# Question about freezing fish...



## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

After I've frozen him, what do I do?
I'm scared that he'll come back to life once he defrosts when I bury him in the ground and then suffers more. I really don't want that. 

Any suggestions are appreciated!


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## Colibri (Sep 29, 2010)

You could buy some clove oil and poor it in the water. I don't know... I'm not keen about smashing his head with something. :-(


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

Well I put him in the freezer yesterday, about this time. But I read somewhere that fish can come back to life after being frozen and the defrosted. So I'm kinda worried that if I bury him in his ice cube in the ground that he'll come back to life and suffer more because he won't be in the water, he'll be in the ground.


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## Colibri (Sep 29, 2010)

If he's been in the freezer that long time... and you can't see any gill movement, he's in an ice-cube, I'm sure he won't wake up anymore. :-(


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## aleXander (Nov 16, 2010)

Interesting thread


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## bettablue (Oct 13, 2010)

why r you freezing your fish? is he dying or something?


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

Yes, dying, now he's dead. It was the only humane, easy way that I could find to euthanize him. I couldn't bare to see him suffer with dropsy any more.


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## bettablue (Oct 13, 2010)

oh I'm sorry at least he died peacefully...


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

I guess  I couldn't even put him in the cold water, nor could I watch him be put in there. Now he's just an ice cube  but at least he's not suffering.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Because bettas are cold blooded, they can occasionally come back to life after being frozen pretty much solid for a small bit. This is because their metabolism slows, though there is a chance it won't stop. If you freeze him solid long enough, he's definately dead. There are only a few species of cold blooded animals that can survive being frozen solid for extended periods of time, bettas are *not* one of them.

 Sorry you had to put him down.


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

Thanks JK, I was actually hoping you'd respond, because of your comment on someone elses post, you're the reason I was so worried! I just don't want him to suffer anymore  I'm glad to know he's not and that I can bury him now.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Oops, I didn't mean to make anyone worry.... I probably should have explained better in my other post. Sorry about that.


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## DazzleKitty (Nov 9, 2010)

Out of curiousity, what are the three species that CAN live after being frozen?

To the original poster, sorry about your betta.


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

Did you at least put him to sleep (clove oil) BEFORE freezing him? I have read that just sticking them in the freezer (when awake) is NOT humane. As it gets colder ice crystals form in all the tissues. These ice crystals have sharp edges and can cause pain. Putting them in clove oil and then dumping them in iced water is what I do.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Dazzle Kitty: >.< I can't name them off the top of my head, but most of the animals are fish, amphibians, bugs and reptiles, all of which are cold blooded.

http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazin...s/Archives/1991/When-the-Going-Gets-Cold.aspx

I can't find an exact list, but this has some species in it that can survive.


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

I didn't know that! But thanks, now I feel really bad. And definitely do not want to own a fish for a long while. Thanks dazzlekitty.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

I know frogs can survive being frozen, but that's the only one I can think of.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Metal: I just did a bit more looking to find an exact list, and some frogs can be frozen solid during winter .

HankBetta:  Don't feel so sad, you didn't know, and right now he's in a better place. Personally I think what you did was better than let him live and suffer.


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

Thanks JKfish


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## LikeDiscoSuperfly (Oct 18, 2010)

I thought that only goldfish/koi things like that could come back to life after being frozen. I could be way wrong, heard that somewhere once.

but with thinking that, it would seem like tropical fish couldnt come back.


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## Feral (Sep 19, 2010)

Some arctic species do have a genetic ability to survive sub freezing temps (cell walls rupture as cellular water becomes ice crystals and expand) but Bettas would not have this. Your Bettas internal structure is now mush. 

Sorry for your loss, but I think you chose well- freezing to death is believed to be painless, maybe even pleasant past a certain point if you can believe human accounts.


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## Hankbetta (Aug 11, 2009)

Thank you


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