What Is The Most Humane Way To Euthanize A Fish?

[Jayba]

Bluecan looking for clove oil kind of got me thinking about it, I have always used clove oil, shake er up in a cup of water and pour it into the container the fish is in to put them to sleep, then toss them in the deep freeze. But after doing some reading i wasn't aware that clove oil alone will do them in. How do u do it?

[The-Influence]

After the first dose wait 5 min and then add a second dose to finish em off . Iv only had ta do it once .

Blake

[jvision]

I usually just put them in a container of water, then put it in the freezer. Metabolism slows down and the fish goes to sleep... permanently. It's easy for fish under 6" - just use an old margarine container or ice cream pail; but for larger fish, you'd need something else. If you could fit a 5gal pail into your deep freeze, you could probably still use this method.

[CursiveDuck]

I do believe I've read that the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) does not actually support the freezing method, not alone anyways. They say it's only humane when coupled with an anesthetic, but even than I'm not sure if they advocate it. Here's a little article on it http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/81, and here's the website itself, http://www.avma.org/issues/human_animal_bond/grief_euthanasia.asp . I do believe the fish section is on about page 23. It's an interesting read actually. If not a little morbid but interesting.

[BettaFishMommy]

if the freezing method is your only option, then putting the container of water in the freezer first, letting a good ice crust form, then popping a hole in the crust big enough to drop the fish in, then putting it back in the freezer - is more human than putting the fish in water then putting in the freezer. the metabolism slow down is faster when the water is ice crusted first, and the fish doesn't stay conscious as long.

[punman]

I do what jvision does(freezer). Luckily for me it is maybe only one fish a year.

[Bluecan]

yea apparently the freezing method still creates a lot of stress, ill get the clove oil and do the clove oil freezer combo....thanks for advice

[arixonbarnes]

I throw mine in the freezer also except when it's very cold out then I throw them onto the snow and they are dead immediately. I've tried boiling water (gruesome!!!) and not recommended. Some of the old books recommend "throwing them violently upon the concrete" - also not recommended and not quickly effective. I figure if freezing to death for humans is relatively painless then it can't be too bad for fish and as they are small (well most of them) death is very quick.