Euthanasia, and Have you ever gotten your fish drunk?

[HungryGoldfish]

I have been discussing euthanasia methods with someone, and one of the methods he proposed was adding drinking alcohol to the water. He has not tried this method, and considering how clean he keeps his tanks I doubt very much is he has much need for euthanasia methods.

Anyway, it got me thinking about fish intoxication. We humans get a fair buzz at 0.10%. You can give that gift to your fish by pouring 390mls pure alcohol, or about 1000mls of hardened spirist (40% or 80 proof) into a 10-gallon tank.

It seems to me that if you chose an alcohol-based euthanasia method, you might want to treat your fish to a last fling. Show your suffering fish a good time before you complete the euthanasia, which my friend suggested as being twice what would kill a human, or 1% alcohol by volume in the fish tank.

Considering the amounts of alcohol required, euthanasia probably would be best in a small, 1 gallon tank, unless you have a big fish.

[ChilDawg]

Um...?

Why not take the fish out and put it in a bowl of vodka or Everclear with some clove oil if we're worried about euthanizing it?

[surf city baby]

I gave a dying tiger barb the Herb Alpert treatment... tequila! (No salt or lime, though). I dropped him into about 3 ounces in a glass. He was put out of his misery instantly.

[kreblak]

In order for a fish to get "drunk" the alcohol would somehow have to enter the fishes bloodstream. I'm sure sure about whether or not alcohol could cross through a fishes gill membrane on a molecular level, the way dissolved oxygen does. I suppose that it would be possible for the alcohol to enter through the fish's stomach, but the fish would somehow have to eat the alcohol. Either way, this doesn't really seem like a plausible idea.

If you want to euthanize a fish, place it in a small amount of 80 degree plus temperature water, with no surface agitation. The fish will use up the dissolved oxygen quickly, and then it will literally drown in the oxygen depleted water. This occurs faster than leaving the fish out of the water, believe it or not.

Not to be callous, but you could always just flush the soon to be dead fish.

[Faramir]

Not to be callous, but you could always just flush the soon to be dead fish.

Out of sight out of mind?

Nah. You have a responsibility to ensure a minimal suffering death. I might remind you that the "eu" bit of euthanasia means "good".

[ChilDawg]

Originally posted by kreblak
Not to be callous, but you could always just flush the soon to be dead fish.

Um, drowning a sack of kittens is a good way to get rid of unwanted cats, too...:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

(The two are essentially the same.

[surf city baby]

Originally posted by Faramir


You have a responsibility to ensure a minimal suffering death.

Hear, hear!

[RENEGADE]

ok this thread is going down hill very fast weeeeeee!:D

[ChilDawg]

Originally posted by RENEGADE
ok this thread is going down hill very fast weeeeeee!:D

Like all other euthanasia threads here...

[Tightdog1]

if you want to put the fish out quick put him in a glass with bacardi 151 or any tequila, they seem to work best for me when i have to do it, on the rare opportunity.

[Slappy*McFish]

seems like a waste of some good spirits to me...Ofcourse, you could always swallow the fish with your shot. Better than a grub worm, I suppose.

[ChilDawg]

Yeah, unless you medicated the fish, or it's a Dovii or something...

[MACDADDY]

i'd have my air stones bubblin' some nice ganja smoke. if i was a fish, i'd rather get high. then i wouldn't have a care in the world, and would be ready to get drunk! :D

[Fisher Price]

might as well throw that fish into a glass of Steel Reserve 211 and be done with it. :confused:

[Glenstorm]

I thought the best method was to put them in a cup of water in the freezer. . .

[ChilDawg]

People have seen their fish survive that treatment for a while and felt guilty about it. I would recommend doing something different if that's a concern.

[jaredb]

if i need to put a fish out of its missery i take it out of the tank put it on the driveway and cut its head off. may sound cruel but die of alchohol poisining, sufication and so on why not just end it quick with less pain.

[ChilDawg]

And some people advocate that method of euthanasia. Some people advocate many other forms. Since fish do not feel pain, do whatever makes you feel the best.

[jaredb]

if i do kill any of my fish that means thier in such bad shape that theyd probably welcome death

[optix]

Wow im glad I missed this thread. I figured it was another one of these.

[ChilDawg]

I understand. That's what I mean...if they are suffering from fatal illness, I'd kill them however would make me feel the best.

[dbcb314]

what a waste of alcohol

[ChilDawg]

How old are you? :D

Seriously, if it makes you feel like you've done what you can to put your fish out of misery, then it wouldn't be wasted in that person's mind, now, would it?

[optix]

Originally posted by ChilDawg
How old are you? :D



hehe sadly I've been wondering this for some time now:D

[OrionGirl]

Locking this, as there are several other threads on the same topic that are much more informational.

MacDaddy--you can choose to do whatever you want, but this is a fish forum, and repeated drug references are neither appropriate nor appreciated. Please refrain from adding these comments to your future posts.

Thanks!