Getting rid of a problem fish

[DAWNA]

I have a golden loach that is being a problem, just wondering what others would do. Thanks. Dawna

 

[atmmachine816]

when I have a problem fish I ask any of my friends who have fish if they want it then if they say no I give it to a pet store by me becuse I know they will take care of it nicely and resele it

 

[Isabella]

Just don't kill the loach! See if any of your friends has a tank large enough for it and would be willing to take it, and if not - give it to your store. It's not sick with no chance of recovery and it's not suffering, therefore there is absolutely no reason to kill it.

 

[newbie101]

yeah that would be mean I would give it away either via an ad in the newspaper or dump it at the pet store

 

[0morrokh]

For pete's sake don't flush him!! That's the most inhumane way to kill a fish. Try to get someone who can take your fish, but only dump him at the pet store as a last resort, as most pet stores don't know much about fish and all of them will sell a fish to anyone with some sort of container with water.

 

[newbie101]

For pete's sake don't flush him!!  That's the most inhumane way to kill a fish.

That is sooooo cruel, I have no clue why it is the standard way of killing fish It does not kill them right away, they stay alive for a long time until they finally suffocate to death in all the toxic stuff in the sewers

 

[beckers4oranges]

flushing is inhuman....unless their dead....

 

[DAWNA]

I would never in a million years fluch my loach, even if he is eating all my other fish. I'm glad others feel the same way. I have no one with a tank that wants him (or if they want him, they won't nurture him). My pet store won't take him so I'm considering getting a smaller tank just for him, and I'll have to buy him a friend. The most humane way to dispose of a dying fish is to freeze them (this is from a fish vet) but not for healthy fish, that just ends their suffering quickly. Does anyone know anyone in Southern California that wants a golden loach? LOL Thanks for all of your comments! Dawna

 

[Isabella]

Dawna, that would be so nice of you to get him a separate tank, instead of just "getting rid" of him. It's good that you're against inhumane ways of getting rid of fish. But perhaps you should have some patience and search a bit more, and hopefully you'll find someone who'll be willing to take care of him. Are there any other fish stores around where you live, other than the one that you go to? If there are, and if it wouldn't be a problem for you, you could ask them. Just don't yet give up

Once again, how large is the loach? If it's around 3-4 inches, then I don't understand why the store you asked won't take him. They wouldn't take him even for free? But if they are to keep the loach in bad living conditions, then it's better that they don't take it at all.

 

[newbie101]

If you were really desperate you could send him to me

 

[fish_r_friend]

wat would u put it with?

 

[Jon]

there are better ways to get rid than flushing or freezing

both are inhumane

flushing- lives in sewage for hours before it suffers to death
freezing- stressful and uncomfortable


if u want to kill it put it in a small bowl and put alkaseltzer under it... the carbonic acid will put it to sleep and it will die in rest or put it in a 1:5 mix of hard liquor- water and it will fall asleep and die. or give it a lethal injection

ezer just to give it away

 

[Marc]

Actually, since fish are cold-blooded, they sort of just.. go to sleep. If it's quick enough to get fairly low, at least. Though I must say it's better to over-anesthesize them.

 

[Jon]

I have read freezing is inhumane but I'm no expert

cutting there heads off isn't a good idea if ure squeemish or bad with knives but its fast and humane

 

[newbie101]

a better way of freezing them (if you just put'em in the freezer they s l o w l y freeze) is to almost freeze the water before, so the water is ice cold but not frozen, then put the fish head-first in.  It will die instantly.  Don't use this on goldfish though, do it the opposite for them.  Heat the water to not quite boiling, then put it in headfirst.

 

[Jon]

id rather put them in vodka so I can see them pass out and have a sad lil ceremony

 

[newbie101]

sad lil ceremony meaning vodka party? lol...u better be 21 hehehe

 

[Jon]

lol the vodkas for the fish not me

 

[newbie101]

ok ;D

 

[Isabella]

Haha guys ... lol. But seriously now ... no killing of healthy fish is humane! Ever!

 

[newbie101]

I know...that's so selfish too! "I don't want this fish anymore, so I'll just kill him..." :'(

 

[chickadee]

Sorry folks this topic is giving me the creeps.

Rose
:'(

 

[betta waita]

lol

 

[Jon]

its not really that mean to kill the fish... if you kill it in a humane way then the fish doesn't feel any pain and its much bettter than neglect or giving it to an owner that might not take the best care of it... your saving it from the suffering it might incur if u give it away

 

[DAWNA]

My loach is healthy, about 2 inches long. It killed the one fish I was really worried about and seems to be hiding more since I got 2 dojo's. I put a big pile of sea shells in a corner of the tank and it loves to explore in there. For freezing fish, I had a vet who was treating my koI for aremones and it was a long, slow death. After all the antibiotic injections I had given them and salt baths and I knew it was time for them I would put them in a plastic bag of pond water and put it in the freezer. The vet told me that it's like hypothermia in humans, they get really cold, go into a dorment state and just never come back. I always added extra salt to the water as a natural anesthetic and they went quickly and peaceful. There was no struggling to breathe, just calm. This is only for pond koi, I have no idea if it's the same for tropical fish since their surrounding temp is much higher than koi. Anyone know a vet who has an opinion about this?

 

[Jon]

I don't know any vets but I know people who say freezing is inhumane... id just use alcohol / alkaseltzer

 

[newbie101]

yes freezing (putting the fish in water then sticking itin the freezer, not putting it headfirst in icecold water) is inhumane. Would you like to be slowly frozen alive???

 

[EmpPleco]

ughh!! I couldn't imagine sticking a fish into the freezer :'( I would have such a guilt trip

 

[chickadee]

My fish vet recommended the Vodka bath also. He said it was similar to the euthanasia practiced on larger pets. They just sort of "sleep away". It still makes me :'( . So other than that little bit of information, I will leave this post to the rest of you.

Rose

 

[Jon]

he kills larger pets with vodka? ****... I hope you don't mean like dogs or cats or stuff lol...

 

[Marc]

He said it was a similiar process like what's done to the larger pets. Although I guess you could give the animal so much liqour it dies, it'd take quite a large amount

 

[Jon]

lol that's sad? just getting a pet so wasted it dies?

I thought if he was a vet he would just give em a lethal injection... I have never heard of a large pet drinking to death

 

[EmpPleco]

This is really depressing .. I hope the term "putting to sleep" doesn't mean that, because I don't know what they do :'(

 

[Marc]

Grrr, they don't really get the pet drunk. They let it die peacefully and without pain.

 

[EmpPleco]

Oh.. lol Now I feel stupid. : hehehe

well good then i'm glad

 

[Jon]

lol but if they kill it with alcohol how does it not get drunk?

 

[EmpPleco]

lol I don't think that's what they mean.. I think they mean they kill it similiar to a way you kill a fish with alcohol in that it doesn't suffer? I don't know. . . I'm confused now hhaha

 

[Jon]

oh lol I thought they meant they killed it with alcohol but it didnt get drunk lol

 

[EmpPleco]

lol that's what I thought at first too hehe

 

[Marc]

Last time I talked to a local vet. about this, they used a needle which just greatly over-anesthesized them, and that was just one of a few methods they could use.

 

[newbie101]

he kills larger pets with vodka? ****... I hope you don't mean like dogs or cats or stuff lol...

that would be quite a bit of vodka they would drown before theygot drunk...lol (but not really lol)