How do you euthanize your fish?

[Guest]

I was wondering how people euthanized their fish when they are suffering.

 

[Guest]

RGGGGGGGGGGGGGG...!!!!!! I put other on there too but it won't show up. I've tried 5 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CGGorman]

I finished Walstad's "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" last night. She recommended putting them in carbonated water (selzer water). I thought was an interesting way to do it.

Personally, I've never had to euthanize any of mine.

 

[Jchillin]

RGGGGGGGGGGGGGG...!!!!!! I put other on there too but it won't show up. I've tried 5 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No problem, it's fixed. You may consider deleting flushing, since that is not technically euthanizing.

 

[Puriti]

My school practices euthanasia by freezing them, I did that to my betta Sasha. I tried doing the "alcohol method" but then I was later told that that supposedly burns their gills.

 

[Zagz]

I put a container of water in the freezer and when it is mostly frozen,slushy like I drop the fish in and then continue to freeze. The shock of the cold freezing water kills them instantly.

 

[Guest]

take a cup of ice water and drop the fish in... it takes like 5 seconds for them to stop moving.. then freeze and flush. (freeze completely before flushing)

 

[fearlessfisch]

I had never heard that alcohol burns the gills. I don't know if you are referring to rubbing alcohol....I think that would be a horrible way to die

I have cut off heads before, but I hate the struggle just before and feel so guilty afterward. Now I euthanize mine by putting them in a cup of straight bourbon or vodka. They pass out and die very quickly without a struggle.

Maybe I am anthropomorphizing and it is different for fish, but if I had a choice of freezing to death, having my head chopped off, or drowning in bourbon, I would pick the bourbon.

 

[Devilishturtles]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/faustus/nicoldaquaria/euthanasia.htm

Here is a great link to euthanasia information.

I have heard mixed reviews on the alcohol method. I think the key is to get as pure alcohol as possible. Meaning straight out of the bottle, not neccesarily something like a beer, or a cooler. Then the fish will swim around and die very slowly.

Personally, I've used the freezing shock method already mentioned, with no problems.

 

[Puriti]

I had never heard that alcohol burns the gills. I don't know if you are referring to rubbing alcohol....I think that would be a horrible way to die

well when I had to euthanize my tetra a couple people told me that and I read something on that too, and it was drinking alcohol not rubbing....I might slap myself if I put my fish in RUBBING alcohol >___<

 

[tropicfishman]

first off what in the world is anthropomorphizing????????????? and second, lets say you have a fish thats been burned up by ammonia and the scales are all bloody and the eyes are all mucused over and there fins are rotting, how owuld you handle one to put it in ice water, theres no way i would touch something that was that bad off...any suggestions?

 

[Guest]

*****ADMINISTRATIVE EDIT AS THIS SUGGESTION WAS NOT HUMANE*****

 

[BlazerFRS]

anthropomorphizing- to assign human charateristics to.

 

[Devilishturtles]

first off what in the world is anthropomorphizing????????????? and second, lets say you have a fish thats been burned up by ammonia and the scales are all bloody and the eyes are all mucused over and there fins are rotting, how owuld you handle one to put it in ice water, theres no way i would touch something that was that bad off...any suggestions?

A net?

 

[Jchillin]

*Edited - No longer applicable.

 

[QTOFFER]

Fortunately, I've only had to euthanize four or five fish since I've been in the hobby.

Small fish: I net them, place them on a wet paper towel, cover them with another wet towel, and crush the front half with a flat object. Quick and no mess thanks to the paper towels.

Larger fish: I've never had to euthanize anything big. I guess decapitation would be the quickest, most painless method.

As soon as a soon-to-be-euthanized fish is netted and removed from the tank, it is under great stress. You want to kill it immediately if not sooner.

Flushing is never an option. Please never do this, anybody - it's a long, slow death.
Freezing and alcohol: Too many variables for my taste. Depends too much on the volume used, temperature, alcohol concentration, and time.

 

[fishfreek]

Flushing is a very bad option. Mostly because in most city sewer systems the only time the sewage is encased in a pipe is on the way out of your house to the street. From there they usually go into a large tunnel that open. The fish would either die from being out of the water if it does not land in raw sewage where its attacked by microbes and dies.

The freezing method I have had to do myself and I have to say its very fast and much less violent than the cutting or crushing method described. Either place a bowl in the freezer until a thin film of ice has formed on top or put in a large bowl water and alot of ice. once the water temperature is near freezing or at the least close to 40*F (not scientific just a personal opinon) put the fish in the cold water. From personal obervation the fish will stop moving within seconds. Fish are cold blooded so its not like they are freezing to death in the sense of a warm bodied creature. Their internal temperature will quickly fall to a point where they just go into a form of cryostasis. Leting them then freeze solid will asure a total shutdown of their heart and brain. They do not twich when this is done and the water is cold enough. They just stop moving after 5 sec or so.

 

[shaunakadub]

Unfortunatly, I just had to put one of my glowlight tetras down. Tried to hold onto him, but something was seriously wrong, and I did not want to risk my other fish.

I found the ice water method to be a good way to do it. I quickly netted the fish and immidiatly put him into a cup of water that was near completly frozen. He had a quick attempt to get out, but that was it. I would say he didn't suffer for more then 2-3 seconds. After that, I left him in the cup for rougly 10 minutes, and proceeded to discard the body.

 

[Guest]

I need to try freezing or something! I always flushed them ..I nearly cried every time I did it! I will stop it!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks so much for the info!

 

[Aquarium Freak]

I usually put some ammonia and water mixed together in the freezer till it is slushy and then just scoop the fish into it. The shock of the freezing water and alchohol kills them. If you see the fish flipping around it is just there refelexes.