Euthanize sick tetra or what?

[hazee]

Another one of my penguin tetras is dying. I'm not sure what to do with it. It's going crazy... swimming all over the place in weird circles and up and down... it just looks awful. It's got no sense of direction or whatever it is fish lose when they get sick.

I read about euthanizing fish by putting them in the freezer but now i read it could be painful. Should i just leave it to suffer in the tank or what do you think? It's really hard to watch.

The first one died of nitrite poisoning i think. Can they look okay then still die 24hrs after being in the high nitrite levels? They are all in a healthy tank now and have been for more than 24hrs as i said.

 

[discus4everGrl]

well it is possible for them to die. They have gone through the nitrite problem and then internal shock from being switched to the new tank.

If you want to euthanize him, take the cup of water and put it in the freezer first. Let it chill till where the top forms a layer of ice that can still be cracked and the inside water is still liquid then drop the fish in and replace in freezer. I don't think this is painful. Humans die of hyperthermia and actually say they feel hot. This is why some people have been found frozen to death with their clothes off. I think the fish die fairly quickly this way tbh - which is why you will find the fish dead in an upright position instead of all contorted and on his side.

 

[hazee]

I'm not sure what to think d4eGrl. All the reading i've done says it is painful but then i thought you put the fish in the freezer in normal water. Didn't think you cooled the water first etc as you say. Then i'm thinking even if it is unpleasant how much more unpleasant can it be than suffocating, struggling and fighting with buggy eyes for like ten hours??

 

[TLH]

If you're going the freezer method I think it's better to put the fish in a tub of tank water,covered to stop it jumping out,and put this in the freezer until it's solid.The only time I tried it in nearly frozen water the poor fish didn't like it at all.
I would personally use Clove Oil.You can get it from the chemists.Dissolve some in Vodka or Spirit Alcohol to form a strong solution.Catch your fish and put it in a disposable vessel,add a little of the oil solution(it'll turn white when it hits the water) and your fish will just go too sleep and never wake up.

 

[hazee]

Spirit alcohol? Is that like rubbing alcohol?

 

[Lotus]

This has instructions on euthanizing with clove oil: http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/EuthanizingFish.html