How do I kill of a sick fish humanely ?

[bluephi115]

fish feel no pain! they do not have the nerve sensors that other animals or people do. that is why people can fish and catch and release....no harm at all. I hate watching fish suffer, it really sucks but that is becuase we know pain, they dont.

 

[1journeyman]

If this is true, why do fish scratch themselves when they have ich?
While we may not understand fully the nervous system of fish, clearly they have some feeling.

 

[michelle l]

Originally Posted by bluephi115
fish feel no pain! they do not have the nerve sensors that other animals or people do. that is why people can fish and catch and release....no harm at all. I hate watching fish suffer, it really sucks but that is becuase we know pain, they dont.
IMO, every living thing that possesses a nervous system feels pain. Pain is natures way of telling things that they are threatened or injured. Without this survival technique, living creatures wouldn't be able to recognize danger or know when they were injured.

 

[fedukeford]

i agree with everyone else, just chop its head off, frezzing is your next choice, but it must hurt A TON

 

[speg]

Saying a fish cannot feel pain is foolish. You are basically saying that if a fish is sleeping and some animal comes up and starts nibbling on its tail.. it will have no idea and eventually the fish will be totally consumed because it didnt feel a thing.

 

[skiutah]

You know when you go fishing and you bring the fish on the boat? What do you do next? Most people have one of those mini clubs and hit it on the head. So.... whack the fish on the head and it will be quick and painless for the fish. Hitting a fish, chopping a head off or smashing it quickly (ugh), is a good way for it to go. If your killing the fish you have 2 options. Would you rather freeze it or flush it down the toilet knowing that it was suffering? Or would you rather cut its head off, be grossed out, but know the fish went quick? Personally, I would rather live with being grossed out, knowing the fish went quick. But thats only my opinion.

 

[a3nima21]

place it in the barrel of a 12 gauge and fire.... nice n quick

 

[tyedyed1]

Originally Posted by A3NIMA21
place it in the barrel of a 12 gauge and fire.... nice n quick

i knew there had to be someone.....

if you dont have a gun you could lay it out in the driveway and run it over with your car :thinking:

just jokin....had to be said though, thanks to A3NIMA21 up there. :hilarious

 

[celacanthr]

^

 

[1journeyman]

Actually I considered the car idea. If you put it in a small bag with a little water..

 

[dea bad lt]

LMAO - A3NIMA21!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by AF330i
I have a puffer who looks like he is going to die for the last few days. He won't eat any food, he sits at the bottom of the hospital tank and once in a while moves.
he had ick (display tank is in hyposalinity for past 3 weeks) but hwe developed cotton/pop eye.
I started meds on him and I know it is a matter of time for him to go ... plus 2 of my bangaii cardinels are so ick covered and are breathing sooooo heavy (also in the QT) that I feel VERY sorry for them. They really look like they are all suffering.
I want to let the puffer go ... what can I do ... a garbage disposal is out of the question
thanks
For me, I would try to at least save the fish first before thinking about killing it. I know your doing hypo to try to save it, are you feeding high quality food, stuffs like formula 2. There are meds you can use in your QT tank and to mix with their food to feed. I have done it and it works. Try to soak their food in garlic extract and see what it does for you. Sometimes you'd be amazed on how a fish can go from one extreme to another. My Naso tang was VERY sick and wouldn't eat a thing, thin to the bone and that cause it to get ich. I fed it Formula 2 about 3-4 times a day cause that's the only thing he would eat, IF I did hypo on him, he would of died. I did that for about 2 weeks, he's fat and happy and ichless after that, that was after one week looking that bad. I thought I was fixing to lose him, but he pulled through for me. He's still alive and well til this day. So try more stuffs and see if you can save him first, JMO!!!!!! :happyfish

 

[watertight]

I had to put a fish down a while ago, I just netted it out of the tank and smashed it hard onto the floor. All over in a microsecond. A friend told me i was cruel and should have put it in the freezer - I've never been able to understand her reasoning - One way is quick and painless, the other way would take half an hour or more to die. I know I'd hate to be put in a freezer and left to die. Much rather get it over quickly.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by watertight
smashed it hard onto the floor. All over in a microsecond.
I agree with you, quick.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by watertight
I had to put a fish down a while ago, I just netted it out of the tank and smashed it hard onto the floor. All over in a microsecond. A friend told me i was cruel and should have put it in the freezer - I've never been able to understand her reasoning - One way is quick and painless, the other way would take half an hour or more to die. I know I'd hate to be put in a freezer and left to die. Much rather get it over quickly.
I agree with you too, but I can't bring myself to do something like that.... :scared:

 

[unleashed]

try bringing the salinatyslowly back up to a normal level for him ,medications should be used without hypo you can easily treat the popeye and cotton with melafix.add garlic extreme to the water 1 drop for every 10 gal these are symptoms of poor water quality and caused a bacterial or fungal infection both treatable.I understand not wanting to see it suffer any longer .I had a ss puffer for 3 1/2 yrs one of my first fish .yes they are dish I agree but midless without feeling I dont agree any one that has ever owned a puffer cant honestly say it just just floats around or eats and poops.these fish have personality thats what makes them so desirable.unlike most of our fish we keep they seam to recognize the caregiver not just the food but the accual person that cares for them.they like attention at least mine did he was ham all the way through.mine would hide once in a while behind rocks I could accually call his name and he would pop out to meet me.this isnt a mindless creature.or show him his feeding cup and hed acts so exited.I say try your best to make him better if all fails at least you gave it your all.I lost my puffy on valentines day of this yr.I never once in my life ever though as an adult I would cry over the death a fish to this day I miss him .I have replaced the space of the puffer in my tank but I cannot replace my puffy.death by any means isnt humane putting them into our tanks isnt humane its human.just my 2 cents

 

[cartman101]

the quickest painfulest way i think is taking a BIG rock and smashing the fish. Yes i know very hard to do..VERY HARD. But its the quickest painfulest way i think.

 

[af330i]

Thanksw for all of the replies .. I really appreicate it.
IU didn't have the heart to kill my puffer though I did fill a glass with rum and almost put him in it hoping it would let him die peacefully.
As of yesterday morning the puffer died though on a brighter note the 2 Bangaii cardinels are looking A LOT BETTER !!!
I am almost positive they are going to fare out pretty well

 

[inxsu2]

Just some advice for those who decide to go with the severing of the head thing. Make sure your knife and/or scissors are sharp. I had to do this for the first time two nights ago to my Blue Hippo Tang, whom I also let suffer as a result of popeye in a quarantine tank for three weeks. I supposedly did all right stuff with the meds and water changes. He never got better, and it only prolonged the suffering. Imagine my horror when I got up the nerve to euthanize, only to realize that he had a really tough spinal column. While I prayed for an immediate death, I watched a half-severed fish die an excruciating death. As a result, I am now in serious need of therapy.

 

[diane4]

I just had to put my freshwater Twin Spot puffer to sleep and it's permenant rest.
The cause of the fishes death is part the lfs fault, and mine.
I had seen the almost 8 inch Twin spot puffer for the first time at the lfs. I fell in love wth him, had to have him. They said to me, he is an extreemly aggressive fish and can not be kept with any other fish. I felt so bad for him because he was in a tiny tank, mabye about 8 gallons. The water was dirty. I was ready to accept the facts about him and had a 50 gallon tank that would be his only.
I asked the fish store to hold him for me, (I paid $100 bucks for him). I needed them to hold him because I had a total abdominal hysterectomy on December 9th and some tanks needed to be converted and moved around before i could take him home. Here I was 3 weeks post op and in a fish store, the geek I am and wanted this fish badly - but couldn't take him for a couple weeks at least. 3 weeks became 5 weeks before I could go get him - I did the best I could with my physical limitations.
I was all happy to bring home my Twin Spot puffer. Went to the store and found him lying on the bottom of the tank. I asked one of the workers what happened. He said that he has been like that for the last coule days and hasn't been eating. Then he proceeded to try to blame customers for teasing him and saying "That is why we don't like to hold fish for people". I was devestated and was tempted to pick a fight by saying, why - because most fish that come to the store are already stressed and sick and you had this guy in a tiny tank and filthy and they wouldn't move him for me when I asked.
I also understand, to some small extent why they didn't move him. That is because he would eat fingers of customers if they stuck them in the tank. But people ignorance of fish is a whole other discussion.
I brought the little guy home, that I named smiley when I first met him. I gave him water change, added some salt to reduce stress, put air line in there and some raw shrimp which he used to love, I used to feed him at the shop. And even put in a couple feeders. He wouldn't eat. He got skinnier and skinnier and layed on the bottom of the tank, once in a while he would dart to another corner of the tank if he was startled. I talked to him, cried at him.
Today, he made a big change for the worse. He was lying on his side, breathing patterns were very eratic and with great effort. He also had a look of death in his eyes. This poor little guy was dying from the inside out. It broke my heart, I have cried like a baby today.
I called the lfs to see if they had any other ideas....of course, nothing I haven't tried. I asked them if they knew of a way to humanely put a fish to sleep. He said to do the following.....
1) Get a zip lock bag and fill it with their tank water, make it shallow so it just covers the fish.
2) Place the fish in the bag of the water
3) Drop 2-3 Alkaseltzers into the bag of water.
I did this and it ended his suffering almost instantly. I cried all the way to the vets to have him cremated. I am so heart broken. It sucks to loose a fish or an animal. I love all my animals. My 4 dogs and my 6 fresh water tanks and 1 sw f/o tank and 1 reef tank.
Luv everyone. Putting a suffering animal to sleep is so bleeping hard. But I know it was the right thing to do.
I will see you again someday over the Rainbow Bridge, my little smiley man. I wanted you so bad. I am balling my eyes out and my heart is broken. I only had him home a couple days. At least he died in a clean fish tank and loved.