What do I do about a dying Betta?

[CathrynRose]

Poor one-eyed Mom

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

If his air bladder is gone, its going to take him a long time (and probably be painful) for him to die. I say freeze him. Its painless, and faster.

Just now I got up and I thought he was dead. I tapped the bowl and he didn't move. I thought maybe he heard me typing about his demise and took care of it for me.

Nope... Mom lives.

I guess I'm going to have to do it. I know he's just a tiny fish, but I don't want him to suffer.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Yikes, poor one eyed Mom. Now I know why I don't have fish, not that cats and dogs are easier. I hate losing critters--I'm the biggest softy and it sounds like you are, too. Can you DD come home and do the deed?

 

[Sparx]

Just now I got up and I thought he was dead. I tapped the bowl and he didn't move. I thought maybe he heard me typing about his demise and took care of it for me.

Nope... Mom lives.

I guess I'm going to have to do it. I know he's just a tiny fish, but I don't want him to suffer.

I'm not experienced with bettas, but with my experience with fish I can say that it gets difficult for them to move when tehy lose their air bladder. He won't suffer much longer if you go ahead and do it, instead of letting him stay there.

((hugs)) to mom and to you.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Yikes, poor one eyed Mom. Now I know why I don't have fish, not that cats and dogs are easier. I hate losing critters--I'm the biggest softy and it sounds like you are, too. Can you DD come home and do the deed?

I never thought about that! She's coming home to wash her clothes tomorrow. I should make her do it, because I'm a good mom like that.

I can only imagine the jokes she'd make about killing Mom. She's got a very sarcastic sense of humor. I have no idea where she gets it.

 

[pumba]

don't listen to anyone on the dis.........they all made fun of me when I cooked Mr. Feeney by accident......oy oy oy...... then Jay died......then it was blake......but Otis lasted three years and the DIS still only remembers Mr. Feeney and that I cooked him by accident......geesh...
Seriously I flushed Otis cause he was belly up........but Jay and Blake died fast ....like when I was sleeping.......

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

don't listen to anyone on the dis.........they all made fun of me when I cooked Mr. Feeney by accident......oy oy oy...... then Jay died......then it was blake......but Otis lasted three years and the DIS still only remembers Mr. Feeney and that I cooked him by accident......geesh...
Seriously I flushed Otis cause he was belly up........but Jay and Blake died fast ....like when I was sleeping.......

I'm almost scared to ask, but here goes - what was Mr. Feeney?

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

don't listen to anyone on the dis.........they all made fun of me when I cooked Mr. Feeney by accident......oy oy oy...... then Jay died......then it was blake......but Otis lasted three years and the DIS still only remembers Mr. Feeney and that I cooked him by accident......geesh...
Seriously I flushed Otis cause he was belly up........but Jay and Blake died fast ....like when I was sleeping.......

how did you manage to "cook" Mr. Feeney?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I never thought about that! She's coming home to wash her clothes tomorrow. I should make her do it, because I'm a good mom like that.

I can only imagine the jokes she'd make about killing Mom. She's got a very sarcastic sense of humor. I have no idea where she gets it.

You figured out your solution. Can't you imagine her going back to school telling all her friends that she killed Mom. She can have tears in her eyes. She should fess up before they call the police, though.

BTW, when my DD went to college I got 2 kittens. I joke that I did replace her, but at least it took 2 kittens and not the 1 we were going to get.

I hear you about the sarcastic sense of humor--I think all my kids got my sense of humor, the poor things.

And notice how I didn't make any jokes about your username in regards to the fish situation? Even I have restraint every once in awhile.

 

[allie&mattsmom]

I hear ya about not being able to stand to see the fish to suffer. I told my kids when this fish goes, there will be no more! I've grown quite attached to ours. Funny story, we used to have small gravel on the bottom of the tank. This silly fish would eat off the bottom and get gravel stuck in his mouth! This actually happened twice! He was really suffering, the gravel weighed him down and it looked like he was dying. So...I'm freakin out, grab a pair of tweezers, get the fish out and performed what I like to refer to as a "gravelectomy"....TWICE! We then decided it was time to go get large rocks for the bottom of the tank and he's been okay since then.

Sorry to hear about Mom and good luck with your decision.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

And notice how I didn't make any jokes about your username in regards to the fish situation? Even I have restraint every once in awhile.

Yes I did! I'm very proud of you!

 

[almacdonald]

Now back to the original question....

Get a small container of ICE water. Transfer fish from bowl to ice water. Over in a minute or so. Much quicker than the freezer method.

 

[pumba]

Mr. Feeney was my very first Betta.......he was just beautiful and I was so thrilled to have a spectacular colored fish........so after two days in a bowl I went to Walmart and got Mr. Feeney a beautiful three sided aquarium .....just perfect for my betta.......so I cleaned out the new one and washed it with really good hot water and after I was convinced that no chemicals were in it.....I filled it with water.......well my water was still HOT......and I put dear Mr. Feeney in it and within an hour or so he was cooked......I said to the company we had for supper......hmmmmmmm Mr. Feeney is swimming funny....and he didnt' come to the top of the water to let me pat him.....well I put my finger in and sure enough it was HOT water......so I cooked poor Mr. Fenney......
Now you know why the DIS do not let me ever ever forget Mr. Feeney

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Poor Mr Feeney! I remember growing up when my brother had a tank of fish. One time my neice went and turned the temp up on the heater and cooked them and another time she got the food and fed them well. Oops!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Mr. Feeney was my very first Betta.......he was just beautiful and I was so thrilled to have a spectacular colored fish........so after two days in a bowl I went to Walmart and got Mr. Feeney a beautiful three sided aquarium .....just perfect for my betta.......so I cleaned out the new one and washed it with really good hot water and after I was convinced that no chemicals were in it.....I filled it with water.......well my water was still HOT......and I put dear Mr. Feeney in it and within an hour or so he was cooked......

I figured you were going to say that you left him near a hot window. I've heard of fish dying that way, or do to extreme cold temps.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Now back to the original question....

The joy and fun of the DIS community forum is never quite knowing where the threads will go--almost like a giant pinball. And maybe the lighthearted banter can give the OP a good laugh and get her mind off of her one-eyed fish.

 

[lynetteSC]

don't listen to anyone on the dis.........they all made fun of me when I cooked Mr. Feeney by accident......oy oy oy...... then Jay died......then it was blake......but Otis lasted three years and the DIS still only remembers Mr. Feeney and that I cooked him by accident......geesh...
Seriously I flushed Otis cause he was belly up........but Jay and Blake died fast ....like when I was sleeping.......

LOLOL I was SOO trying to remember who it was that cooked the fish! I am so glad you posted
Poooor mom ... good luck with killing her kindly ... hugs to you for being brave!

 

[twinmomplus2new]

How about African claw frogs also aquatic?

I ordered a tadpole for the kids about 6 years ago. they said they would send 2-3. as It was likely all would not make it. Well they lied... There were 12. And of course all 12 made it. Were they cute sure? until they started to go missing.... they were eating each other. great!!!!! I seperated them into several small tanks and put them on my kitchen window sill. By the end of the day they were boiled even turned a nice white par boiled color.

Several years later I bought more. I was washing out the tank and left the room, the new frogs were in a bowl in the sink. I came back and My twins had "helped me" by filling the bowl with hot water so they could take a warm tubby. alas 2 more boiled frogs.

Cut to today? I BOUGHT more frogs about a year ago. Lucky me they are now mature. and a mating pair. I again have lots of tadpoles and many tanks all over the house. I feel for your Betta dilemma.... Want a few froggies?

 

[drakethib]

Did I mention that my Betta only has one eye? About two bowl cleanings ago, one fell out.

I'm quite the fish owner, huh?

Yikes.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm really sorry to jump in here and be non-funny but I have a fish question and you guys seem to be the ones to ask. so...dd gave my youngest dd a fish, in a bowl. It's a pretty orangy-gold color with little black marks on her tail....dd (older one) named her Minnie because the marks look like Mickey Mouse. She gave her to her little sister because she was having too many babies and she had to get her out of the tank. Well, now I have this nice little fish, swimming around in a little tank. I've had regular tanks with heaters/filters/etc, but never a 'goldfish' type tank with none of the stuff. So....how the heck do I clean it out? It's getting a bit gamey. I do take some water out every week, and replace it with clean water. But the bottom is a little 'dirty'. Any thoughts?
And hey...who knew about the chilling of fish as a humane way to end their 'suffering'!!! I learn something new here every day!!