Freezing euthanasia method

[phnx314]

I have a fish upside down on the bottom who can’t right himself. He was fine yesterday so it’s pretty clear to me there’s nothing I can do. I’ve heard that freezing can be a pretty painless death for small fish and I want to go about doing it this way. He is a clown killifish. How would I go about doing this? I know clove oil is preferred method, but I cannot get access to it today.

 

[thatfishlover122]

I have a fish upside down on the bottom who can’t right himself. He was fine yesterday so it’s pretty clear to me there’s nothing I can do. I’ve heard that freezing can be a pretty painless death for small fish and I want to go about doing it this way. He is a clown killifish. How would I go about doing this? I know clove oil is preferred method, but I cannot get access to it today.

please do not do the freezing method, it is actually really quite painful and slow, it hurts the fish and they suffer perhaps it'd be best to wait until you have access to clove oil? or you could do the decapitation method but imo that's not for the faint hearted. i really do not recommend the freezing method!!!

 

[phnx314]

please do not do the freezing method, it is actually really quite painful and slow, it hurts the fish and they suffer perhaps it'd be best to wait until you have access to clove oil? or you could do the decapitation method but imo that's not for the faint hearted. i really do not recommend the freezing method!!!

What I have read is that it is slow and painful for large fish. Like I said he is a clown killifish. He is less than 1 inch long. To my knowledge it is pretty painless for very small fish.

 

[thatfishlover122]

What I have read is that it is slow and painful for large fish. Like I said he is a clown killifish. He is less than 1 inch long. To my knowledge it is pretty painless for very small fish.

true, i suppose it's up to him. When i had to put my betta fish down, i read about the feeezing method and although she was small i didn't want her to suffer more than her illness had made her suffer. i bought clove oil but she passed before i could even euthanise her.

 

[Blueberrybetta]

If he is that small, then you are better off smashing him quickly. The freezing method isn't that recommended. I would do clove oil if you could though

 

[StarGirl]

Clove oil is a matter of 4 or 5 seconds. Do not freeze it ....that could be 20 mins? half hour? Decapitate it or use clove oil is the most humane ways to do it.

 

[phnx314]

Ugh, I don’t think I could decapitate him. I have no experience. I’ll look into clove oil.

 

[StarGirl]

Ugh, I don’t think I could decapitate him. I have no experience. I’ll look into clove oil.

You can get it at the drug store. In the toothache stuff. Its the brown bottle with the red cross on it. You only need a drop in a small amount of water. Make sure to shake it up good and make it cloudy emulsifying it before you put the fish in.

 

[FinalFins]

Take a cup of ice water, wait for it to chill then take the ice out and drop him in. Takes them out in an instant.

 

[phnx314]

This?

 

[Demeter]

I agree with icing smaller fish to euthanize them. I do it when I cull fry, just get a cup of ice water, mix it up so it is as cold as possible then drop the fish in while making sure it is in the water and not on the ice. A couple second and the fish will go into shock and become stiff. Dead in 5 seconds tops. I wouldn't do this for fish over 2in as it takes much longer.

For larger fish I get hands on by pithing the brain. Decapitation doesn’t do it right as the fish will still be alive moments after decapitation. If you take a sharp knife and stab into the brain it’s instant death. This is also how I kill game fish destined for the table. Destroying the brain is IMO the fastest and most painless method. Just make sure you know where to put the knife.

 

[StarGirl]

View attachment 720050This?

That would be it.

 

[phnx314]

He was dead when I got home. Rip Alford. I will at least be prepared in the future now since I have the clove oil.