Just Two Questions....

[Amberleaf]

Honestly, I would just like to know two things.

~ 1. Why do they always say that if you have 8 ppm of ammonia and over in your tank, the wrong bacteria start to colonize in your filter? Like, the kind that you don't want? Why don't you want this bacteria? What does it do?

~ 2. Why do they always say that, when euthanizing, that you HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO cut the head off, and destroy the brain of, any fish that you euthanize? I mean, it's not like the brain will suddenly become alive and start crawling across the floor, right? (XD Lol.... That last sentence made me laugh. )

Thanks! :3 ^^; >

 

[onebto]

Your first question I do not know the answer but look forward to someone answering it.

your second question: Do they?

However if you sever the head and the spinal coloum then it is absolute and almost instant (im sure someone can tell me that I am wrong and quote me nano seconds of pain experianced) in most species on the planet including fish.

We need to take into mind that the people that have as you said "HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO cut the head off" as many members on this forum get attached to there fish and in a way bond with them over time, so euthanasia for an old friend is quite traumatic.

We could say that they need to know there old friend is not suffering (even if its a few seconds) any more the process of euthanasia is complete and as quick as possible no more pain and a little comfort comes from that.

This is of course conjecture on my part I have read a lot on this matter and I am not sure a quick cut of a knife is enough? I am however very fortunate that I have not been put in the position of even considering the course of euthanasia for my little friends.

An interesting article on euthanasia: http/www.loaches.com/disease-treatment/going-on-up-to-the-fishtank-in-the-sky

regards onebto

 

[Amberleaf]

Thanks for the link. I, thank God, have never had to flush a fish down the toilet; which I am thankful for.... I've always either convinced my parents to toss it out or bury it in the garden, instead. Unfortunately, I've sent fish down the drain befores.... DX I didn't notice it was in the container, *pour*, "What's that.... OMG IT'S A FISHIEY!!!!" DX And try vainly to get it out but no luck, LOL.

 

[kelly528]

Obviously flushing it is out of the question.

Freezing, as well, is not listed as a humane method of euthanasia by the AVMA. It should be avoided and if you do, the only 'humane' way to do it is to drop the fish in frigid ice water, without letting it come in contact with the ice. The fish has to be under 2.5 inches. Of course, liquid nitrogen would also work, but good luck getting your hands on that!

IMO the easiest, most humane way is clove oil. Bludgeoning, pithing and decapitation are also acceptable provided you are not squeamish.

 

[onebto]

Obviously flushing it is out of the question.

Freezing, as well, is not listed as a humane method of euthanasia by the AVMA. It should be avoided and if you do, the only 'humane' way to do it is to drop the fish in frigid ice water, without letting it come in contact with the ice. The fish has to be under 2.5 inches. Of course, liquid nitrogen would also work, but good luck getting your hands on that!

IMO the easiest, most humane way is clove oil. Bludgeoning, pithing and decapitation are also acceptable provided you are not squeamish.

I totally agree that the clove oil sounds the best way I do not look forward to the day when I have to play god but I guess the second we take these creatures out of there real natural habitat then we take that responsibility.

 

[Floyds mum]

But if u do sever the spinal cord then wont the fish suffer from being taken out of the water and handled?

 

[kelly528]

But if u do sever the spinal cord then wont the fish suffer from being taken out of the water and handled?

Depending on how quick you are about it. If you just scoop onto a paper towel and WHAP, they most likely won't know what hit them.

 

[onebto]

But if u do sever the spinal cord then wont the fish suffer from being taken out of the water and handled?

Depending on how quick you are about it. If you just scoop onto a paper towel and WHAP, they most likely won't know what hit them.

Personally I would not agree with that statement and that's why if I ever have to do the dead I will use the oil of clothes before severing the spinal column.

 

[Amberleaf]

Any other helps? ^^; I'm still curious about the wrong ammonia bacteria; btws~ ^^;

 

[fatheadminnow]

All I know about the wrong type of bacteria is:

You will start out the fishless cycle just fine with 8+ ppm of ammonia, everything will proceed as expected. The cycle completes and you add fish. Then for some reason the bacteria die off all of a sudden, and you are left with an un-cycled tank full of fish and a rising level of ammonia.

This is what I have read.

-FHM

 

[OldMan47]

The problem with using too much ammonia in a cycle is easy. Not only do the wrong bacteria become established but the right bacteria cannot compete with them and do not develop. What happens is that you get a very nice colony developed of the wrong bacteria. It will even seem to fully cycle your filter. Now what do you do next? The next thing after a fishless cycle is to do a massive water change to remove the nitrates and do a preliminary stocking with fish. Now what happens? The ammonia is only available in trace amounts and the wrong bacteria that we have encouraged cannot use it to grow and reproduce so they die out. The right bacteria are only present in very small numbers because, did you remember this, they were unable to compete with the wrong bacteria at high ammonia levels. So where does that leave your fish? There are no longer the robust numbers of the wrong bacteria because there is not enough ammonia for them and the bacteria that thrive at low concentrations have never really developed. A few days to a week after the fish go in you start seeing ammonia and can't understand it because you know you just finished a cycle at even higher ammonia loading than your fish could possibly be producing. The key to understanding is knowing that different bacteria species thrive at different ammonia concentrations. What makes the desired ones the right ones is that they thrive at the low concentrations where we must keep our fish if we want them to be healthy.