Can you humanly euthanize a fish?

Question

We have a fish that has fin rot, and i'm sure he is in so much pain. We don't know what to do for him. We've tried putting antibiotics in the tank and changing the filter; nothing seems to work

ok so some of you keep saying to flush it down the toilet....1. it's too big to flush down the toilet. 2. if you were sick, would you want me to flush you down a toilet to cause more pain..or try to do it easily? i'm looking for serious answers people!

Answer 1

If you are sure there is nothing that you can do to heal its fin rot then the best way to euthanize it would be to use clove oil. You should be able to get it at any grocery or health food store. Fill a bowl with water and pour some clove oil in, mix well, you can add just a little milk to, it helps them mix and stay together. Add the fish and he should slowly go off to sleep. After he stops breathing you can put him in the freezer to make sure he is gone.

Clove oil is an anesthetic, it is used when fish are operated on but in this case you will use more then is used for operating.

Answer 2

Honestly fin rot is a very curable disease. Keep researching.

If you honestly feel you are at the end of the road with this fish there is a quick way to kill it. I don't use the word euthanize because fish don't have feelings or a comprehension of death.

Take the fish in your hand and hold it stead. Take a pair of scissors or sharp wire cutting pliars. Just behind the head the spine of the fish is very accessable, and is extremely close to the brain. Snip the fish just behind the head and gills at the top of the fishs' back.

Again, this is a last resort answer. You should never flush ANY fish down the toilet no matter the size. Disease that is common in pet stores and personal aquariums can destroy a whole pond's eco system if introduced. Also never dump an aquarium fish of ANY type into a body of water.

Edit:
Sidenote: the oil and freezing thing is inhumane.. you DO NOT want your fish to die slow, otherwise just take it out of the water and suffocate it.

Answer 3

My god, people. How horrible. Some people should not be allowed access to a keyboard!

If the finrot is really severe, and you feel there is nothing you can do, then yes there are ways to put down your fish gently.

One was is to freeze it. Put it in a bag of water, and put the fish in your freezer. As it grows colder it will slip out of conciousness before it freezes.

Another way to do it is to find some Clove Oil, or Oil of Cloves, however you like to say it. I have heard health food stores may have it.

Vets use this as anesthesia when they perform surgeries on fish (yes, you can operate on a fish. Some goldfish and koi cost hundreds or thousands of dollars). An overdose of Clove Oil will kill the fish. It will gently go to sleep, then when you see the gills stop moving you know he is gone. Wait several minutes without seeing a gill flex to make sure. You can even freeze the fella to make sure before you dispose of your pet.

There is more information on euthanizing a fish in this way, just search for it on the net. You will find it.

I encourage you to try to treat your fish first. Take your water to a pet store and have them test it to make sure your parameters are ok. If they are not, just do a water change. Do not let the sales people talk you into chemicals to change your water chemistry because you will not need it. Fin rot is a bacterial infection 99% of the time caused by poor water quality. Changing your filter all the time can actually contribute to poor water quality, believe it or not. Try leaving your filter in the tank for at least a month before changing it. Look up the cycle of a fish tank. This will explain why.

Good luck. I hope this helped a little.

Answer 4

Keep in mind that a fish can recover from fin rot if a majority of the fin is saved. That say if you are sure the fish is a lost cause, and has no quality of life. There are a number of humane methods.

1)As I grew up on a farm I use the blunt force traum method. Net the fish , place on hard flat surface on top of a thin wet towel, fold end of towel over fish several times, hit it with a brick as hard as you can, and dispose of towel, and fish.

2)Alcohol. Warm some high proof alcohol up to the same temp as the tank water. Put in fish alcohol. (Less humane than brick method.)

3)Over dose the fish on something like finquel. Create a 5-10% solution and put the fish in.

Answer 5

Oh you poor thing these answers are terrible. Maybe call the vet and ask if there is something they would recommend. I have no good idea. I certainly don't think you should flush it or beat it on a table or crush it with your shoe. Yuck! Good luck to you and I hope you find an answer you can live with.

The clove oil doesn't sound bad.

Answer 6

Oh my god I am shocked at the horrible answers here. You people are either cruel or ignorant, or both.

Like steveo said, fin rot is very treatable. Most fish survive it. The only way I would ever euthanize one of my pets is by taking him to the vet (yes, vets can euthanize fish with an overdose of anesthetic).

Answer 7

No - don't flush it down the toilet! It's dark and wreched and it probably empties out into the sewer - breathing in urine and feces through the gills is not good.

The best way, and this is not easy, get somebody with no emotional attachment to the fish, pull the fish out by its tail - if it's a few inches long, and whack its head against the counter - knock it out so it doesn't suffer. Then, while it's peacefully unconcious let it die. Make sure the fish is big enough to get a good swing. Maybe hit it a few times to be sure.

If the vet has a better way, and he might - I don't know, ask HIM. But that's the way I'd do it - but I don't think I could do it to my own fish.

I'm sorry, I know it's harsh, but if it needs to be done, it's quick and easy.

Answer 8

Here is a good website, choose what you think is best.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/faustus/nicoldaquaria/euthanasia.htm
Scroll down to the very bottom of the page and go up, the last options listed are the most humane.

I don't recommend the electrocution method!

Answer 9

You are going to think me cruely, but I am not...put the fish on concrete and with shoes on, step on its head...the fish will feel nothing, is over in a microsecond. That is the most humane thing you can do...instant, no pain...just somewhat of a mess, but it can be hosed off. Good luck

Answer 10

Stun it with a swift bang of something , eg hold it by the tail and bang it off the counter top in the kitchen, while its unconscious, cut its head off quickly with a sharp knife. its a bit messy though, try doing it in the garden, and throw it in the bin or bury it in the garden.I wouldnt give it the big flush down the pan.