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Posted by Rob on March 24, 2005, 8:45 pm
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On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 12:05:39 -0500, Tom D. wrote:
> Thanks for your suggestions "Smith" and Rob. He is in the deep freeze
> as we speak. Kind of sad though. Had him for 13 years !
>
It's hard losing an old fish. Maybe find a juvie replacement and name him
after the big guy!
Rob
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Posted by Deepseafisher on March 21, 2005, 8:22 am
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wrote:
> Hi all, I'm a newbie here but the euthanasia question is one that interests
me as a biologist. And I apologise if this post comes across a little graphic...
> Freezing or slow cooling is considered humane mostly because it is easy for
us - we can't see what the fish is going through, but 'no visible behaviour'
does not equate to 'calm and happy'. Fish have very slow metabolic rates, and
slow freezing leads to large crystal formation in tissues which in most
organisms we know about, is extremely painful. Large fish, particularly, would
get crystal formation in eye tissue well before the brain shut down (nasty
thought).
> Boiling (I have heard this one suggested) is also completely unacceptable,
for very similar reasons.
> Decapitation is often considered but we do know that fish (and some other
animal groups too - snakes for example) can survive decapitation for several
hours. Decapitation alone is not a quick death for a fish. If you decapitate a
fish you should also immediately destroy it's brain - mash it's head flat, for
example. A wooden Popsicle stick will do it for small ones, a board and a hammer
for larger ones, or simply stun the fish against a hard object (a step works
well) and then pierce the top of the head with a sharp object (scissors, sharp
knife) to ensure the brain is immediately and completely destroyed. You can wrap
the fish in a cloth for a good grip.
> The most humane death possible, as for most companion animals, is
anaesthetic overdose. You need to contact a vet for the chemicals and advice on
dose rate in most cases. Benzocaine at 200-300mg/litre water is a lethal dose
for most species (exceptions may include labyrinth fish etc) and is absorbed
through the gills. Some anaesthetics (tricaine methanesulphonate for example)
reduce the pH of water, and the solution should be buffered with sodium
bicarbonate.
> Clove oil is a safe sedative for fish and can be used to render fish
unconscious or euthanase them: a good description of its use is available from
Aquatic-hobbyist at http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/pro...c/cloveoil.html
> Finally, it is always worth thinking about what methods are available to
> you, think through your own ability to do the deed, and if there are
> materials (like clove oil) you can keep in your (hopefully secure!)
> emergency cabinet for those times we all hope we never have to face. The
> most humane farewell to a friend becomes a torture if it is delayed 3
> hours while you look it up or shop for supplies.
> Hope this helps.
I hope I'm not too late, but heres what someone on the cichlidfish.com
who has studied the sort of thing had to say.
Hope that can be of some use.
--
Posted via CichlidFish.com
http://www.cichlidfish.com/portal/forums
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> as we speak. Kind of sad though. Had him for 13 years !
>