How To End A Fish's Life?

[little_mermaid]

If any of you have been following my sorority tank updates, well Kacie had one of her swimming fins taken off (most of it at least), and I put her in a separate container to let her heal, but as the day has progressed, she only seems to be worse. It looks like a blood clot or something has formed on what is left of the fin...I don't know what to do. She doesn't look like she is eating and she is barely able to keep herself horizontal. I don't know whether I should wait it out or end her misery. And if ya'll do think I should end her misery, how can I end it with quickness and no pain?

 

[LauraFrog]

This is always a hard decision and it's really up to you, but if the fish can't swim, the healing of fins does take some time. These are the methods most commonly used for humane euthanasia of small tropical fish ie bettas listed in order of preference.

1. Clove oil. Sold over the counter as a toothache remedy. Place some tank water in a small container with a lid. Add 20-30 drops of clove oil. Lid the container. Shake it thoroughly and let it sit for two minutes. Put the betta in the smallest bowl it will be comfortable in, in tank water. Add the clove oil solution. She will go to sleep and not wake up. Some people add vodka after the fish is unconscious, but this is not necessary. At that sort of dosage she will slip away after a few minutes in clove oil.

2. Decapitation. Put the fish on a hard, flat surface and using a very sharp knife, cut down behind the head in line with the gills. Then pierce the brain with something sharp, like a skewer or the point of the knife. Very, very difficult to do, especially if your fish is thrashing around on the board.

3. Crushing. Read as: two bricks. I wouldn't recommend it for anything larger than a female betta.

4. Ice water. This is not ideal, do it only if you can't get clove oil and can't face the physical methods. Put a cup of tank water in the freezer until a skin of ice forms on the top. Break the skin and drop the fish in. This does take a few seconds, it's not nice. NEVER put the fish in the cup in the freezer.

There are other methods like alka seltzer tablets, but they aren't humane IMO.

 

[ThePiggy]

I remember when I was little.. I had a goldfish had gotten its eye poked out by a playful cat who figured out how to get the lid of the tank open. The poor fish was obviously in pain and disoriented. It was swimming in circles. My mom just flushed it while it was still alive The whole time I knew the little guy was still alive because he was flipping around, but my mom kept telling me it was dead already so I wouldn't feel bad.... but I knew.

 

[little_mermaid]

This is always a hard decision and it's really up to you, but if the fish can't swim, the healing of fins does take some time. These are the methods most commonly used for humane euthanasia of small tropical fish ie bettas listed in order of preference.

1. Clove oil. Sold over the counter as a toothache remedy. Place some tank water in a small container with a lid. Add 20-30 drops of clove oil. Lid the container. Shake it thoroughly and let it sit for two minutes. Put the betta in the smallest bowl it will be comfortable in, in tank water. Add the clove oil solution. She will go to sleep and not wake up. Some people add vodka after the fish is unconscious, but this is not necessary. At that sort of dosage she will slip away after a few minutes in clove oil.

2. Decapitation. Put the fish on a hard, flat surface and using a very sharp knife, cut down behind the head in line with the gills. Then pierce the brain with something sharp, like a skewer or the point of the knife. Very, very difficult to do, especially if your fish is thrashing around on the board.

3. Crushing. Read as: two bricks. I wouldn't recommend it for anything larger than a female betta.

4. Ice water. This is not ideal, do it only if you can't get clove oil and can't face the physical methods. Put a cup of tank water in the freezer until a skin of ice forms on the top. Break the skin and drop the fish in. This does take a few seconds, it's not nice. NEVER put the fish in the cup in the freezer.

There are other methods like alka seltzer tablets, but they aren't humane IMO.

Yeah the clove oil seems to be the best way to go. I couldn't handle anything else. Well, I am going to give her some time to see how she comes around. She just isn't eating and her color doesn't look good either. I just feel so bad for her If her fins will heal, then I don't see the point of ending her life. But I can't make her eat or heal faster so I don't know. Thanks for the help. I'll let ya'll know what happens.

I remember when I was little.. I had a goldfish had gotten its eye poked out by a playful cat who figured out how to get the lid of the tank open. The poor fish was obviously in pain and disoriented. It was swimming in circles. My mom just flushed it while it was still alive The whole time I knew the little guy was still alive because he was flipping around, but my mom kept telling me it was dead already so I wouldn't feel bad.... but I knew.

eek I'm sorry yeah I was on the phone with my cousin and she was like "why don't you just flush it?" but I told her that I couldn't bare to flush something that is still alive...but then she seemed to think it would be better for the fish to die that way than suffering in it's container...I don't know...again, I'll stick to the clove oil method if it gets to that point.

 

[ThePiggy]

I would give her another day or two. If she's rolling onto her side, or looks like she's getting stiff and can't move, then I'd say it doesn't look good. Bettas are ok without eating for up to a week or longer before you have to really worry. If I had a broken arm without pain meds, I wouldn't have an appetite either.

 

[LauraFrog]

Do you have any melafix? I agree that giving her a chance might be a good idea. Try and get some plastic plants to float on the surface of whatever you have her in. If she has something to rest on she'll be more comfortable. Melafix makes fins heal faster.

 

[tibby25731]

Never flush a fish, even when it is definitely dead. This puts nasties into the water system that might end up affecting native fish living in nearby rivers or seas. If one of my fish die, I take them and put them in a sandwich bag and seal it up, and put it with the rubbish. No point making a lil grave as there are so many cats around here who would just dig it up again

I'd give the betta a few days also, she has had a massive shock and needs time to recover from that as well as the physical injuries. Keep her dark and quiet and see how she gets on. Good luck

 

[Truck]

take a sharp scalpel and slice down where the head meets the body. most humane method in my opinion

 

[newfishy]

chopping off the head is the best and quickest way, if you are very squemish about it knock the fish out with clove oil first.

 

[little_mermaid]

Well ya'll, I woke up this morning to Kacie either very near death or she already died. There was a film building around her body, so I am pretty sure she died. Her eyes weren't glazed over yet though.

Kacie...enjoy Fishie Heaven

I did flush her (whoops, that's a good point that was made, though the sewer system is probably different over there than in the US).

Now I don't know what to do with Brodie...I tried putting her back with the other gals yesterday and she's just so mean! I am thinking of taking her back to the LPS if they'll let me...her fins are really torn/split. I'll probably let her heal up first and then take her back.

 

[Neon.Tetra]

Sorry to hear about your fish. You still gave her a better life than what she could expect in the pet store.
Now your other fish has no buddy to bully with, you could always introduce her back in and see if she's calmer? You might aswell give her another chance, and if she still doesn't settle then you might have to give her back.

Good luck with whatever you do, and keep us posted.

 

[little_mermaid]

Sorry to hear about your fish. You still gave her a better life than what she could expect in the pet store.
Now your other fish has no buddy to bully with, you could always introduce her back in and see if she's calmer? You might aswell give her another chance, and if she still doesn't settle then you might have to give her back.

Good luck with whatever you do, and keep us posted.

Thanks and yeah, I'll re-introduce her later on today (right now I gotta run out to the barn!)...Dolly is still in her quarantine bowl- she didn't look too well yesterday morning, but I think it's cause little Brodie the terrorizer was chasin her around the tank all night. I'll definitely keep ya'll posted.

 

[Syphoniera]

little_mermaid,, so sorry to hear of your troubles.
And, if you'll pardon my mentioning this, so sorry about your cousin.
Are you sure you're related?
You might ask her how she'd feel about being sick/injured, thrown into cold, toxic water, and flushed down pipes into a sewage system to slowly suffocate, freeze, and have the tender membranes of her body burnt by toxins.
I'm glad you'd never flush a live fish and subject it to such torture.
And if anybody was ever put into a position where they were forced to actually think about it, nobody ever would.

 

[little_mermaid]

little_mermaid,, so sorry to hear of your troubles.
And, if you'll pardon my mentioning this, so sorry about your cousin.
Are you sure you're related?
You might ask her how she'd feel about being sick/injured, thrown into cold, toxic water, and flushed down pipes into a sewage system to slowly suffocate, freeze, and have the tender membranes of her body burnt by toxins.
I'm glad you'd never flush a live fish and subject it to such torture.
And if anybody was ever put into a position where they were forced to actually think about it, nobody ever would.

LOL (even though it's not really a laughing matter...) give her a break...she's not a fish keeper (obviously)

 

[Syphoniera]

little_mermaid,, so sorry to hear of your troubles.
And, if you'll pardon my mentioning this, so sorry about your cousin.
Are you sure you're related?
You might ask her how she'd feel about being sick/injured, thrown into cold, toxic water, and flushed down pipes into a sewage system to slowly suffocate, freeze, and have the tender membranes of her body burnt by toxins.
I'm glad you'd never flush a live fish and subject it to such torture.
And if anybody was ever put into a position where they were forced to actually think about it, nobody ever would.

LOL (even though it's not really a laughing matter...) give her a break...she's not a fish keeper (obviously)

Hi, little_mermaid, hanging in there OK?
Hope everything's working out well, or at least better...

I'm glad to hear your cousin isn't a fishkeeper and doesn't flush fish herself.
But seriously, a lot of people have done things like that, usually because they just don't realize, and cruelty to helpless animals - whether unthinking or deliberate - does need to be discouraged.
The best way is usually to get them to realize what's really involved, how much suffering is actually caused.
Because very often, they just need to know better.