# To euthanize or not to euthanize..



## Capricorn

How long do you (if you have) wait to decide whether or not to euthanize a fish?

Stormrunner's been rapidly deteriorating from yesterday to today.. right now he's in a hospital tank in three inches of water, lying on his side on the bottom. He only moves to come up for air, and when he does he jerks around trying to make it to the surface. I've already lowered his water level once already.. when he's grabbed a gulp of air he just falls back to the bottom.

I'm not sure what even happened.. he was fine the day before yesterday. I did a 20% change when he looked funny and tested the water.. the ammonia was way up even though I had just changed it two days previously. Yesterday I did a 40% change, and this morning when he was propping himself up on plants to stay up I removed him and put him into the hospital tank. I did another 20% change on the tank.

This whole time Nettle, his tankmate, has shown no signs of illness or abnormal behavior.

He hasn't shown much improvement over the course of the day.. right now he's lying on his side over a silk leaf, motionless. His fins are dark black still, but the marbled portion on his body is pale. I don't know whether he's in pain or not, but he isn't doing well.

How long until I should make the call, and what can I do that won't cause him any pain? His water will get changed tomorrow to keep it clean, and I really don't know if there's anything else I can do for him.

Sorry for the long post.. I don't want to lose him (no one ever wants to lose a pet) but I don't want him to suffer and die slowly, either. I feel crushed that something so dependent on me for life is withering away right next to me.

Thanks for any advice, in advance.


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## TaylorW

I am so sorry about your fish!!   

I don't know much about euthanasia, but I have found a thread on it if you have to do it :/ I really hope you don't though, I hope he gets better! Good luck to you and your fishy Capricorn!!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/an-overview-of-euthanasia-73775.html


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## Alex09

I cant say when you know for sure but it sounds like maybe it is time 

I have had to euthanize sick fish before. The way I did it:
1. Place fish in water with clove oil mixed into it. This will make them fall asleep
2. Place a (plastic) bowl of water in the freezer. Once the surface starts solidifying with ice, take it out, break the ice, and net the fish into the ice-water. 

probably best to do #1 when you have #2 ready.

I had to do this a few times when some fish in the family tank were infected with dropsy. Death was instantaneous. None of them so much as twitched. When you see absolutely no gill movement you know they are dead.


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## Colibri

Oh, I'm so sorry Capricorn. I read the other thread you wrote a few days ago, I really feel bad that he didn't get better and only got worse. If you think and see he's suffering, I would say that euthanasia would be the best thing to do. Just, whatever you decide, do it in a human way. Those stupid ideas like flushing, decapitating, throw it to the floor... that's not euthanasia, that's barbarism. I don't like either the cold/hot water thing (when they're still awake...). Anything that involves taking the fish out of the tank and "do it"... it really breaks my heart to think the shock, stress fear they would have.
In my opinion... the clover oil is the most "humane". I like to think they only "get asleep". 

I of course hope... the little guy makes it.

Best luck!

Edit: What Alex09 suggests... that's the same thing I would do.


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## TaylorW

If you read the thread it said it was listed from LEAST humane to Most humane! Most humane is at the bottom. Just clarifying, didn't mean to freak anyone out!


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## Capricorn

This is actually a different fish.. e.e Skyshatter recovered just fine from his ordeal. This just happened within the last two days, I was hoping that cleaner water would help him perk right up but it doesn't look like it's going to work this time.. 

I'll see how he is in the morning, I can't do anything right now.. I can barely see him breathing as-is. If he hasn't improved I'll look for some clove oil.

I always read around where other users had to do this and always thought "well I'm glad I won't have to do that".

Some irony there, huh.


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## TaylorW

I'm sorry about your fish :/


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## Colibri

I thought it was the other one... both had "S" as first letter, he!

It's so terrible when this kind of thing happens without a warning and the deterioration is fast... I just hate it.


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## Capricorn

It seems as though he's saved me the heartbreak of doing it myself.. woke up this morning and he was gone. I still don't know what it was.. maybe old age, maybe something else, but it happened so fast.

RIP to my baby.


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## Comatose

I'm so sorry about your fish. The only time I would euthanize is if you think he is suffering and if you don't think he will get better.


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## peaches3221

oh, no! I'm so sorry!  and he was so pretty, too! (he was the one in your avatar, right?) RIP Stormrunner


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## Capricorn

He was the one that's currently my avatar, yeah.

Nettle is still fine as of this morning, so I want to think that it was just his time to go. Nothing else in their tank seems out of order, I can't find an explanation for it. As long as he's not hurting anymore, I can accept that.


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## TaylorW

Awww, I am so sorry!! At least you didn't have to do it your self, he must have just been ready to go.... I am so sorry for your loss


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## Colibri

I'm so sorry Capricorn. He was a handsome fish. Always remember him in the good days, not like he was in his last two.  

RIP Stormrunner


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## Adastra

Sorry for your loss.  

To chime in on the euthanasia issue, though--it is a very personal decision and it's really not something that anyone online can advise you on since we are not there and we cannot see when you're seeing. However, generally, I think it's best to euthanize when the fish cannot eat/has no will to eat, has difficulty breathing, and difficulty swimming. These three things seriously affect their quality of life, particularly eating and breathing. There are some curable conditions that cause loss of appetite, mainly internal parasites, but if the fish continues to show no will to eat after treatment, it's best to put them down. Conversely, if the fish continues to eat as they are deteriorating, I believe they are still showing you their will to live, so in that case, I would hold off. 

As for the best euthanasia techniques--the only two I would use are the clove oil/eugenol or finquel method, or blunt force trauma. Blunt force trauma (i.e. crushing the fish in one quick blow with a blunt object such as a brick) can be quite traumatic for the owner, but it is a very quick and merciful death. It can be a viable option for people who cannot find finquel or clove oil/eugenol. Finquel is an anesthetic designed for use in fish and can be ordered here: http://www.nationalfishpharm.com/ The only local place I've been able to find clove oil/eugenol is GNC: http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2274024&kwCatId=


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## Capricorn

Thanks Ada. I think clove oil would be hard enough for me, let alone blunt force trauma. e.e I'll remember this for if I ever (though hopefully not) come across something else like this again. Had he still been around today I feel that it would have been best for him to be put to sleep.

Thanks to everyone else as well for your opinions and words of advice, it means a lot. My parents are being sympathetic to me, but I think it really takes a fish keeper to understand that it's just like losing a cat or dog.

Thanks to all of you again, I mean it.


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