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I'm with Cory. Even with the huge pH shock the fish have a good chance of still living.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

You would have to use a LOT of baking soda for that to work.....I suppose the pH shock could kill them if they are already weak but it would take a lot of it....Why bother when there are much better methods like decapitation and clove oil?

Actually the baking soda would remove the oxygen from the water and the fish would asphyxiate.

When i went to PETsMART and asked them how they euthanized their sick fish they said it was with baking soda...

How would baking soda remove oxygen from the water? If it could do that, then wouldn't it also remove oxygen from the air as well?

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Actually the baking soda would remove the oxygen from the water and the fish would asphyxiate.

That's not even... possible. At least, as far as my introductory college-level chemistry knowledge tells me.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3. Na is +1, H is +1, CO3 is -2.

Baking soda can liberate CO2 if exposed to an acid:
Let's call the generic acid H-R H is +1, R is -1

NaHCO3 + HR --> NaR + H2O + CO2

if the water was acidic, adding baking soda to the water would liberate CO2 dissolved in the water which would put the fish to sleep. It would not drive the O2 out of the water, but at too high a level of CO2 the fish would be put to sleep.

Since it does such a good job of neutralizing acid, it is main ingrediant in many heartburn antacids. I have used Alka-Seltzer tablets for fish euthanasia before.

I don't know what to do if the water were basic... add some vinegar? add some other source of acid? the pH shock with fiddling about with this stuff alone would probably be enough to kill any fish.

Last edited by Bignose at 10-Jun-2005 23:20

I heard that this is a method for euthanasia, i have never heard of this on fishprofiles; does anybody have any thoughts or ideas?

Sorry I thought it did because of the way my fish were gasping for air when I tried to buffer the ph with it, and because of its absorbent properties. Someone told me that it was because of the baking soda absorbing things.
I suppose at the time I was more concerned with that it asphyxiates and not *how* it does.

Last edited by castlequest at 11-Jun-2005 08:16

I dunno, bignose. I'm pretty sure the sodium and the radical group would both ionize instead of forming a compound.

Cup, I don't really think that is the point, the point is that CO2 is generated which puts the fish to sleep...

changing pH to kill the fish is just prolonging the agony of a sick fish...why not just decapitate the fish..its barbaric but its the most humane thing to do..its quick and easy.

So, what would be the best (as in painless) way to euthanise a fish? Without needing to sever the fish's spine or without the use of any sharp implement?

On the few fish I have had to do this to I always use some sort of liquor. Jack Daniels or Vodka. This seems to be the most painless method as they usually expire in a matter of seconds

Natedog

I agree with using liquor. They go quickly and don't seem to struggle. [link=Here]http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-longterm.asp#death" style="COLOR: #FFCC99[/link] is where I first read about it.


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

freezing a fish is the most humane way to kill a fish.

Like humans, they fall asleep, and die in their sleep.