Need Help with J. Dempsey

Hi All,

I have a Jack Dempsey cichlid that is slowly dying. He's 13 years old
so I think he's just dying of old age. He hasn't eaten for several
weeks and he's lying behind his cave nearly motionless. His fins move
just slightly and his mouth is open and just barely moving. He is
emaciated to say the least.
My question is this - Is there a humane way to put this fish out of
it's misery. I've read of some methods but I don't think I could
actually go through with them. I hate to see anything die slowly like
this so I'm hoping somebody has an idea out there.

Thanks for your suggestions, Tom D.

i know there is a chemical you can get from fish stores, but not petsmart.
the only thing ive heard is putting them in a freezer is the most humane
way. course i could have heard wrong.



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(remove undies to reply )
"Tom D." wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I have a Jack Dempsey cichlid that is slowly dying. He's 13 years old
so I think he's just dying of old age. He hasn't eaten for several
weeks and he's lying behind his cave nearly motionless. His fins move
just slightly and his mouth is open and just barely moving. He is
emaciated to say the least.
My question is this - Is there a humane way to put this fish out of
it's misery. I've read of some methods but I don't think I could
actually go through with them. I hate to see anything die slowly like
this so I'm hoping somebody has an idea out there.

Thanks for your suggestions, Tom D.

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005 15:26:57 +0000, agent smith wrote:

i know there is a chemical you can get from fish stores, but not petsmart.
the only thing ive heard is putting them in a freezer is the most humane
way. course i could have heard wrong.

You heard right. Put the JD into a container with water in it and place in
freezer. As the water temp drops, he'll just slowly go to sleep.

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 !

- Tom D. -

wow, 13 year old JD. everytime a big fish i have dies, i always bury it in a
big pot out back, and plant a radish bush. i love me radishes, and it helps
me to remember the fish. thankfully, ive only had to do this once, when my
last oscar died due to old age (was guessed to be around 16). i had him for
9 years personally, and he was 12" when i got him. ended up at about 14" i
believe...


-agent smith


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for information on my fishies! also, sign up for a *FREE*
ipod he
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daewoolanos/
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(remove undies to reply )

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.



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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