Sometimes there will come a time where you will need to put your goldfish to sleep to treat them. For this you can use clove oil which will put your fish to sleep so you will be able to treat any goldfish diseases or bacterial infections they may have. Myself, on larger fish such as koi I like to put them to sleep so I can treat the infected area directly. For most people, especially if your worried in doing this procedure I would stick with the normal fish medications that you can buy for treatment.
The reason that you put the goldfish to sleep is so they won’t feel anything during the treatment and so they will be easier to handle. For people who have large goldfish or koi that have ulcers I strongly suggest putting your fish to sleep to treat it. By doing so you can get a greater handle on the issue by applying treatment directly to the area.
How To Put A Goldfish To Sleep With Clove Oil:
1. Get a bucket and fill it with some water from your aquarium or pond.
2. Catch your fish and place them in the container.
3. Introduce your fish to the container and add in your clove oil. For this procedure you should add 10 drops per 1 gallon of water. Within 5 minutes or less you should see your goldfish starting to lye on its side. Wait till he is fully asleep before your pick them up.
After your fish is put to sleep using clove oil, now you can begin treatment on your fish. After your done treating your goldfish you will need to revive the fish and wake him up. To do so you will need to pick up your fish and place them by a heavily aerated section in your aquarium or pond. In your aquarium you can place his head right over the bubbles of an air stone and gently rock the fish’s head back and forth so it’s gills open. This will allow oxygen to enter and slowly start to revive your fish. This can take up to 10 minutes for your goldfish to be completely revived. During this stage don’t worry, you will see its gills open and shut so it’s still alive.
Putting a fish to sleep is highly recommended in cases where fish has ulcers and is needed during surgical removal of tumours. I know it’s always scary the first time trying new things but I’ve done this many times and I have yet to lose a fish from putting them to sleep (knock on wood)with clove oil. So whenever your fish get sick you might just have the right stuff in your home to put them to sleep. Give it a try! Just make sure you don’t accidentally overdose on clove oil, as this can kill your fish with larger amounts.