Sedation in Goldfish
Fish · Carassius auratus · typical adult weight 0.01–3.00 kg
2 cited drugs treat Sedation in goldfish: Alfaxalone, Tricaine Methanesulfonate.
Pharmacologic sedation for diagnostic procedures, minor surgical interventions, and pre-anaesthetic premedi-cation. α2 agonists (dexmedetomidine, medetomidine), phenothiazines (acepromazine), and benzodiazepines (midazolam) form the backbone of veterinary protocols.
The overview above describes Sedation across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to goldfish — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.
Alfaxalone(Alfaxan)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immersion (bath) | 6 mg/L water (immersion bath) | single immersion to effect | Contact time = immerse to the required plane. At 6 mg/L: sedation 5.89 +/- 0.40 min, light anaesthesia 13.79 +/- 1.04 min, surgical anaesthesia 19.75 +/- 1.84 min. Recovery times did not differ significantly between the three concentrations. The paper prints no maximum tolerated exposure time, so the endpoint is the anaesthetic plane, not a clock. | Sedation and surgical anaesthesia for diagnostic handling and minor procedures | Moderate | Leonardi F, Costa GL, Interlandi CD, Rosa J, Ghidelli A, Musico M. Immersion anaesthesia in goldfish (Carassius auratus) with three concentrations of alfaxalone. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2019;46(1):79-83. doi:10.1016/j.vaa.2018.08.006 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30528215/ |
Tricaine Methanesulfonate(MS-222, Finquel)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immersion (bath) | 37 mg/L water (transport sedation) | continuous immersion during transport | Contact time as printed: induction within 15 minutes, and maintenance of sedation for up to 48 hours at 24-27 C (75-81 F). The label ties the 48-hour figure to fish transport. | Sedation for transport | Moderate | SYNCAINE (tricaine methanesulfonate) powder for solution, package insert. Western Chemical Inc./Syndel. Approved by FDA under ANADA #200-226. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=73bd7576-ce0d-4d70-a625-7c492ffdbe0a |
Other conditions in Goldfish
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice. Verify against current literature before clinical use.