out like a light. I don't know if he was shocked into motionless but it appeared to be almost instantaneous unconciousness if not death. If I have to put down another small fish I believe I will use this method. Anything much larger and I would use blunt head trauma. The size issue with deep cold immersion is my personal reason for starting this thread. I want to see how large of a fish can be put out like a light. Please relate your experiences...I'm sorry to make you relive them they are never pleasant memories.
 
Ive had to put down two big angels a year or so ago. The first was blunt instrument to the head, and it died after the second hit which was really traumatic for the fish as well as for me. The second angel i overdosed on meds. I placed her in a 5 gallon tank and added half a bottle of med but not quite sure what it was i used. Anyway the result wasnt instant as she suffocated rather than died quickly so wont do that again.
Ive never used clove oil but I will try it the next time by adding 19 drops to a container of water and shaking it until mixed then add the fish. I dont know though how big a fish that solution would go to.
I wont do the freezer method but the second method i might try Torrean.
I will admit to letting nature take its course and let the fish die itself as well.
 
To be honest used vodka when first started not nice it takes to long about 20 minutes.
Best method is the cold immersion it shocks the fish straight away and it instant, best method i've found.
All thanks to mod steelhearl.
 
This is one case where it helps to be a fisherman. Snap their spine at the base of the neck. Sounds gruesome to many I'm sure, but it's quick and (relatively) painless. (Emphasis on "quick")
 
I am sad to say at the beginning I did flush a barb and a neon :blush: wouldn't do this now after reading through lots of threads. Last week I decided on the clove oil and bought a bottle to keep at hand if needed, but after reading Wilders reply to the poor angelfish this evening I am putting the clove oil into my med box and using the cold water method and ice cubes. I think you would have to be a real fishkeeper to decapitate although maybe a better option for a larger fish (phewww I have no large fish)
 
I use the clove oil method.

I had to euthanize a discus with HITH not so long ago, biggish fish about 6 1/2 inches and weighed nearly 8 ounces.

Dreaded the thought of having to do it :( my discus are my babies, even when I had the flu last year I stumbled out of bed to do the water changes, rather than let my hubby do them.

OK I popped him in a bucked with about a gallon of tank water. Then I added about 15 drops of clove oil he swam around a couple of times and then came to rest leaning against the side of the bucket. Then I covered the bucket with a towel and left him 5 minutes.
Had a quick peep and he was in the same position, his gills were moving very slowly (but he was peaceful)
Then I added more or less the same amount of clove oil again, The fish was still calm and relaxed, covered the bucket again for another 5 minutes.
When I looked again his gills were barely moving, but I didn't know if I had added enough clove oil for him to die!!! So I put about 10 more drops in and covered the bucket over with a towel.

When I looked about 10 minutes later he was gone :( just to make sure I left him there overnight.

My conclusion...yes, it takes a while particularly with a big fish, but I'm my opinion the fish does not suffer. Not once did the fish try to get out of the bucket or show any signs of stress. I would have hated that :-(

Anita
 
I personally decapitate any fish that need to be euthanised (yes, I am Aussie, no Z's :lol: ). This includes anything from corries to cichlids and for various reasons such as illness, maulings, fights with filter intakes, etc. As far as painless and quick, I would have to say that, if done right, it is top of the stack as far as methods go.

The key is to have everything ready beforehand, a wet surface to place the fish on, a sharp, heavy knife (I personally use an old chef's knife) and ensure the fish spends as little time out of the water travelling from the tank to the decapitation itself. Taking a firm grip of the fish and lining the knife up first (with the tip touching the bench, board, etc while the rest of the knife is suspended above the fish, this will aid in avoiding lost fingers as well as ensure greater accuracy) ensures that you don't miss and end up mutilating the fish without killing it. Taking a few seconds to ensure the knife is lined up just below the head can save alot of pain for the fish as well as guilt for yourself over accidental harm caused. As for the actual cut itself, try to use enough force that the knife will come into contact with the surface below the fish in one motion rather than needing several. The motion should be swift, fluid and quick with the end result being the fish's head completely detached from it's body.

Sorry if this is a little graphic for some people but I think it is something which has needed to be explained in detail for a while now to ensure people without the know how or who are new to the hobby understand the correct methods required to use this form of euthanasia (just like needing to know dosages for clove oil, temps for cold emersion, etc are important).
 
I have kept tropicals for a year now and Goldfish previously on and off for a number of years and have never euthanised an ill fish, I have always held out hope of recovery and let nature take its course. Have I been doing the wrong thing?
 
the choice to euthanize is yours CruX. I've waited multiple times hoping they would pull through. But when you just know they aren't going to make it that's when I euthanize.

thanks for all the input guys. If your reading this and someone has already posted your method and said basically the same thing you want to then post anyway. The more agreement we get on various forms the better for the person trying to choose.
 
I use the same deep cold submersion method as you Torrean, i put a plastic bowl of water in the feezer until a thin crust of ice develops in the bowl. I then break the ice, catch the fish, and put the fish in the water- the death is pretty instant, never taking more than 5 seconds in my experience, and i have never had a fish recover from this form of euthanasia so it is very effective/efficient at doing its job.
If the gills, mouth and fins of the fish are not moving, its most likely dead. Usually the fish will swim slowly in the bowl, before making a quick dash and then dying instantly- as i said, it only takes seconds to kill fish with this method.
However i would only advise this form of euthanasia on small fish, like danio or guppy sized ones- as far as i know the effectiveness to this form of euthanasia lies with the size of the fish and the cold temp of the water, so you certainly wouldn't try to kill an 8inch common pleco this way or use water that wasn't beginning to freeze over as it would probably take a lot longer if you did.
 
Only had to do it once, young female guppy with a crooked spine and stroke-like symptoms who clearly wasn't going to make it. Put her in a shallow bowl of tank water, held her firmly and stuck a sharp knife lengthwise through her skull. Death was absolutely instantaneous.
Learnt this method when fishing, it's what we do on mackerels that are too large to have their necks broken easily.
 
I did the emersion thing on a oscar once...NOT A GOOD IDEA PEOPLE!!! he lived and even splashed around for 30 minutes!! and yes it was cold enough, I dumped a huge bag of ice in a 5g bucket. so this works for small fish ONLY imho.

I havent lost a fish in a year or more but when I see one past the return point I'll bag it and smack it, do the round about on the counter of pain! lmao
 
tattood fish man. Out of curiousity what size was your oscar when you tried this?
 
I feel the best most humane form of euthanization would be, put your fish in a sparable jar and set it in a freezer. That way they fall asleep in die peacefully. :nod:

-Jess
 
I honestly believe the temperature shock frozen water dip is the best form of euthanasis It has worked for me it costs no money, the only stress the fish goes through is being netted and it goes out like a light
 

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