aquanewbie72
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hi - I joined this forum in 2005 when I first got my aquarium but haven't posted in years (since the tank sort of went on "auto-pilot" - didn't have too many problems all these years).
Sadly today I had to euthanize my beautiful angelfish. She was almost 6 years old - I got her when she was just a baby and she was only the size of a quarter. She grew to be quite a big beautiful girl. Unfortunately she got hit with some mysterious and very aggressive bacterial infection - it ate all of her fins and her tail down to stubs. She couldn't swim and stopped eating about 2 days ago and had been face planted in the gravel and never moved. Believe me when I say - we tried EVERYTHING to save her but whatever this was - it was stubborn and wasted her in no time flat. We could not stand to see her suffer and knew she was not going to recover.
I stayed quite composed through the whole procedure (we went with the clove oil method). I even laid her in a paper towel and folded it up nice and neat. But when my husband got the garden spade and we headed outside for the burial, I completely lost it and just cried and cried. (and now I'm getting tears in my eyes again just typing it).
Hard to believe such a small creature can leave such a big hole in your heart when they are gone. You can't pet them, or cuddle with them, they don't make noise or do tricks... but wow - you sure do get attached anyway.
So honestly I just logged in again after all this time for some cyber hugs and to share with people I know can appreciate my pain. I know that if I posted this on Facebook, I'd be sure to get some grief from people who just don't understand. Can I get a hug?
Sadly today I had to euthanize my beautiful angelfish. She was almost 6 years old - I got her when she was just a baby and she was only the size of a quarter. She grew to be quite a big beautiful girl. Unfortunately she got hit with some mysterious and very aggressive bacterial infection - it ate all of her fins and her tail down to stubs. She couldn't swim and stopped eating about 2 days ago and had been face planted in the gravel and never moved. Believe me when I say - we tried EVERYTHING to save her but whatever this was - it was stubborn and wasted her in no time flat. We could not stand to see her suffer and knew she was not going to recover.
I stayed quite composed through the whole procedure (we went with the clove oil method). I even laid her in a paper towel and folded it up nice and neat. But when my husband got the garden spade and we headed outside for the burial, I completely lost it and just cried and cried. (and now I'm getting tears in my eyes again just typing it).
Hard to believe such a small creature can leave such a big hole in your heart when they are gone. You can't pet them, or cuddle with them, they don't make noise or do tricks... but wow - you sure do get attached anyway.
So honestly I just logged in again after all this time for some cyber hugs and to share with people I know can appreciate my pain. I know that if I posted this on Facebook, I'd be sure to get some grief from people who just don't understand. Can I get a hug?
Im so sorry! i wish i could give you a hug!
