Euthanizing with MS-222

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1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

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While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Brondo
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:45 pm
My Puffers: 4.5 year 16ish “ Fahaka puffer
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Euthanizing with MS-222

Post by Brondo »

Hi.
I have a 15" Fahaka Puffer that I have been trying to save for the past 3 months and the time has come to let him go. He is suffering and deteriorating in a way that is not ok. I need to do what is best for him. In my efforts to help him get better I had to sedate him with Clove Oil once to tube feed him, which was awful and once with Tricane/MS-222 which was much, much better so I am thinking and overdose of Tricane would be better than the suffocation of Clove oil? Has anyone ever done this before? I have read about it saying 10 - 30 min at 250mg/l but larger fish may need to be removed and then a concentrated solution might need to be flushed over the gills until deeply out followed by a secondary method of euthanasia.. as in physically.
I can't do that. I am crying as it is thinking about doing this.

I am just wondering if anyone has done this before. I am dreading this. But I don't want my buddy to suffer anymore. This is just terrible..
Any advice is welcome. I plan to do this tomorrow.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Euthanizing with MS-222

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'm so sorry! How old is he?
I overdosed my 19-year-old fahaka with clove oil. He exhibited the same symptoms.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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