What's the best way to Euthanise a Fish?

I agree with Msjinkzd. I'd observe for a while before medicating. Keep an eye on them. If you are really worried, you could dose with Melafix and Pimafix as they are both fairly gentle.

As an aside about clove oil, it is really painless (it's a natural anesthetic afterall), and you do not have to do anything but overdose with it. I have a puffer fish, so I know about using clove oil simply as a sedative (with the goal of trimming the teeth and then recovering). For that use, we mix 3 drops of clove oil with 3 cups of tank water. Any more than that can cause brain damage or death. I would say that you could easily use a cup or so of tank water (just enought to cover the fish) and 6 or more drops of clove oil. That would give about 6 times the dose (should be 1 drop per 1 cup) needed for sedation, so there should be no question that's an overdose. Leave them in there for at least 5 minutes. Then the fish should be really and truly dead. No pain, no worries. If you are unsure, put in a few more drops. Clove oil is pretty easy to come by and, I believe, cheaper and easier to come by than euthasol.
 
Are any of your other fish showing symptoms? I am not a fan of prophylactic medicating. I would observe and try and determine what hte illness is before adding medication that can be stressful to the surviving fish and could potentially effect your biofilter. Water changes and pristine water quality can only help in the mean time.

I've been looking at them for a while now and none of them look sick. So I don't think my fish was sick. I think my OB Hybrid (that I'm going to get rid of) was attacking him a lot so all this fungus came out and he couldn't swim. But if he was attacked and I removed him as soon as I saw he couldn't swim, can it get worse? Can it go from having trouble swimming to being upside being pushed around by the current in less than 15 hours from an attack? He wasn't sick that morning he got torn up.
 
I agree with Msjinkzd. I'd observe for a while before medicating. Keep an eye on them. If you are really worried, you could dose with Melafix and Pimafix as they are both fairly gentle.

As an aside about clove oil, it is really painless (it's a natural anesthetic afterall), and you do not have to do anything but overdose with it. I have a puffer fish, so I know about using clove oil simply as a sedative (with the goal of trimming the teeth and then recovering). For that use, we mix 3 drops of clove oil with 3 cups of tank water. Any more than that can cause brain damage or death. I would say that you could easily use a cup or so of tank water (just enought to cover the fish) and 6 or more drops of clove oil. That would give about 6 times the dose (should be 1 drop per 1 cup) needed for sedation, so there should be no question that's an overdose. Leave them in there for at least 5 minutes. Then the fish should be really and truly dead. No pain, no worries. If you are unsure, put in a few more drops. Clove oil is pretty easy to come by and, I believe, cheaper and easier to come by than euthasol.

Thanks for the info. I didn't even get to use the clove oil.
 
I've been looking at them for a while now and none of them look sick. So I don't think my fish was sick. I think my OB Hybrid (that I'm going to get rid of) was attacking him a lot so all this fungus came out and he couldn't swim. But if he was attacked and I removed him as soon as I saw he couldn't swim, can it get worse? Can it go from having trouble swimming to being upside being pushed around by the current in less than 15 hours from an attack? He wasn't sick that morning he got torn up.

The short answer is yes. I just had this happen as well with a convict. My Oscar beating the snot out of him and he was upside down and unable to swim within a few hours. I pulled him and put him in qt with some salt and it took him almost 2 days before he was righting himself. Several days later, he still isn't eating and still looks pretty torn up, but is at least upright.
 
in a book that i have it says that the quickest method is to wrap them up in a paper towel and whck their head with a hammer or rock or priest until the brain/head is destroyed, then push a pin through the brain just to make sure.
 
in a book that i have it says that the quickest method is to wrap them up in a paper towel and whck their head with a hammer or rock or priest until the brain/head is destroyed, then push a pin through the brain just to make sure.

It sounds kinda harsh but as long as you do it fast and precise it works uber fast. Back when I used to eat the fish I caught (now I practice cpr. Catch, picture, release). Before cleaning them, I was tought to set them on a board, and take the broad end of your knife and a quick wack to the head and they are out, then you remove the head and its all she wrote. Alive to dead in a matter of seconds.

Now Im not saying I could do this to a fish that I raised and got attached to, but at some point the outdoorsman in me would take that route over watching it suffer. Just like hitting a deer with a car. If it is struggling, just shoot it and end the suffering cause it will just die a slow painful death.
 
if its a really small fish i supose a real hard flick on the head would do the trick. personally though i couldnt bring myself to do it
 
in a book that i have it says that the quickest method is to wrap them up in a paper towel and whck their head with a hammer or rock or priest until the brain/head is destroyed, then push a pin through the brain just to make sure.

I read about that and I don't think I could do that to my fish.
 
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1370852#post1370852

This is a great link for humane euthanasia. There is a lot of agreement in the scientific community that fish do feel pain, and slowly freezing is painful.

Msjinkzd mentioned a bowl of water with a layer of ice formed over the top of it, break the ice and drop the fish in the water.

This method is quick because the sudden near freezing water shocks them instantly to unconsciousness and death.

I have had to use the clove oil, also called eugenol at the pharmacy.

The link above has thorough instructions for this. I keep clove oil on hand just in case. I can't stand the thought of one of my fish in pain.\

I've read on the AC that freezing is ok for snails, but I want to know if there's any possibiliy that they feel discomfort or pain.

Jinkzie, is it painless? Just for future referrence, just in case.
 
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