# Clove oil



## Thaim (Feb 6, 2015)

Where do i get it?? I want to hunanely euthenize some fish... I have a few fry with deformaties and stunted growth.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

any drug store that sells essential oils, save on foods............


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## Shrimpette (Feb 17, 2015)

I got mine from the pharmacy at Save on Foods. Just ask at the counter.


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## Rogo (Mar 1, 2015)

I'm going to make a suggestion that sounds horrific, but it is very humane. If you have one, you can pour the fry into a garburator. I know it sounds gruesome but is very humane because it's instantaneous. 

Clove oil causes the fish to lose consciousness and die from hypoxia. To me, there is still some potential suffering because the fish has to breathe the clove oil, which may irritate its gills, and it still takes a significant amount of time for them to die. There is also the shock of changing to water with different water parameters (PH, temperature, oxygen content)

Just my thoughts... again, I'm not discrediting this method. I'm just sharing what I consider to be the most humane way to euthanize a small fish.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Cut the head off with a sharp knife. Clove oil\freezer may be sound nice, but it's probably more so for our thoughts than their loss of life. Don't need to be a chef to do it.


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## Thaim (Feb 6, 2015)

Rogo said:


> I'm going to make a suggestion that sounds horrific, but it is very humane. If you have one, you can pour the fry into a garburator. I know it sounds gruesome but is very humane because it's instantaneous.
> 
> Clove oil causes the fish to lose consciousness and die from hypoxia. To me, there is still some potential suffering because the fish has to breathe the clove oil, which may irritate its gills, and it still takes a significant amount of time for them to die. There is also the shock of changing to water with different water parameters (PH, temperature, oxygen content)
> 
> Just my thoughts... again, I'm not discrediting this method. I'm just sharing what I consider to be the most humane way to euthanize a small fish.


Yikes. Sounds gruesome. I dont think the fiance would even allow me to do that lol


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## Thaim (Feb 6, 2015)

effox said:


> Cut the head off with a sharp knife. Clove oil\freezer may be sound nice, but it's probably more so for our thoughts than their loss of life. Don't need to be a chef to do it.


I dont know if im comfortable with that.. hah. Maybe a simple flush diwn the toilet would suffice...


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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

I still say the best way to cull em out is to feed them to something bigger, that loves to eat fish fry. All my deformed bristlenose fry, and african fry, go right into the all male african tank. In the wild the fry form part of the natural food chain.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

Thaim said:


> I dont know if im comfortable with that.. hah. Maybe a simple flush diwn the toilet would suffice...


I think flushing is the worst form of euthanasia. I've read that clove oil or decapitation is best.


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## LithiumRain (Mar 7, 2015)

The fact of the matter is that no one truly knows if fish suffer when you use clove oil, as they have no real way of expressing themselves to us. Flushing is terrible for some pretty obvious reasons. Freezing seems pretty bad to me as well, the fish would definitely be alive for some time in the freezer. Decapitation sounds gruesome to me but in principle it should be quick and painless, however I could personally never do that, I just don't have it in me. Clove Oil is supposed to be the most humane but again, there is no way of knowing with absolute certainty if the fish is suffering during this process.


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## Shrimpette (Feb 17, 2015)

I googled quite a bit when I had to euthanize a krib and clove oil sounded the most humane to me, though if it was really quick a sharp knife would probably do as well.

There are some articles and papers out there that suggest clove oil is acceptable.

http://freimann.nd.edu/assets/115705/iacuccloveoilaneseuth13.pdf

(from Freimann Life Sciences Center at the University of Notre Dame)

one thing with clove oil is that you can add it to a cup with their tank water in it, so you're not exposing them to the discomfort of trying to breath out of water. they just go to sleep as you slowly up the dose to lethal amounts.


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## Thaim (Feb 6, 2015)

Plumberboy said:


> I still say the best way to cull em out is to feed them to something bigger, that loves to eat fish fry. All my deformed bristlenose fry, and african fry, go right into the all male african tank. In the wild the fry form part of the natural food chain.


Unfortunately, I don't have any fish big enough to eat them. I have discus but they are discus fry and I don't want them to grow a habbit of eating the fry..


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

If you have the stomach for it, simply stomping it under your foot or crushing it with something heavy is as humane as anything. Put it in a baggie to avoid a mess. Not an ideal solution if you are squeamish, but better for the fish than flushing. I once used clove oil on a pleco with tumors, then froze it after it was dead, just to be sure. Freezing alone is not a great idea.


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## AquaAddict (Dec 4, 2010)

*Fridge*



TomC said:


> If you have the stomach for it, simply stomping it under your foot or crushing it with something heavy is as humane as anything. Put it in a baggie to avoid a mess. Not an ideal solution if you are squeamish, but better for the fish than flushing. I once used clove oil on a pleco with tumors, then froze it after it was dead, just to be sure. Freezing alone is not a great idea.


I was told by J&L staff that the best way t euthanize them is to put them in the fridge. They simply go to sleep. So, that is what I do.

I would be interested to know if anybody can back that up - or refute it. Always trying to learn.

AquaAddict


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I was able to find it at a regular pharmacy, but I got Clove oil from Choices. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Grete_J (Oct 5, 2010)

You can pick up clove oil and other essential oils at Voyageur Soap and Candle on Hwy 10.



AquaAddict said:


> I was told by J&L staff that the best way t euthanize them is to put them in the fridge. They simply go to sleep. So, that is what I do.
> 
> I would be interested to know if anybody can back that up - or refute it. Always trying to learn.
> 
> AquaAddict


If that were the truth, then we wouldn't be using CO2 to euth feeder rodents. Freezing animals is one of the most inhumane ways to euthanize a living being.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I know I wouldn't want to die of hypothermia, even if I just up until I was in shock and didn't feel the lights go out.


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

I know clove oil is used sometimes as an anaesthetic for fish. In a smaller dose, fish go into a non responsive state from which they can be revived. I would imagine in stronger doses they don't come out of it. In this regard, it would seem quite humane...not that I am assuming to perceive the subjective state of a fish. I have just seen it used at salmon hatcheries on wild steelhead.


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## davefrombc (Apr 21, 2010)

Since fish don't regulate their body temperature above or below the water temperature ( they are ectothermic), I doubt they feel any pain from falling body temperature to the point they die. As far as clove oil is concerned, does it really anesthetize the fish or just render them immobile? I don't know of any study done on fish brains while being anesthetized with clove oil to see just what effect it has on them. No, I cannot recommend any "most humane" method of euthanizing fish .. all methods mentioned have their adherents, and all are relatively quick or instant .


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