12 replies to this topic

[gzeiger]

This guy's eye was injured about two weeks ago, presumably in a territory dispute. It appeared popped out of the socket. As you can see, it hasn't healed and is now all covered in fungus. I can't imagine he's going to recover at this point, and I'd hate to see the infection spread to another fish. Hard to tell from above, but this is a redbreast sunfish, about 3 inches. The turbidity isn't always there, but I cleaned the glass right before the picture and was also running a hose into the sump which was stirring up sediment.

 fungus.jpg   57.57KB   4 downloads

 

Now here is a convenient way to deal with euthanasia issues, but I wonder if there's any risk of him contracting the fungus. The sunfish is otherwise healthy, and I imagine it can't be uncommon for wild fish to catch diseased prey, but this guy is my very favorite.

 pickerel.jpg   177.72KB   3 downloads

[Josh Blaylock]

I'd say feeding it to another fish isn't worth the risk, freeze it.

[Betta132]

Do NOT freeze. In all but the smallest fish, freezing causes ice crystals to form in the body before the fish loses consciousness. Fish, being cold-blooded, take a long time to pass out from cold. 

Don't risk the fungus spreading to your plump little beauty there. Instead, crush the sunfish's skull with something heavy. Get a brick or something very heavy with a flat side, pull the sunfish quickly out of the tank with a net, put it as fast as possible on a hard surface, and drop the brick on its head. Or take a hammer to its skull. Either option instantly destroys the brain and is therefore humane. Messy, but humane. It also works on small reptiles and mice that have been injured by cats, if needed.

If you can't stomach that, clove oil is a much gentler option that gradually puts the fish to sleep and then kills it. Isolate the fish in maybe a gallon of water, shake up a few drops of clove oil in a tiny bottle of water to get it mixed, and then slowly add it. The fish will gradually stop moving, and will eventually settle onto its side and lose consciousness. When it becomes completely unresponsive to poking and disturbances, add a teaspoon or so of clove oil and leave it in the water for a few hours to be absolutely certain it's gone. A

[Matt DeLaVega]

I agree that the pickerel can probably handle it, but like Josh I just would not risk it. Never forgive yourself if it went wrong. Dispatch the fish in whatever normal manner you use.

 

 BTW, I have been very successful getting pickerel on shrimp and frozen summer collected shiners. Might make it a bit easier than feeding live. Maybe you have already done this, but just mentioning.

[littlen]

Do NOT freeze. In all but the smallest fish, freezing causes ice crystals to form in the body before the fish loses consciousness. Fish, being cold-blooded, take a long time to pass out from cold. 

Don't risk the fungus spreading to your plump little beauty there. Instead, crush the sunfish's skull with something heavy. Get a brick or something very heavy with a flat side, pull the sunfish quickly out of the tank with a net, put it as fast as possible on a hard surface, and drop the brick on its head. Or take a hammer to its skull. Either option instantly destroys the brain and is therefore humane. Messy, but humane. It also works on small reptiles and mice that have been injured by cats, if needed.

 

^wow.  Gruesome.  Fish can survive just fine with one eye.  Pluck that bad one out.  The empty eye socket will heal over and you get to keep your fish.  I would be slower to pass sentence on the fish.  If it is still acting normally and eating well, let it live.  Fish survive pretty devastating injuries.  The eye will likely come out/off on its own as it loses blood supply and you'd need not do any more than provide some salt or other prophylactics to keep the infection under control.

 

If it does stop eating and starts wasting away, then euthanasia is best. 

Pithing (using the entire knife, and more or less removing the entire head), or freezing are viable options.  I will second clove oil, or MS-222 if you happen to be in the pharmaceutical industry.  

[gzeiger]

He actually died of the injury fairly shortly after the first post, although he had seemed still active at the time.

 

I don't intend to try to get the pickerel on prepared foods. My situation allows me to support live feeding with a near-infinite supply of mummichogs. Right now I have a 100 gallon tub of feeders that I feed good pellet food daily and right before feeding the pickerel. He has more than doubled in size in 8 months.

[smbass]

Gar or bullheads are very good at getting rid of sick or unwanted fish. These are species that rarely get sick in my experience and are happy to eat just about any other smaller fish.

[Irate Mormon]

This topic has run its course, but my preferred method of euthanasia is to put the fish in a bag and whack against the side of the house.  Hard.  It works.

[gzeiger]

I thought you just put them in your tank...

[Irate Mormon]

I thought you just put them in your tank...

 

Heh, yeah, but that's a slow, painful death! 

[az9]

Wow you guys sure are a tougher breed than a koi forum i participate in. I think they morn the loss of a koi just as much as the rest of us a dog or cat!

I'm using clove oil now to euthanize the trophy fish I grow and harvest for sale to the taxidermy market. I'm amazed at how little it takes!

[gzeiger]

I did mourn this one, but I euthanize inbred carp on sight.

[az9]

I did mourn this one, but I euthanize inbred carp on sight.

LOL