Today, however, with a wide variety of antibacterial medications available, as well as epsom salt, fish that have dropsy now have a chance of having a full recovery! Most of the causes of stress in the home aquarium can now be easily fixed with proper aquarium husbandry, topnotch equipment, and the right medications.
Clove oil is probably one of the most popular tools for euthanizing smaller fish, as it is readily available and easy to use. Simply mix it with a bit of warm water, then mix it slowly with the water and fish. If your container is small, you may even place it in your freezer to help your fish lose consciousness faster and die from hypoxia.
To be sure, let your fish stay in the solution for at least 15 minutes. Larger, more active fish can be euthanized safely and painlessly by administering an overdose of anesthetic.
Take note, however, that vets are the ones who can legally carry this out, as the anesthetics needed for this cannot be purchased publicly. As you prepare a space for your fish or prepare the necessary things you may need, you may want to try to keep your fish as comfortable as possible. You can try to keep loud noises to a minimum as fish are normally sensitive to noise but as they are already going through a traumatic experience limited other traumas will be beneficial.
When you are finally ready to move your fish do it with as much care as you would if the fish was going to live another few years. You are trying to prepare a safe place for it to pass calmly after all.
There can be a few reasons why you might need to put your fish down like if you accidentally put the wrong water in the tank or if the fish was bullied by another fish. Depending on the symptoms, you only have one option for your fish and that is to put it down as gently as you can. Most likely, your vet will use an anesthetic overdose and usually done to larger fish but it is possible that your vet will opt for a different method depending on their preference and the type of fish.
You can definitely take your fish to be put down at a vet if it makes you squeamish or too sad to do it yourself but as we all know, it is expensive to go to the vet for anything.
You will save more money in the long run if you learn to euthanize your fish quickly and humanely. This method is the most effective and the easiest and for squeamish people. It is also arguably the most humane way to euthanize your fish. The clove oil method to euthanize your fish only requires that you purchase a small bottle of clove oil. You can also try a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water and then adding your fish to the solution. It will take minutes for the fish to completely stop moving.
This method is much more humane than vodka and more accessible than clove oil. The method requires that you take 1-part vodka and 4 parts water and place the fish in it. The fish will pass out and die from alcohol poisoning, but I recommend trying to find clove oil instead.
I personally could never do this to my fish but if you are comfortable and willing to follow through, you might opt for this method. Lay the fish down on a sheet of aluminum foil and cover it with more aluminum foil.
You should use a blunt heavy object to strike its head as hard as you can. I recommend looking at this video warning graphic if you would like a better idea of how to do it. It is painless if done correctly but you need to know what you are doing. There is no guarantee that flushing your fish will kill it. All you are really doing to your fish is sending it to a different place to die. You are removing the responsibility from yourself. You may as well remove the water altogether. You can try to contact a local pet store to see if they will buy it off of you but what could be even better would be if you know a fellow aquarist who might like that specific fish.
You can reach out to other locals in your area who might have saltwater tanks and see if they might like free fish. Like any other pet, you should be doing your best to find your fish a new home since you took the initial responsibility of caring for it. If you read this article only to find a way to dispose of a fish you do not want, I hope you strongly consider relocating your fish to a new home that will take proper care of it.
Fish are just like cats or dogs as they trust you to care for them to the best of your ability and you accept that responsibility when you take on the hobby.
Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of how best to care for your fish that may be dying. Your fish is a part of your family and you should help to put it to rest as humanely as you possibly can.
I had to euthanize my 16 year old goldfish Hermione this evening. It was the last thing I wanted to do but she went very peacefully using clove oil. I had tried everything but to no avail. Wow, 16 years? You surely gave her a very good life for her to live this long.
I am happy to hear that she passed quickly and calmly. I hope you are doing okay! I list in the article the two methods of euthanization I think are humane. An ice water bath is not one of them. The water paramaters are PH 7. He was in a litre tank but has been moved to my 40litre quarantine tank with the same paramaters as the above tank. This article has been very helpful should the need arise that I have to put him to sleep.
Do you think this could be VHS disease? Any help would be greatly appreciated. My only knowledge of VHS comes from aquaculture. The good news is that you may not have to euthanize your angel fish. I sadly think I will need to do this to my beloved fish.
His jaw is stuck open and has gone red, bloody and swollen. I have tried many treatments but they all have failed. He cannot not eat and slowly starving to death. Every time I look at him I end up bursting into tears as I hate to see him like this. Do you think I should euthanise him?
If he cannot eat, his time is limited as it is. Whether you let him go naturally or not is up to you. However, it might be easier on you if it ends sooner rather than later. He had gotten better with treatment, then got much worse again even when being treated and complete water changes. He swims mainly near the surface and blows bubbles a lot. Sometimes behind the right Gill a bubble comes out. Is this a sign to put him down? What should I do? My almost three year old betta fish is suffering from fin rot and almost has no fins left, is completely blind, tired, sore and cannot swim.
I am really close to him and I know his personality yes fish have different ones so I know that when he refuses to eat, he has given up. Is it a gout time to but him down? I euthanized my fish with clove oil tonight. She was a betta, 2 years old with dropsy.
I euthanized only after I did everything known to man to save the fish, and to let her continue to decline was inhumane. I did mix the oil in warm water first but not until it turned white. She did however pass away with only 2 drops. I waited 10 minutes after the 2 drops then mixed and added 10 more. I waited 10 minutes after the gills stopped. You did what you had to and now she is no longer suffering. We have a goldfish that my daughter won at the fair.
He is such a sweet fish and has been a joy to watch. He would do a large yawning action every once and a while so i became concerned that he had a rock stuck in his mouth. I held him in the water with his mouth sticking out and carfully opened his mouth with a rounded pair of tweezers expecting to find something there to grab. Unfortunately, there was nothing. He goes up to food as though he is so excited and doesnt open his mouth to eat it.
He has stopped pooping as well. Im am very worried he has fully swallowed the rock and now has a blockage that will either kill him or starve him to death.
I have the clove oil and am ready to euthanize him if i need to. My question to you is, can this be used as a sedative to really get a good look in the mouth while he is sedate, or is it, that once you administer any of the oil, you are on the path to euthanasia? However, they can also excessively yawn when their tank water is poor quality, which is an early warning sign that something is not right. Have you used an aquarium test kit to determine the water parameters?
Yes, we have done daily testing and everything is within a healthy range. It is very perplexing. It is as though he is unable to open his mouth on his own to eat. Have you ever encountered this? I have only seen goldfish refuse to eat when they are terminally ill. I know it sucks, but sometimes even when we do everything right, nature has another plan.
Thank you very much for these useful and humane instructions! I have a trochus snail that is almost dead, do you know if this approach would work as humanely for a snail?
I have no experience using clove oil for snails. I do know two people who have euthanized snails before, and you are not going to like how they did it… Quickly place it in a plastic bag and hit it with a hammer. What is the best way to put a fish down that you caught while fishing out to sea and which you plan to eat for dinner? Not really that of course, just something similar, it goes to their muscles.
Which is the part we eat, in the form of fillets. The less stress your wild-caught fish experiences, the better they will taste. But we have nothing to gain from causing them pain in it, really. This being said — I love to go fishing and eat fish, and I also keep fish as dear pets, and I work at a large-scale aquarium. Fish are a big thing to me on many levels. I know the ice-water-bath was forbidden in the above article, and I do know that it would do nothing for a cold-water species for sure.
Note that it is not effective on flounder. Probably because they live in colder areas at times. I do not suggest putting them in any water as, fish large enough to eat, will quickly breathe up the good oxygen in the water and then suffocate. Suffocation seems to be a bit inevitable for fish we plan to eat, and putting clove oil in there could effect the meat. Be sure to execute the fish as soon as you make the decision to keep and eat it, as you want to prevent it from spending too much time suffering on land.
Put them directly on the ice. Not terribly comfortable but better than nothing. Stun and stab is the suggested method for dispatching fish you intend to eat. Afterwards, ice is a fine idea. But certain animals Ex: Chickens continue movement even with the head cut off, it may be that stabbing the brain does not instantly kill flounder.
I also do not claim to know everything. The nearest pet shop that would even accept him is about hours away. Do you know if mixing in vodka after the fish is unconscious will work? It always surprises people just how big plecos can grow. Mixing in vodka would be a nasty way to go. You should still be able to use a bottle of clove oil to put down a fish of this size. Just follow the steps, and keep adding it until the gills stop moving.
I used the clove oil method on him with upperdosages and it seemed like a very quiet and non stress ful way for him to go. This article helped me a lot putting him down. Thank you for your comment. I was unaware that you could also use this method for an axolotl — I have only ever used or seen it be used of fish. Hi there. I bought a house in July that has a koi pond that came with 15 koi.
I live in Iowa so I had to winterize my pond which my neighbor and previous owners assisted. I have one very large koi not doing well.
Been on his side for two days now and floating at the surface. Every time I pull him out I think he is a goner, but nope, still breathing. Thoughts on what I should do? My neighbor who has a pond and fish told me to just whack it over the head with a shovel. Your neighbor is correct with hitting it on the head with a shovel, this is the same step as stunning it as outlined in the directions above.
Hi Kelly! I have experienced this with my koi during the first few winters, and have had some successful saves with a few changes. If food is not the issue, some fish can experience shock as the temperature changes. In both cases, warming the water with a heater and adding air bubbles has helped a few of my fish.
It is always better to see them at the top rather than stuck on the ground in terms of air bladder, however with freezing and the above options may not be an option! I lost many koi my first few years, have learned so much through the errors.
Best of luck to you! Thank you for the clear instructions. My Koi angel got sick while I was out of town for five days. I tried an epsom salt soak that others recommended, but it did nothing for her. She was no longer eating and mostly upside down, so I knew I should do something. All went peacefully for both of us. That would have been an awful experience to return home to. I am not sure what is going on in my tank. But I could use some advice.
I have 4 zebra danios and 5 platys. Today I noticed that we have 2 fry platy swimming in the tank which is great! One of the platys now pregant was actually born and grew up in this tank. I put the sponge on the filter intake and all is well as far as they are concerned. While watching the new babies, I noticed something strange. One of the zebra danios looks… like his spine is broken.
It is curved like an S and there is a little red dot on the part where the fin connects to the body. He is swimming with his head lower than his back and when still, he tilts to the left, then corrects himself upright.
He is swimming around and eating okay, but the poor thing looks so uncomfortable. There is literally a crease on his side from the way it is bent. He has moments of calm and then moments where it seems like he is freaking out. The culprit: I noticed one of the red platys has what looks like a cut on her side behind her fin and another on the other side near the top of her back. This could be the mother of the two fry as she matches one of their coloration.
The platy is acting fine, she isnt swimming differently, she is eating well and seems to have won the fight if that is what happened. What is going on with my poor S shaped guy? Do you think he has a chance of recovery?
I bought the clove oil just in case…. Common symptoms is a bent or curved spine and open wounds. Unfortunately, I cannot say which is the case for your fish and you will need to do a little more research based on his symptoms. I came around to thinking that they would never die and I must euthanize them and what would be the harm in that since I take care of them.
My exhusband dad Ron Harvey flushed 5 goldfish that were healthy that my son left at his house why? I would have taken them he is just A hateful heartless person that did it out of spite because my son owed him money.
Ron should suffer the same end as causing suffering in a aminal. It takes a cold, heart less person to get off watching animals suffer. In many cases this is a sign of mental illness. These people have no regard for kindness. Probably has been like this since childhood. Yes this could be a serious mental illness. Possibly a Sociopath.
It keeps laying at the bottom of the tank and only when I try to touch it does it quickly swim up to the surface to get a breath of air. Do you think euthenizing him is the best choice? Unfortunately, I cannot make that call — only you can.
Have you asked your local fish store as to what they think it could be? Independent fish stores can be incredibly helpful when it comes to diagnosing. Tonight we put down Myrna, our 21 year old goldfish. Since then, she lost more and more gold color, her eyes went bad and her spine became crooked but overall she seemed pretty happy. It was not a happy, chasing bubbles-type thing at all.
This became more and more frequent and upsetting and I could only think that she no longer had any quality of life. Thank you for your clear step by step process using clove oil. We found the exact brand at our local healthy grocery store and followed your directions — it worked just as you described.
Of course, I cried but I feel slightly better knowing that she received the most humane end I could perform. Thank you. It sounds like you gave Myrna an amazing life. Wishing you all the best. So I have this one rainbow fish that just keeps getting ill over and over again.
Is euthanization an option here or not? Depending on his size, you can use a make shift container or anything else that holds water to treat him. If the disease has your fish past the point of return, then euthanasia is an option, but the ideal is to treat him as many diseases are curable in their early stages. Thank you so much for your advice, my large orfe was suffering from dropsy and had not been well for some time. I did not want it to die in the pond, so used clove oil as you advised.
Clove oil is readily available in the UK in Boots and is very cheap. I had him for many years and he will be missed. I hope the process was easy for you. Also, thanks for the advice on where to find clove oil in the UK. Hello, I just have a question about whether my method is inhumane or not. Keep in mind that all of my fish are under 3. I use a net to catch them, quickly put them in a baggie usually a snack size sealed with as little air and water as possible and quickly put them on the ground and stomp on it quickly and firmly.
It can be tough, but you need to have a no-nonsense attitude. It could be humane as long as you are aiming for the head — the blunt trauma here will hopefully kill them instantly. I just had to put down my first fish, like 10 minutes ago. Really, my first fish. He was a. I named him SpeedRacer because he darted around like a crazy fish. I did my best to heal him, twice over two months, but at the end, I knew I was doing it more for me than him. Rest In Peace Speed.
It sounds like you gave that Speed an amazing life — especially considering what was otherwise his fate, should anyone else have bought him. You should be proud of yourself as a fishkeeper! Holly, sorry to hear about Speed. Ian, thank you for guidance on how to euthanize my 7 years old goldfish.
I lost one two days ago and I could see the other one was not at all well and was going to die. I used the clove oil and he went to sleep and died very quickly. Both were kept in a pond with a filter. Never heard of this before. Not when there are known humane methods. Please refer to the above article for humane methods.
Hello, My Betta fish was always a very small fish from the start, but now after about 3 months , he is not eating, laying at the bottom of her tank, in the corner, and not going up for air at all. This has been happening for about a week. He has also not grown at all since we got him. Hi Stella, I would start by testing your water parameters with an aquarium test kit, this will clue you in as to whether or not you need to take things further.
I want to thank you very much for this article. I just had to put down my approx 4 year old betta and used the straight clove oil method. He did seem to fight it a bit around the ten minute mark thought he was passed out, but then started to move around in a twitching motion , are you aware of fish having residual movements as they pass? He appeared to go relatively painlessly, and of course I hope that was what happened for him. He was a good fish and will be missed. I had to use clove oil to euthanize a beloved 4 year old Betta, Leviathan, three years ago.
I suspect that he had a brain tumor. He was refusing food, swimming in circles on his side, appeared to be having seizures, and his eye began bulging. I know it may sound crazy, but he seemed to have known it was coming, and to have accepted it. The few moments before he fell asleep, he seemed more relaxed than he had for days. I really think it was way more painful for me than it was for him.
I want to thank you for this article, as I needed the unfortunate refresher; and also for helping me to remind myself that clove oil is the right choice. Thanks for sharing your story. Still, I feel for her, saying goodbye to a pet is never easy. I have done all of the things recommended and he is not improving.
I am now prepared to purchase some clove oil. Ty, Alana Stevens. You must have been a great owner, you should be really proud of your efforts. Thank you for your advice on how to euthanize a betta fish in a humane way.
I had to euthanize my betta today, and it was pretty difficult???? Saying goodbye is never easy, but rest assured that your little fishy will have passed peacefully. Today I had to say goodbye to my almost 3 year old female Jack Dempsey. A few weeks ago she was injured by swimming into the glass away from one of my Oscars. After 2 weeks in a hospital tank with frequent water changes, she decided to stop eating. After a week and half of not eating I realized today was the day.
Thank you for this blog. She went peacefully. It sounds like you did all you could. Wishing you all the best!
My boyfriend and I have two goldfish. They were both fine until we noticed one of them had managed to wound himself on an ornament in the tank. Can anyone help? Leanne Hi. I have a pond goldfish with 21 others that I think is showing similar signs with the white cotton wool appearance on its back. I searched for a solution on line and everything pointed to various forms of fungus all with a very expensive remedy which stated that the remedy might not even work!!!!
I came across this site with regrettably euthanasia in mind as a last humane option. I had an angel fish that had this same problem! It started off as a little spot that looked like a little wound on his upper back then slowly started growing fuzzy stuff on it.
Sadly he passed away before I found a solution but my other angel started showing similar signs. I have gotten rather attached to the both of them and in return, I am able to handle and hand feed them. I completely understand where you are coming from, fish soon become our own little friends with their own distinct personalities.
Letting go is never easy. Wishing you all the best in this trying time! Thank you for the info. Today I will euthanise my betta fish. I got it almost 4 years ago and is really hard to say goodbye to my fish. My fish is in a lot of pain I can see it and it make me feel so bad. Stay strong! Thank you very much for your article. We have had Bubbles, a goldfish, for four years. We have another fish in the same tank that was purchased at the same time and is thriving to this day.
Since yesterday Bubbles has been lying on the bottom of the tank barely moving. Her gills open sporadically so we know she is still alive. We leave for vacation in a few days and will be gone for a week. Thanks very much for the well-written article. This morning we said goodbye to Mr.
Not a bad run considering he started his journey with us by being won by my daughter at a school carnival. He had a tumor that made it progressively harder to breathe and eat and finally he began to suffer.
The clove oil appeared to cause no pain at all. Firstly, hats off to you for being an exceptional fishkeeper — most people who win fish from a carnival have no idea what they are in for, and before long, the fish is dead. It sounds like you did the right thing for Mr.
Lol mine lasted a night from a carnival…and now all my fish in my new tank except for three on there way to death are floating around aimlessly and staying against the filter and on the tank floor…help me…why am I so bad at taking care of little feesh. You need to cycle your tank, add an appropriate amount etc. I cover all these points in the article above. Hopefully painless way to send him on to fish heaven..
I have had him for 6yrs. Pls help.. I wonder if you can help. On Monday I found my tail spot Blenny floating on the surface of the water. I thought he was dead but on closer inspection just unable to stay upright or swim down from the surface. His gills are moving and he is looking around but not eating. Any idea what could be wrong or how to help the little guy? I have done several water changes and the parameters are fine.
Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to diagnose fish online. My Betta acted that way and she was just constipated. My poor Eve has dropsy.
At first I thought she might have eggs and was preparing to lay them. But she just got bigger and bigger. I fasted her, fed her peas, treated her with Kanaplex…twice. Now she looks like a beach ball with a tail. I hope it all goes smoothly, stay strong! So after going to 5 stores, I was finally able to find some clove oil. I gave Eve a last meal and did the deed. I found a jewelry box and we buried her in the bleeding hearts in our garden. It went very quickly as I hardly needed to give her the second dose.
That sounds like quite an ordeal — I have never had difficulty tracking clove oil down, that would have been the last thing you needed while thinking about the task you need to do. Thank you for your advice. We have a beautiful fan tail who developed a tumor on his head about 2 years ago, but was going ok. About 3 months ago his playmate in the tank started eating the tumor.
Pretty gross, but he seemed ok. We got a new plant about 2 months ago, and discovered it was hiding 6 baby freshwater snails inside. We think all the extra waste may have made our fantail sick. Perhaps the wound has got infected but no sign of this He has been lying on the floor of the tank for 2 days now.
He is twitching and gasping. I really hope I can find clove oil here in Tokyo. I will have to end his agony tomorrow. So sad.
We will have one fantail left. I will put the snails in the local pond. Will the fish be lonely, or should we get him another friend? They could grow in numbers and spiral out of control.
I know it sounds extreme, but fishkeepers have been responsible for the spread of many destructive species like this. You might save the snails but kill many other creatures in the process. I highly advise that you kill the snails. Dropping them in a bleach solution will do it. As for your betta, many fish have survived on their own and lived a full and happy life.
I think my angel fish swallowed a snail. It provides support for her. She can right herself for only seconds at a time before floating on her side. I treated her for swim bladder to no avail. What is it with snails? Thank you for this article! Unfortunately, I am not qualified to diagnose fish, you would best off posting pictures on an online forum.
I have this blue gourami. She is just mindlessly floating around the tank, she has fin rot, ammonia poisoning, and idk maybe swim bladder diesease. I was preparing to move my fish tank to my room, but forgot to put dechlorinator in and she has been doing worse and worse. She looks lifeless and is making me cry.
Do I humanely put her down, would that end the suffering? Ammonia poisoning and fin rot are often caused by a poorly kept tank. Have you been testing your water with an aquarium test kit? I have a beta fish, got him in He is started out fine and happy then with the fact that he couldnt stay afloat and he would hit the bottom of the tank.
But i dont want him to hurt …. Hi Dawn! But it sounds like he might have a case of fin rot. But there are plenty of tutorials online for treating fin rot at home! I personally upgraded his food and did a very diligent and careful one week of low dose salt water baths in a hospital tank. By air drowning. I read your blog. Hi mate I shot my fish with my air gun straight through the head do you think it would of suffered? Was one shot then it stop moving but shot it again just incase.
Was over in seconds. If you hit in in the head, the shock could possibly have stunned it and killed it in a swift motion. If you have just noticed the spots appear then there is a good chance your fish will make it. Unfortunately this cannot be guaranteed. We have a department fish, Mr. Fin we work in Finance-and he has fins who is at least 4 years old. Sleeping more and eating less, having difficulty finding the food, so we figured age related.
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