what is a un harmful way to kill fish?

Question

I have these fish that just wont die.

Answer 1

You put the fish in a plastic baggie full of water and stick it in the freezer. The fish will fall asleep, and you can then throw it away. (It does NOT hurt them at all!)

Answer 2

You can use clove oil, which sedates the fish and then kills it.
You can also put the fish in the freezer, it is believe that it doesn't cause any pain and fish are cold blood animals, so their temperature depends on the environments temperature.
The fastest and most "humanitarian" way to kill a fish is to cut their head with a knife. Do you have the guts?
When you flush a fish, they don't die immediately, they survive in the sewer for several days in stress and pain because the acidic and toxic water.

Answer 3

I'll agree with several of the others. If the fish are in good health, find them another home. If not healthy but treatable, they should be treated (then found a new home). If they are unhealthy but not treatable is the only time a fish should be euthanized.

If you must euthanize, clove oil is the best method because this will anesthetize the fish first - then you can go ahead with the method of your choice, or just overdose with the clove oil. There's also a product called finquel : http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12271&Ntt=euthanasia&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=2004&Nty=1 that does much the same.

The method for using clove oil is given here: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

Rachel C's answer comes mostly from the recommendations by The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Panel on Euthanasia - their advice is listed on this link: http://www.petplace.com/fish/euthanasia-in-fish/page1.aspx

Answer 4

Then why in the world would you have gotten them in the first place?

Any way you kill the fish is harmful. Let them die on their own, or put a classified out to see if anyone is interested in taking them off your hands. Don't kill the poor things. You wanted them, now deal with the responsibilities.

Best of luck.

Answer 5

Hi, I do not agree with healthy fish being killed but should you choose to do it anyway here are your options:

Unacceptable methods of Euthanasia
1. Flushing a fish down the lavatory
2. Removing them from the water until death occurs
3. Plunging them in either boiling or freezing water
4. Freezing them to death, this method causes pain and immense stress.
5. Knocking them unconscious without destroying their brain.

I have used the method as below for a couple of sick guppies, they seemed to go without any pain.

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. Add tank water to a measuring cup or mixing bowl. Measure the amount of tank water you add to the cup or bowl and make a note of it. Place the fish in the container. If the fish is in a clear cup place a dark towel around the cup to calm the fish.

2. Fill a small, clean jar or bottle with tank water, leaving some room at the top. This might be a baby food jar or pill bottle. Put 1 drop of clove oil in the jar or bottle, cap and shake vigorously. The clove oil must emulsify, turning the water milky white.

Gently pour about 1/4 of this emulsified mixture into the fish's container. 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 or bottle of emulsified clove oil, re-shake, and 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.

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.

Unacceptable methods of euthanasia are: freezing, boiling, chopping, removing the fish from water, using a seltzer tablet, slamming, pithing, decapitating, or flushing down the toilet. These methods are slow, torturous, stressful or violent. Clove oil followed by vodka is both inexpensive and humane. The fish goes to sleep like we might before an operation, and simply doesn't wake up.

Answer 6

Call the pet store and ask for the fish department. Then ask them if the store or the clerk himself wants them for free. If they say yes, you are home free. Bag them up and take them in. If they say no, you have to sneak them in. Here's how.

Bag them up and put them in a bag so they can't be seen. Go to the store and to the fish department. Find a young high school kid who works there, hand him the bag FIRST and tell him the manager said you could return them. Then turn around and walk out of the store. Don't discuss it with them, just leave. Done! They will resell them and not worry about it.

If you are located near Cleveland, Oh, maybe I will take them, what kind are they? Are they sick? Email me if you are close. Within an hour.

Answer 7

Ummm...wouldn't anything that killed a fish be harmful to it?

Why are you trying to kill the fish? Are they sick? Or are you just done with the hobby? Many pet stores will allow you to bring them fish to resell if you've kept them healthy.

If they are sick and you need to euthanize, depending on the size of the fish you could either put it in a container filled with club soda and then freeze. Or if it is large, like an Oscar, you need to give it a sharp blow to the head or decapitation. Others have suggested putting a dying fish into a rubbing alcohol bath.

If though, you are done with fish, you may want to post your tank WITH the fish and filters, etc for sale on ebay or aquabid or any number of fish forum sites and sell them.

Answer 8

Read aloud what you are asking. "A non-harmful way to kill." That doesn't work. Any way you use to kill anything is harmful.

That being said, why do you have to kill them? Lots of fish stores will take fish for a credit toward other purchases.

Answer 9

When you kill a fish it is usually harmful to them.

Answer 10

Why the F*** would you try to kill them you F****** nutcase! Poor fish! Such a cruel owner!

P.S. Do NOT I repeat DO NOT listen to the flushers, they're just dum fat ***'s! And especially don't listen to twistedthinking or whateva the hell her name is, she a terrible sick Bit** and the other killers are just fu***** retards! Listen to the generous kind people who said to find them homes for them or return them.


Oh Bless the fishies little innocent souls if you choose to listen to the retards who told you to kill them and you listened.

Oh ya, are you a retard for trying to kill them, I sorta think you are! Im calling the police on you! Im just kidding but still!