Humane way to dispose of sick or dead fish

[dlee300z]

I don't think I've ever read or seen how most reefers give their fish a proper, respectful death. hehehe

How does everyone here do it?

Last night, I had to flush poor little Bubbles, my yellow tang, down the toilet just like how NEMO ended up in the ocean. I didn't let my 3 year old daughter watched as he floated down.

He was battling POP EYE for 2 weeks and I couldn't stand seeing NEMO pick his eyeball clean. He was defenseless and floating on his side bumping into everything. =(

 

[dots]

Make fish popsicles

 

[iairj84]

I've heard of people using Vodka mixed with saltwater to slowly knock them out and then kill them by upping the amount of Vodka, but that sounds like a waste of perfectly good alcohol

 

[Mikey Donuts]

I freeze 'em. I haven't done this with any SW fish as the couple I've lost (neon gobies) died suddenly. I also freeze snails that are on their last legs and retract sluggishly when touched. I'll likely freeze my dogs as well when the time comes but that means my eggo waffles won't have any room to live so I'll have to see about that.

 

[dlee300z]

I wonder what Pop eye Yellow Tang sushi tastes like? $19 snack LOL

 

[yoboyjdizz]

I've heard freezing them is the best way to go.

 

[maxdout]

wow you guys go through the works, im pretty much just the typical NEMO into the toilet my kids love flushing and then watching them spin around...

 

[MrMikeB]

OMG... you guys are outta control!!

 

[dlee300z]

Freezing? That's kind of jacked I think. Especially if they are still flopping around. I should have just laid him on the ground and watch him suffocate to death before I deep fried it hehehehe
j/p hahahahah

 

[pv1191]

I'm all about the fryer!

 

[WarrenG]

Don't they suffocate long before they would freeze?

Seems like a freshwater whirlpool bath is just as quick, and more tidy.

A few years ago I had to kill a koi. It went straight to the garden.

Wow! Nice tomatoes. Yeah, all it takes is $60 worth of special fertilizer.

 

[RasBobre]

THE best way to take a fish is a slap on the skull, i.e. hammer.

FREEZING is not humane!

And do not flush either.

Put the (dead) fish in your garden and next summer when your tomatos are doing so well, you can thank that fish.

EDIT: Wow! I did not even read all of WarrenG's post, but sounds like we're on the same line.

 

[poissons]

Back where I am from, we gave the dead ones to the dogs. Why waste a perfectly good treat by flushing the darn things? Them dogs were fat and happy!

 

[WarrenG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11950475#post11950475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RasBobre
EDIT: Wow! I did not even read all of WarrenG's post, but sounds like we're on the same line.

It's probably better that people don't read all of my posts.

Fresh homegrown tomatoes here! Will trade for frags!

 

[yoboyjdizz]

If you have access to the search engine there was a thread about this awhile back and many people were going along lines of freezing cause is the least painful experience for the fish. It explains why and how in the thread. Flushing down the toilet is the worst. Though i haven't tried freezing myself, when in my early stages when i lost some fish i was always to late and would just throw the dead bodies away.

IMO if you have a sick fish i would try to do all you can to treat it. I've never gave up on a sick fish and besides my noobie year i have only lost one fish since do to unknown reasons. In my first year before i even knew what to look for or how to treat i lost my first six fish and almost gave up then on the hobby. Thankfully i found reef central and have been successful ever since.

 

[KMP]

i've heard about the freezing, but i'm with warren. oxygen will be gone long before they freeze...i dont' get it.

 

[bkmorris]

you put the fish in a container of tank water and put it in the freezer so it is a gradual system shut-down... the fish basically just "goes to sleep." you don't take the fish out of water and toss in the freezer dry.

PLEASE don't flush your live fish.

fish already dead? i like the fertilizer idea.

 

[kdblove_99]

Yeah, dont like the flush idea either i have not done that since i was a kid and my goldfish died.

I like Brooks way, It sounds the most humane out of all the ones i have heard

 

[WarrenG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11953756#post11953756 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bkmorris
you put the fish in a container of tank water and put it in the freezer so it is a gradual system shut-down... the fish basically just "goes to sleep." you don't take the fish out of water and toss in the freezer dry.

Think about how long a SW fish can stay alive out of water. 3 minutes? 6 minutes? Ever been fishing?

Now, how long does it take a fish to die from the cold in the freezer?

How long would it take for 78-degree tank water to cool down enough to kill the fish? How long would that water be at a very uncomfortable temperature, like between 70 and 30 degrees?

How about a lethal injection of kalk paste?

 

[GreshamH]

The fish is knocked out fairly fast in the freezer. FWIW water has a higher DO at lower temps so suffication isn't really a thing to consider if your using the water method.

From what tests we ran on them it only took a couple of minutes in the freezer and movement stopped within about half that time. We ran those tests years back though so I don't recall many detials. Many public aquaria use this method.