To flush or not to flush...

[emergent]

How do you feel about flushing a live fish down the toilette if you cannot find someone to take it or your LFS will not take it?

Sorry I should state I am not trying to get rid of anything. I'm just asking.

To flush or not to flush? That is the question!! :sad:

[Star_Rider]

what are you trying to get rid of??

I'm surprised the local IFS didn't take it off your hands.

[OrionGirl]

Flushing a live fish is cruel--it's going to experience a terrible death, and in fact is illegal in many areas. If you can't find a home for it, euthanise it and dispose of the remains safely.

[SnowHeart]

Against it. Used to find it distasteful but not necessarily "bad," but after reading the Euthenasia article here (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37740) it's obvious there are many alternatives which are much more humane.

Edit: Also, if you live in an area even remotely served by one of the "Craigslist" boards, post it there for free. I find homes for all of my unwanted fish almost instantly that way here in Boston.

[emergent]

What is the best method to euthanise. I have heard of buying ammonia in a store and placing the fish in a bowl of it. :huh:

[Lobo.]

flushing fish is not a good idea... the fish could survive and reach a water way... or jus die a horrible death. what is it, someone who lives near u might want to pick it up or u could kill it some other way

[OrionGirl]

Read the article linked above.

[SnowHeart]

Flushing? Ammonia? I'm beginning to wonder about :troll:

[emergent]

Ok I'm just asking because I'm curious. Believe me I do not want to hurt my fish or anyone elses. JUST ASKING!!!!! :cool:

[SnowHeart]

Okie. Sorry if I'm wrong. Looked over some of your other posts and they seemed very reasonable, so I apologize. :) Really though, ammonia is a huge irritant -- not fun. The article is very helpful, though, read through it. :)

[sumthin fishy]

The article linked is a good read, check it out. It doesnt go into "the best" way, because that is a matter of opinion, and a debate that often gets heated. If you want my opinion, a quick blow to the skull with a large heavy object. Some will disagree with me, and that again is thier opinion. As for flushing, the odds of it surviving and making it to the wild are slim to none, but if it does, and it introduces a disease into a native population, you will feel oh so bad about it.

[graphicdesign_r]

emergent or whatever, why are you asking? Answer that first. Give a reason why you feel it necessary to kill an animal. :pc:

[bleumonkey]

dont flush! i believe that can be classified as inhumane. What type of fish is it and why do you have to get rid of it? I found that Petco/Petsmart will NOT take fish BUT mom&pop shops will. It may take a little extra research to find one but it's a much better option than the toilet. Search online yahoo yellow pages for petstores. Please don't flush or kill him if theres nothing wrong with him/her.

[kyle3]

hey guys if you read the original question you will notice that it is a hypathetical question- there is no fish being gotten rid of

[graphicdesign_r]

If you were going to kill a fish, how would you do it?

Not that I plan on doing it...

You believe that. OK. I need $ for an investment that guarantees 200% return. Please send checks to: Mr. Untrustworthy, 200 South Street, Alpaca, KY 06549

[SnowHeart]

If you were going to kill a fish, how would you do it?

Not that I plan on doing it...

You believe that. OK. I need $ for an investment that guarantees 200% return. Please send checks to: Mr. Untrustworthy, 200 South Street, Alpaca, KY 06549
Of course, whether you believe it or not, that's his stated "reason"... there is none, it's just hypothetical, so asking isn't going to get a different answer. ;) Granted, between the Pacu sticky and the relatively frequent discussions of this topic, I think the whole thing is a little weird, but if taken at face value (i.e., someone is merely seeking information) then it's a valid question... otherwise the article wouldn't have even been written in the first place.

Having said all that, I think graphic's counter-question is the very first step someone should take before considering euthenasia. I think there are many more ways to find a new home for a fish that the owner either no longer wants or simply can't care for any longer.

And, if we're giving money away... I need it to pay my school loans. Faster they're paid, the quicker I can buy my plasma screen... er, I mean start working for a non-profit.

[Raskolnikov]

Don't flush anything from your tanks. This includes live fishes, inverts, plants, and also any dead organisms as well. They should be composted or thrown in the garbage.

[Star_Rider]

Actually after re-reading the post..I do see it as a hypothetical question.

assuming a LFS didn't want your fish how would you dispose of it?

I think the word 'dispose' may be the root of the problem.
tho dispose could have differnt meaning..many read it as a way to get rid of something..like flushing.
when it may actuallly mean giving the 'fish' in this instance to someone else
flushing being the last resort.

this lead into a discussion about euthenising.

btw..flushing in some areas does not mean the fish will sewage line..some areas stil have septic..but that is even meaner to do to a fish.

IMHO

[AlbinosRule]

Put it in the freezer.

[Genral72]

I think that the best way is to give it a sharp blow to the head(aka drop a cinder block on it's head). After doing that I've heard that it is best to puncture its brain becuase it might just have a concussion. Those are bloody but also have the least amount of pain. After all would you rather be shot in the head or put in a spinning whirpool ful of poisonous materials and likely to get stuck and die aslow painful death?

[jazzbass]

*sigh*

I think that it depends on the fish. It is easy enough to put a tetra into a bowl of water and add ice... wait until it is unconscious (which happens quite quickly) and decapitating or crushing it. I have done that with fish that were slowly dying and seemed to be suffering.

But what if it is something a lot bigger or poisonous (lionfish) or spiny or mean?

I've killed countless fish in my lifetime... uh, trout, sunfish, and salmon... for food, that is. The salmon were a challenge, as they were usually about 3 feet long and 20 lbs or more... a quick blow to the skull and cut the gills.

There are freecycle groups on yahoo for thousands of communities all over the country and the world. If you have an unwanted fish, I would recommend joining a freecycle group or something similar or put an ad in the classified section of the local newspaper.

If it is terminally ill fish, then euthanasia is appropriate. Otherwise, the most humane thing would be to find it a new home (but don't release it into the wild).

And if it is a big fish, don't flush it, lest it get stuck. :P

[themadblimper]

If the fish is flushed, it would either A: Die a painful death in a septic tank full of YOUR crap, or B: get taken away to your local sewage treatment plant. If its lucky, it would have died already, otherwise it would be shredded and completely dissolved in the treatment process. Not a humane process...

The "least" painful way is to mix a little alcohol (drinking stuff, not rubbing) in a cup with some water and place the fish in it. It should go to sleep quite quickly, then place it in the freezer.

[joephys]

What is the best method to euthanise. I have heard of buying ammonia in a store and placing the fish in a bowl of it. :huh:

Ammonia is not euthanasia. It burns the gills of the fish and causes it to suffer. If you breathe in ammonia gas you'll feel your lungs burn.

IMO if someone wants to euthanize a fish because they simply want different fish, they don't deserve the pleasure of owning fish.

If it is a small fish and you know it is free of disease you can let a larger fish eat it. That is what would happen in nature.

[HolyBull]

i just throw them into my flowerbed.

[LesbianChap]

I hear 5 parts water to 1 part vodka does wonders for euthanizing. The fish gets happy drunk, then passes out drunk, then goes into an alcoholic coma and dies...

After it's dead, then flush it. Flushing it live subjects it to hours or even days of chemical torture before it finally kicks the bucket.

[mykidsmylife]

Here is my flushing story-

My hubby lived here prior to me and his uncaring sister "left" her fish tank for him to care for. It had only a common pleco surviving. He called a LFS to ask what to do with the fish because he didn't want the tank. They told him to flush it.

He told me this years after we married and I was setting up a fish tank. I now envision this huge ugly pleco surviving in our septic tank *shiver*. I know it's not possible but I think those things could survive a nuclear war. How incredibly cruel but he really did what he thought was best out of sheer ignorance. My stupid sister in law didn't want the tank and brought it to him as a housewarming gift. Long story with her.

[daveedka]

I hear 5 parts water to 1 part vodka does wonders for euthanizing. The fish gets happy drunk, then passes out drunk, then goes into an alcoholic coma and dies...

I would think vodka would be in the same class as ammonia, I seriously doubt the fish would get drunk. There is a far cry of difference betwen swimming in vodka and drinking it.

as the article clearly states, there are several humane methods, several debateably humane methods, and quite a few inhumane methods that are often reccomended. The price of a bottle of clove oil really isn't that significant. Clove oil is not the method I use, and my method is humane but many fish keepers simply do not want to or are not able to physically kill a fish. With that in mind, clove oil is really hands down the least debateable least painful method (for fish and fish keeper both). Mix the clove oil well before adding the fish to the mixture.

Either way flushing is not a good option. Whether the fish is dead or alive when it is flushed, it makes no sense at all to do so. It may have been the way of things for years, but better methods of euthanasia and disposal are easy to find.


Dave

[cyberbeer65]

huge ugly pleco

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[mykidsmylife]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Yes, you are completely right and I apologize to all the big pleco's out there. There is just something about some of those huge ones that does give me the shivers. :eek:

[emergent]

:thud:

Ok people. Maybe I should have created a poll on how everyone feels about flushing. I have read all the articles on this site about Euthinising fish. I agree with them all. However, I have heard of so many people just flushing their fish down the drain, that I was CURIOUS to hear how people on this site feel about it.

I just do not understand why poeple only read one or two key words in a post and think they know what is being stated and then go off in a tangent thinking I want to get rid of my fish by flushing them down the drain.

I did see some people actually read the ENTIRE post and saw that it was a hypathetical question to see how diferent people feel about flushing.

I have even had one person go as far as PM me trying to help me get rid of my fish in fear that I was going to do something drastic like FLUSH THEM DOWN THE DRAIN

I am truely sorry I asked the question.

If at all possible if a moderator could close this thread that would be great. I didn't think it would be such a touchy subject since people can't comprehend what they read.

[galaga-girl]

I'm not sure if its been mentioned or not yet but here in Australia it is illegal to flush fish. I'm not exactly sure how they could catch you! But it is a big no-no here!!

[CBTF]

Flushing live fish is terrible, just as bad as those who flush kittens and other things down the can imo.

On a side note, don't release your freshwater fish into streams if you can't get rid of them either! Many of them DO survive.

I know a place where there are schools of goldfish swimming in a stream here in Ontario. It's pretty crazy, but yeah.. introduced. I can imagine they have ruined the lives of some other little pond creature.