Methods of Euthanasia

[Barday]

100 C might be good... but then again there's heat loss in transferance... that and you don't know how much heat your bucket can take. I suppose you could line the pot with tin foil so once the deed is done you can toss the foil with the water.

Most decent buckets should be able to take boiling water without a problem........as for heat loss, even if it does drop to 90-80 C i doubt the fish would notice!

 

[The-Wolf]

OMG
I cannot belive you are suggesting boiling a fish, what kind of animals are you?

Go ask a vet how they feel about that method!
geeze some people!

 

[Barday]

Sorry to offend, I just thought it would be a very quick death.

It was a question - if you don't ask you don't learn!

 

[Dorsal]

Please use the clove oil method. It is very very peacefull. Looked painless to me. I couldn't say that about boiling or freezing a fish

 

[JustinSane]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=55029&st=16

Boiling, freezing and alcohol are not proper methods with any fish.

First of all:

Alcohol

Alcohol burns you can try this yourself, take a few drops of moonshine or any potent alcohol and drop them to your mouth, it burns your lining. Now imagine a fish, whichs whole skin is basically completely lining. IMENSE pain will be inflicted and death even isn't certain. DO NOT use this method.

Freezing

Takes a long time and results vary and are very uncertain, cannot be recommened for any fish. Yes the fish might die of the trauma, but it is just a possible that it does not. Some fish are very hardy. I've heard of a case in which a bristlenose spent six hours out of the tank, on the floor and survived.

Boiling:

Very uncertain. I've heard of danios and small tetras that keep on swimming in the boiling water and even jumping out of the kettle without any skin or fins left, still alive and especially with bigger fish, just plain torture!

Do not use these methods!

The "Humane ratings" on this page(http/homepage.ntlworld.com/faustus/nicol.../euthanasia.htm) are bull#### they are not based on any biological or physical facts. They are based on personal opinions, delusions and ignorance. The fact that the author doesn't like some methods (eg. the blunt trauma method) doesn't make them ineffective or inhumane.
Besides, this isn't about humans, this is about the fish! Their painless departure is the only thing that matters.

 

[lilmolly]

So what do you do with a fish you know is going to die and treatment isn't helping?

 

[MHunt]

I guess I have always taken the easy option and left the fish to die of it's own accord. If you really have to and if you can stomach it, concussion or decapitation are probably the most painless for the fish.

I read in an aquatics book that taking a sharp knife and severing the spinal chord is the quickest and most painless for the fish.

 

[sparklefuzz]

Would a fish suffer if it was left in water that slowly dropped temperature, until it was cold but not freezing? Would it even die? I had a peppered cory last week who struggled on for days, I considered leaving it in a cup of tank water with no heater, thinking the cold would slowly kill it but I'd hate it to suffer at all. Luckily for me, and him probably, he died before I had to do anything about it.

 

[OrkyBetta]

Clove oil is available at chemists (pharmacists in the us) as a medication for tooth ache in small bottles, you may need a few and its not cheap.

Jon

No no, you don't use the whole bottle, it's an essential oil! Those things are so concentrated, you probably will never go through an entire bottle in your entire fishkeeping career! Just take an old water bottle, fill it up 3/4 of the way with water, add about 6 drops to it (even like 3 would work) shake it until it's milky white, and pour it into a container that has your fish, and just enough water to cover it inside.


Quick death. Peaceful and doesn't stress you out. Tried and true.

 

[africantigerfish7]

When one of my fish is dying and there is no possible recovery/treatment, I do what I always do. I go downstairs, grab a can of any cold soda, and pour some into a very small bowl. Then I go and net the fish and place it into the soda. Dies under a second to a little over 3 seconds everytime.

 

[sparklefuzz]

When one of my fish is dying and there is no possible recovery/treatment, I do what I always do. I go downstairs, grab a can of any cold soda, and pour some into a very small bowl. Then I go and net the fish and place it into the soda. Dies under a second to a little over 3 seconds everytime.

That sounds easy, question is.. is the fish in pain?

 

[14gtr14]

tbh i would think a knife would be the best option! It's not exactly stressful...unless it's your favourite zebra plec!

if it's a small fish it's really easy and bigger ones arent bad either.

 

[cjohnston]

Hi, could somebody please advise how to use clove oil and how much.

thanks

tbh i would think a knife would be the best option! It's not exactly stressful...unless it's your favourite zebra plec!

if it's a small fish it's really easy and bigger ones arent bad either.

 

[rob newland]

What I do, and what I have always done is use fish anaesthetic salt - it is used when treating our koi - salt the koi then when it goes under you can keep it out for a while. Basically i fill a bowl with a concentrated mixture of the stuff - the fish goes to sleep like it normally would, but because it is a more concentrated mixture, it dies in its' sleep.

 

[Fillet 'O' Fish]