COMMON DISEASES IN FRESH WATER FISH

* EUTHANASIA:

It may sometimes be necessary to kill fish which are suffering as a result of an incurable disease or from a serious injury.

The decision whether to put a fish out of its misery or keep it alive in the hope that it may recover is often a difficult one to make. In some cases it may be worth seeking expert opinion by taking the fish to a reputable aquarium store or veterinary surgeon - however the additional STRESS involved in disturbing and transporting the fish may itself be unkind, or even the final straw as regards to possible survival.

Unacceptable Forms of Euthanasia

It is considered cruel to kill a fish by the following methods:

1. flushing them alive down the toilet
2. removing them from the water until death occurs
3. plunging them into boiling water
4. slowly chilling them (with or without water) (note: this method is still commonly advocated in the aquarium literature, but is now considered to cause the fish unnecessary pain.)
5. breaking the neck, without subsequent destruction of the brain
6. mixing caster oil + in water -> pain less death 

Safe Disposal of Carcasses

The aquarist should take responsibility for the safe and hygenic disposal of fish carcasses.  The dead fish should first be wrapped in newspaper or absorbent tissue and then placed in a lead-proof plastic bag for domestic disposal.  Alternatively, it can be burned, or buried in the garden.  Never feed diseased dead (or live) fish to other fish as certain pathogens can be transmitted by this route.  Similarly, do not flush dead fish down the lavatory as this could conceivably result in the infection of native fish with exotic pathogens.