Just Had To Kill My Angel!

[LolaLouie]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has any idea why my angelfish got sick...?

He was absolutely fine yesterday but when I came in this evening he was just floating around the bottom trying to swim but barely moving. also often lying on his side or going upsode down.

He had absolutely no bloat. He did look like he had very slight fin rot (but that may have just been the kribs nipping at his fins while he lay at the bottom).

About 3 weeks ago he had a prolapse but recovered from that and has been fine since, totally back to his old self.

Tested the water as soon as I saw the state he was in, ammonia= 0, nitrite= 0 nitrate= 20 (my tap water= 40)

Anyone have any idea what this sounds like or what may have caused it?

I don't need advice as to what to do because I decided to just put him out his misery!

Thanks!

 

[SJ2K]

Swim bladder maybe?

 

[LolaLouie]

I don't think so as no bloat and he was lying really still just drifting with the water flow. What causes swim bladder?? Is it curable? Actually don't answer that!! I think I did the right thing though because he was really suffering and the earliest I would be able to get any meds would be tomorrow night!

 

[Snooks1!]

I don't think so as no bloat and he was lying really still just drifting with the water flow. What causes swim bladder?? Is it curable? Actually don't answer that!! I think I did the right thing though because he was really suffering and the earliest I would be able to get any meds would be tomorrow night!

And what if it was something simple and totally curable? Something he could have come back to full health had you just waited, asked for help, and then got meds to treat it?

Euthanasia should only be used as a last ditch effort after trying EVERYTHING possible to save the fish.

 

[LolaLouie]

He was floating and the filter was sucking him in. I left him for an hour saw he was suffering and know there's nothing i can do at 6pm on a sunday night so rather than leave him suffer i killed him quickly and painlessly like you would if a cat or dog or any oher animal was suffering.

 

[backtotropical]

It was maybe a bacterial infection which he has had for a while. I remember you saying he was ill before.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[LolaLouie]

Thanks BTT! I am gutted he was a nice fish but clearly not well.

Just want to add to snooks, I had a horse a month ago who was choking, he had choked before and recovered but this time it had gone on for 24 hours and he was in a lot of pain and really stressed. i had the choice to operate on the chance he may be ok or have him put to sleep and end his suffering.

Given that i'd had this pony since i was 5 years old it wasn't easy to decide to put him to sleep. After i made the decision i found out he had a paralysed throat and would have gone through a tonne of pain and stress only to be put down after it all anyway and i was SOOO pleased with the decision i made. So that maybe influences my decision... more so when it's a fish as they rarely recover from serious illness.

Sorry just felt the need to defend my decision because i do feel bad.

 

[adamgreen240]

Thanks BTT! I am gutted he was a nice fish but clearly not well.

Just want to add to snooks, I had a horse a month ago who was choking, he had choked before and recovered but this time it had gone on for 24 hours and he was in a lot of pain and really stressed. i had the choice to operate on the chance he may be ok or have him put to sleep and end his suffering.

Given that i'd had this pony since i was 5 years old it wasn't easy to decide to put him to sleep. After i made the decision i found out he had a paralysed throat and would have gone through a tonne of pain and stress only to be put down after it all anyway and i was SOOO pleased with the decision i made. So that maybe influences my decision... more so when it's a fish as they rarely recover from serious illness.

Sorry just felt the need to defend my decision because i do feel bad.

dont feel bad , most ppl probably would have done what you do. And sorry for your losses!

 

[geo7x]

IMO you did the right thing as it sounds as if there was nothing you could have done anyway, and any attempt would have only prolonged its suffering.

 

[Snooks1!]

Thanks BTT! I am gutted he was a nice fish but clearly not well.

Just want to add to snooks, I had a horse a month ago who was choking, he had choked before and recovered but this time it had gone on for 24 hours and he was in a lot of pain and really stressed. i had the choice to operate on the chance he may be ok or have him put to sleep and end his suffering.

Given that i'd had this pony since i was 5 years old it wasn't easy to decide to put him to sleep. After i made the decision i found out he had a paralysed throat and would have gone through a tonne of pain and stress only to be put down after it all anyway and i was SOOO pleased with the decision i made. So that maybe influences my decision... more so when it's a fish as they rarely recover from serious illness.

Sorry just felt the need to defend my decision because i do feel bad.

I agree with what you say; but it seemed to me, going by your first post, that you didn't try much to help it. I'm not trying to point stakes at you, so sorry to hear about your horse and fish ... I know how hard it is to put down an animal.... We had a cat that my mum got when I was first born, I grew up with that cat. And a few years back we had to put her down because of her cancer... Putting down an animal is always hard...especially if you are very attached to it

 

[SJ2K]

Just to add, i would of taken the same actions myself (and have done in the past), somtimes its just too clear when a fish has past the point of comfortable return.

 

[Larissa]

So sorry for both your losses. I think you did the right thing in both cases.

 

[LolaLouie]

Thanks larissa. And you are one who knows i tried my best for that fish and gave him a chance when his gut were hanging out

I got paranoid for a moment that it was swim bladder and that i'd done the wrong thing but after looking it up i don't think it was.

Still feel bad though, it's funny how you can become attached to fish (my boyfriend thinks i'm mad- when i told him i had to kill the angel he just asked how much it cost !)

Thanks again everyone, but if anyone does have any ideas what it may have been i'd love to know as my other angel is acting a little strangely which i don't know whether it's me being paranoid, him lost without his friend or he's sick too

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Gemma,

It may be worth treating with anti-bacterial medication such as Myxazin as a precaution. This can often be the cause of apparently unexplained deaths.

Sorry i can't suggest anything more specific.

Cheers

BTT

 

[rdd1952]

Sorry to hear that you had to put him down. I remember the thread from a week or 2 ago where he had the organs or whatever protruding. I know you did everything you could.