Euthinization

[Gibberwatt]

I am looking to euthanize one of my tetras, who has a bacterial disease, and has had it for several weeks. Its spine is bent in several places, it isn't eating, all that good stuff. I have been treating it with melafix, and earlier, a protazoan doom juice. It was not fixed, and I am looking to put it out of it's misery before it has to suffer much longer, or infect the other fish it is living with. Any suggestions?

 

[Mama Karoti]

Google it--there is a site called fish geek or something like that which explains how to do it with clove oil and vodka. I have used this method twice and it seems very humane.


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[Gibberwatt]

From what I read, the clove oil doesn't always work. I might do the chopchop method.



Several hours later: My father has told me, definitely don't do the clove oil - the oil puts the fish into shock, rather than sleep. This means that your fish can feel everything you do to it, but cannot respond at all.

 

[Mama Karoti]

From what I read, the clove oil doesn't always work. I might do the chopchop method.



Several hours later: My father has told me, definitely don't do the clove oil - the oil puts the fish into shock, rather than sleep. This means that your fish can feel everything you do to it, but cannot respond at all.

I am curious to know the source of this.


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[Salt H20 victim]

Put them in a bag of water and putting the bag in the freezer is how i have "euthanized" fish in the same situation


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[Gibberwatt]

I am curious to know the source of this.


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The first part came from a different forum post that popped up when I googled clove oil, the second part came from my father, who was (literally) a rocket scientist. I would trust him.

 

[RightTurnClyde]

I think the quickest and easiest method is to just put some water in the freezer until it gets a little icy, but not completely frozen. Then break up any surface ice and then quickly drop the fish into the water. The sudden cold shock should put them down almost instantly. Check the stickies at the top of this forum. There is a long description of all the various methods.


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[Gibberwatt]

I did the opposite method - I boiled water. Actually, with the way he was, I probably could have waited a few hours and he would have done it all himself. I am not a happy person right now - because of him, and because one of my new dwarf gouramis just died. yay.

 

[RightTurnClyde]

Sorry to hear that. Yeah, it's really frustrating dealing with sick fish. From my limited experience in this hobby for the last six months, half of any new fish you get are going to die within a couple weeks. Although I've learned a good tip: Find out when your LFS receives new fish and don't buy any until a week or more after that day. That way, any weak specimens will have died off or will at least be displaying sick behavior. It also gives them a chance to get over the shock of travel and re-homing before they get chased with a net, dumped in a bag and go through it again.


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[Gibberwatt]

Also, I read a book, that said some pretty obvious, but up until then, unused ideas: get the dudes to feed the fish while you are watching. The fish who go after the food are the ones you want to get. I will try that strategy on Monday, if nobody sees any issues.

 

[dandries]

I have used the clove oil method. It puts The fish to sleep. I am a farm girl and raised a lot of things. There is a huge difference and you can tell.



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[dandries]

And I also Googled clove oil.

Here is an article from Penn State University that talks about using clove oil as an anesthetic

http://www.research.psu.edu/arp/anesthesia/fish-anesthesia

They don't say anything about shock. And most people who use the clove oil method follow up with a secondary method of killing the fish to ensure that the fish has passed quickly and painlessly

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