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I have a 3 week old Molly fry. One of them has a sharp curve in the middle part of its back. It has a hard time getting around. I would like to put it out of his/her misery, however, I don't know the proper way to do this.

Any ideas on how to do this fast and quick without stressing the poor guy out?

Last edited by $horty at 12-Feb-2005 12:21

Hi Shorty, sorry you are faced with this.

There are several ways and you will get a variety of opinions, some of them, rather emotional. In the end, you'll need to read through all of the arguments and decide which way is right for you.

One way is to allow nature to simply take its course. However, if you feel it is suffering and cannot eat and want to help it along, then obviously, this won't do.

Some breeders will put such fish in the main tank and allow him to be food for the parents. I'm a softy and just can't bring myself to do that, but its all in what you feel you can and can't do.

Freezer methods have gotten some mixed reviews. It was once popular to put a fish in a container with some of its tank water and allow it to freeze to death. However, some researchers are contending this can be a rough death for them and that they do experience stress.

I have gone to clove oil - something you can get at the health food store and some pharmacies. It is used as a fish anesthetic for procedures (usually large fish like koi). You will need a baby dropper with measurements marked on it, a small 16 or 24 oz bottle, well rinsed, and a disposable container that will hold about 1/2 gallon. It is best to have a bubbler going in the container that you can throw away, along with any portion of the airline that comes in contact with the water or spray. This helps the mixture move through the water and not stagnate in one place.

Here, this link can help. Other variations of this included the addition of Vodka. Not necessary. However, followup with freezing to make sure the fish is gone. I leave them in the solution a good hour, then place the container out in the cold or in the freezer. Since it is used as an anesthetic, it is hard to determine if they are truly dead.

The fish may swim around a few seconds before dropping to its side where it will eventually stop breathing. I use the baby dropper with mL marked on it for measurement of the clove oil, then I add it to the bottle with a little tank water and shake vigorously to emulsify it. Then I put it back in the dropper and gently squirt it into the container with the fish in it and the bubbler going. The container should be filled with the fish's own tank water.

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Wow - this is harder than I thought it would be.

I just have not been able to bring myself to put the fish "down".

It has some of the "poo" thing going on so I know the digestive tracked works, it just doesn't seem to be growing at all.

What to do, what to do.




Last edited by $horty at 13-Feb-2005 00:54

Cull it...you are currently doing it (or your fish genetics) no favours.