Sick Danio Won't Give Up

[luckyd]

I have a pathetically sick danio that simply refuses to give up the fight. It's amazing he's still alive, given that he probably hasn't eaten for a couple of weeks. He mostly hangs at the top of the water, body limp. Every now and then he suddenly starts shooting around the water, twirling, somersaulting, bumping into the sides or bottom. Then he goes limp again near the top. He's in a hospital tank and we tried to treat him to no avail. I'm thinking maybe neon tetra disease (I've read danios can get that).

I've dreaded having to ask this question but I need advice about how to help this fish end his suffering. I know people have strong opinions on this subject about the right and wrong way. I know the "best" method is supposedly to chop off the head or scramble his brains, but I simply can't bring myself do this. So I'm looking for the most humane "chemical" method. Is it true that alka seltzer works? How about clove oil or alcohol? If you recommend one of these methods, please give me step by step instructions with exact concentrations needed.

Sorry to be so morbid. I had hoped never to have to take this step. But this little guy is just suffering too much to let him hang on any longer. Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[mbsqw1d]

honestly. the best way is to be QUICK and PRECISE. If you could imagine the quickest painless way for yourself to die.. would probably be like, a bullet in the head (excuse the RATM reference).

Well then. Catch the fish in a net. swiftly wrap it in a cloth or drop it into a food bag, and either drop something very heavy on it or strike it hard with something.

As awful as that may sound. You are doing the little guy a huge favour!

Other methods are simply too laborious, slow and are difficult to say whether the fish is suffering or not.

IMO, the quickest method is kindest.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm so sorry for your little fish, luckyd...

I'm sure your right about the quickest way.mbsqw1d; however, clove oil is pretty quick and painless to the best of my knowledge (and I've used it once myself ) It's definitely better than the alka seltzer or alcohol methods.

Put the fish in a litre of tank water. In a small bottle, mix at least 25 or 30 drops of clove oil with a little of the water and shake until it forms an emulsion.

Then you just add it to the fishes container; the fish will become unconscious within 20 seconds and will be dead within a minute. I'd just leave it there for half an hour or so, just to make 100% sure.

Obviously if the fish is bigger, you need to multiply the amounts, but 25/30 drops per litre is the lethal dose.

Last time I posted about this, someone recommended putting the fish in the freezer once it was already unconscious from the clove oil and that's probably not a bad idea

I hope it's not too traumatic for you, luckyd; you have my deepest sympathys

 

[luckyd]

Thank you both for your kind replies and sympathies. I'll let you know how things go.

 

[WILDER]

The symtoms he showing can point from anything from bad water quality, swim bladder, the fish dying, internal and external parasites, toxins, ph shock.

Neon tetra signs are.
Bleaching of the red stripe area. Milky substance on red stripe area.
Bleached out patches.
Blue area turns a golden yellow colour.
Black linning around the red area.
Leaving the shoal.
Acting restless.
Odd swimming manor.
Lumps that go to a point.
Sunken in belly.
Bent spine.
Looking thin.
Later stages, dropsy, popeye.

Best method for ending a fish suffering is this method.

Jug of very cold water and add ice cubes till the water freezing cold. If no ice cubes add the jug to the freezer till a thin sheet of ice forms on the top of the water.
Place the fish in the freezing water. it shouldn't take long for the fish to pass away.
The fish might spin for a few seconds.
Make sure the gills are no longer moving.

 

[luckyd]

Thank you Wilder. I am interested in trying to figure out what happened to this fish because it's the second time the same strange disease has wiped out only danios in my 34-gallon tank, and my other danios now have the same symptoms.

I'm going to put another post in the emergency section with the danio symptoms so I can try to stop the epidemic. Please weigh in if you can!