# My first euthanization.



## FishySuzy (Jun 22, 2009)

I have to euthanize one of my fish for my 25 gallon. The others have eaten off his tail and he looks very much in pain, I will update this after I put my little fishy down. :sob::sob:


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry you have to euthanize one of your fish! That has to be a difficult thing to do but we don't want to see our pets suffer.


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## FishySuzy (Jun 22, 2009)




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## FishySuzy (Jun 22, 2009)

I never wanna do that again... It makes me deeply disturbed to have to do it.

Fishy-dishy will be buried in my front yard next to my lavender plant.
7-2-09
I don't wanna do that again.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

I'm sorry you had to go through what you did but I know you did what was neccessary. :-(


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

aww hun,sorry you had to go through that,however you did the right thing.


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## zachhay11 (Dec 27, 2008)

you did do the right thing, some people won't euthanize a fish, they wait till it dies on its own. i guess they feel fish arent important enough to bother with.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

This is something that I haven't thought of since my tank is relatively new. 

What is the most humane way to euthanize a fish?


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

there are many ways,but i thnk that people here including
myself use the clove oil and vodka method.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Clove oil and vodka method? What the heck is that? Guess I have some googling to do. 

And do you drink the vodka yourself to get through it? (yes kidding)


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
sorry for not explaining,and providing better help.
you could save some vodka for yourself i guess;-)
http://www.fishforum.com/tropical-fish-diseases/how-humanely-euthanize-fish-698/
i hope that helps you.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Thanks for sharing that. I really had no idea. I think I'd go with the freezing method AND vodka for myself.

I actually put live lobsters in the freezer for about 20 mins. before cooking so that it puts them to sleep. I can't just plunge them into a pot of boiling water or cut them up alive. Way too traumatic even with a good slug or two of vodka.

Come to think of it, I keep my vodka in the freezer as well so it's all relative.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

no worries glad i could help.


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## zachhay11 (Dec 27, 2008)

i here a good way is to put it in a small container with water and put it in the freezer for like 8 hours or untill he/she is forsure dead.


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## sumsum (Aug 24, 2009)

I never knew that tere were more humane ways than pulling the fish out of the water.:BIGweepy:I thought it was the best way.


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## Amphitrite (Sep 8, 2006)

Personally I never use the freezer method. What I do is take the sick fish out and put in a large tub with tank water to avoid shocking, add a few drops of clove oil, and the fish goes to sleep. The clove oil acts as an anaesthetic and in my opinion is the most calming way of euthanising.


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## Guppyluver4ever (May 19, 2009)

im sorry you had to go through that... i remember you had the fry right?


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## Guppyluver4ever (May 19, 2009)

oh and i meant to ask you, what fish was it?


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## briang (Nov 17, 2008)

Now this may sound cruel but 4 years ago, I had to put a fish out of it's misery. Now, what can be more painless than to get the fish in your hand and throw it like a baseball as hard as you can on a hard surface? I brought mine out the door and in less than a second it was done. The fish didn't fight for oxegen. It was dead the second it hit the pavement. Being that I really liked that fish, I didn't let it suffer one second.


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## ThalesthePearsei (Jan 27, 2009)

I have heard that "smashing" method being used before, but I think its more along the lines of having a good grip on the fish and hitting it as hard as you can on the edge of a table to break its neck....

I have never had to euthanize a fish, but I did have to euthanize a hermit crab. He had just been in a fight with another hermit and all of his legs had been torn off. I took him out and dropped a ten pound piece of live rock on him...I couldn't bear watching him suffer, and it problably would have been days before he would have died on his own.

I know how you feel, its awful. Poor fishy, but you did the right thing.


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## shaynaglover (Oct 28, 2009)

I just had to euthanize my first fish  I could not do it myself so I got my neighbour to do it. He hit him off the cement and then gave him back to me. I cried while I flushed him  lmao I didnt know I could get soo attached to a fish but I was because I cried for about ten minutes after. RIP Mr. Mollie :'(


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## Jack Middleton (Oct 13, 2009)

The most humane way is to use a knife to sever the spinal chord just below the neck and then pith the brain with a sharp knife.

I don't believe in the freezer method, as it puts the fish into osmotic shock, where by the fluids of the cells are withdrawn and leave the fish suffering.


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## shaynaglover (Oct 28, 2009)

Jack Middleton said:


> The most humane way is to use a knife to sever the spinal chord just below the neck and then pith the brain with a sharp knife.
> 
> I don't believe in the freezer method, as it puts the fish into osmotic shock, where by the fluids of the cells are withdrawn and leave the fish suffering.


I didn't know what was wrong with my fish so I called Big Als and they told me that hitting him off the cement would be the best way so that's what I did. I didnt know any of the other methods I have just read about after the fact.


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## Jack Middleton (Oct 13, 2009)

shaynaglover said:


> I didn't know what was wrong with my fish so I called Big Als and they told me that hitting him off the cement would be the best way so that's what I did. I didnt know any of the other methods I have just read about after the fact.


destroying the brain with force is also another good humane way of doing things.


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## shaynaglover (Oct 28, 2009)

I felt like a murderer for letting my neighbour do it and I cried for like ten minutes


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I prefer the clove oil and vodkha method myself.


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## Herbicide (Mar 7, 2010)

I'm so sorry you guys have all had to do this  I haven't yet had a fish get so bad that I had to put it out of its misery, and I don't look forward to it one bit. We did have to put down my poodle when she got too arthritic to walk. That was the only time I'd ever seen my dad cry. I know that's not relevant to fish, but I just mean that I understand how wrong it can feel to do the right thing.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

dramaqueen said:


> I prefer the clove oil and vodkha method myself.


me too.
not nice to have to do,i know it's
better than watching a poor thing suffer though.


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