I’m So Sad

[FishGuest5123]

My heart is breaking. My oldest betta seems to be dying. How can you love a fish so much? I know I should euthanize him but I can’t bring myself to do it. I’ve put many a fish down but can’t let go of this one. He was my first betta that I bought. I feel like I can’t breathe. I’m so sad. This is the hardest part of fish keeping. Some just touch you more than others. Prayers for my Tai.

 

[MelodyYup]

sorry to hear about your favourite fish!! When you feel better tell my how you would euthanize a fish pls.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I'm sorry to hear this. There are some that just touch us more than others and make it harder when they pass.

 

[FishGuest5123]

You can euthanize fish in several ways. My choice is clove oil and vodka. You mixed about 3 drops of clove oil in a small bottle of tank water. Shake it well. Place the sick fish in a small container of tank water. Then slowly add the mixture of clove oil a drop or 2 at a time. The fish will drift off in about 10 seconds. You then add a little vodka. Watch the fish for 20 minutes to be sure there is no gill movement. Then it is safe to bury the fish.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

sorry to hear of your loss...

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thank you. He’s still hanging on but just barely.

 

[Fishmanic]

The cycle of Life
You gave your Beta the best life possible. He has lived a long life and you were very good to him. There is nothing more you can do for him at this point. I had a bolivian ram that lived to a ripe old age and it was hard to watch as he faded away. If you beta's time comes, in his memory, go out and acquire a new Beta to give another Beta a good life.

 

[Retired Viking]

Sorry to hear about your fish, sound like you gave him a good life remember that too when you think of him.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I had just ordered him a new tank too. He would have loved it. He’s still barely hanging in. I know what I need to do but my heart is still refusing to do so. I keep hoping that each time I look, he’ll just be gone. He has such a strong will to live. I have swollen eyes this morning over crying last night. I know you men think I’m ridiculous but I’m not like this with all of them. He’s just special.

 

[Essjay]

It's not ridiculous at all; pets of all species are special.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Tai is gone. I couldn’t stand watching him any longer. He was so tired so I helped him with some clove oil. He went very peacefully. RIP, my sweet Tai.

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

So sorry for your loss. One of the reasons I got into aquariums is because I was tired of losing dogs and cats, the pain was unbearable. That said, I've been nursing a fish with fish bladder disease, she gets better for a while, then worse for a while. This has been going on for months. I've actually named her "Gerta" and tell her "mama's here" when I need to pick her up to examine her - otherwise she'll freak out. When she sees me she wiggles her tail fins which look like a greeting. Problem is she is not getting better, and requires an extreme amount of care since she is just now figuring out how to eat with this disease - so I'm not ready to euthanize her but if the time comes it will break my heart I've become so attached to her. Frankly I'm not sure I could do it. But right now she's in a good pattern so no euthanasia for her yet. Please get a new betta - some people say to wait but there is nothing more exciting then to get a cool new fish!

 

[FishGuest5123]

I will, and thank you! I have a new tank that arrived today. It was suppose to be for Tai but that wasn’t meant to be. I will find one when it is time.

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

Nah hun, I am so sorry. I was like that when I had to euthanise my female swordtail wth dropsy. I dread the day it’s one of my favourites!

 

[FishFinatic77]

I'm so sorry about your betta. It's not strange to cry over a fish. When I was still keeping guppies (I stopped about a year ago) I had this one guppy that I really loved. Her coloring wasn't unique or anything, I just really loved her personallity. I had her for quite a while before she died of old age, and I cried when she passed. I never cried over any other guppy that I had kept, even though there were a few others that I liked very much. Sometimes, certain fish just stand out from others in ways that we can't normally see right away, and it is totally normal to be sad when they die.