Moral question about fish keeping?

[Brookster123]

What kind if fish are you burning,freezing,flushing,or mashing?!? If they're oscars put an add on craigslist!

 

[fltcrew21]

Craigslist

I'll admit that I read this thread with skepticism. I have a 3-4" goldfish that needs his traveling papers but the LFS that I bought him from (chain) won't take fish back outside of 2 weeks and the only other store in town won't take him either. This really is a long shot approach unless the fish is fairly valuable.

So that leaves Craigslist. I have had an ad up on just 3 days and I got my first reply this morning. A lady with 2 dedicated GF tanks offered to re-home "Spot", my daughter's GF.

Craigslist is free but I think you have to repost the ad a couple of times a week as they are sorted by date and get pushed down.

Do not post under For Sale By Owner...

Post under the Main Category, "Community" then the Sub-Category. "Pets"


It is free and you can do it right this minute.

 

[Slade]

It's good to bring up this topic every so often to inform new fish keepers. Along with craigslist, I've had success rehoming fish using freecycle.com .

 

[gilpi]

I think this is a very interesting topic because I know at one point or another many of us were faced with a similar problem, especially in the beginning, call it misguidance or lack of experience. At times I "chose" to grow big fish even though my biggest tank is a 55g but I planned ahead of time and started looking for potential buyers way before the fish got just a little too big, not something I want to practice any longer.

I've had fish that have gotten sick to the point were you just knew there was no hope for them, so rather than seeing them get eaten up by some fungus/bacteria or God knows what and poisoning them with meds, I euthanize them.

I personally think there is no "proper" or "ethical" way of doing this as long as it's done fast, choose your method.

 

[gilpi]

I would like to hear from the OP at least what the fish are.

 

[absolutangel04]

Thanks to everybody for trying to stay civil while discussing a topic that can easily get tense.
A couple of things: Everybody is entitled to their own opinion of euthanasia. I have worked in animal rescue with multiple species including fish, and I do personally believe that sometimes, it is the best option for the well-being of a fish. However, as people have said, there are multiple avenues to search when you have a fish that has outgrown it's tank. Many hobbyists prefer larger fish because of their tank dynamic and will look for fish that have outgrown other people's tanks. the goldfish mentioned was a good example. Another example are various cichlids and plecos. People often look for larger ones because a smaller one would not fair well in their tank. I agree that CL, lfs, freecycle, are all good options. Some small towns also offer free newspaper ads for free things (ie. fish). There are also many Facebook groups popping up for aquarists in various geographical areas.
As for euthanasia: There is nothing painful about the instantaneous death from blunt force trauma. That said, it needs to be executed properly. Personally, I would not choose this option because I do not trust that I could do it humanely. Other people can.
With freezing, I have read studies which show that instant submersion into ice water (you can even out a bit of alcohol in the water so it will get to freezing temp without icing over) is a painless death. The shock stops everything from working. Putting a fish into the freezer though is cruel. Without the shock of the sudden freeze, the fish will just slowly ice over and its cells will crystalize and that is not a pleasant death.
I also agree that temporary housing is an option while you look into additional long term options. Fish don't need a glass tank, a large Rubbermaid filled with water will suffice. You can even put a filter in there, but watch the water temp.

 

[Jmunroe]

Thanks to everybody for trying to stay civil while discussing a topic that can easily get tense.
A couple of things: Everybody is entitled to their own opinion of euthanasia. I have worked in animal rescue with multiple species including fish, and I do personally believe that sometimes, it is the best option for the well-being of a fish. However, as people have said, there are multiple avenues to search when you have a fish that has outgrown it's tank. Many hobbyists prefer larger fish because of their tank dynamic and will look for fish that have outgrown other people's tanks. the goldfish mentioned was a good example. Another example are various cichlids and plecos. People often look for larger ones because a smaller one would not fair well in their tank. I agree that CL, lfs, freecycle, are all good options. Some small towns also offer free newspaper ads for free things (ie. fish). There are also many Facebook groups popping up for aquarists in various geographical areas.
As for euthanasia: There is nothing painful about the instantaneous death from blunt force trauma. That said, it needs to be executed properly. Personally, I would not choose this option because I do not trust that I could do it humanely. Other people can.
With freezing, I have read studies which show that instant submersion into ice water (you can even out a bit of alcohol in the water so it will get to freezing temp without icing over) is a painless death. The shock stops everything from working. Putting a fish into the freezer though is cruel. Without the shock of the sudden freeze, the fish will just slowly ice over and its cells will crystalize and that is not a pleasant death.
I also agree that temporary housing is an option while you look into additional long term options. Fish don't need a glass tank, a large Rubbermaid filled with water will suffice. You can even put a filter in there, but watch the water temp.

Well said. Just remember that freezing with ice water needs to be done properly as well with the water at 2-4 degrees and the fish must not touch the ice or painful crystallizing will occur. This should be carried out on tropical species only as cold water species (goldfish ect)react differently and will suffer.

 

[absolutangel04]

Well said. Just remember that freezing with ice water needs to be done properly as well with the water at 2-4 degrees and the fish must not touch the ice or painful crystallizing will occur. This should be carried out on tropical species only as cold water species (goldfish ect)react differently and will suffer.

Yes, the water needs to be at freezing point. Salt will also allow you to get the water to freezing temp without ice forming. And yes, not on goldfish. Excellent points.

 

[Carnifex]

Err, a blade through the spinal cord between the head and body is the quickest and least painful way of putting down fish. Imo. My cat got a hold of my goldfish a few years ago. Nasty. I chose the quickest way to end his suffering. He got buried in my backyard.

 

[Brookster123]

Op? Is this just ethics tennis? Is there actually a fish?

 

[kntry]

If you use Clove Oil in the proper way, the fish is dead. It cannot come back to life. Clove Oil is also used to sedate fish for examination, treatment and small surgeries. It is only dosed at 7 drops per gallon.

I had a second job at PetsMart a few years ago. It would make me so angry when parents would come in with their kids and buy whatever the kids wanted. It didn't matter that I told them the fish wouldn't live in their environment. They would also tell me, it's just a fish, if it dies, I'll buy them another one.

People today have no regard for life.

I'm not saying this about this poster since they are at least seeking other avenues. I hope they find a home for the fish and let us know.

 

[Greta1981]

I would really, really like to know what kind of fish these are and possibly at least in what state they are located so I can help research avenues such as local aquariums, etc, that might be able to help.

 

[Golfball98]

I think the OP really needs to provide more info on what fish we are dealing with

 

[Keflan]

I think everyone has scared off the op. If someone thinks putting them in a freezer is a faster way of slaying these fish rather than an instant death from a blunt object then you need to go back to school. Instant death or slow death? Do I need to say anymore.

 

[Jmunroe]

Err, a blade through the spinal cord between the head and body is the quickest and least painful way of putting down fish. Imo. My cat got a hold of my goldfish a few years ago. Nasty. I chose the quickest way to end his suffering. He got buried in my backyard.

Yup it is, but unlike us, not everyone has the stomach to do that to a fish let alone one they had as a pet.

 

[Carnifex]

Yup it is, but unlike us, not everyone has the stomach to do that to a fish let alone one they had as a pet.

It's one of those moments where you have to just make a choice and go with it. I would not normally kill any animal if I could find somewhere else for it to go, but when an animal is suffering or you are in a delicate situation and push comes to shove...
I don't think op should be demonized for thinking about euthanasia over rehoming. It can be a hassle and they might not have the time. Plus, I would rather see a fish dead than going to someone who doesn't know what they're doing. For example, if you had 2 oscars in a 120 and for whatever reason couldn't take care of them anymore would you rather they go to a new home and slowly die in a 30gal, or just painlessly end their lives?

Anyway you look at it this is a very subjective and opinionated topic and there is no possibility of just one answer for every probability.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Personally, I don't care that much about how the fish dies. When I go fishing, they get dropped in a cooler full of ice and are asphyxiated long before they freeze.

I also think the power of free stuff on Craig's list is under estimated.

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[gilpi]

I'm requesting a moderator to end this thread.

 

[ScotJudd]

This thread has become somewhat personal but it has made me think and investigate the most humane method to end the suffering of a fish beyond the help of a hobbyist. Not altogether a bad thing.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I don't believe there is a "good" way to kill something, only a better way. OP had not responded once to this thread, but then again, I don't know what is going on in Oklahoma right now. I recall she said in another thread that a pets mart is 2 hours away, so her lfs is limited.

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