Tetra troubles

[Jack Underwood]

I've had my aquarium for 4 years and had several fish die, but my Glo-Light
tetra seems to be dying and I'm not sure why. He's been in my tank for 2
years and has never demonstrated any signs of illness, but I found him at
the bottom of my tank desperately trying to swim around, but still stuck at
the bottom. If I try to push him a little bit with a small net, he can get
off the gravel, but then falls back down again. I have a 6 gallon Eclipse
System 6 with a heater, carbon filter cartridge, and a Bio-Wheel. I've
gotten the fish into a hospital "bucket" with fresh water, dechlorinated,
and a small supply of food. I'm debating whether or not to use a
tetracycline tablet, which is a wide-spectrum antibiotic that has worked in
the past. Help would be appreciated.

[Tom Randy]

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 23:37:46 +0000, Jack Underwood wrote:

> Sorry, never mind. Fish died 3 hours later.


Very sorry to hear that, it happens to all of us. I had to put 2 down the
past 3 weeks. A betta and a spotted cory. It sucks.

Tom

[Margolis]

what method do you use to euthanize them?

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Tom Randy]

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 07:02:04 -0600, Margolis wrote:

> what method do you use to euthanize them?


Here's how *I* did it and he (A cory) didn't "seem" to be in much if any
pain based on his movements or lack there of.

Got a small bowl with cold water from the tap. Placed fish gently in,
he did not freak out about it. Added one ice cube. Waited a few minutes,
he stopped breathing. Placed in freezer overnight. Fish ice cube. I felt
bad but it was for the best I guess. I think this is how I'll do them all
in the future unless I hear of another way that I feel might be better.

Tom

[Margolis]

I've used the ice method myself before, but even that isn't the best I don't
think. I was just curious to see if you maybe used a better method that I
didn't know about. thanks

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[thewizardhunter]

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 07:02:04 -0600, Margolis wrote:

what method do you use to euthanize them?


Here's how *I* did it and he (A cory) didn't "seem" to be in much if any
pain based on his movements or lack there of.

Got a small bowl with cold water from the tap. Placed fish gently in,
he did not freak out about it. Added one ice cube. Waited a few minutes,
he stopped breathing. Placed in freezer overnight. Fish ice cube. I felt
bad but it was for the best I guess. I think this is how I'll do them all
in the future unless I hear of another way that I feel might be better.

TheWizardHunter



Tom

Many people use this way but do not realise that is is a slow and torturing
death for the fish. The quickest and most humane way to euthanize a fish is
to remove it as quickly as posible from the tank, place it onto a board of
some sort and sever the spinal column just behide the head with a very sharp
knife by pressing down hard and quickly. Death is instantaniuos and the fish
doesn't suffer. As drastic as this might sound it is the quickest and most humane.

[[email protected]]

thewizardhunter wrote:
> Tom Randy Wrote:
> > On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 07:02:04 -0600, Margolis wrote:
> > -
> > what method do you use to euthanize them?-
> >
> >
> > Here's how *I* did it and he (A cory) didn't "seem" to be in much
if
> > any pain based on his movements or lack there of.
> > [the ice method]
> > TheWizardHunter
> >
> >
> >
> > Tom
>
> Many people use this way but do not realise that is is a slow and
> torturing death for the fish. The quickest and most humane way to
euthanize a
> fish is to remove it as quickly as posible from the tank, place it
onto a
> board of some sort and sever the spinal column just behide the head
with a
> very sharp knife by pressing down hard and quickly. Death is
instantaniuos
> and the fish doesn't suffer. As drastic as this might sound it is the

> quickest and most humane.
>
>
> --
> thewizardhunter

I'll mostly second what Thewizardhunter says about decapitation. I
have often used a variant of it, instead of the ice method.

The reason is that death from ice is NOT instantaneous, and we are
simply not sure if the fish is in distress/pain; a fish *showing* no
signs of pain or distress is not necessarily comfortable. Period. For
me, this rules the method out a priori.

The way I kill my fish (which have been for the most part small fish)
is to smash the fish's head to smithereens with a hammer, in one blow.
This is less risky to me than cutting and is harder to botch to boot.
I can be a lot more imprecise with the hammer than with the knife,
while still killing instantaneously. I don't even need to take the
fish out of the net.


--Trapper

[Jack Underwood]

"thewizardhunter" > wrote
in message .com...
>
> Tom Randy Wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 07:02:04 -0600, Margolis wrote:
>> -
>> what method do you use to euthanize them?-
>>
>>
>> Here's how *I* did it and he (A cory) didn't "seem" to be in much if
>> any
>> pain based on his movements or lack there of.
>>
>> Got a small bowl with cold water from the tap. Placed fish gently in,
>> he did not freak out about it. Added one ice cube. Waited a few
>> minutes,
>> he stopped breathing. Placed in freezer overnight. Fish ice cube. I
>> felt
>> bad but it was for the best I guess. I think this is how I'll do them
>> all
>> in the future unless I hear of another way that I feel might be
>> better.
>>
>> TheWizardHunter


Okay, to me this just seems like someone freezing to death in the Antarctic,
yet I've never heard it it before. But I don't like the sound of it.

>>
>>
>>
>> Tom
>
> Many people use this way but do not realise that is is a slow and
> torturing
> death for the fish. The quickest and most humane way to euthanize a
> fish is
> to remove it as quickly as posible from the tank, place it onto a board
> of
> some sort and sever the spinal column just behide the head with a very
> sharp
> knife by pressing down hard and quickly. Death is instantaniuos and the
> fish
> doesn't suffer. As drastic as this might sound it is the quickest and
> most humane.
>
>
> --
> thewizardhunter

I've heard that this is the quickest and most painless way, but most of the
time
I just come down to ceck filters, feed fish, etc, and the fish is just...
there,
lying on the bottom, dead, so I've never gotten a chance to at least try to
euthanize them
if they're lying there, gasping for air and generally white or see-through.
Plus, I'm too
squeamish to euthanize a fish, even if they don't give any indication of
pain.

[Ozdude]

"thewizardhunter" > wrote
in message .com...
> Many people use this way but do not realise that is is a slow and
> torturing
> death for the fish. The quickest and most humane way to euthanize a
> fish is
> to remove it as quickly as posible from the tank, place it onto a board
> of
> some sort and sever the spinal column just behide the head with a very
> sharp
> knife by pressing down hard and quickly. Death is instantaniuos and the
> fish
> doesn't suffer. As drastic as this might sound it is the quickest and
> most humane.

Eew, no! I couldn't bring myself to do that!

Clove oil is the accepted humane method:

"The clove oil must be dissolved in alcohol to allow it to dissolve into the
water. I use vodka. Using
too much vodka will increase the discomfort to the fish, so measure
carefully. If you feel you
must increase the dosage, increase the clove oil only. Leave the fish in the
solution for at least a
couple of hours. Clove oil is a very safe sedative and fish have been known
to revive after an hour
in the solution.
Have a gallon of tank water in a bucket and put the fish in it. In another
container, mix 2-3 ml clove
oil with 8 mls vodka. Pour the clove oil mixture in and mix a little. The
fish will be unconscious
within minutes. I've never had any struggle or distress."

From the fish-a-holics web site.

Oz


--
My Aquatic web Blog is at http://members.optusnet.com.au/ivan.smith

[Margolis]

"Ozdude" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Clove oil is the accepted humane method:
>
> "The clove oil must be dissolved in alcohol to allow it to dissolve into
the
> water. I use vodka. Using
> too much vodka will increase the discomfort to the fish, so measure
> carefully. If you feel you
> must increase the dosage, increase the clove oil only. Leave the fish in
the
> solution for at least a
> couple of hours. Clove oil is a very safe sedative and fish have been
known
> to revive after an hour
> in the solution.
> Have a gallon of tank water in a bucket and put the fish in it. In another
> container, mix 2-3 ml clove
> oil with 8 mls vodka. Pour the clove oil mixture in and mix a little. The
> fish will be unconscious
> within minutes. I've never had any struggle or distress."
>
> From the fish-a-holics web site.
>
> Oz
>


thanks, that does sound a little more peaceful.

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[NetMax]

"Margolis" > wrote in message
...
> "Ozdude" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>>
>> Clove oil is the accepted humane method:
>>
>> "The clove oil must be dissolved in alcohol to allow it to dissolve
>> into
> the
>> water. I use vodka. Using
>> too much vodka will increase the discomfort to the fish, so measure
>> carefully. If you feel you
>> must increase the dosage, increase the clove oil only. Leave the fish
>> in
> the
>> solution for at least a
>> couple of hours. Clove oil is a very safe sedative and fish have been
> known
>> to revive after an hour
>> in the solution.
>> Have a gallon of tank water in a bucket and put the fish in it. In
>> another
>> container, mix 2-3 ml clove
>> oil with 8 mls vodka. Pour the clove oil mixture in and mix a little.
>> The
>> fish will be unconscious
>> within minutes. I've never had any struggle or distress."
>>
>> From the fish-a-holics web site.
>>
>> Oz
>>
>
>
> thanks, that does sound a little more peaceful.
>
> --
>
> Margolis
> http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
> http://www.unrealtower.org/faq


I've used the clove oil method. It's highly effective. I just mix it in
the water without the vodka (about 1ml in 1/2g). If using a small bowl
(which I recommend as clove oil is pricey) then you can mix it very well,
so the vodka seems superfluous. You can also make the recipe in a
fishbag and shake well before adding the fish. It seems to sedate them
before causing their systems to shut down. You can find it in the
drugstore. It's used as a salve to freeze your gums. The professional
method is to use MS-222 but I think it's very similar in effect to
Euglenol (the active ingredient in clove oil). hth
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Craig]

i simply "spike" the fish "confidently" (dont be wishy washy about it,
causes more pain) against the back of the toilet bowl, its simple, its
clean, it severs the chord just behind the head.

i was shown this at a pet store where they were feeding mal-nourished
silver sharks to a pacu, it seems easy enough on small fish, but i think
i would use the freezing method on larger fish in the future.



--
Posted via CichlidFish.com
http://www.cichlidfish.com/portal/forums

[Ozdude]

"Craig" -DONTEMAIL> wrote in message
...
>i simply "spike" the fish "confidently" (dont be wishy washy about it,
> causes more pain) against the back of the toilet bowl, its simple, its
> clean, it severs the chord just behind the head.
>
> i was shown this at a pet store where they were feeding mal-nourished
> silver sharks to a pacu, it seems easy enough on small fish, but i think
> i would use the freezing method on larger fish in the future.

How hard can it be for you to use clove oil on any size fish? freezing is
known to cause suffering.

Oz

[Craig]

clove oil seems somewhat extravigent to be honest.

in all honesty, killing fish is hardly a perk of the job is it... but
yeah, perhaps clove oil would be a better idea (ive never had to kill a
larger fish... unless whilst fishing (if the hook goes too deep, or a
predator takes the fish as it is being retreived)), and then its the
knock to the back of the head.

there used to be a tradition of flushing ill fish in my local area of
the uk, as i see it, anything quick and semi painless is an
improvement on this.



--
Posted via CichlidFish.com
http://www.cichlidfish.com/portal/forums

[Ozdude]

"Craig" -DONTEMAIL> wrote in message
...
> clove oil seems somewhat extravigent to be honest.
>
> in all honesty, killing fish is hardly a perk of the job is it... but
> yeah, perhaps clove oil would be a better idea (ive never had to kill a
> larger fish... unless whilst fishing (if the hook goes too deep, or a
> predator takes the fish as it is being retreived)), and then its the
> knock to the back of the head.

That's a bit different to a tanked fish though. I used to do this myself,
but in this case you have no choice.

I thought the conversation was about euthanasing sick aquarium fish?

Clove Oil is the most humane way. Freezing isn't and severing the spinal
chord is just too violent for this Buddhist person ;)
>
> there used to be a tradition of flushing ill fish in my local area of
> the uk, as i see it, anything quick and semi painless is an
> improvement on this.

Agreed, but suffering must be kept to an absolute minimum and every creature
deserves as painless, and calm a death as possible if it has to be so ;)

Oz

--
My Aquatic web Blog is at http://members.optusnet.com.au/ivan.smith

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

Ozdude wrote:

> I thought the conversation was about euthanasing sick aquarium fish?
>
> Clove Oil is the most humane way. Freezing isn't and severing the spinal
> chord is just too violent for this Buddhist person ;)

> Agreed, but suffering must be kept to an absolute minimum and every creature
> deserves as painless, and calm a death as possible if it has to be so ;)


There is always the "moist cloth and brick" method: put the fish between
two sheets of moist cloth and hit hard enough that you can be sure the
fish is dead without opening the parcel. Humane both on the fish and
you.