How To Kill Your Fish

[mystus]

I have a fish that is swimming on its side and i dont want it to suffer anymore.

Whats the best way to kill it?

 

[Hunterprey]

I read it somewhere, but ask others too, put it in a cup with water and drop alkaseltzer, i heard its a quick death.

 

[mystus]

would ice cold water work?

 

[guppymonkey]

Strong alcohol will also do the deed. I have used a small cup of vodka to help a fish end its suffering. Some pet stores sell a product called Euthanase or something similar to that which can be used to humanely euthanize a fish.

 

[Just_Another_One]

I've had to euthenize many fish and have always used the ice water method. Seems fairly humane and alot easier than cutting heads off or smashing with bricks

whatever you do dont put the live fish in the freezer and let it slowly freeze to death...thats gotta be the worst way

Get a cup of water with some ice in it and drop fish in...it will twitch for a second or two then will pass on very quickly

 

[snowflake311]

Best way is to chop it's head off honestly. It's fast and painless.

 

[always4lora]

Chopping the head of would bne fast depending on the size of the fish , some fish you have to kinda saw there head off as you cant do it in one clean sweep.

 

[lilacamy931]

I read an interesting (slightly) gross article on the ways as had to make a choice at the time for my own fish. The best and humane way is to slice the head off. Freezing and all the other methods can go massively long and sometimes the fish does not die instantly. Pure Essential Clove oil is meant to be humane mixed with water as well (the cheaper alternative to proper vet stuff) but again heard really bad mixed reports on using it.

 

[minxfishy]

For small (ish) fish, Ive always used the freezing method. A jug/cup of water in the freezer until a layer of ice forms over the top, break the ice, then put the fish in, its almost instant and although you can never know, looks painless.

However, for a large size fish, I dont think this works as well and as said, cutting the head off is the quickest way to do it.

Whichever way you use, its never a nice thing to do.

 

[keenonfish]

I have had to euthanize twice now and both occasions used Vodka from the freezer. The liquid will not freeze until -22 so IMO it is the quickest method. Anyone who has ever fallen in to frozen water will tell you you go completely numb and go into survival mode - not much time to feel any pain / suffering, that comes afterwards!
Even chopping head off you still got to take out water, line things up and hope it is a clean cut first time!

 

[dazsmith69]

for smaller fish, platy size and under,a quick flick on the head kills them instantly

more human than cutting, poisoning or freezing IMO

 

[arobinson1984]

As lilcamy said, clove oil.

As long as you use enough it provides instant death.

Andy

 

[kelly528]

I have had to euthanize twice now and both occasions used Vodka from the freezer. The liquid will not freeze until -22 so IMO it is the quickest method. Anyone who has ever fallen in to frozen water will tell you you go completely numb and go into survival mode - not much time to feel any pain / suffering, that comes afterwards!
Even chopping head off you still got to take out water, line things up and hope it is a clean cut first time!

When you freeze a cold-blooded animal like a fish, it's very different from what happens when a mammal freezes!

If you must, plunge it into water with, as someone said earlier, a thin sheet of ice on the top. The whole freezing method is only considered humane (by the AVMA) on fish under 2.5 inches.

For those of you who are interested, scroll down to the fish section of the AVMA Guidelines of Euthanasia: http/www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/euthanasia.pdf

 

[aly_starh]

Agree with what people have already said,
many people use Clove Oil.

 

[keenonfish]

If you must, plunge it into water with, as someone said earlier, a thin sheet of ice on the top. The whole freezing method is only considered humane (by the AVMA) on fish under 2.5 inches.

For those of you who are interested, scroll down to the fish section of the AVMA Guidelines of Euthanasia: http/www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/euthanasia.pdf

But I would never use water as you won't get below freezing point, and IMO there is not the difference in temp for a quick enough end. Vodka as mentioned above will get to ~ minus 20 C before freezing. However I would not use this method for bulky fish as you say - I should imagine a small body of liquid would not be effective enough.