Is there any humane way to hasten the demise of a fish?

[dolo amber]

My stupid boss couldn't handle telling his little kids their Betta was about to kick it so he "took it to the doctor" (brought it to my office) and it came home last night (slightly different color and size but apparently they bought it) miraculously cured. Meanwhile this poor raggedy bastard is sitting next to me, gasping, flailing, floating vertically, just kinda staring at me. For 2 days now.

I certainly don't want to hasten his demise on my account; I mean, it sucks sitting here watching this but I'm more just wondering if there is some way to put the poor thing out of its misery or at least make him more comfortable...?

I know it might sound petty but it's kind of a bummer to sit and watch this.

[DS1]

1. A straw

[rcrush]

2. toilet?

He can have one last adventure before he kicks the bucket.

[DS1]

And a Funyon as a little fish life preserver

[Jamastiene]

3. Change the water.

See what happens. He sounds like he's fighting to breath. Ya never know. I've seen bettas come back from that. My Gypsy did. Of course, he died about 4 months later anyhow, but he did come back once I got him out of the dirty water I bought him from.

[Midlodemocrat]

6. But don't use tap water. Use distilled.

[Jamastiene]

7. If you are pretty sure he won't make it though,

Put him in clove oil until he goes to sleep, the put him in vodka after he's out cold.

Or at least that is what this website says in the most humane way.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

[StrongBad]

9. That's actually a very interesting article.

[Jamastiene]

10. Here is another site with the same recommendation.

It is a web site for Oscar lovers. Oscar lovers are a special breed. Those are some smart and affectionate fish. I would think it would be the least traumatizing method from what they say here.

http://www.oscarfishlover.com/index.php/Euthanasia/Fish-Euthanasia-using-Clove-Oil.html

[dolo amber]

17. This looks promising

I've also actually seen the freezing thing done now that I think about it and while I certainly can't speak for what the fish felt it didn't seem to be too overly-traumatic.

Thanks for the help, people. :hi:

[DeepBlueC]

13. He needs fresh water full of nice oxygen

It does sound like he's fighting for breath, poor thing. I guess he's just in a bowl and not a proper acquarium?

[Mugu]

4. Microwave.

[Lance_Boyle]

5. Freezer.

Their metabolisms slow and they go into a "stasis," then die.

Be careful disposing of the fishsickle.

[CreekDog]

8. please don't flush it, that's awful

i would make sure that the water has been changed so that it's not simply a lack of oxygen in the water.

as for euthanasia, i have heard to chill a bowl of water until a layer of ice forms on top then put the fish into it and it will die very quickly. but let's face it, all the methods available to you will cause pain and stress for the fish...euthanasia in this instance should only entail the least amount of either.

[JVS]

11. I used to be in charge of cleaning the fish on vacation when I was a kid.

I would just cut off the head of the fish with one clean stroke. I did notice a mallet in the fish house, but I had been told that it was for the purpose of stunning the big fish who were thrashing too much to safely handle now. In retrospect, cutting of their heads probably didn't kill as humanely as would be possible. The heads tended to kind of keep moving at the mouth for a couple minutes. Fish are hard to kill quickly. I would recommend stomping down on it quickly with a hard soled boot if it's small and not to agitated in its flipping, or if putting it on the ground would cause it to thrash too much you could always pour it gently into the blender and the turn it on top speed suddenly. I know these sound like horribly gross methods, but the only way I can think of making sure that it wouldn't be feeling the kill is to obliterate the fish rapidly.

[Arugula Latte]

12. Funny you should post this. I just committed fish-icide yesterday.

My daughter's big goldfish became hugely bloated. I changed out some of the water, stopped feeding it for a few days, then fed it chopped peas, etc. etc., all the recommendations. S/he was still bloated like a golf ball and looking miserable and gasping. I couldn't stand it. I fished it out, quickly put it in some papertowels, and just ... whacked it down. I think the first whack did it, but I did a few more to be sure (don't do it TOO hard if you try it because you can wind up with a mess). x( It was quick and I think painless. I hated doing it, though. Awful.

My daughter doesn't know I did it. I just said it died (which is technically true).

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

18. FYI, for the future, epsom salt baths can work on bloating

[DeepBlueC]

14. you could bring it to the store and ask if they want it

Maybe it is not as far gone as you think. Could be something was wrong with its environment.

[Magrittes Pipe]

15. As a point of clarification for those who question the fish's imminent demise...

...it's a Betta that is well over 2 years old. The poor guy's gonna die soon.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. I had one for four years once

And it survived being almost starved to death by my friend (who I drunkenly stole it from one night)and another time, spending 40 minutes on the floor of my car in 20 degree temps after I got pulled over by a state trooper and his bowl fell over when I stopped.

[Magrittes Pipe]

21. That's pretty impressive.

Never heard of a 4-year-old betta before.

[Jamastiene]

22. Bettas are pretty tough little fish.

That's why I recommended clean water. On second thought, you may just be right about bloat. If that is the case, looks like somebody could have a pet.

I miss having an aquarium. That was one of my favorite things to watch and do to calm down at the old place. I once trained my guppy, Bee, to eat out of my hand. She was so smart. One day though...I'll have another aquarium...and an Oscar, finally. I want an Oscar one day.

[Shell Beau]

23. That happened to Goldfish (real original, I know).

We were moving a few hours away. The aquarium was in the u-haul with a couple inches of water in it. Everything went fine the whole trip. Until we get to the destination. My dad hit a speed bump too hard and the aquarium shattered. Luckily, we had a cooler on hand. We put water in it and most of the fish made it. Nothing could kill Goldfish. Those poor fish were flopping all over the back of the u-haul. We lost a couple though.

I guess that was another redneck moment for me. A cooler for an aquarium!!!

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

24. Nope, when I moved my 55gallon from my mom's house to my apt

I used a cooler with a battery aerator on it. It's one of the recommended ways to transport.

Now, if they permanently lived in a cooler...

[Shell Beau]

25. Too bad I didn't think of it before we moved.

Goldfish lived on for about 5 more years. He was obese. I have never seen a fatter fish. Ever. We had little neons in the tank. They were there forever. One day I saw Goldfish swim by one of them and swallow it. Crazy fish. We had a burial for him when he died. He was infamous to all who knew him (or her for that matter, not sure what it was).

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

26. When I was a kid, I had a giant goldfish that would eat spaghetti

Eventually, we gave him to a friend with a pond. He died at around 15 years old, because a raccoon got him.

[Shell Beau]

28. Wow! That fish had a long happy life.

I have heard some can live for up to 30 years. That seems unreal to me.

[Blue Diadem]

29. 15? OMG don't tell me that!

We have a "carnival" gold fish my granddaughter won when she was 3. It'll be 7 this summer. I had no idea they have such long lifespans.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

30. Some have lived to be like 25-30 years old

Like I said, it died because a raccoon ate it. It could have kept going.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

16. Sounds like it has bloat, which is curable and looks worse than it is

I don't have time right now, but I can PM you tonight with what should fix it.

My betta had it for a couple weeks and now he's 100%.

[Blue Diadem]

20. ahem, what we were told was

to use alka seltzer tablets.

Now that said, I had to do this when one of my son's bala sharks had his eyes sucked out along with a portion of his face by the jaguar. It was not instant as we were told, it took several minutes and there was some thrashing around. However, this was an 8" fish with serious injury and it's possible I didn't use or have enough tablets. I used what I had and they were beyond their expiration date.

You also might try to save the little guy with water changes and additional stress coat. We've been nursing along a sick calico goldfish for 3 months now.

After reading the thread if you must end its life, the oil of cloves does sound the most humane.

[IntravenousDemilo]

33. You keep a jaguar as a pet? n/m

[Blue Diadem]

34. No silly, not that kind of jaguar, just a jaguar cichlid.

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/JaguarCichlid.php

He's not mine, nor FWIW, are any of the other fishies in this house. They are grandfishies that my son left here when he moved out. 2 1/2 yrs later and he still doesn't have the room done at his house so they can move the 11 ft wall of tanks over there. :eyes:

Even the grandkitty doesn't mess with the Jaguar or for that matter the Jack Dempsey.

[IntravenousDemilo]

35. Ah, this Pisces doesn't know fish very well.

I apparently don't do them much good either. The little black hammerheaded thingy I had lasted about two days.

Maybe the OP should have let me take care of her fish. That would probably do it...

... in.

[Blue Diadem]

36. Tee hee, I know what you mean.

I was terrified that somehow I'd kill all my son's fish after he moved out. Other than the euthanasia, the rest of the fish remain alive and swimming.

Although that darn jaguar might give me a heart attack. He's been leaping up at feeding and making me dump fish food all over.

[Bertha Venation]

27. Seriously: drop it into a glass of liquor. Really. n/t

[dolo amber]

31. Well, I believe the clove oil has done it

It was very, VERY quick and if outward appearance is any indication, painless. Poor dude was ready to go.


Thanks again for the advice, everyone, even though my office now smells like The Cure. x(


Godspeed, Rudolph. May you have safe travels to...umm...fishy Valhalla or whatever. :patriot:

[PeaceNikki]

32. .

.

[Blue Diadem]

37. RIP Rudolph

O8)