Help! Fins Lost To Filter!

[linkubuspark]

After not being able to find my fish in the tank, I looked under the filter and saw that my betta seemed stuck. I wiggled the filter a bit and Jargy (my fish) swam loose. To my horror, I saw that all of his tail and dorsal fins were completely ripped off!!! He still seems lively, but it hurts to just look at him. I read that fins do grow back, but the damage seems a bit extreme. I don't want him to suffer. Should I just put him down? If so, what's the best way to go about it? I hear freezing is the most humane way?

 

[FishFanatic04]

oh my. Does he seem to be in pain? Most will say that a good bang on the head is humane. Others say clove oil will do it.

I recently had to put a LOT of fish down. Long story. But I was told a quick method of putting a container of water in the freezer and when the water has a layer frozen overtop, to break it and put the fish in. It was fast, and avoided the harder methods of bashing the fishes brain.


Really though, try daily water changes and see what happens first? If your betta seems to suffer then you know the answer.

 

[Amanita.m]

As long as he is eating and acting normally I would NOT put him down, fins CAN and DO regrow. Putting something like panty hose or netting over the filter intake (depending on what kind of filter) may help him from being stuck again. Keep him well fed, and keep his water super clean. I would use melafix and pimafix to help, but that is a subject of great controversy. I know it helps tissue regeneration and has anti fungal, viral and bacterial properties in humans and other mammals, and tho others argue fish tissue is different, I have seen it speed recovery of fin tissue vs not using it. Personally I would never give up on a fish that still has the will to live (i.e still eating and responsive)

If u ever DO need to put down a fish, clove oil is most humane, it is an anesthetic and will put them to sleep.
There are many articles about using it, best is to add it gradually mixed with water in a small container. 1/4 to half a teaspoon per gallon of water, or a few drops per cup. Some have recommended after the fish is deeply asleep adding alka seltzer to the (closed) container which will speed the end due to carbon dioxide overdose. 2 tablets per litre of water. Just using clove oil alone can take awhile more than an hour, but since the fish is asleep, u can add a bit more or wait it out.

I have heard from veterinarians and from reading scientific research, that freezing cold blooded creatures is not painless, ice crystals can start to form in their brains while they are still alive and it is speculated this is not pleasant. The AVMA does NOT recognize freezing as an acceptable form of humane euthanasia.
In warm blooded animals, hypothermia would kill u long before your brain froze. Freezing a VERY deeply anesthetized fish might, in theory, be painless.

 

[linkubuspark]

He's hiding behind the filter (which is now off) and won't leave. He still seems lively, it just seems like he's scared/traumatized? If he doesn't come out to eat, I guess I will start gathering the necessary materials

 

[Amanita.m]

I don't suggest leaving the filter off, the water needs to be kept very clean and the filter in a cycled tank is a huge part of that. Try and find a way to put something over the filter intake to lesson the chance of him getting stuck while still allowing water flow. He may very well BE traumatized. Give him some time to recover before u make the choice to euthanize him. When I got a Betta in very poor condition from Walmart, he did not eat for 3 or 4 days until he recovered from the stress of being kept in less than 2 inches of dirty water for who knows how long.
Now he is healthy and happy and will at least try anything I give him to eat (including the occasional piece of mango or avocado,lol).
I only suggest putting an animal down if there is pretty much NO chance of recovery coupled with tremendous suffering. I have seen fish with pretty extreme fin damage (luckily not mine) recover. It just takes time and care.
I really wish u the best of luck!

 

[Noahs ark6]

If worst comes to worst, you just can't beat the bag and brick method, none of this messing around with clove oil, and it's an instant death.

 

[Amanita.m]

Yeah but it takes a "special" type of person to want to beat their pet to death with a brick, rather than a less violent method.

 

[Noahs ark6]

Yeah but it takes a "special" type of person to want to beat their pet to death with a brick, rather than a less violent method.

Please explain why you put special in speech marks. You make it sound barbaric, with the word beat. It's one swift movement, not more than once, once, and you don't even have to see the fish after it's dead, like you do with clove oil

 

[pablothebetta]

Ok let's not make an argument out of this - we all have different preferences and tolerances about what we're comfortable with. I would personally use the clove oil method, but I'd give your fish a chance first. He may indeed feel shocked and I doubt he'll want to swim around much without fins to help him and the pain that comes with not having any anymore. If there are other fish in the tank, perhaps putting him in his own "hospital tank" might be a good idea until he regains health. Daily water changes may help, though don't quote me on this too much.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Yeah but it takes a "special" type of person to want to beat their pet to death with a brick, rather than a less violent method.

You are starting to be ridiculous. I have euthanized fish in this method. While its not my favorite method and I get a little squeamish over it, the fish did not suffer and it's the fastest option.

It's insulting, I am sure not only to me but to anyone who has used this method. There are plenty who recommend that as the first method on this forum. Go browse through the emergency threads. You sound like a bratty child.



To the OP: If you think that your betta will recover, just keep the water as pristine as possible. If he doesn't seem to be doing well, or in pain...then you will have to make a hard decision. Either way good luck to you and your fishy.

 

[DJH584]

To linkubuspark.

Fish can and do regrow their fins. We have four fish - two zebra danio and two harlequin rasbora - that have suffered tail fin damage.
In each case the fish was transferred to a seperate tank and treated with either Pimafix or Melafix or a combination of both.
Two of the fish - a danio and a rasbora - had cotton fungus courtesy of the damage sustained and have fully recovered with full fins.
The other danio - Harry - the fin was basically ripped out at the root BUT, after a weeks treatment is quite happily swimming around the main tank minus a lot of his tail. And the other rasbora's tail is just starting to regrow.

So for your betta there is hope, so do give your fish a fighting chance. I don't know if you can use Pimafix or Melafix with your betta, I would suggest you do some research on that, possibly contacting the manufacturers themselves to check if it safe for your betta?
As someone else has said, plenty of clean water is always the way to go.

As regards, euthanasia. This is a sticky subject to say the least.
Personally I prefer the clove oil method - I've had to put three fish to sleep this way.
To me it appears to be far more humane. I look at it from the point of view that if I had an incurable disease, I would rather have a nice overdose of morphine to send me on my way to the other side rather having my brains smashed to smithereens by a hammer or a brick.
Far less painful, more serene and more dignified.

Regards

David

 

[alstermania]

Rap a very thin stocking over the filter intake to solve that problem. And yes, if your betta is lively and eating, don't put him down. He will likely heal. When a betta's fin re-grows it usually looks very clear near the tips of his tail. Hope your betta heals

 

[Noahs ark6]

To linkubuspark.

Far less painful
Regards

David

Not at all. Do you seriously think that a fish would feel pain in the split second, no, it wouldn't

 

[OldMan47]

Fins grow back in just a few days linkubuspark.
Have you checked other parameters in your tank? I never have seen a healthy betta that could not just swim away from a rather robust filter flow. How are the ammonia and nitrite levels in your tank? Nitrite can act to make the fish lack the oxygen that it needs, and everything that goes with that lack. I would be looking there rather than blaming the filter flow unless the flow is totally inappropriate for your tank.