For the soft hearted...

[eagletattoo]

I don't know about anyone else, but I hate to see the fish suffer. And I read that they can still survive a day or so after you flush them. So if you want, you can euthanize them. You can mix some 80 or more proof alcohol (whisky, vodka etc) with water and they just fall asleep. It's just a little more humane then just flushing them down the toilet, or letting other fish eat the thing alive.

 

[megskee333]

Thanks for posting that. I always hate to see them suffer as well, and I know people flush them thinking "well, it's dead now" (somehow flushing them down the toilet means they are dead to them). I had heard about the alcohol method, but could not remember what the exact "recipe" was. So thank you for refreshing me. I came really close to euthanizing a fish earlier this week, but luckily she has pulled out of it. I hope more people will read this comment! (For the fishies' sakes)

 

[Dan Steveo]

i agree it is what i do and i know its more humane so i dont flush before i do that. it makes me feel better and the fish too.

 

[usacutie81]

That's good to know. I always wondered what was the best way to euthanise. I will have to remember this way.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

personally, i think it would hurt to be sitting there in a burning liquid running through my gills... but whatever floats your boat.

 

[megskee333]

What is it that you do, Yahoo? I'm not trying to be snotty... just curious

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i have never had to euthanize a fish, but my choice would be blunt force trauma. quick... lights out. all is good. but this seems like it would hurt the fish. not saying that ive ever drank alcohol... but it burns... the fish is sitting in that... has to be painful.

 

[tropicalfish]

Fish Guillotine!!
LOL I am just kidding...
For a fish to die instantly to end their lives less painful, I crush them them throw them out the window...

 

[MissFishy]

I too think the alcohol method would be traumatic. Maybe it's just me, but I also think that freezing would be awful as well. If I had to say the most humane method, I'd say guillotine/blunt force trauma. Fortunately, I've never had to do it. I've always given the fish as much time as possible to recover, and I tend to just let them die naturally. Whether that's the moral thing to do or not, I don't know...

 

[tropicalfish]

what I do is I put the fish in between two large pieces of plastic and tissue around it, then push down extra hard with my fist.

 

[VirgoWolf]

I've had to euthanise a few fish (mostly due to NTD) in the past. I tried the freezing water method and it workes great for the little guys (neons), as soon as they hit that water they just floated to the bottom almost like a feather, they were dead before they hit the bottom of the bowl. I had a little struggle from the bigger fish though, it was not much, but still not what I want to see.

When I euthanize a fish because it has a bent spine or is old and suffering, I just feed them to my Oscars. I see that as pretty humane, it's what would happen to the week fish in the wild, so I see no harm, it's literally instant, the fish hardly ever get to hit the water before they dissapear.

 

[Seleya]

I would be nervous about trying the alcohol method. Some people have suggested vodka before and swear by it. Clove oil is a gentle way to go -- it's also a way to anesthetize fish for procedures, you simply OD them on it. (then cut their heads off if you wish to be thorough)

With my bigger fish (mainly goldfish), blunt force has been the quickest and most immediately effective method. I put them in a fish bag with their heads towards a bottom corner and (critical detail) "follow through" when I swing them. Death is pretty immediate aside from the wait while you're bagging them (just do it as fast as possible).

 

[usacutie81]

How do you use clove oil?

 

[cchase85]

Freezing isn't traumatic for cold blooded animals, as their metabolism just slows down. Kind of like a human just getting sleepier and sleepier and then stopping altogether.

Wouldn't call that inhumane.

As far as fish lasting a long time after flushing, that's amazing. I can't get fish to live in a nice and friendly aquarium sometimes, but you can get them to live a day in raw sewage?

 

[Pure]

for the small ones a blender works for me.

 

[Dr.Gonzo]

for the small ones a blender works for me.

...and you thought my rubbing alcohol was evil...*twirlysmi

 

[Pure]

think about just how fast it's over in a blender.

 

[tropicalfish]

not really, in a blender, the fish falls under the blades and suffers there while blades are spinning rapidly right above them.

 

[JWright]

I'm a fan of the blender method with one minor adaptation. I use the in-sink garbage disposal so there's no mess to clean up.

The blades are moving fast enough. It's instant, massive, fatal trauma.

~JW

 

[Pure]

I actually find the magic bullet to have a higher RPM rate than a blender. Like JW said it's over before they even know what hits em.