Aqua-sed is based on a well tried and tested actve ingredient 2-phenoxyethanol. Aqua-sed makes anaesthesia straightforward; easy dosing with a measuring pump. Aqua-sed is also suitable for use as a fish euthanasia product (at 4x the normal dose) which will enable fish keepers to humanely euthanase seriously ill or severely injured fish.
The needs of these various tasks are different so care must be taken with all applications. The transition between stages of anaesthesia can be very rapid so great care is needed.
The individual response of a fish to an anaesthetic and its transition between the various stages is dependent on a number of factors.
- Species,
- Gill area to body weight ratio is particularly important,
- Size and weight: metabolic rate,
- Fat (lipid) content which varies with season of the year,
- Sex, maturity, diet, condition, disease
Stages of anaesthesia
stage 1 Light sedation slight loss of reactivity
stage 2 Deep sedation & equilibrium normal total loss of reactivity except to strong pressure
stage 3 Partial loss of equilibrium erratic swimming, increased gill movements
stage 4 Total loss of equilibrium reactivity only to deep pressure stimuli
stage 5 Loss of reflex & opercular movements total loss of reactivity, very shallow activity
stage 6 Medullary gasping followed by gill movements stopping
GOLDEN RULES FOR ANAESTHESIA
- Dont try to hurry the process, especially with a species that you havent anaesthetised before
- Plan it properly
- Anaesthetised fish must be watched throughout the procedure
- Dont take them deeper than necessary, inevitably the level of anaesthesia will deepen a little when the fish is removed from anaesthetic due to drug being absorbed but not yet hitting the spot. IT WILL RARELY BE NECESSARY TO GO DEEPER THAN STAGE 3-4 ABOVE.
- Take your time (same as number 1, but it is that important!)
- When you take the fish out of water for a procedure, lay it on a wet towel and cover the eyes and tail with the towel, ideally have assistance who can 'control' the fish while you do what is necessary
- Have your container of fresh water available for recovery. Its often safer and easier to use containers for recovery rather than simply immediately returning fish to the pond.
Aqua-Sed is a phenoxethanol anaesthetic. It's a liquid with a very wide safety margin and has been used for anaesthetising fish for many years (reports go back to 1943!)
Aqua-Sed also presents a significant leap forward for petfish welfare; it carries instructions on how to humanely euthanase petfish, by calmly and quietly overdosing them.