Betta dying how long?

[Fin35]

So my old betta is dying. He was swimming in his side weird for awhile and after betta revive medication he started doing doing the vertical lay. I lowered the water, stopped the filter and yesterday he found a spot on a leaf where he has been ever since yesterday. This morning I thought he was dead. His was turned on his side with his fins against the class, but then I saw an air bubble. 4 hours later I tapped the glass and he didn’t respond at all. I went to move the leaf and he moved! Poor thing is still alive but probably close to the end. He’s in a peaceful spot with the light off, I hope he will go soon. How long do you thinki? He can’t live long unresponsive like this I hope? and no I’m not going to touch or kill him, he’s relaxing and I want to leave him alone. Just wondering how long you think? I want him to die so he’s not suffering.

 

[Aiken Drum]

If your fish is suffering, not eating or swimming. Not responsive to treatment. The best thing to do for you fish is euthanise him.

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/an-overview-of-euthanasia-73775.html

 

[ADsnail]

I will face this too, one day. Aiken Drum, how do you suggest one euthanize a fish? I don't think I could do this with my bare hands

 

[Fin35]

I euthanized him. I used clove oil and it was humane and painless. I used a lethal dose. I added it, at first he tried to swim radically for only about 10 seconds, so I hope he didn’t feel anything. Then he passed out.he loved his fins slightly as he started to fall into a deep sleep. I added more until he was in a deep sleep, then I added even more. I let him stay there for 30 minutes. I should of let him stay for for an hour, but I added way more than the lethal dose just to be sure, so he passed. He gills were not moving and he appeared dead. That’s when I put him in the freezer to be sure. You just need to make sure the fish is dead and that you use a lethal dose. This is also an anesthesia for fish and can just knock them out to only awake later. I pray to god he didn’t wake in the freezer, but I bet the freezer would of killed him anyway before he would of woke up abs there were no signs of breathing after being in the liquid for that long. From what I’ve read it takes less than 30 minutes and we looked very closely at his gills and saw no signs of breathing. It was painless and put him out of his mystery. I’d honestly recommend this as the only method of euthanasia unlike some poster. Freezing alive and all those other things would cause pain. This can be used first to make sure the fish feels nothing and breathing is stopped then other measures can be taken to make absolutely sure. This really is the only humane way to kill a fish. I’m happy he is no longer suffering! All fish keepers should learn about lethal dosing of clove oil before any other method is done. This insured the fish feels no pain. .

 

[ADsnail]

Wow, I had no idea. I actually have a bottle of pure clove oil so I wrote a note and taped it to the bottle for when the day comes. I have a betta that's over three years old and he's still in top form; I've read of people on this site whose bettas lived for 5 years, but the inevitable will happen one day and I want to be prepared with as little pain as possible. Thank you for that.

 

[Aiken Drum]

For small fish i generally go with freezing cold water. Its something that can be done with very little preparation and what i have in the house, and so long as the water is at freezing temperature the shock does the job instantaneously.

Unfortunately its something every fishkeeper probably has to go through at some point. Its why i dont name fish.

 

[ADsnail]

I didn't realize you don't name fish. Makes sense. It is so heart wrenching when one gets attached and then has to face their demise.

 

[ADsnail]

Fin35, I am so sorry for your loss

 

[Fin35]

Clove oil is definitely much more humane than freezing water, that would torture them before death. Clove oil is fast and puts them to sleep, I definitely the fish should be knocked out before added to freezing water. You just have to make sure it’s a lethal dose and that the fish is in it for long enough.

 

[Fin35]

You should knock the poor thing out with clove oil first, that’s definitely the most humane thing to do.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Putting fish into freezing cold water is instantaneous. The drop in temperature immediately puts the fish in shock and its dead in a moment.

 

[Fin35]

It’s sad, I will miss fin.