End of life

Sadly, there are times when euthanasia is the only humane course of action for our sick fish. Dr Caraguel of the University of Adelaide, an expert on fish behaviour and disease provides some dos and don’ts when euthanising fish at home.

Do not:

• Flush fish down the toilet or drain – even if they are dead. This can introduce diseases into our native fish populations and negatively impact the ecological balance of the local environment.
• Slow chilling or freezing of unanaesthetised fish. Ice crystals form in the flesh of the fish before they become unconscious which causes extreme pain.
• Removing them from water to suffocate.
• Expose them to caustic chemicals.

• Overdose of anaesthetic using prolonged immersion in AQUI-S (or clove oil) for longer than 10 minutes after the cessation of eye movements
• Mechanical methods – piercing the brain with a sharp instrument then cutting the gills to bleed the fish