EMERGENCY: Need to euthanize fish!
- Thread starter RisiganL.
- Start date
I researched through my files and actually you are right, it's not the AVMA.
It was a study done on salmon using clove oil and the other anesthesia...can't remember the name of it.. finquel or something like it. Clove oil was used to anesthetize salmon and was compared to the other one, favorably... I'll have to find it. Apparently the safety of clove oil in commercial food fish is not recommended, because of uncertainty of the safety of that in consumption by humans.
However, the use of clove oil in the study I read was regarded favorably. I'll find it eventually, on my hard drive somewhere.
It was a study done on salmon using clove oil and the other anesthesia...can't remember the name of it.. finquel or something like it. Clove oil was used to anesthetize salmon and was compared to the other one, favorably... I'll have to find it. Apparently the safety of clove oil in commercial food fish is not recommended, because of uncertainty of the safety of that in consumption by humans.
However, the use of clove oil in the study I read was regarded favorably. I'll find it eventually, on my hard drive somewhere.
Here's my preferred method.
Fill container with 1 cup of water, add 10-15 drops of clove oil. (In a bigger container, use the same ratio, 1 cup:12 drops.) Mix it well with a plastic spoon or something else disposable (it leaves a really strong scent, they were using it in the classroom next to us last week and 2 people got sick...). Put the fish in and watch it. It will swim in circles until it stops.
Method 1: Leave it in there. It won't last much longer. Fish generally will not survive 5+ minutes in anything above 5 drops per cup, but if they get back in fresh water soon, they can recover well. If in a solution of 5-10 drops per cup, they may survive, but will suffer permanent damage. But once it gets to around 10, they will die, even if put back in water. Clove oil stops oxygen from reaching the brain, rendering fish unconscious. Euthanizing fish that way has always creeped me out though. I prefer method 2.
Method 2: Once it has stopped, take a pin/nail/knife/etc. and stab it on the head from top to bottom, between the eyes. The fish is unconscious so it doesn't feel it, and the brain trama will kill it.
Fill container with 1 cup of water, add 10-15 drops of clove oil. (In a bigger container, use the same ratio, 1 cup:12 drops.) Mix it well with a plastic spoon or something else disposable (it leaves a really strong scent, they were using it in the classroom next to us last week and 2 people got sick...). Put the fish in and watch it. It will swim in circles until it stops.
Method 1: Leave it in there. It won't last much longer. Fish generally will not survive 5+ minutes in anything above 5 drops per cup, but if they get back in fresh water soon, they can recover well. If in a solution of 5-10 drops per cup, they may survive, but will suffer permanent damage. But once it gets to around 10, they will die, even if put back in water. Clove oil stops oxygen from reaching the brain, rendering fish unconscious. Euthanizing fish that way has always creeped me out though. I prefer method 2.
Method 2: Once it has stopped, take a pin/nail/knife/etc. and stab it on the head from top to bottom, between the eyes. The fish is unconscious so it doesn't feel it, and the brain trama will kill it.
With coldwater, they just 'hibernate' and die. Tropicals feel it. I know that's been covered, but I just wanted to put my "+1" in there.
:rofl:
Finquel (MS-222), is a really expensive chemical used for fish anesthesia, and you probably shouldn't waste it on euthanasia. When trimming puffer teeth (a routine thing that should happen every 6-12 months, depending on species), the traditional way of anesthesia was clove oil. Studies found that repeated clove oil use can slow oxygen to the brain if used relatively often. MS-222 is apparently a better anesthesia option, as it has no or very little lasting effects.
I agree that most of us will not have Finquel, and though it is better in so many ways as an anesthetic than clove oil, clove oil is fairly inexpensive and is readily available and in general its use is believed by many to be a humane method to euthanize.
I've never needed to anesthetize a fish for any procedures, though I know that some AC members have done so and used clove oil for that purpose. It would take great care and skill to use it successfully as an anesthsia.
I think for euthanasia clove oil is a good option.
Having used it myself I find it very peaceful for the fish. The important thing is to go slow. A drop or two, in tank water well shaken, added to a small quantity of water that the fish is in will lead to the fish slowly going to sleep. You can't rush it. To much to soon seems to be very irritating. Once the fish is asleep you can administer the lethal dose.
I keep pure clove oil, otherwise known as eugenol, on hand just in case. You can find it at most pharmacies but you must ask the pharmacist. The store associates may take you to toothache preperations that have clove oil in them, this is not what you want.
You can find it at health food stores as well. Unfortunately, I have had to euthanize a sick fish on more than one occasion so I have had quite a bit of experience with using clove oil.
I much prefer it to the freezing, clubbing, stomping, chopping methods.
RisiganL, I'm so very sorry for this sad situation for you and your fish. I wish there was more that we could do to help you with this. Please let us know how things turn out. I'm very sorry for your loss.
I've never needed to anesthetize a fish for any procedures, though I know that some AC members have done so and used clove oil for that purpose. It would take great care and skill to use it successfully as an anesthsia.
I think for euthanasia clove oil is a good option.
Having used it myself I find it very peaceful for the fish. The important thing is to go slow. A drop or two, in tank water well shaken, added to a small quantity of water that the fish is in will lead to the fish slowly going to sleep. You can't rush it. To much to soon seems to be very irritating. Once the fish is asleep you can administer the lethal dose.
I keep pure clove oil, otherwise known as eugenol, on hand just in case. You can find it at most pharmacies but you must ask the pharmacist. The store associates may take you to toothache preperations that have clove oil in them, this is not what you want.
You can find it at health food stores as well. Unfortunately, I have had to euthanize a sick fish on more than one occasion so I have had quite a bit of experience with using clove oil.
I much prefer it to the freezing, clubbing, stomping, chopping methods.
RisiganL, I'm so very sorry for this sad situation for you and your fish. I wish there was more that we could do to help you with this. Please let us know how things turn out. I'm very sorry for your loss.
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ExPeNsIvE HoBbY
Formerly ExPeNsIvE AdDiCtIoN on MFK
I don't want people to think that I feel so strongly about the "right way" to off a dying fish, I am simply saying that slow is less painful when it comes to freezing than fast.
I personally have never had the need to put down a fish, because I've always had them pull through, and if it's something I know they won't, I always have a bigger fish to feed it to.
As long as it's not diseased, I will always choose feeding it to another fish vs killing it myself.
No need to waste time and money when I can provide a very natural food for my other piscivourous fish.
I personally have never had the need to put down a fish, because I've always had them pull through, and if it's something I know they won't, I always have a bigger fish to feed it to.
As long as it's not diseased, I will always choose feeding it to another fish vs killing it myself.
No need to waste time and money when I can provide a very natural food for my other piscivourous fish.
I am pretty happy with clove oil. When I put it into the bucket he was in, he didn't thrash around or anything. He just kinda tilted onto his side and sunk down. He was out in less that 2 minutes (I waited for 10min. to make sure). My parents thought I was crazy for not flushing, and for wasting some of their vodka. Probably should have asked permission first...
Quite a few months ago, before I was introduced to clove oil and stuff, I had a platy with terrible ich, finrot, fungus, etc. I removed her immediately and had her in a little dip 'n pour for a few minutes while I added salt and machalite green to the tank. I froze around a centimeter of ice on top of a cup, broke a hole, and put the platy in. She swam for maybe 1.5 seconds and then her gill respiration slowed pretty rapidly to a stop. It wasn't as humane as possible, but I think it would have been better than gradually freezing her.
Just tell 'em you could be using the vodka for worse things
I think the problem here is we don't know wether humane is painless or quick. A fish fish could have a painless death that streches on for hours, or a painful one that lasts for a few seconds. I think an easy way to settle this is to ask your, which one would I want?
