Ways to euthanize my precious angelfish

[Abbitha]

Ve been getting help here about my angelfish over the past two weeks and everyone was great. Unfortunately he definitely has dropsy. And I figured it best to euthanize him now. I was thinking of boiling a big pot of water and netting him and placing the netted fish in the pot head first to make it instantaneous. I've heard the clove oil trick. But I've also heard so many stories about the fish fighting the clove oil and freaking out before succumbing to sleep. I just feel like the boiling method is 100%? Is this the best way? I don't want to flush him. And I don't want to bash or cut off his head. I'm rather attached to him. Had him a few years. This is very hard for me. Please help

 

[Abbitha]

That's not the recent pictures. Those are just to show you who I'm talking about

 

[Fishman007]

Put some tank water in the freezer until it is almost frozen, then stick him in, painless to the fish.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Put some tank water in the freezer until it is almost frozen, then stick him in, painless to the fish.

But make sure that there are ice crystals forming in the water to ensure that it is cold enough.

 

[Brookster123]

Put some tank water in the freezer until it is almost frozen, then stick him in, painless to the fish.

+1 if he's already on the downward, iced out water will most likely be instantaneous. I just used it for a guppy a few days ago. My gf was very sad and apprehensive about the method for she had grown quite fond of her little gupster, she witnessed the whole process and felt it was absolutely as peaceful as could be for the fish. No struggling or fighting just sleep...

 

[Jmunroe]

Clove oil is the best method. Add 3 drops of clove oil to 1 gallon of water. Mix. Then add fish. Every few mins add another drop and swish to mix, until the fish is limp in your hand. Then add one tab of alka seltzer. The sleeping fish will then suffocate as the alka seltzer removes all oxygen from the water. This method is by far the best and least pain involved for most to use. Freezing is cruel and in involves shock and if the fish touches any ice crystals there is pain and the water must be between 2-4 degrees. Boiling is cruel. Flushing is really cruel. Decapitation is the best and quickest but is hard for some people to carry out.

 

[Fishman007]

Clove oil is the best method. Add 3 drops of clove oil to 1 gallon of water. Mix. Then add fish. Every few mins add another drop and swish to mix, until the fish is limp in your hand. Then add one tab of alka seltzer. The sleeping fish will then suffocate as the alka seltzer removes all oxygen from the water. This method is by far the best and least pain involved for most to use. Freezing is cruel and in involves shock and if the fish touches any ice crystals there is pain and the water must be between 2-4 degrees. Boiling is cruel. Flushing is really cruel. Decapitation is the best and quickest but is hard for some people to carry out.

The fish is alive for about a split second before it dies in freezing, the fishes body goes through alot of trauma with clove oil. would you like to be sufficated or killed instantly?

 

[Brookster123]

Fine, not getting into an ethical debate on the nervous system of fish and what they can and cannot feel, I'd say any method in which the subject is dead in less than 2-3 seconds is good!

 

[Abbitha]

I don't think death by freezing is very good. When people freeze to death it's a painful and stressful process. You're in water and it's slowly getting colder. The fish notices the temperature changing and will get stressed. The colder it gets he will get sluggish. But I'm sure still completely aware the water feels cold before he finally dies. He's going to notice the temperature changing and stress out. Like when people have power outages and the temperature drops down fairly quickly they noted their fish looks stressed before succumbing to the cold water. And the clove oil I've heard their fish start freaking out darting around trying to get out of the water before they succumb. I just don't want to watch him freaking out. I need a very QUICK method. Something so quick the fish has no time to feel anything. But no smashing because I don't trust myself. And no decapitation because I don't think I can trust myself. And I'm attached.

Is boiling water not instantaneous? Or reliable? I was thinking the boiling water because when we have live lobster or craw dad we toss them in head first and it's instantaneous from the looks of it. So I was going to use the same concept with the fish.

 

[Abbitha]

Oh never mind I see to freeze the water before adding him. I thought you meant out him in the freezer and let him freeze to death. But that method is more of a shock. I'm so torn

 

[Abbitha]

Also he isn't like in his deathbed right now. He's still actively swimming but his scales are protruding quite a bit and really bloated. So it's even more difficult to do so. I know flushing is cruel. Because they don't die instantly. But how is boiling cruel?

 

[Jmunroe]

Clove oil used as I described os the best method. The fish is sedated and doesn't feel a thing. They use clove oil to sedate for surgery as well on fish. Freezing can be very painful if the fish touches any is and crystallization occurs and the moment of shock has got to horrible. Here's a good article on euthanizing
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/mobile/content.php?sid=5621

 

[Jmunroe]

Freezing can be done if carried out properly with it at the right temp.. ect .. I still wouldn't do it. The initial shock has to be traumatic. NEVER use freezing on anything but tropicals. If you did it on cold water fish such as goldfish it could be very painful for them.

 

[Jmunroe]

The fish is alive for about a split second before it dies in freezing, the fishes body goes through alot of trauma with clove oil. would you like to be sufficated or killed instantly?

Yes I would rather be sedated and suffocated painlessly then thrown in cold water to bring death

 

[Brookster123]

Hey op! Maybe your angel will get bored to death reading through this..

 

[Abbitha]

I'm not doing the freezing. I was debating the boiling vs clove oil. The clove oil method I heard is a stressful process for the fish as well. I found the article and some people commented saying their fish freaked out and it was stressful for fish plus owners. That's why I'm nervous. Anyone have info in the boiling? Feel like it cooks the brain instantly and they die

 

[Brookster123]

I'm not doing the freezing. I was debating the boiling vs clove oil. The clove oil method I heard is a stressful process for the fish as well. I found the article and some people commented saying their fish freaked out and it was stressful for fish plus owners. That's why I'm nervous. Anyone have info in the boiling? Feel like it cooks the brain instantly and they die

lobsters scream for a second when they hit the water.

 

[Abbitha]

Lobsters also have a thicker skull than an angelfish I guess I'll do some research. I guess dying isn't pleasant no matter what. Just gotta find the best method

 

[Fishman007]

Hey op! Maybe your angel will get bored to death reading through this..

Lol, but lets get serious!

 

[Brookster123]

Lol, but lets get serious!

i know.. Sorry, was trying to diffuse the debate that was about to ensue...