# Should I put down my Swordtail today?



## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Hi. My female Swordtail, Auraques, hasn't eaten in almost a week. She has been in my 1.5 gallon hospital tank for the last 8 hours. She has suffered from multiple cases of mouthrot (that stuff comes back everytime I take it off of the fungus medication). Right now she just sits on the bare floor of the hospital tank upside-down. She doesn't swim execpt when I scrare her (which isn't on purpose). I hononestly think she doesn't have any kind of a chance whatsoever.

Should I put her down? This wouldn't be the first time I've had to put down a fish. I want to give her every chance I give I can give her, but I don't want to be cruel. This thread doesn't really require expertise, just opinion. I want to be the best fish owner I can be. Sorry for such a diffecult topic. Opinions will be appreciated. Thanks.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

so many days without food and in a different environment with meds must have zapped out all her energy.i think it's very slim it will survive.putting it to sleep maybe a good idea


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

Try feeding her fry food. Very small fry food. The mouthrot can be a huge pain when trying to feed so maybe very small food can help.
But if you way the rot comes back again and again... Perhaps mercy is the best way to go about it... Just make sure it does not hurt and it is fast.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Hello everyone. I've tried feeding her today. Everytype of fish food I had. Right now she is extremely darty. First real movement since I netted her out of my 10 gallon tank. I think it is the direct sunlight. Not ideal but the only place in my room for a hosptital tank. She still hasn't eaten anything. Maybe her boost in activity will give her the strength she needs to eat.

I don't want to get anybody's hopes up, though. She still seems so confused and "out of it." I am using Jungle Fungus Clear. It gets my fish active again but it is basicly like life support to my tank. Once the medicine wears off, back to mouthrot.:-( This method is getting old. If anyone has ever treated mouthrot I would like to know how you cured it. Thanks.

I will most assuredly post if any progress is made. Thank you all for posting so far. Your imput is appreciated.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

i use the intrepet range for severe cases of fungus or fin rot and it has worked wonders for me. imo pls stay away from melafix.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

It was hard to understand that last post. I, being relatively new to TFK and fish forums in general, aren't very good with abbreviations.

Did you want me _not_ to use Melafix? I have but I haven't used it yet. And I didn't understand the part about the "intrepet range for severe cases of fungus or fin rot." Sometimes I don't get things the first time, but I am still relatively new to fish (June 15th 2010).

I belive time for suggestions is quickly running out. I will probably put her down tonight if I can't find out a way to improve her situation. Thanks for all the post so far! I will post back if the situation improves.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

imo means in my opinion and yes i din't want you to use melafix. i do hope things go well.


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## buzzbee (Oct 8, 2010)

i vote you take care of the fish live until it dies of natural causes


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

poor fish i gonna suffer a lot =S


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Hi, guys. Auraques is still alive. I don't she will die of the diesase, I think if I let her live she will die of starvation. I plan on putting her down sometime tomorrow morning if nothing improves. Any opinions will be considered and appreciated. Thanks.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

you can look for an anesthetic to put her down.i keep a bottle just in case


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Hello. I will probably put my swordtail down within the next 2 hours. What is anesthetic? 
And where can I find it? Is it a painless method?

I have, in the past, filled a cup up with ice and let it sit. The sudden change in tempreture will kill them in seconds. Supposedly, The extreme cold numbs the fish and they don't feel any pain. Does this sound like a good idea?

If anybody would like to write thier opinion, it will probably be too late for my swordtail, but maybe I can use it if I ever have to put down another fish (which hopefully I won't have to). Any imput or opinions are appreciated. (You can send me a Private Message if you don't want to post it)

Thanks!


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

Don't think the frozen water really makes the fish feel no pain. He might not move but not because he is in no pain.
IMO the best method(even if it sounds gore and somewhat sadistic) is to cut his head of in one fast strong knife chop.
That is instant and he will feel no pain.
Anaesthetic is a "drug" that i used to put people to sleep before an operation. But i am guessing that is not easy to buy since it's a dangerous substance and you can overdose on it. Might find it in a drug store but you will prolly need a prescription.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

I am sorry, but I think cutting Auraques head off would hurt me more than dropping Aruaques in ice would hurt her. I don't like to refuse advice but I think if I had to cut my fish that I have had for the last five months would just make me sick.

Well, I guess due to my lack of Athetics (and stomach:-(), I guess this time I will be useing my ice method. Painless or not (not that I want it to be painful _at all_) it will end the fishes life in seconds (less than 5). Due to lack of time, I will put down my fish within just afew minutes. Thanks for any opinions and suggestions!


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## FishMad (Sep 28, 2010)

The quickest and most humane way of putting fish out of their misery is to put them into the freezer. The intense cold puts tham to sleep almost instantly and they feel no pain.

If you ask your LFS or Qualified Aquariust they will tell you the same thing. We see our LFS having to put many fish to sleep this way.

So sorry to hear of your fishes ill health and inevitable death please, ensure you put him to sleep in a painless way. Chopping his head off sounds mortifying to me, I most certainly could never bring myself to doing that.

Good luck with it, let us know how you are going.


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

There is nothing painles about freezing. What hapens is that ALL her muscles will instantly contract(that is as painful as it gets) and she will not be able to move at all. Death does not come that fast and there is also a feeling of sufocation since all muscles are contracted.
Sick and gruesome as it may sound cuting her head of is way more pain free than having your whole body contract at once.
I had the bad luck of falling in almost freezing water while i was kayaking on mountain river, the pain i felt as my body started to contract is hard to put into words. I would rather go to a dentist and ask him to pull my teeth out one by one without painkiller rather than "taste" freezing cold water on my whole body again. Heck, i'd rather pull my teeth with my own hand than fall into that kind of water again.
But it is up to you. Good luck with puting your fish to sleep.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Hello everybody. Sorry for the delayed notice but. Aruaques was put down yesterday at 7:37am.

Unfortunatly, it didn't go as well as I was hoping. It probably took over 30 secounds in the nearly freezing water. Sorry Redknee, I didn't see your post until today. I no longer recomend freezing water as a humaine way to put down a fish.

If anybody has anymore suggestions, feel free to send me a private message or post.

Thank you TFK community for helping me through this diffecult expirience.

Your Friend,
Small fry


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

I was actually waiting for your post to see how it went down. Glad tho that she is not in pain anymore.


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

well emotions aside, freezing was probably much better than letting her starve, 30 seconds of suffering is already far less then a couple more days of suffering.

Kitten, why not Melafix? I have used it on cases of cotton mouth before and its worked fine for me. I was told it was a weaker but better option since its supposed to have a lot of natural ingredients that benefit fish even when the ones that aren't sick...


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Sorry about your swordtail  It's never easy to put down a fish IMO. I agree that I couldn't chop off my fish's head (no offense Redknee). Here's the method I use.

Clove oil, or eugenol, is available at most drug stores and is sold as a toothache remedy. It has been used for years as a fish anesthetic for surgeries and tagging procedures. Clove oil will put a fish to sleep and ensure it feels no pain. The fish can wake up from this sleep if removed from the clove bath, however. The last step of adding the vodka will ensure the fish expires. 
Here are the steps for fish up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) in length:
*1.* Add tank water to a measuring cup or mixing bowl. Measure the amount of tank water you add to the cup or bowl and make a note of it. Place the fish in the container. If the fish is in a clear cup, place a dark towel around the cup to calm the fish. 
*2.* Fill a small, clean jar or bottle with *tank water*, leaving some room at the top. You might use a baby food jar or pill bottle. Put *1 drop of clove oil* in the jar or bottle, cap, and shake vigorously. The clove oil should emulsify, turning the water milky white.
Gently pour about *1/4 of this emulsified mixture* into the fish's container. The fish will begin listing as it starts to fall asleep. Let the fish be for about 10 minutes. 
The fish should be resting on the bottom of the tank when it has fallen asleep. It will look dead, but if you watch closely, its gills will be breathing once every few seconds. If after 10 minutes the fish is still rising off the bottom and swimming intermittently, retrieve the jar or bottle of emulsified clove oil, re-shake, and add the same dose to the fish's container. Wait again.
*3.* Once the fish is asleep on the bottom, add *20-25% white grain alcohol*. For example, if the fish is in 8 oz (240 ml) of water, add 2 oz (60 ml) of vodka. Let the fish stay there for at least 20 minutes.
*4.* Check the fish carefully after 20 minutes for any gill movement. *If there is no gill movement over a 60 second period, the fish has expired*.


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

None taken Romad, to be honest i wanted to suggest shooting the fish if not with a normal gun with a BB gun, both work just fine but since not everyone has guns or BB guns i suggested the next fast and pain free method. Used this method for killing large fish when i went fishing and wanted to keep one or two fish(like big bass, catfish, carp, etc).
I like fast kills, that way you can be 100% sure there was no pain. It just seems to me that all that time it takes you to prepare the clove oil thing, mixing and shaking is time that the animal spends in pain.


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

Well according to myth-busters any kind of sudden shock to a contained body of water will cause the vibrations to severely damage fish swim bladders. They were testing "shooting fish in a barrel" and found out that if u fir a bullet into a barrel with fish in it, you might hit one but all the fish will die. I would imagine it to be extremely painful 2 second death...

Also, the extra work done to put a fish down could be interpreted as a form of empathy since it kinda shows remorse and understanding of the fact that the euthanizer is about to take an animal's life.


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

SinCrisis said:


> Well according to myth-busters any kind of sudden shock to a contained body of water will cause the vibrations to severely damage fish swim bladders. They were testing "shooting fish in a barrel" and found out that if u fir a bullet into a barrel with fish in it, you might hit one but all the fish will die. I would imagine it to be extremely painful 2 second death...
> 
> Also, the extra work done to put a fish down could be interpreted as a form of empathy since it kinda shows remorse and understanding of the fact that the euthanizer is about to take an animal's life.


Lol. You do not shoot it in the tank, jeez.
The extra work to put it down is just time the animal spends in agony. I can find no empathy in prelonging pain.


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

well i think romad's method is a lot like putting a fish on morphine and then pulling the plug.. I dont think there's more time spent in pain than just chopping the fish's head off or shooting it... Also, i like to think that if i were to be put down, i would want a peaceful death, not gun in the face or guillotine... so i would extend that sentiment to the animals i keep.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Redknee said:


> Lol. You do not shoot it in the tank, jeez.
> The extra work to put it down is just time the animal spends in agony. I can find no empathy in prelonging pain.


LOL. Hopefully no-ones ever tried that one.

Any time we have to euthanize no matter what the method it's a pretty crappy experience. And when using the clove oil/vodka method, some of the vodka is reserved for me prior to putting the fish down.


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

Romad, its how dynamite fishing work. The stick of dynamite send shockwaves so powerful that it kills all the ffish around it and they float to the top to be collected.


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## eileen (Feb 24, 2009)

*Fish for a small tank*

Sorry about your swordtail. I hate putting fish down. I would never chop off the head of any fish. That would make me feel so bad. We all have had to put fish down at one time or another and it's sad if you have a fish for 1 week or several years as they are our pets just like any other pet that we love.

If your tank is only 10 gal. A swordtail is not the fish for such a small tank.Maybe a 20 gal. is better for a fish that size. I would suggest getting endlers, smaller in size then guppies, Betta or a small schooling fish like some kind of tetra. I have had great luck with Harlequen Rasboras as they are very hardy for a tetra. A small group of 3-5. Red cherry shrimps do well in a small tank also with endlers if the intake is covered with a netting to pervent the fish from getting sucked in. Maybe a Mystery snail to make the small tank interesting.If you like livebearers just so you know Platies are really pretty but they are big waste producers and you must to water changes offen because of this also livebearers produce babies every month so if you do not have a spare tank to raise the babies go with male only as females are always pregnate and can produce babies for several months with out a male if you get them at a pet store.

Sorry again about your Swordtail. I hope you find a replacement for him but wait awhile before getting any new fish as you do not want the new fish to get the disease that your swordtail got until the water tests check out fine .


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

what??? waste a bullet just to put down a fish.you gotta be kidding me.the anesthetic isn't bought from the pharmacy but the lfs.i used it to put my arowan to sleep before doing a minor operation on him.


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## Redknee (Feb 21, 2010)

kitten_penang said:


> what??? waste a bullet just to put down a fish.you gotta be kidding me.


It's just a bullet, i didnt say you need to throw the gun away afterwards! :lol:


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

lol the cops might come knocking at the door


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## fish1983 (Aug 27, 2010)

kitten_penang said:


> i use the intrepet range for severe cases of fungus or fin rot and it has worked wonders for me. imo pls stay away from melafix.


why do you recommend not using melafix?? ive used it before for cuts, abrasions and wounds of sorts and had very good results... whats your opinion on the matter


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

well this owners fish had reacquiring mouth rot,fungus and fin rot.that's why i didn't recommend using it. as you said it works for cuts and bruises which are minor injuries. for melafix to really work on more serious problems like reacquiring or prolonged fungus issues, it had to be medicated along side other products to really heal the fish. i have read journals from both owners and people who test the efficiency of these products and both what they said and what happened to me was the same.minor injuries yes.major problem a big no no...


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## fish1983 (Aug 27, 2010)

kitten_penang said:


> well this owners fish had reacquiring mouth rot,fungus and fin rot.that's why i didn't recommend using it. as you said it works for cuts and bruises which are minor injuries. for melafix to really work on more serious problems like reacquiring or prolonged fungus issues, it had to be medicated along side other products to really heal the fish. i have read journals from both owners and people who test the efficiency of these products and both what they said and what happened to me was the same.minor injuries yes.major problem a big no no...





makes sense


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

so now you know melafix isn't a all in one miracle product lol =)


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## fish1983 (Aug 27, 2010)

lol good to know :lol:


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