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I had to euthanize a fish for the first time today. My poor little Golden Ram Cichlid came down with the same thing I lost my Bolivian to just about a month ago. I don’t seem to know what the problem is. Ammonia: 0, Nitrites: 0, PH: 7.6, Temp: 76. I think that it might be internal parasites. He was in the same condition my Bolivian was in just days before he died. I let my Bolivian dye naturally, and didn’t want to have this little guy suffer the same fait as my Bolivian (my Bolivian suffered for three days before he passed.) He started hiding out a lot about 3 days ago and lost his appetite. When I came home for lunch today he was floating upside down at the bottom of the tank trying to swim in circles. I had seen this with my Bolivian and it lasted for three long days (while being treated) before his gills finally stopped pumping. I put my Golden Ram Cichlid in a plastic bag and used a rubber mallet, it was very quick and I imagine the little guy didn’t feel a thing.

ouchy...I have been very fortunate not to have a fish suffer like that. I'm sure he is in "fish-y heaven" thanking you for the quick means. Sorry for your loss. I hope you figure out what is causing it!

-Josh

Hi,
This subject was the topic of conversation in earlier
threads and also in the Aquarium Fish Magazine. I believe
I remember that placing the fish in a small amount of water
and placing that in the freezer was more humane and
definitely not as traumatic to the owner or the fish.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 14-Dec-2005 18:16

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi,

Sorry for your loss.
I just lost one Bolivian Ram yesterday to what sounds like a similar thing. She was doing just fine until yesterday morning when I didn't see her during feeding time. Found her hiding in the plants, very lethargic looking. A little moment later she was at the surface, gasping. Moved her to the hospital tank, added salt, Melafix &amp; Pimafix but she was still gasping at the surface when I came home last night. I added some Stearazin (anti-parasite) to the tank and an hour later I saw her do the twirling dance of death you mentioned. She was dead less than an hour later. :#( It's so frustrating when something like this happens, isn't it?

-P

Oh frank no no no!
Freezing the fish is one of the most painful ways to euthanize a fish...I know I've linked to any number of articles in the past that describe how painful it can be for the fish.

Sharp blow to the head for smaller fish, or severing the spinal cord for larger fish is the fastest.


So sorry you had to do it inlike I've always ended up feeling a bit sick the times I've had to do it.

^_^[hr width='40%'][/font]

inlikefish,

You are a brave lady - I don't want to debate what method would have been better or worse, important is that it is over.

I guess it would be very good if you could find out why the rams in your tank die.

What other fish are in there, and for how long?
How long did you have each of the rams?

Sorry about the loss,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I just flush mine down the toilet.

Thanks for covering that Babel. I just read an article today on www.tropicalresources.net that states that freezing a fish results in frost building on their scales and in their gills for several minutes before the fish is unconscious. It did list that a better alternative would be to render the fish unconscious prior to placing it in the fridge. I figured one sharp whack of the mallet ended it very quick-like. It was a bittersweet moment. I was sad that I lost a friend, but happy that I did not let him suffer the same fait as my Bolivian. It was much worse to watch my Bolivian struggle for three days than it was to swing a hammer and have it all be over. Thanks for all of your kind words everybody. I hope my other Bolivian stays healthy&#8230;

I just flush mine down the toilet.

um either that is a joke or you really need to take a look at some of the threads on euthenasia to find out why that is a really, really ill advised way to deal with it. Most of us try to ease the suffering of the creatures we care for... care as in look after and care as in have feeling and emotion for.

Flushing gets the fish out of your immediate vicinity. The same as putting your papers out for recycling or removing weeds from the garden. But flushing does not take into account that you are tyring to ease the suffering of an animal.

Please rethink this. I am sure you are not trying to be cruel maybe you were told this is the way to deal with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

Little Fish, I would LOVE to find out what is the cause of all this. When my 1st Bolivian got sick I posted a thread here, and went through the Disease ID process and it just didn't add up. Nobody else could seem to figure it out either. My first Ram I had for about three months, this little Golden Ram I had for about two months, and I got my other Bolivian at the same time as the Golden (two months ago.) They are currently housed with 4 Danios, 3 False Juli Cories, 2 Panda Cories, 2 Swordtails, and 1 BN Pleco. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

The Japanese professional fishermen have an excellent way it takes less than split second. It is a spike directly into the brain. The reason is the quicker the fish is killed the better the meat as the fish does not go through a muscle spazam. With tuna they actually follow a ritual I will not go into detail but I can assure you the fish is painlessly killed and treated with respect.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop &amp; Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I think the conclusion we came to last time (about 2 months ago) was that the best approach seemed to be oil of cloves administration and then BONK!


Looky here.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Hospital/65184.html



A brain strike definately makes more sense to me than severing the spinal cord, I dont know where people get the idea that severing the spinal cord is painless, it clearly isnt since it actually carries most of the active nerves going to all parts of the fish's body, it might be quick, but its also probably THE most painful way to kill a fish other than freezing it when the nerves are still functional. The choice with those two is presumably to see how it feels when all the pain receptors in your body get a knife through them, or how it feels when the cells in your body start to simultaneously explode. Not good.

Killing the brain quickly is the only way to strike an organ that recieves the pain signals and squash it before it has a chance to recieve them.The brain has no physical sensation of its own.

Last edited by longhairedgit at 15-Dec-2005 06:30

I think the conclusion we came to was drug em with cloves and then bash em to make sure.

Last edited by longhairedgit at 15-Dec-2005 19:09

Strange I've lost a German Blue Ram Last Monday and I also don't know what happened.

Face up make your stand and realize your living in the golden Years

I've had to euthanize enough fish using different methods, and while I feel they are the most humane way to do it, I realize that not everyone else is capable of going through with these types of acts. Unfortunately fish aren't the only things I've had to euthanize and I take this type of thing very seriously.

I will say that I do not see flushing down toilets or sticking in the freezer or a hard blow with or on a blunt object is acceptable.

From my readings it sounds like the clove oil is the best method (I have yet to personally try this one.) but I won't go into details about the others.

I'm sorry to hear about your fishy, some of these Rams can be very sensitive. I had one once, only lasted about 3 days in my established tank before dying.

Were there any signs of disease, did you quarantine them? What other fish are in that tank, and what are your NitrAtes at (before a water change).

BABEL!!! Where have you beeeeen? ;_;

Yes, cloves is the way to go. Here's the way I do it :

I take a pan, 3 cups of water + a large pinch of cloves ( 15 to 25) and I bring it to a boil. Then I turn off the heat and let cool down.

Once at room temp., I add a few ounces of Iso-propyllic Alcohol ( rubbing alcohol if you will ) and drop all of it in a Masson Jar.

What it does is it puts your fish to sleep, like anesthesia. Once it's "under", you leave it there for 5 minutes. It will die of an overdose of anesthetic, which is totally painless.

Don't be alarmed if your fish "jerks" once or twice after a few seconds in there... it's just fighting the anesthesia. It will go to sleep and you will see it still breathing. The breathing will slowly reduce and eventually stop. You can reuse the same mixture for a long time. Usually, it will last about a year, maybe more in the fridge. ( I don't keep mine in the fridge not to stress the hell out of the fish by putting it in a cold solution...bad enough you have to kill the poor soul. )

I usually leave the room once I put the fish in there. No sense in watching it die. But I stayed a few times to make sure this method was painless. Mind you, it's hard to know if it's REALLY painless, but from the looks of it, I find it more humane than ANY other method.

I hate talking about this. Specially today. I had to euthanise a sick Texas Cichlid that was not responding to the meds. Tex is now in Fishy Heaven playing with other havoc wrecking cichky !

Sponge

Last edited by Sponge_Bob at 18-Dec-2005 15:27