How to euthanize?

[akumastew]

What do you guys think is the lmost humane way to euthanize?

- Stew

[lkleung007]

Hi Stew,

There are a number of ways to euthanize. I have done the fish in the freezer method...as the temp of the water drops the fish will slow it's respiration and stop. But I also heard that this is not the most humane way. Now I use clove oil...net the fish out and place in a small bucket then add clove oil. The clove oil is an anesthetic and at a high enough dosage, the fish will simply stop breathing and pass away.

HTH, Lester

[Jhhnn]

This stuff is supposedly the best-

http://www.argent-labs.com/argentwebsite/trandrug.htm

I've not had the occasion to use it.

[TankWatcher]

this might help http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?Story_No=1885

I have used the clove oil method, followed then by freezing.

[tcyiu]

I have done the fish in the freezer method... But I also heard that this is not the most humane way.

Could you pass along what you've heard. I've not heard this and am curious as to why.

Tim

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Tricane (MS-222) is an industry standard for anesthestia and euthanasia in fish. It works fairly quickly, depending on dosage you use. Just be sure to avoid skin contact with the Tricane once it's mixed into the water. Prolonged exposure to skin tends to make the exposed area cold and numb.....

-Ryan

[dwilder]

hit it in the head really hard sounds mean but works quick

[tcyiu]

hit it in the head really hard sounds mean but works quick

Been there. Done that. With all due respect, I'm not doing it again.

I've had a fish with a bashed-in head still thrashing around. I can whack fish that I catch to eat. But I can't do that to fish I have kept as pets.

For me, iced brine works really well. Because the water is below freezing, it drops the body temp immediately, and the fish pretty much stop breathing right away. No thrashing. No convulsions. AFter a good solid 5 minutes, I take the fish out and sever the head. This is to ensure that the fish does not "wake" up as it thaws.

So I'm still not clear why it is not humane.

Tim

[TankWatcher]

Could you pass along what you've heard. I've not heard this and am curious as to why.

Tim

According to the link I posted earlier in this thread:-

http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?Story_No=1885
"Freezing fish is also a slow way to die and is not considered humane since the fish is not rendered rapidly insensible to pain and distress."

That's why i use the clove oil first (used to anaesthetize fish and is fatal to fish at doses greater than ¼ ml per litre of water). Just to be sure, I then freeze the fish. The clove oil prevents the fish from suffering during the freezing process.

[moik]

My easy way to euthanize is ,get a clean 5 gal. bucket and fill half with water from faucet..Then put a ton of ice cubes in the water..Stir with your hand for a while to get the water freezing cold...Take the undesired fish and put him in the water and no time at all the deed is done..If the water is super cold, then it will only take seconds to work..If you like put a towel over the bucket so you do not have to watch..

[tcyiu]

"Freezing fish is also a slow way to die and is not considered humane since the fish is not rendered rapidly insensible to pain and distress."

Thanks for the link.

There was not enough information in that article to conclude anything. But based on the sparse wording, I suspect that they meant putting the fish in the freezer compartment. THAT, I agree, is inhumane. The freezing process takes too long.

I used to do what MOIK described. But I found that the water wasn't cold enough. So by making a fairly concentrated brine first, and then crushing ice cubes in it, you will find create a solution that is several degrees below freezing (versus just above freezing with only ice cubes). I've found that using this, cessation of movement is near instantaneous. In fact, in some fish, you will find the body starting to freeze. I then de-capitate the fish just to make sure it does not revive with warmth.

Tim

[TankWatcher]

Hi Tim

I only have the freezer and don't know how to make a fairly concentrated brine solution. The clove oil is easy to buy & use. (Well, the method is easy, but it's never easy to euthanize your pet)

It's good to see that we are all thinking about how to make this unpleasant thing as humane as it can be.

[Ronald]

Excuse my ignorance but how is clove oil and Tricane (MS-222) used.
I guess it was already mentioned somewere else but I can't find it.
I also checked the 2 links but my english is not so good that I understand how exatly it is used.

Thanks in advance

Regards,
Ronald

[tcyiu]

I only have the freezer and don't know how to make a fairly concentrated brine solution.

Hi Robyn,
You're right. It's never easy to put down a pet.

As for the brine thing, it's not very complicated. Find a container that will hold a fair amount of water. Add water and salt. I have not measured before, but something on the order of 10 heaping tablespoons of salt for 2 gallons should be OK. Mix until the salt has dissolved.

Then add crushed ice cubes. I put them in plastic shopping bags (three layers), and swing the bags hard against the kitchen counter. Keep adding ice fragments until the water is "slushy." If you have a thermometer, you will find that the temperature is below freezing.

Put the fish into the slush and swirl the ice water around the fish. You will find that the fish will stop moving right away. Within seconds, the extremities will become hard because they have frozen over.

Leave the fish in there for about 2 minutes. Then take it out and sever the head. The reason is that fish can sometimes revive from being frozen. So I sever the head just to make sure. This is the "icky" part and I can imagine many people wanting to go the "chemical" route. But the benefit of this approach is speed, low cost, and that you already have everything you need in the kitchen.

Hope this helps.

Tim

[TankWatcher]

Excuse my ignorance but how is clove oil and Tricane (MS-222) used.
I guess it was already mentioned somewere else but I can't find it.
I also checked the 2 links but my english is not so good that I understand how exatly it is used.

Thanks in advance

Regards,
Ronald

"Clove oil is used to anaesthetize fish and is fatal to fish at doses greater than ¼ ml per litre of water"

For those using imperial measurements:-
29.5ml = 1 fluid ounce
1 litre = 4.2 cups

So you can see, that not that much clove oil is needed. I always increase the dose, just to be sure.

In the case of discus, I fill a bucket with tank water to just high enough for the discus to swim upright. Using the recommended amount as a guide, I add a more than generous amount of clove oil. When the fish appears dead, I usually still leave it in that solution for a few hours to be sure. Then, I place it (together with enough of the water/clove oil solution to cover) in the freezer to be double sure.

Thanks tcyiu, for the brine information. It does sound a very humane method & seems easy to make. But I probably wouldn't have sufficient quantities of ice on hand to make the solution cold enough. We only ever have one or two small trays of ice cubes at any one time.

[Ronald]

Thanks alot guy's.

Regards
Ronald

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Excuse my ignorance but how is clove oil and Tricane (MS-222) used.
I guess it was already mentioned somewere else but I can't find it.
I also checked the 2 links but my english is not so good that I understand how exatly it is used.

Thanks in advance

Regards,
Ronald

No personal use with Clove Oil, but Tricane is used in a similar fashion. I dont remember the exact dosage rates off hand, but xxx amount of milligrams per gallon of water is enough to anesthetize (and eventually euthanize) the fish quickly. Only draw back to using Tricane can be the expense....but it does work very well.

Here is a good link where you can learn more about Tricane, as well as a source to buy some if you are so inclined: http://www.wchemical.com/TRICAINE-S-MS-222-P43C7.aspx

-Ryan

[alpine]

I tried the 5 gallon bucket half full with about 25 % ice on it and it worked well. The ice floats on top so the fish are not visible , but no signs of trashing around are seen so I assume everything went well and it was painless.
Roberto.

[Ronald]

No personal use with Clove Oil, but Tricane is used in a similar fashion. I dont remember the exact dosage rates off hand, but xxx amount of milligrams per gallon of water is enough to anesthetize (and eventually euthanize) the fish quickly. Only draw back to using Tricane can be the expense....but it does work very well.

Here is a good link where you can learn more about Tricane, as well as a source to buy some if you are so inclined: http://www.wchemical.com/TRICAINE-S-MS-222-P43C7.aspx

-Ryan

Thank you very much Ryan

Regards,
Ronald