fish euthanasia

[freshfishies]

I know there was a post about this some time ago, but I dunno what happened to it.
So I'll start another!
What have you found is the most effective way to euthanize a sick or unwanted fish?

[Lurch1]

Toilet..... or freezer

[Darth]

baking soda and water

[Malyon18]

I would first try to give away any unwanted fish, sick fish you can always look into clove oil or it may sound a little terrbile at first but decapitation (instant and fatal)

[Marx]

microwave 15 seconds... joking.... 

[Nerine]

I do NOT recommend baking soda and water!! it does NOT always work right away and will cause unnecessary suffering...I once had a larger fish that a co-worker and I decided to euthanize that way and we got called away just after we put it in the mix and it was a heavy baking soda mix...2 hrs later we went back and the fish was still alive...so go instant death, it's much better for them if they are seriously ill.

[exv152]

Maylon said it earlier, clove oil is the most humane method to euthanize a fish, it's a natural anesthetic that will slowly and painlessly put the fish to sleep, then just continue to add more clove oil until the fish passes.  And it can be bought at the pharmacy. Freezing, flushing, putting in boiling water, baking soda etc are all too slow and painful.

[Greatwhite]

My brother's ex wife wouldn't eat fish unless it was bonked on the head before suffocating.  "The bonk" is instant, and fatal.  There's no suffering...

However, as suggested, see if anyone wants to take it off your hands.  Worst case, someone with a piranha or eel can make it food.  Just sayin'.. 

[freshfishies]

Yeah I had the same 'oops' once when I tried the baking soda method. No matter what the ratio, it just doesn't work.
How does one 'bonk' a tiny fish like a tetra? I thought about zippy bag and using a hammer, but it all just sounds gross! I picture myself trying to hold something so small and seems like an epic fail. 
I'm going to try the clove oil route, less disgusting/hands on.

malyon18- I'm trying to find somewhere for the fish to go, but no one is interested! And I don't know anyone anymore that has oscars, piranhas, etc. Either way I suppose they are destined to fish heaven anyway.   

thanks guys!

[exv152]

...Malyon18- I'm trying to find somewhere for the fish to go, but no one is interested! And I don't know anyone anymore that has oscars, piranhas, etc. Either way I suppose they are destined to fish heaven anyway.   thanks guys!

If the fish is diseased, I'm not sure I'd want to feed it to a healthy one.

[sas]

How does one 'bonk' a tiny fish like a tetra? I thought about zippy bag and using a hammer, but it all just sounds gross! I picture myself trying to hold something so small and seems like an epic fail. 

A vision of you hammering your thumb comes to mind . It could hurt .

[freshfishies]

If the fish is diseased, I'm not sure I'd want to feed it to a healthy one.

I should have clarified this..I have two issues here...getting rid of some hybrid cichlids (perfectly healthy and fed good foods) and putting down a small school of tetras that got a fungus that hasn't gone away with treatments.
What I meant by 'destined for fish heaven' was either the cichlids get fed to someone's fish or I kill them.
I would NEVER offer a diseased fish to anyone for any reason!

[freshfishies]

A vision of you hammering your thumb comes to mind . It could hurt .

lol! yeah there's that too!

[exv152]

I should have clarified this..I have two issues here...getting rid of some hybrid cichlids (perfectly healthy and fed good foods) and putting down a small school of tetras that got a fungus that hasn't gone away with treatments. What I meant by 'destined for fish heaven' was either the cichlids get fed to someone's fish or I kill them. I would NEVER offer a diseased fish to anyone for any reason!

Gotcha! About these hybrid cichlids, are they african, south american or other?

[Greatwhite]

Hybrid cichlids sound exciting! (but they are probably not as exciting as I picture them)

Healthy fish - definitely put them up on the forum "free to a good home".  There's ALWAYS people watching the classifieds for freebies...  What they do with them after they take them is their business.   I can't imagine cichlids becoming food, though.

Unhealthy - yeah... Bonking is probably not going to work with tetras.  Of all the suggestions I saw, probably your best/cheapest bet is to put them in a bag with water, tied off - and put them in the freezer.  They'll get a little chilly, fall asleep (totally natural response) and then die.  Then, in 6 months when someone goes into your freezer and finds them, you can say "Oh THAT's where I left those! Do you think they'll thaw ok?"

Don't flush live fish, unless you want to attract the albino alligators living in the sewer to your house.

[Cbellehumeur]

Okay I'd like to say first that i have never tried this on aquarium fish before but i might have a solution for your tetra fungus. Try adding some hydrogen peroxide to the water (3% just like the stuff you get from shoppers as disinfectant). I have treated pond fish with this but never aquarium. It has work for me 100% of the time so far. It wont harm fish or plants. The more aeration the better while doing this so if you have some air stones put those in for 2 days. But hey if you gonna kill them why not try it! Plus I'd love to know if this work ..out of curiosity

[Cbellehumeur]

Oh p.s

this guy takes unwanted Africans

www.fwaquariums.webs.com

you Can give him a call...maybe he'll take them!

[Nerine]

no, freshfishes is getting rid of unwanted africans.... ?

[Cbellehumeur]

I thought he had some hybrids he didn't want anymore?

[freshfishies]

exv152-african

greatwhite-hybrids contaminate the pure lines of fish, it was completely unintentional, just two of my fish fell in love! or lust I suppose..haha. however a lot of cool fish have come out of hybridization in the past and are now recognized as a pure strain, so i dunno how to feel about it all. I just know I have certain rules to abide by for the breeding program. 

cbellehumeur-i'm a chick (just to clarify :p ). what Nerine meant was no one wants them unwanted. anyone with pure strains of cichlids doesn't usually want hybrids mixed in. I don't really mind. I have the african community purely for colors n stuff, not breeding purposes. Just love how beautiful they are and the personalities they carry

[exv152]

Africans eh? Too bad. I was hoping you were gonna say south american cichlids, 'cause I would've taken them off your hands!!!

[newtchaplin]

When the job needs to be done all I do is pinch off the head, very fast, most humane to me.  Bigger fish just use a knife it's very quick.

[wrm130]

I read about clove oil a while ago, netting the fish, adding the oil...seemed like extra stress for the fish? Even if it does go to sleep its still being netted and moved around.

Sounds bad but I quickly net the fish into a grey grocery bag, run it outside and use a smooth brick.  The brick is heavy enough that I don't "feel" the squish and IMO the quickest possible death.

Just re-read the original post. Horrible!  This should never be done to an "unwanted fish" only those that are in pain and terminally ill There are always other options for any unwanted pets!

[Dan]

The quickest way I found was to wrap them in a paper towel. Place them between two pieces or plywood and 2-3 quick hits with a hammer on the top piece. Then just flush away the paper towel. I don't think they have time to suffer this way but still always feel a bit guilty even though I know its for the best. 

[blueknight0303]

quick? cut their head off....