Flushing a SALT WATER fish

[44santababy]

I'm learning that this is a cruel way to dispose of a very sick fish. How come? Doesnt the ice cold, FRESH water, violent water pressure and long trip to sewer INSTANTLY kill the fish. Your telling me a sick fish will survive all that? Thinking the cold fresh water will instantly shock it to death...am i wrong? Please explain if i am wrong. Thanks chris

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Why not just blow it up with a firecracker or cut it's head off to make sure?

 

[savage]

why not just blow it up with a firecracker or cut it's head off to make sure?

lol...funny..

 

[andylee]

Neither would it survive being left in the open air, having its scales picked off one by one. That doesn't mean it would feel good or be painless.

 

[rbtwo4]

put it in a ziplock bag w/water & bury it

 

[CHEMCHEF]

One Word. Freezer

 

[James]

One Word. Freezer

+1

putting it with some tank water in a freezer is the most humane way to go. If you want to flush it just put it in the freezer until dead first. :grouphug:

 

[tenMann2]

+1

putting it with some tank water in a freezer is the most humane way to go. If you want to flush it just put it in the freezer until dead first. :grouphug:

I'm curious to know what makes it more humane about putting it in the freezer than flushing it though? Freezer is a slow death, while flushing is more instant less suffering.

 

[44santababy]

Its not that i WANT to flush them, just wondering why people say they make it to the sewer etc... I cant see a salt water fish lasting more than 3 seconds in a toilet bowl at all!! I understand freezing is the BEST method ( most humane) I guess its just BS when people tell people it dies a slow death in the sewer system. More likely it dies a fast death once it hits that toilet water. Toilet water is COLD!! Must be instant temp. shock= death.

 

[molodets]

freezer is stupid idea and sewer is really bad idea. It won't go into shock.
Even if you try to jump into Arctic ocean, you won't die in 3 seconds... maybe 20 30 minutes.

the best way like RBTWO4 said: put it in a ziplock bag w/water & bury it

 

[andylee]

What's good about burying a ziplock bag. Freezer is probably the best way. Remember those Jack London stories about freezing in Alaska? Cold makes the mind fuzzy.

Why do you think toilet water would kill a saltwater fish instantly?

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Although I was joking those methods are still better than everything you guys are saying. Freezing it will make it die a slow miserable death. The exact same thing with burying a bag it will get cold AND die from no oxygen just slower than the freezer. Why not just try to CURE the sick fish? :smash: IF curing it is not possible then realistically you should probably just cut it's head off like they do when they catch fish for us to eat. Quick and painless. Would you rather be tortured in a meat locker or just have someone cut your head off if YOU had to die? Let's think about this.

 

[44santababy]

I never measured the temp in my toilet but i'd guess its around 40 degrees. Thats cold for a 72-78 range fish. I guess i was wrong to think once the fish hit that difference of temp. from 77 to 40 degrees would instantly shock him, if not kill him. Then adding the salinty of zero of the toilet water and that would instantly shock him. Then the actual flushing is violent (at least to a fish) would stress it to the point of death. Wow i guess these fish are immortal. I ask this because i really thought it was humane to do. I have flushed 3 fish so far that were upside down in my tank. Pretty sure when they hit the toilet water, they met their maker instantly.

 

[44santababy]

also i'm talking about a fish thats near his end, not a sick fish and def. NOT a healthy fish. A fish thats suffering and you want to end its suffering.

 

[tenMann2]

I never measured the temp in my toilet but i'd guess its around 40 degrees. Thats cold for a 72-78 range fish. I guess i was wrong to think once the fish hit that difference of temp. from 77 to 40 degrees would instantly shock him, if not kill him. Then adding the salinty of zero of the toilet water and that would instantly shock him. Then the actual flushing is violent (at least to a fish) would stress it to the point of death. Wow i guess these fish are immortal. I ask this because i really thought it was humane to do. I have flushed 3 fish so far that were upside down in my tank. Pretty sure when they hit the toilet water, they met their maker instantly.

Thats where I have to agree. Other than cutting the head off, the toilet for me would be a better option, if the size of the fish allows it. You don't want to have a clogged toilet. Putting it in a ziplock bag will just run out of oxygen before it even freezes. Another thing, what do you do after you freeze the fish, just toss it into the trash?

 

[44santababy]

truthfully, after all this discussion, i will next time (hopefully there wont be a next time soon) just chop it in half. Its sounds to me to be the quickest and most humane way. Im a guy so i have no issues filleting him. Still cant make logical sense how a SW fish lives in a toilet bowl yet sewer long enough to suffer.

 

[andylee]

Why would your toilet water be so cold? I agree that being sent through the flush cycle would be pretty violent and might kill a weakened fish that is in osmotic shock, but isn't that what you are ostensibly trying to avoid (the violence, shock, etc) and aim for a peaceful end?

 

[44santababy]

with all due respect...put your hand in your toilet. Its VERY cold, probably at 45 degrees tops. NYC doesnt heat your domestic water. lol Your purchased water heater does. And if your toilet water is heated, you are the 1 %... congratulations.

 

[BaaMNYC]

i fed mine to my anemone? is that in humane?

 

[44santababy]

yes it is.....thats nature!! Good for you to use the fish in a positive way.