Should I End It?

[Akasha72]

I have a male guppy that's been getting thinner and thinner over the past few weeks. I've been watching him this morning and he's now looking really unsteady. His tail seems to be barely moving and he's staying afloat by using his side 'flipper' fins. He's eaten some flake but he was getting knocked about by the other fish in the process. His balance seems affected too.

There are no other signs of illness and he was my first fish so I will of had him nearly a year. He was almost fully grown when I got him. I think his problems just stem from old age.

The question is do I put him out of his misery or do I just let nature take it's course ... I just don't know which is best for him.

I don't have any clove oil so to end it I'd have to ice him ...

 

[TomShootsPhoto]

It's a tough decision, but do what you think it's the best.
I can't help you, if I give you wrong advice I might end up killing a healthy fish.

Stay strong!

 

[Akasha72]

I'll be doing my weekly water change and maintenance soon, maybe I should judge it after that is done. I don't want to watch him suffer ... but as you say he may be happy/healthy enough ... argh! It's a tough one

 

[Iiriva]

Poor thing. Could be and illness, though they don't live that long either... Have you seen him poo? Just thinking that if he got thinner and thinner during time, it also could be internal parasites, and fish poo looks different if that's the case.

This sounds really horrible when said, but many professionals actually say that using knife or scissors is the best and fastest way of letting fish out of their misery, since oil suffocates them, and ice doesn't kill them fast enough, so they will suffer the feeling of freezing...

Cutting their neck with knife or scissors is the fastest way, and it causes less suffering.

If someone was to kill me, and I could choose between freezing to death, drowning or being beheaded by giljotine, it wouldn't be a difficult choice to make.

Watching a per suffering is always pain, especially if you don't know whats wrong. I'd like to help him, too, but it's your decision wether to let him go now or trying to find a way to help him.

Letting go is really hard, I know, during 15 years you have to say goodbye to too many fishes...

 

[Akasha72]

Just finished my water change and maintenance - he seems okay but he's just off by himself in one corner. I think I'll keep an eye on him for the next few days and see how he goes. Nature may take it's course but if he gets any worse I'm going to have to deal with it ... I hate this bit about keeping animals

 

[soybean]

It's a difficult one.

I don't recommend freezing, I don't believe it's a pain free death.

Clove oil is a couple of quid from the chemist, it's always worth having some in. It doesn't suffocate them if you do it properly, it anaesthetises them and then the overdose kills them.

Cutting IS the easiest way but I personally can't bring myself to do it either.

The only concern with letting nature take it's course is if, for example, the fish does contain parasites, you don't really want the others eating it. And if it dies in the night, it will be nibbled.

Me, personally, I would give him 24 hours and then relegate him to the Death Jug. (Well I'd clove oil it in a fish bag actually, but if I didn't have any, it would be the jug.)

 

[TomShootsPhoto]

Yeah it's the sad bit... Crossed fingers tough.
Check temperature. He might be warm.

 

[Akasha72]

I was thinking about doing the same as I did with the sick platy - put him in a jug, cover him up and leave him to pass peacefully.
I'll keep watching him, at the moment he's bimbling about in the far corner