Euthanasia Of Fish

[Matthew5664]

I'd been debating in my mind for a while if this is worth doing if the quality of life isn't good anymore.

The reson for this thed is that I've been keeping Black moors for my girlfriend, because shes always wanted them. I have 3 and I'm not into nameing fish however my grilfriend is, so as you can imagin we now have, Fluffy, Fang and Norbert. (prize for guessing the connection) Anyway poor old Fang was in a spot of bother with a swimbladder infection. Treated it fine (salt and meds.) and he was doing fine, then one weekend whild my nephew was helping with the water changes the screams come from the room,

" I'VE GOT A FISH HELP HELP I'VE GOT A BLACK FISH!!!!"

To my horror there was Fang stuck in the end of the hose! So now I have a half dead fish and a crying 8 year old and a very upset girlfriend, I wouldn't have been to bad but she had to name them! didn't she!

So now a week and a hospital tank later Fang ain't any better, and don't think he's going to be. He's still alive swimming some of the time the rest just spent floating (mostle belly up) with the current. He's had some food but not alot, think hes to week to eat.

So now we come to the question, To flush or not to flush?

If he was just a fish that would be fine, but he's Fang. I tryed my best but is this the time??

 

[dwarfgourami]

Well, if he's got to go, it's got to be done humanely. The best way is to get some clove oil from the pharmacy and put him in a bowl with that (afraid I don't know the proportions); he'll just go to sleep painlessly.

Second best (for him, though tough on you) is to crush his brain (take him out, hold him in a damp towel and hit hard with a rolling pin) and then severe the spinal cord. Alternatively stab his brain with a sharp knife lengthwise. If you have to settle for this method, send your 8-year-old out for a walk first and don't let him know the details.

Whatever you do, never flush a live fish; it's a horrible way to die. Imagine being thrown into a waterfall of burning ammonia to drown; that's what you'd be doing to him. Freezing is also not considered humane.

Sorry about this, poor little fish.

 

[millym]

hi
sorry about your trauma & sick fish.
first please DO NOT flush your fish - still alive & sick/ hurt its cruel!!! dead not a good idea for your local ecosystem.
there are several ways of humanely euthansing a unrecoverable sick fish. if you do a search on these forums you will get more detail as the topic has been covered in depth several times
the way i use is by the clove oil method ( pure clove oil get form a chemist eg: boots sell it) - commonly used for toothache in humans)
I scoop out a about 1 L of tank water into a container(tupperware type thing) & add to this approx 25 drops clove oil shake it up till the clove oil dissolves ( turns a bit cloudy)
i then get another container filled with more tank water & net & put my sick fish in it & add the clove oil mix to this & slowly swirl about. the fish will go to sleep painlessly & die ( its like a massive overdose of anaesthetic)
leave the fish in for a good hour or so to ensure there is no recovery.
i struggle to kill anything but have been at home alone & watching a sick fish struggle having not responded to treatment have actually been able to do this & although i dont like it i like even less to watch a sick fish suffer.

 

[@ombomb]

The times I've had to put a fish down, I used harsh words and sarcasm...

Sorry.

The method I've used is to put a load of ice in a bowl, add tank water and let it cool right down and then add the fish, they die of the shock after a couple of seconds. Not nice to do.

 

[Ethos]

I have 3 and I'm not into nameing fish however my grilfriend is, so as you can imagin we now have, Fluffy, Fang and Norbert. (prize for guessing the connection)

Oh, *Strong british accent*Thats Harry Potter! (I could rack my brain and figure which book they're all from, but this is a fish forum, so I needen't bother)(Norberts a dragon, fangs's a thress headed dog, and fluffy is hagrids big dog, incase you wanted to know I'm such a nerd)

I think you should wait untill the thing choaks. I mean, if It hasn't been eating.... It might give your girlfriend some 'peace' knowing he went on his own... Or, if you wanted to get it done quick, you could flush it while she was gone and tell her he died, and you didn't want her to see him, or sometrhing like that..

So whats my prize for the Harry Potter thing?

 

[Saedcantas]

Never ever flush a fish down the toilet, Dwarfgourami couldnt have made a better comparison by saying "Imagine being thrown into a waterfall of burning ammonia to drown" it is a disgusting thing to do to any animal, including a fish!

No fish should ever be frozen to death, or allowed to suffocate outside of water neither are even vaguely acceptable forms of euthanasia.

As has been said already you're looking at clove oil or complete and rapic destruction of the brain.
In my opinion it is more important that you take responsibility for the wellbeing of your fish or any pet even if it means putting them out of their misery.

If you truly believe that this fish will not recover it would be cruellest in my eyes to allow it to continue floating for a week or so more before dying a slow prolonged death.

We take on a duty of care when we buy pets, to be responsible for it's health and ensuring that at no point do they suffer, no matter what that means we have to do for them.
I think you are right that this fish ought to be euthanised, but please take advice on the most humane forms. You're euthanising to prevent suffering not cause more!

 

[Matthew5664]

So whats my prize for the Harry Potter thing?

Fang is on his way to you.

(Well done!)