Humane ways to put a fish down.

[Waldo]

I thought I might post this here as sometimes when a fish is not getting better and you've done all you can do it's best to just let the fish go. These are all simply options, obviously we are all here to better the situation of fish. It is entirly your choice and your choice only.

Clove oil is a aeroma therepy drug that can be found in most health drug stores. In small quantitie's it will make the fish dormant. It is often used when clipping puffer fish beaks or medicating big fish. I've even used it when shipping larger fish like piranhas that would otherwise dart, pop the bag, and kill themselves. In cases where a fish cannot recover a few drops over the period of a few minutes will put the fish asleep.

Another possible solution is a quick flick over the head. I'm not really one that could do this but it is a quick way to kill them. Damage to the nervous system will cause convulsions which will eventually retard.

The last way which was put forth as one of the most popular methods was pooring baking soda into a bag and shaking the fish until it's gills stopped moving. Petsmart uses this method however it seems to be the least humane to myself of all the options.

[Hedphelym]

Boiling water is also a option, i used that, untill one of my fished jumped out of the pot as soon as he hit the water, he did that twice, and then i really felt bad..

The way i do it, is that i take the fish in the fishnet, and i wack him as hard as i can to the sink or toilet
, it has never failed.
(most of them go down that way anyways).

[samir]

Hedphelym you need to buy some clove oil

[Lichan]

Well I guess the title is "Human ways to put down a fish" not HUMANE - although it would be much nicer to see the HUMANE ways listed here. Yeah the Clove Oil sounds the most humane so far.... the rest sound fairly human.

[Joe]

I know some people place the fish in a bag and freeze them...probably more easy on the owners (out of site in the freezer-out of mind) but not sure how the fish feels. Probably inserting a small needle into the skull is the quickest and humane way if the person can stand doing it...

[shayesmommy]

i dont think its so much as whats humane or not but what does it the fastest so the fish really dont feel any pain.

[Lichan]

humane: ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hyoo-mane)
adj.

1. Characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion:
2. Marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering

[bushie]

clove oil to put them to sleep followed by the plastic bag in the freezeer for the long nighty night.

a sudden stop when falling to the floor at a rapid rate is still probably one of the quickest and humane means although this is very hard to do to one of your much loved pets.

[sammigold]

Well I tried the sudden drop to the floor once.. actually it was "throw it as hard as you can on its head!" but it didnt work...it just bounced back at me and its gills were still moving and I felt really really bad... :-(

My grandfather always chopped their head off in a clean manner right where the gills are...he would use a shovel if I remember rightly... (he said that was the quickest most effective way of stopping the fish from experiencing long drawn out death)

I have always used the method of putting my fish in its on water in a container and then into the freezer as I read that as the water cools down slowly the fish will slowly go into hypothermia and shut down and then it does not feel pain as it freezes to death..(I have read people who have suffered hypothermia didnt feel pain until they were coming out of it so I figured that the same would go for fish..and because the fish will never be coming out of it it should feel no pain?)

I have thought to try chopping the head off but could nt face the prospect of looking my fish in the eye and then chopping its head off

The clove oil option sounds good... I know it certainly gets rid of major tooth ache!!!!!

[goldenpigeon]

i simply put the fish in a small amount of water then in the freezer. the fish doesnt feel pain and i dont either. small amount of water freezes faster. i have done this twice before and it hurts to do it but it must be done.

if not freezing like sammi said off with the head is good too.

[Phlipper]

I'm none too sure about the freezing method..........have you ever been really, really cold....it aint pleasant !....you will fall asleep eventually but hypothermia is a painful slow way to go I think.

The cloves is likely the best way if you cant stomach more draconian methods, mind you cloves are really hot, put some on your tongue and see what I mean :shock:

I use the sudden impact method on my smaller fish, meaning a hard throw to the floor, thankfully I've never had to euthanaise an adult fish yet so i'm not sure how this method would go on a sizeable fish ???.....but on the smaller ones it is instantaneous, though a little harsh and draconian.

[sammigold]

I wouldnt try sudden impact on anything bigger than a 50cent piece from personal experience. :oops: :cry: JMO

[spencer]

http://depts.washington.edu/iacuc/policies/fish_euthanasia.html

http://www.gsas.org/Articles/1998/heather-euthanasia.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

http://www.nicold.com/aquaria/euthanasia.htm

a few different points, but If I need to do It, I think I will try the clove oil/ vodka


ps, Goldenpigeon, one of these articles rates freezing as bad as boiling

cheers Max

[taksan]

Boiling water is also a option, i used that, untill one of my fished jumped out of the pot as soon as he hit the water, he did that twice, and then i really felt bad..

The way i do it, is that i take the fish in the fishnet, and i wack him as hard as i can to the sink or toilet
, it has never failed.
(most of them go down that way anyways).

Thats just damm cruel .

[Ben]

It is illegal in restaurants to cook a live lobster/crayfish in a pot of boiling water.

The creature must be humanly put down, either by deep freezing or a sharp knife cut into its brain.

[Hedphelym]

i wont argue about this, but please let me tell:
ofcourse i feel bad about that fish who jumped out.
it was not like he was inside the water, he was barely at the top of it, not touching it at all almost.

But if you think about it, boiling water is almost the first thing i think of.
because i'm used to fish getting boiled, and crab and lobster and all kinds of fresh seafood.

it's not lik i'd do that again, i never will.

[Merrilyn]

Personal attacks will not be tolerated on this forum. I have edited some of the comments in this thread.

If you don't agree with someone's opinions or methods, then please explain the reason in a calm manner.

This forum is for education and the sharing of information.

[Hedphelym]

thank you ladyred

[marg]

The Clove Oil and Alcohol or the sudden Temperature Shock look to be pretty humane - I cannot imagine decapitating my fish or dropping them on the floor - both are out of the question as far as I am concerned, and boiling water really makes my blood run cold.

ANyway my Fish are never going to die - they are just going to become long lived geriatrics in my tanks :D :D .,

Regards,

Marg.

[shayesmommy]

well i read and in my opinion.
that if your going to freeze the fish fill a container of cold water and ice cubes and make sure its ice cold. and drop the fish in. so its fast and they do not suffer. instead of putting in the ffreezer to die a slow and cold death.
the thing with already ice cold almost frozen water they will die from the shock almost instantly. i hope i helped somehow.
i think how ever that people have to make there own choices on when and how to do this.
good luck. :)

[sammigold]

I think that there is no happy ending in any scenario... and I am sure that ALL of us are guilty of being accidentally horrible to our fish in the misguided belief that we were "doing the best thing"

Eventually we must come to the conclusion that as Fish cant talk they cannot help us know whether they are in pain or not...therefore how can we really know what is humane... it is only ourselves convincing ourselves....JMO

Maybe we should try to give our fish the best chance possible and keep them in hospital tank and look after them and if it becomes pallative care then it does... We dont euthanaise humans so maybe we should not euthanaise our fish... a thought?

[Bill T.]

My thoughts are that many more fish have been slowly tortured to death by neglect than euthenased by humane methods. I am amongst the guilty, on both counts, however thankfully not for a some time now.
In retrospect, the fish I have euthenased have been ill & too far gone by the time I have taken them, or gotten ill due to my inexpertise and possibly bad luck.
If this is happening to you, my advice, come to this site and get help.

[taksan]

I have in my fish keeping life intentional killed ONE fish and it wasn't mine and it was large and it was killed by a knock on the head.

[HAN 'd' Aquariums]

When breeding discus, I understand that it is sometimes necessary to cull your undesirable fry. Please advise if this is common practice in Australia and if so, how is it done.
Heidi

[Waldo]

It is illegal in restaurants to cook a live lobster/crayfish in a pot of boiling water.

The creature must be humanly put down, either by deep freezing or a sharp knife cut into its brain.

Some crustatia have to be boiled live as when they die they release poisons into the body.

A bottle of clove oil runs about $6 here. A bottle will last a LONG time and makes a great addition to the inscents. Hey just cuz' I'm stag doesn't mean I have to live that way.

Mods can you fix the human... It was a long day for me. I just wanted to have the information available to the public as far as what would probably be the least controversial method of euthinizing. I didn't mean to upset anyone and apologize if I have. I know the topic in general is easily debated but from the sounds of it this is a pretty comon thing for most hobbyists. Knowing is half the battle ~GI JOE...! Boiling, Freezing, thwacking can be controversial as so can be those drugs which are all basically doing the same thing. They deprive the oxygen levels in the blood so that the fish becomes drunk and suffocates. Clove oil is a seditive as I have heard vodka is. I'm not knowledgable on Vodka to make a judgment on it, however it lowers the oxygen conten in the blood in humans when consumed... not to sure if it's too different from those other chemical measures:?:

~ You have an interesting point of culling. In retrospect we are benifiting the group by sacroficing the individual.

[Bill T.]

I think you are right about the vodka. Whenever I drink it I go to sleep and usually feel like I've died the next morning.

[sammigold]

I think you are right about the vodka. Whenever I drink it I go to sleep and usually feel like I've died the next morning.

ROFLMAO!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[dcarmau]

I think I'd go for the cold shock method too... just making sure I remove the ice first.

[marg]

Waldo,

You certainly haven't upset me - i think the subject that you brought up was very interesting - it is something we are all going to be faced with at some time or another so it was interesting to read everyone's point of view.

The whole point of this Forum is for us all to contribute and learn for the betterment of our Fish :D :D :D .,

Marg.

[Waldo]

I just want to make sure that I don't step on anyones feet. I know some people are apauled at my age when I give advice. Two sides to the same coin I guess.

[sharn]

be it a neon or an aro i just cant throw it/cut off its head etc. for large fish (say 30cm+) i will personally get the vet to put it to sleep via whatever they use in the water. there is no way i would ever be able to hit my oscar on the head :shock:

the clove oil then freezing method sounds pretty humane to me, the clove oil makes em go to sleep then into the freezer to finish it off. if theyre in a very very deep sleep will they still feel the pain?

i would need something that is good for the fish but good for me too. im willing to pay extra to have the fish go easily and peacefully but sometimes im not able to have that done. i find the topic of euthenaising a good one, its a thing most people are going to have to face in their fish keeping experiences and i would like to think most people would want to make it as painless as they could.

[Waldo]

well said.

I have an off topic question. Is NZ a seperate country from Aus? Forgive my ignorance.

[mcloughlin2]

well said.

I have an off topic question. Is NZ a seperate country from Aus? Forgive my ignorance.

Yes mate it is... :lol:

In regards to this thread, from my experiance ive only ever put 2 fish to sleep...

One was a baby guppy that had a bad spine and the other was one of my breeders that had small little tumours on her body that were left to be treated too late...

I am going to sound like a bastard but for the baby guppy i just netted him out and snap his spine (He died instantely) and the breeder i used the hard hit to the head....

I felt like a cruel owner but it was better for the actual fish...

I have read on a site or two before about the boiling water method - im definantely not a big fan of it, but if it is instaneous i dont think its any worse then freezing...

However this just my opinion and i do not wish to be attack by what i have said.... :)

Sam ...

[Waldo]

The goal is to learn not to bicker offend or exclude.

Clove oil is good stuff though. :P

[shayesmommy]

i think i would be ok with the boiling water way.
i have a snail infestation and i just fill it full of water and they all die.
i dont know about putting a fish to sleep tho its different.
i have never put a fish to sleep or intentionaly killed any.
i have acciddently killed one.