Euthanizing a fish?

[MizTanks]

In what manner do you find to be the most humane way to euthanize a dying fish?

[MyNemesis]

Put it in a bag of tank water and put it in the freezer. Slows the fish metabolism while freezing and it is said the fish doesn't suffer.

[dlhirst]

Flush it down the toilet... the ride's gotta be a treat!

[Chris]

1st, why euthanize it to begin with?

2nd, flushing a live fish down the toilet is not human at all, some SW fish can actually live for a fairly long amount of time in FW so by flushing it your subjecting it to a ****ty death..... litterally!

IMO the most human is the quickest, and theres not really much quicker then cutting the head off.... although it will suffer for a second while it gasps for air until the deed is done. The frozen method may be more human to some, but IMO freezing to death isn't exactly human, yes it slows them down after a while but their body slowly shuts down, although you don't have to watch it since it is done tucked away in the freezer, but it isn't a quick pain free process either.....

[rmalone]

Agreed, flush being ridiculous. People flush or use the freezer because they don't have the stones to do the deed with their hands and they don't have to view it. Out of sight and clean hands =out of mind I suppose. A hard blow to the top of the head with any hard object is the least messy and quickest. Pretty much the best way to kill anything is shut down the brain.

[Rabidgoose]

Originally Posted by MyNemesis

Put it in a bag of tank water and put it in the freezer. Slows the fish metabolism while freezing and it is said the fish doesn't suffer.

+1 It's like falling asleep I am told.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Rabidgoose

+1 It's like falling asleep I am told.

I really don't buy that idea.... it takes it a little while to freeze and eventho yeah it might slow it down during the process it doesn't immediately slow them down, nor does it quickly kill the fish. If you think this idea is good, try to find a restaurant (granted it probably wont be a clean one that worries about health codes that will allow you to do it) and go sit in their deep freezer for say 10-15 minutes w/o a coat.... You should be able to live through that, but probably wont enjoy it much, I dont really imagine it would be much more fun/ relaxing for a fish to do either.... it will probably take longer then 10-15 minutes for your body to really start shutting down, but if you wait long enough it will.... so would that still be like falling asleep??

IMO human = quick, and as pain free as possible, freezing to death doesn't sound either of those.

[MizTanks]

I've read about many using the freezing method. Then of course I had to go and research *hypothermia* as it pertains to humans. Not the worst way to go but can be painful if you don't lose your mind first

I've also read about using *clove oil* as a way to put them to sleep? Anyone else hear/read about this method?

[Sir Patrick]

I thought the cold water in a toilet bowl throws the fish into instant shock, and it dies fairly quickly after that. I was always told that is what makes the process a humane way to euthanize a dying fish.

Its a bit old school....It could be wrong, but makes sense to me.

[jimsflies]

Prolly my method isn't very humane, but I usually just stick it in an anemone and it gets eaten. At least this method seems to work for smaller fish. I could see it not working out for larger fish though.