clove oil

[fishdudein]

Thank you, steelhealr. I had heard long ago that cold was the least painful way to put a fish down (long before I ever heard of clove oil), and many times have put an old friend out of his misery in the freezer....good to know that there is an even better way. This is never something you "want" to do anyway, but when it is "time", it is nice to know there is as little pain as possible.

Torrean, I would think that putting them in a plastic bag would just act as an extra layer of insulation and slow the process down?

 

[Aquamick]

this is the method I have used
Buy pure clove oil. You can get it at a health food store. Put the fish in a medium sized mixing bowl in his own water from his tank. In a small jar or something with a lid, such as a jam jar, mix the clove oil with tank water. Put the lid on and shake it like crazy over and over until the liquid in it is white. Then pour a little into the mixing bowl with the fish. Swirl it with your hand. The fish might fight it just a little bit and then slow down. Then pour a little more in and swirl again. He should just go to sleep and appear dead. If he doesn't, try a little more of the clove solution, always shaking very well before an addition to the bowl. When he goes to sleep, leave him in the solution for a good 30 minutes.
Pain free death. Very humane. We should all go so easily.

as for the ammount of oil, 1 to 10 of tank water.

Excellent advice, and in my opinion the best method.

 

[The-Wolf]

Hi...much to the disagreement of many people here, I have to state that I think that freezing cold is the most humane way to euthanize a fish. Rapid immersion in an ice cold bath, with a fish...will cause rapid unconsciousness and death.

no offense steelhealr, I know you are a MD and
therefor have a greater scientific background than
us leypeople, but you are an MD of humans, not fish.

Freezing in water or out of water is very cruel.
The reason for this is the slow time it takes for ice
crystals to form in each and every cell of the subject,
the only way that is safe to freeze an animal is cryogenics
but how many members of the general public have access to
that technology; none.

at the end of the day it is BODs' descision based on the opinions of the respondants here.

Just my opinion and again no offense is intended

 

[OrkyBetta]

I have never been frozen to death, obviously, but I do know that if you apply something cold like ice to your skin for too long, it hurts like heck before it goes numb. The-wolf made a good point on this. And dorkhedeos, I know you were joking. But my point is, for a split second before the brain and vital organs stop working, there is substancial nerve damage, hence pain. Euthanasia should be completely painless IMO.

 

[OrkyBetta]

I have my own question regarding clove oil. How much should you add to how much water in the jam jar, if you use the-wolf's method? I didn't find a clear answer.

 

[snowyangel]

Clove oil I think is the most humane way, it's also used when fish are operated on, so think of it as the equally humane way they euthanise cats and dogs at vets. The amount of clove oil to use depends on how large the fish is and how much water you added in with the fish to be euthanized. The more water the more medicine you're going to use.
How I do it is i put the fish in a cup with a little tank water and i dip a q-tip in the clove oil, let it absorb then i let it sit in the cup and i stirr it around in the water. I wait for the fish to go into a sleep or trans(where the body lays still but the gills are still moving) then i add a few more drops and stirr until the gills stop moving and puts the fish into an eternal sleep. Clove oil is very powerful so you don't need to use alot.

Also, the freezing method can be the absolutely WORST way for a fish that is a cold water species. The death will be very slow, torturing, and agonizing. To tropical fish it will be a little quicker of a death since they're used to warmer temps but it's still going to be torture.

 

[steelhealr]

Hi..just to help out....ice crystals and bursting cells are long after death occurs. Applying ice to your skin is not a comparison. Skin insulates our body and when you do it...you are applying it to a local area. As a human, you can't make that comparison. The size of a fish is so small, that, the rapid drop in temperature is so quick, brain function stops almost instantaneouslyas does the perception of pain. To those that think of the 'painful ice on my skin' scenario, think about the 'unable to move/breathe but conscious scenario'. IMO, that is what happens with the oil of cloves...you have local anesthesia but not loss of consciousness. The two times I have used this, the fish stopped moving instantly and appeared dead. To The -Wolf, no, I'm not an ichthyologist, and I don't present myself to be an expert as such, but certain principals of physiology are constant. As a last example, the first drug used in capital punishment cases is thiopental...followed by an overdose of potassium. Thiopental causes deep unconsciousness, potassium causes cardiac standstill. I'm not convinced the oil of cloves does it. As for the cold water fish, this is a tropical fish forum, and this is what I've been referring to.

In the final analysis here, those people who choose to euthanize their fish, are doing a dignified thing. How you chose to do so should be a matter of availability, ease, and comfort. I think both methods are probably as humane as you can get......SH

 

[The-Wolf]

I have my own question regarding clove oil. How much should you add to how much water in the jam jar, if you use the-wolf's method? I didn't find a clear answer.

1 part of oil to 10 parts of tank water

 

[_fish_a_holic_]

steelhealr,
I'm a vet nurse and have access to "the green dream", a large overdose of anaesthetic to induce death, used for euthanasia of dogs and cats.

Would this be the best way to euthanise fish also?

 

[OrkyBetta]

Sorry, I didn't know how to make a good compairison. I believe you, steelhealr, because you have had years of training and research in the medical field. I'm only a freshman in high school so I wouldn't know a thing of what I'm talking about in a science perspective. But anyways, it just seems to me that the clove oil is more like the lethal injections given to pets at vet offices, and I'm not sure why, but that seems like a better option. It is a matter of personal preference, IMO. A lot f methods are pretty quick and painless to the fish, so I guess the next factor to add in is how you will handle it.

 

[steelhealr]

Hi Orky....I totally support your view...I don't think any of the views are wrong here. Ah to be a freshman again. Good luck in school . SH

 

[BOD]

wow didnt realise this post was gunna generate som many response...my fihs is acting normal now so i guess shes alrite .....fingers crossed!!!

 

[SPLiSH]

Glad to hear he's recovering. And now we can use this thread for reference...

 

[Erised]

Just thought I'd let you know that I have an ember who's being doing the same thing for over 6 months now. She's still alive and kickin' though! Once every so many weeks I'll catch her swimming on her side again, but all the other days of the week she's absolutely fine.

I have no clue what causes it, and I know that (specially the "tumbling" through the water, it can go so fast as well =/ ) it's a horrible thing to watch ... but I do think your molly will still have a long and happy live, just like my ember

 

[BOD]

I know it is horrible to watch cos theres nuffin u can do, she just starts wizzinf through the water at tremendous speeds tumbling as she goes...and then all of a sudden will stop and be fine!