Anesthetic (MS222) Solution Preparation and Recipe

Anesthetic Solution (Buffered MS222) is commonly used to temporarily immobilize fish and amphibians.

To prepare

L of Anesthetic (MS222) Solution:

Change the value in the textbox above to scale the recipe volume

Table 1. Required components

Component	Amount	Concentration
MS222 (3-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester; Sigma-Aldrich A5040) (mw: 261.29 g / mol)	#	#
Sodium bicarbonate (mw: 84.01 g / mol)	#	#

Prepare 800 mL of distilled water in a suitable container.
Add # of MS222 (3-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester; Sigma-Aldrich A5040) to the solution
Add # of Sodium bicarbonate to the solution
Add distilled water until the volume is 1 L.
The resulting pH should be ~7.0. Store in a foil-covered container at 4°C for up to 1 mo. Warm to room temperature before use.

References

This online resource may be cited as follows

MLA	"Quest Calculate™ Anesthetic (MS222) Solution Preparation and Recipe." AAT Bioquest, Inc., 24 Oct. 2025, https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/anesthetic-solution-buffered-ms222.
APA	AAT Bioquest, Inc. (2025, October 24). Quest Calculate™ Anesthetic (MS222) Solution Preparation and Recipe. AAT Bioquest. https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/anesthetic-solution-buffered-ms222.
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