Euthanizing Coldwater Fish

[sarah5775]

My tai devil crab seems doesn't seem to want to eat- she will not accept any food. The other day, one of my fish died, and I thought to place it in her tank. She immediately devoured it. Fish seem to be the only thing she'll eat.

I tried unsuccessfully to aquire frozen feeders from several pet stores, but they had none. Reluctantly, I had to buy some live minnows and goldfish for her.

I put a few in the tank, but she doesn't seem to be able to catch them. I think I'll leave them in for a few days and see if she catches them when she gets hungrier.

If she does not eat the live fish, I may be in the difficult situation of having to kill the fish for her. I have read online about several methods of euthanization. Please don't flame me- I find this difficult enough.

I can't use alcohol or chemicals because that would be passed on to the crab. I don't think I have a steady enough hand for decapitation. The only thing that sounds doable is the freezing method, but I keep reading contradictory things about it. Is putting a fish in the freezer humane for coldwater fish? One site said that coldwater fish enter a state of dormancy when the water gets very cold. This is like falling asleep, and then they die. Another site said that this is not recommended for ANY fish.

This is a very difficult subject and I understand if some people get upset, but I am not finding it easy either. It is my sincere hope that I can get the crab to take pellets soon. In the meantime, though, I would appreciate any feedback.

 

[jrp1588]

yeah, you are in a difficult position, but I say you gotta do what you gotta do. You could try dumping it in very cold water then very hot water, or the other way around. I imagine even one of the extremes would almost instantly kill it, switching extremes twice is certain to kill it.

I've euthanized a fish this way before, it died almost instantly from shock.

 

[Sombunya]

I'd say your crab sounds picky. If it does not eat then maybe it's not hungry enough.

So far, I have never seen an aquarium creature that did not eat blood worms. I have to do special things to get them down to the Crawfish before the Bluegill get them.

Wait a day then drop a clump of worms in front of the crab. If it doesn't eat them, I'd be amazed.

 

[bs6749]

The cray will eventually eat the fish rather than starve. You may have to ween it onto the fish though. I was also going to recommend bloodworms. Maybe mix the two together and add larger portions of fish with each meal. Then stop feeding bloodworms alltogether.

 

[Ruadh]

I've been told that the kindest way to euthanize a fish is to put it in enough water to just cover it and put it in the freezer. Hypothermia is a painless way to go, apparently.

Rick

 

[jrp1588]

I guess I just prefer quick and dirty. I know I'd rather be thrown into a pit of hot lava than put in a meat locker to slowly freeze to death.

 

[2cvbloke]

I've been told that the kindest way to euthanize a fish is to put it in enough water to just cover it and put it in the freezer. Hypothermia is a painless way to go, apparently.

Rick

Utter rubbish. If you freeze a live creature, you cause it excruciating pain due to the ice crystals forming in the bloodstream and muscles, this is the most painful way to euthanise anything!!! Also, non-tropical fish go into hibernation if chilled, so they do not die, but still suffer in the process, do not do this at all.

Thermal shock is a kinder way to go, as that is how chefs cook Lobster, Crab, Prawn, Shrimp, Crayfish etc, but it is still not the kindest way of killing a fish.

The kindest way is an overdose of Finquel or Clove oil, these are used as an anaesthetic by aquarists, and just like any anaesthetic, an overdose will stop the heart, but as the fish is asleep, it will not know. This is the most peaceful and painless way to put an ill fish out of it's misery, any other way is in my view unacceptable.

 

[Phoenixphire55]

She can't use clove oil because the fish will be fed to a crab. I know it sounds scary but I would think that throwing a fish in a pot of boiling water would kill it almost instantly. Don't use goldfish though, they're too cool to be killed. lol
I know its quite a predicament but basically you're going to have to either boil them, freeze them, or do some kind of physical trauma to kill them. one other option would be to put the fish in a zip lock bag with no water in it, and then quickly smack it super hard against a hard surface, like the edge of a counter. I think that would kill it instantly (probably a little bloody though).

 

[jrp1588]

So does it make me a bad person that the last post made me chuckle a little? hah. Better not let PETA find this thread

 

[2cvbloke]

She can't use clove oil because the fish will be fed to a crab.

A long as the fish is thoroughly rinsed, there shouldn't be enough clove oil left to affect the crab, and afterwards the fish can be frozen, to preserve it if they're to be used for food...

 

[sarah5775]

Good news! one of the feeder fish in the crabs tank is gone today. The crab must have caught it in the night. So, apparently, it can catch live fish, and I don't have to worry about euthanizing them. Thank God!

I will try the bloodworms idea.

Thanks.

 

[jsoong]

There was a fair bit of controversy on whether freezing is painful or not .... I suppose you could bring down the temp slowly until the fish hibernates, and only after that do you freeze it.

However, I have a simpler suggestion ... How about getting some fish from the supermarket? I know there may be risk of parasites ... but prob no worse than the feeders. And if you get salt water fish, the SW bugs are unlikely to affect things in FW.

 

[bazil323]

Well, have you tried soaking the food in garlic juice first? Garlic will entice pretty much any fish to eat.

Another option is to order frozen fish online. www.drsfostersmith.com are really great and have the lowest frozen food shipping I've found.

Other than that, I'd have to go with freezing. They go unconsious and then die. I think that would be the least traumatic way to die.

 

[Sombunya]

Frozen, boiled slammed, thermal shocked, they all sound bad.

I would think being slowly eaten while still alive is a rather painful way to go too.

 

[sarah5775]

Yeah, that bothers me too. The slowly eaten alive part. I saw the crab eat a dead fish and it took about three minutes, it chewed on the tail then made it all the way up to the head. It slowly grinded its food. If it were doing that to a live fish, then it would be pretty bad. Probably worse than freezing, I think.

So I suppose I'm back to square one.

As for getting fish from the supermarket, well, that's kind of pricy. I don't have the money to buy my crab prime seafood.

 

[Sombunya]

Try Blood worms.

I was worried because I hadn't seen the little Catfish I found eat. I would see a Blood worm float right past it and the Cat would not eat it. Then one day I saw it eat a worm.

The Catfish has been in one of my tanks for over a week now. I rarely see it eat but it is healthy as can be. I'm not worried.

If your Crab gets hungry enough, it will eat anything.

 

[diogenes]

Have you guys ever seen animals feed in nature? Ever watched march of the penguins? Life is brutal. It's really kill or be killed. Evolution requires it. Is it sad that living things suffer? Of course it is, but the fact that your researching humane ways to kill makes you about 10x more benevolent than any creature in the wild (your little crab included). Ever watched a livebearer eat it's own fry? They're pretty cute until they try to gobble down their own offspring. I think that any of these methods is an easier break than nature would have given them. I wouldn't worry about it too much. You're projecting human morality on animals. Just my .02 cents.

 

[RJRofFL]

Hi sarah5775.

Forgive me for jumping in here, but I would like to offer just a few suggestions and ideas. If they are perceived as wrong or invalid, then I'll go stand in the corner for "time out."
Please understand that I mean no disrespect to the advice you have been given, nor to the path you choose to go, but I feel that the course of your euthanasing and feeding should be considered only as a "last resort."
In my years of fishkeeping I have found it prudent to attempt to find the cause or root of a problem rather than jump to a hasty conclusion for a "quick fix." There are some conditions or unknowns here that could come into play.
Granted that there is truly not a lot of information readily available concerning the Tai/moon/soapdish crab. Not meaning to insult your intelligence but just for clarification can we assume that you do have a "vivarium" type setup, water is brackish, a beach type area to allow it to get out of the water, sand and not gravel, filtration, 10Gal minimum, temp 75-78 degrees and regular water changes? Again, no offense meant.
You can probably tell I am not a fan of live feeding unless it is absolutely necessary for the species (i.e. lizards-crickets). Since there are so many many commercial foods available and tons of alternatives, I would suggest that route, at least initially. Research and google can take you there.
I do agree that bloodworms, freeze dried shrimp stuck on side of glass, the use of garlic to entice, etc. are excellent suggestions, perhaps to include store bought fit for human consumption type fish.
I think we are all aware that most foods today, at one time or another were alive. I will admit that I love a good steak, but I do not want to be the one to slaughter the cow. Not being hypocritical, just honest.
I hope I have not offended. Just trying to help and is JMO.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[gzeiger]

Surely there is some cheap fish at the grocery store. Why not just grab a half-pound trout from the meat department and cut off suitable portions as needed?

It may sound expensive, but when you buy feeder fish you're getting such a small quantity that I would be very surprised if it ended up being any cheaper. A single human portion should last a crab for weeks if you cut it up and offer it in feeder-fish sized portions.

 

[sarah5775]

From now on, I'm going to get fish from the supermarket. I'm going to see if I can get 'scraps' from the grocery store, or I'll just buy some chep fish. I dont' want this dilemma again.

As of now, however, I have two dozen feeder fish in a ten gallon tank. Obviously I can't keep them even if I wanted to. I don't know what to do with them.

Obviously, 22 inches of fish in a ten gallon uncycled tank isn't good. The goldfish I may be able to give to my friend who has a pond. But most of them are those ugly minnows and no one would want them.

Does it sound feasible to just go out to a pond somewhere and let them loose? Or would that do irreprable harm to the ecosystem?

PS The crab can't catch the live fish after all, they've been in there for few days and nothing,. but he eagerly gobbles down dead fish. (I had a few die naturally in the tank)