Ideally they never freeze. Have you ever tried to flush a giant icecube?

What does the oil of cloves supposedly do, put them to sleep (to death)?

Caper

Yeah, it's an anesthetic.

Well wouldn't that be more humane then? Just having them go to sleep. Although I understand what you all are saying as far as the "blow to the head".

Caper

Both methods are probably equally as humane, but I think the fish owner performing the euthanising would feel much less traumatised using the anesthetic method than the blow-to-the-head method!

I agree Kelsta. I've never euthanised a fish myself. Can't bear even the thought of it. Thats why I get hubby to do it, he hates doing it though, but he's less of a wuss than me. At least he's not crying over the poor sick fishy!

Oh believe me, there's been plenty of crying over sick fishies in our household! I totaly understand!

I used to work on an inshore fishing boat out of Greymouth and just before I got off it Talleys brought in the regulation that the Tuna had to be slurried. The boat looked rather funney with 4 chest freezers on the deck (it wasn't a big boat). We had a blast freezer which they then went into. The idea was good but sometimes the fish died on the deck due to catching too many :-)

Mr L

Hi, this is awfully ironic, but I posted the info from Goldfish COnnection about Oil f Cloves, and now I was wondering, does anybody know where to get some?

I've never had to do this before, but we need to put our goldfish to sleep and really don't want it to be gory!

Thanks.

Loopy wrote:

How did you do it?

I'm thinking I'll have to use baking soda (as per the method on Goldfish COnnection) because I can't figure out where you buy clove oil.

Try a chemist or one of those hippy health food or whatever shops.

And, I'm not so sure about the baking soda. I've inhaled CO2 before and basically it burns and makes you feel like you're suffocating...

A very sharp knive. It was terrible I do not want to do that again. I had even asked a my vet's to see if there was a way. But I didn't get to talk to one of the vets and the workers said they knew of no way.

Caper

I've inhaled CO2 before and basically it burns and makes you feel like you're suffocating...

Spot on Ira -

If you are worried about the fish you'd just whack it on the head and get it over with quickly...

If however you want to pretend to yourself that the fish won't feel being burned to death by backing soda or clove oil then go for it! -

The smell might put you to sleep but remember it will be in contact with their gills - have you ever put any kind of aromatic oil on an open cut on yourself? It stings! Now imagine having stinging oil all over the inside of your lungs...

I would defiantly prefer an unseen smack on the head personally!

Oh god that sounds awful! Well, why on earth would it be recommended as a humane way then? I certainly will not use baking soda. But as for the clove oil, everyone seems to agree that it's an anesthetic.

And yes, I HAVE put aromatic oil directly onto an open wound - there was no sensation at all - not even the slightest sting. I've used undiluted lavender oil and tea trea oil on cuts, burns and abrasions on myself with NO stinging.

Flossie (my unwell goldfish) seems to be improving, so hopefully there will be no need for any of this, but I'd rather be ready for it if the time comes.

Seems to me that chemicals and freezing would be slow and/or painful. The quickest and most foolproof method I've seen is to drop fish into boiling water (in the net if you like). Death is instant, and clean.

Oh my God!! I could never, ever do that! I don't mean to offend you, Billd, but that is NOT for me.

Seems to me that chemicals and freezing would be slow and/or painful. The quickest and most foolproof method I've seen is to drop fish into boiling water (in the net if you like). Death is instant, and clean.

Don't do that - death is not instant, in fact it is incredibly painful and cruel. If you have to kill a fish, you need to either sever its spinal column at the base of the skull with a sharp knife (difficult on small fish), or better still put it in a bag and hit it with a brick.

I do not think ANY fishkeeper could EVER go through with advice like that - it's just ludicrous. As IF you could do that!!!?? My God.

The most humane way (without vet drugs) IMO is the put it in a bag, wack bag VERY hard over table etc, put in bin.

I'm too much of a pansy for that though, did it once and just kind of can't bring myself to do it again, so I just setup a hospital tank, and let nature take its course.

I can't feed them to the Jaguar Cichlid anymore sold him on and dont want to teach my Clown Knife bad tricks.

i have used the drop on concrete and stamp method.... i am a real animal lover but couldn't put it in the freezer and keep checking to see if it was dead. would you do that to your pet cat or dog???? no you would have the vet do it.....

however you can't do that with a fish take it to the vet!!! so dropping and stamping is fast.... but not pleasent.

however my mum has a gold fish that is the lenght of my fore arm in her tank. you couldn't do a drop and stamp with a fish that size.

You can take a fish to the vet. It's just that most people don't want to spend the ~$40 on a fish that's dying.

I've taken an Oscar once, had antibiotics injected in to the spine.

sharp knife (difficult on small fish),

That is what I had to do with guppies. I can't remember now, but I think it may have been 2. Anyway, I cried for half hour before I had to do it, then another half hour after They were really weak so they weren't moving hardly at all. It was ABSOLUTELY awful

Caper

Well done for doing what you had to do to end their suffering, Caper.

I've already cried buckets over poor little Flossie and she's still alive! I do hope I don't have to euthanise her, but if I do, it's going to be quick and painless.

Thanks Kelsta

I hope Flossie gets better too!

Caper