When to euthanase

[Angry_Platy]

I have a twinbar sunset swordy girl who I moved from the 30gal to the 10gal sick tank after I noticed she was hiding, clamping and had a few white patches on her (??fungal ??bacterial). Salt is in the sick tank permanently and I added some melafix yesterday. Today I noticed that she has near her tail a red patch that is kinda swollen like dropsy but only in one patch. I know its bad, I have had fish like this who have gone on to full on dropsy in a few hours.

Normally I would euthanase without thought....but this is somehow different. I mean, I have melafix now which I have never used....but the fish looks sad, is still clamping and not really swimming around much. Am Idoing the right thing trying to save her or will my efforts be to no avail?

As an aside, I also have lyretail swordy who had what looked like a white patch on her side....she has been in the sick tank for a few weeks with different combinations of salt and other meds. Now it looks like there is an ulcer in the same patch. It is just behind her gills and "looks" sore though she is acting totally normal. I am also kinda hoping melafix will help heras well. Euthanasia isn't an option for her since she isn't "sick", just has the ulcer thingie.

 

[afireinside]

it sounds like white spot, this may not help, but to improve ur fish's health, use Doc Wellfish's Aquarium Salt.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Definitely not whitespot.....they aren't spots, more like patches. I keep aquarium salt in the sick tank permanently.

She is looking worse as the day goes on. The red hasn't changed but she is now at the bottom of the tank just kind of sitting there. If there is no improvement by tomorrow I am afraid I will have to euthanase

 

[Angry_Platy]

I just euthanased her....she was still on the bottom of the tank and was finding it hard to maintain her balance....kinda tipping from side to side.....the other fish kept going over to her and nudging her and she didn't seem to have the energy to be able to swim away I could have put her in a birthing trap to give her some peace but it would have stressed her out too much and would have delayed the inevitable

Bye bye little girl

 

[GSD]

awwwww sorry to hear that,you did the right thing bye fishie!

 

[Angry_Platy]

Thanks gsl....everytime I euthanase a fish I wonder if it would have survived orif I could have done something else. But then I remember the fish that died naturally and realise there was probably nothing else I could have done and that the fish would have died anyway.....

 

[GSD]

sounds like it was dying anyway you just ended its suffering.When i have to do it i feel bad but it would be worse if it was lying there in pain

 

[daudy_dojo]

Thanks gsl....everytime I euthanase a fish I wonder if it would have survived orif I could have done something else. But then I remember the fish that died naturally and realise there was probably nothing else I could have done and that the fish would have died anyway.....

dont look at it that way! she's gone to a even better place where water is no limit!