geronimo69;4640353; said:
Can you quote it? Apparently need to be a member to view threads on that site.
Not sure what could be more humane than freezing. They're cold blooded, so they just go to sleep.
What to do with fish you don't want
- Thread starter ElectricJackDempsey
- Start date
Can you quote it? Apparently need to be a member to view threads on that site.
Not sure what could be more humane than freezing. They're cold blooded, so they just go to sleep.
Dark Jester;4640360; said:
Sorry about that. Here it is...
There comes a time in every aquarist's life when a fish that can no longer recover from disease or injury must be euthanized. This is no easy task but it can be done humanely and peacefully without stress to fish or aquarist.
The best method is a two-step process. First, anesthetize the fish with clove oil so that it is sleeping and unable to feel pain, then introduce a clear grain alcohol like vodka to ensure the fish will not wake up.
This method is commonly misrepresented as mixing clove oil and vodka together. That is incorrect. Clove oil must be introduced first, allowing the fish to fall asleep before introducing vodka. Vodka will be stressful for a fish that is not anesthetized.
Clove oil (eugenol) is available at any drug store and is sold as a toothache remedy. It has been used for years as a fish anesthetic for surgeries and tagging procedures. Clove oil will put a fish to sleep and ensure it feels no pain. However the fish can wake up from this sleep if removed from the clove bath. The last step of adding the vodka will ensure the fish expires.
Here are the steps for fish up to 3" (7.6cm) in length:
1. Place the fish in a measuring cup with tank water, or a large mixing bowl. Measure the amount of tank water you add to the bowl and make a note of it. If the fish is in a clear cup place a dark towel around the cup to calm the fish.
2. Fill a small jar with tank water, leaving some room at the top. Put 1 drop of clove oil in the jar, cap and shake vigorously. The clove oil must emulsify, turning the water milky white. When this happens, place about 1/4 of this emulsified mixture in with the fish. The fish will begin listing as it starts to fall asleep. Let the fish be for about 10 minutes. The fish should be resting on the bottom by then. It will look dead, but if you watch closely its gills will be breathing once every few seconds. If after 10 minutes the fish is still rising off the bottom, swimming intermittently, retrieve the jar and re-shake, then add the same dose to the fish's container. Wait again.
3. Once the fish is asleep on the bottom, add 20-25% white grain alcohol. For example, if the fish is in 8oz (240ml) of water, add 2oz (60ml) of vodka. Let the fish stay there for at least 20 minutes.
4. Check the fish carefully after 20 minutes for any gill movement. If there is no gill movement over a 60 second period, the fish has expired.
For larger fish place them in a bucket or plastic tub with tank water. The dose will be 10 drops per gallon (3.78 liters), so if the fish is in 3 gallons (11 liters) of tank water, mix 10 x 3 = 30 drops of clove oil in the jar with some tank water. After shaking the jar vigorously, slowly add the entire mixture to the bucket or tub. Gently mix it in. Once the fish is asleep, follow the previous instructions for adding 20-25% vodka.
To eliminate vodka from the procedure and overdose with clove oil, put the fish to sleep first as stated, then prepare a mixture 5x stronger than the initial dose and administer it the same way, by first emulsifying it. This dose is 50 drops of clove oil per gallon (3.78 liters). Let the fish stay in this mixture for a few hours. Finally make sure there is absolutely no gill movement by watching the gills closely for at least 60 seconds straight. If you see any gill movement, add more emulsified clove oil.
Using clove oil alone is not recommended because even though a fish looks dead it can recover once it has been removed from the bath. Clove oil is a preferred anesthetic precisely because it is hard to overdose a fish with clove oil. Therefore be especially diligent when using clove oil alone, that the fish is really dead. It is much safer to use vodka as the final step.
Not sure that's really better than freezing.
If fish dream (not saying they do), pouring vodka in the water would be giving them some hellacious nightmares before they die. You could accomplish the same thing by knocking them out with the clove oil, then dipping them in gasoline and setting them on fire. If the premise is that they can't feel pain once they're asleep, then there would be no difference.
With freezing, it's a gradual change, they fall asleep and don't wake up. No shocks to the system like vodka or anything.
If fish dream (not saying they do), pouring vodka in the water would be giving them some hellacious nightmares before they die. You could accomplish the same thing by knocking them out with the clove oil, then dipping them in gasoline and setting them on fire. If the premise is that they can't feel pain once they're asleep, then there would be no difference.
With freezing, it's a gradual change, they fall asleep and don't wake up. No shocks to the system like vodka or anything.
Dark Jester,
So you are saying you put them in the freezer inside a container of water? Otherwise, they would "drown" in the air before ever having a chance for their body temp to drop.
Also, I believe you can just use clove oil to euthanize a fish, just in a larger dose than what is used for anesthesia.
So you are saying you put them in the freezer inside a container of water? Otherwise, they would "drown" in the air before ever having a chance for their body temp to drop.
Also, I believe you can just use clove oil to euthanize a fish, just in a larger dose than what is used for anesthesia.
That's how Finquell(sp?) works. It's bought as an anesthesia/euthanasia product.packer43064;4640480; said:
Laticauda;4640426; said:
Yeah, in a container of water. Leaving them flopping around inside the freezer doesn't seem all that nice.
The temp change would be fairly slow, so it wouldn't be a major shock to their system.Laticauda;4640426; said:
Could work. Like the post said though, have to make sure they're really gone. No chance of a mistake when you pull a block of ice out of the freezer 6 hours later.
Edit: Freezer is also free. Most everyone has one. Finquel and Clove Oil cost money if you don't have them on hand already. Not exactly cheap either.
well i am giving them to a LFS that i found on saturday which is a good thing because i got 5 angel fish, several guppies, snails, calvus, and some cardinal tetras i'm going to put into my 125G and moving my EBJD and other JD's to my 55 my one 125 is gong to look sick when i get it all setup and i want to do some live plants i seen this stuff called fluorite or something like that, can i use that as just the bottom or should i cover with gravel to and do you have to change it or does it last forever and i just have regular florescent bulb is that good if i use that gravel stuff and maybe some other liquid plant stuff any help will help alot
