MORAL THREAD (is it right to Kill a sick fish???)

RobUK

RobUK

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Apr 16, 2004
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I have had a major nitirte problem in my tank this past week (see my threads in newbie forum).

In the tank at the mo I have....
1 zebra (not looking too bad)
2 zephlin Cichilds (again looking OK)
3 Silver sharks (looking very unwell)

Everything else is quaranteen at LFS and in my other tanks

I am just wondering what people onpions are are fish euthanisation. The sharks are looking really unwell (burns + possible whitespot from stress of constant water changes etc)

The benifits of them going would be a huge bio-load lifted from the tank allowing it to recover allot faster, and the sharks wouldnt have to suffer anymore.
I have exhaused other possiblities, they have even been offer as a donation to a few LFS who I suggested could nuse them back to health and then sell them (but nowhere wants to or has the tank space to take them. (diesased/ill fish arnt at the top of there "most wanted" lists

I know this is a difficult thread and I perssonelly hate both the idea and putting up this thread. I havent done anything yet and was interested if anyone has either had personnel experince of this or an opinion on it

****No flamming or abuse please this is no joke nor is it meant to upset anyone****

Thanks all:( :( :( :( :( :(

EDIT: What would be the most hummane way to do the affore said thing??????????????
 
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It's certainly not a pleasant topic, but it bears discussion once in a while. I think that for many of us, it's a necessary evil on occassion. I have euthanized fish when I believe I have little chance of curing it. I don't yet have a quarentine tank (it's on my to-do list) and rarely have sick fish. But it happens. Just choose your method of euthanization carefully.
 
Originally posted by RobUK
EDIT: What would be the most hummane way to do the affore said thing??????????????
Click to expand...
My personal choice is to put the fish in a plastic bag and sling it against the cement basement floor. It's not pretty, but it instantly kills the fish. I think that's much more humane than freezing or flushing. Some people OD it on a painkiller or something (I don't recall exactly what), but it's not something everyone keeps on hand.
 
Well, it's a tough situation and I don't envy you. Truth is, I went through the same thing just over a year ago when I didn't know any better. I lost a lot of tetras and cories and swordtails.

My opinion is that since they are clearly suffering and that since the adverse conditions in the tank are likely to blame, freezing them may be the most humane option. Being cold blooded they don't feel the cold, their metabolisms just slow down, they sleep/pass out, then die.

We had a discussion about this a while ago and I think it was RTR (sorry if I'm wrong RTR and whoever contributed the knowledge) gave a suggestion of something that he added to the water to anaesthetize them. Unfortunately I've forgotten what that was.:(

And on the plus side, you'll reduce your bio-load.

And the next time, you'll know about fishless cycling and understand why, despite the boredom of the empty tank, it is vastly superior to fishy cycling.

Good luck and I hope your remaining stock pulls through.
 
The tank was already cycled and quite well established I had plants doing really well and everything and then I had a sudden spike. I always do fishless cycling on new tanks and make sure my friends do aswell, after watching my first tank and the fish in it suffer and I swore I would never use fish to cycle again.

Freezing them?? i would asume in water in a container or bag yes??? and they die before the water around them freezes right?
 
Huh! Something in your tank must've changed to kill off your bio-filter. Or did you add a bunch of fish at once?

Anyway, that's neither here nor there at this point.

I've never watched, but I would assume that the fish would be at least unconscious before the water itself froze. For tropicals at least anyway, goldfish/coldwater fish probably have some mechanism to survive through the cold since I know people around here don't fish out their pond fish before winter and they survive by hanging out at the bottom where the water doesn't freeze.
 
there was a thread about this, and i saw where fish were euthanized by alkaseltzer water. apparently thats pretty humane.. i guess being a pain killer it would be.
 
Clove oil added to the water will knock the fish out.

Is it right? Depends. I've had to put down fish before, including a gorgeous, 12+ inch SW lionfish that had TB. It sucked. But, it was better than the fish suffering and literally falling apart in the tank.

I can't make the call for you. Do you feel worse knowing they are suffering now, or will you feel worse killing them?
 
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