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Hello, everyone...
My Betta Rodney is very injured, I found him stuck to the filter intake yesterday afternoon. I don't think he had been there long, but he is not doing well. His body is curved, like it was when he was stuck to the intake, and his fins are shredded pretty badly (although he is a crowntail, so they were a little spiky to begin with). Because of the way his body is, he cannot really swim, but he can move his pectoral fins a little bit, and gills are moving so I know he is alive. I put him in his carrying cup and let the water down low so he doesn't have to swim hard to get to the surface and breathe.
Rodney means the world to me. I recently left home to go to college, and I was forced to leave behind my beautiful reef aquarium and planted tank. He came with me on a long road trip and then spent three days on a ferry with me. He is all that I have.
My question is, what do you guys think of euthanasia? As much as it pains me to lose him, I feel like I already have, and above all I do not want him to be in pain. I've been keeping fish all my life, and I've seen some amazing things, but I cannot see this getting better.
I'd appreciate all comments and advice. Thank you-

Hello, welcome to FishProfiles.

There are a number of ways to euthanize. The quickest, cleanest, and most painless way I can think of is severing the spine by cutting it. Other methods I have heard include various baths, but none of these are instant. The ice bath doesn't need anything special other than a freezer, but this is not guaranteed to be painless; some people say this may be painful as ice crystals cut cells, but on the other hand by that temperature most tropical fish should already be dead. Strong alcohol can also be used; this is also not instant. Clove oil I have seen recommended; I don't know much about this method.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Thank you-
I actually am aware of methods, in fact I have used the ice bath once in the past for a hopeless case. However, my question was more along the lines of should I...?

Clove oil on a labyrinth fish is akin to mustard gas on a person, IMO, simply because of the difference in the respiratory process from other fish.

If he was stuck to the intake, he may be suffering from oxygen depletion. Before you euthanise him, you might try putting him into a fishnet and gently moving him about just below the water's surface to allow him access to well-oxygenated water and a bit of actual air.

Believe it or not, we did this with my little carpet jumping girl who managed to jump into a drawer and hide there for over an hour. She too was a bit stiff and in that scary curved shape, but breathing. We kept it up for several minutes, until she was able to swim free of the net of her own accord. She's good as gold now, although still a jumper.

I do hope this is helpful and I totally sympathise with your situation!

I vote! Do you?

If he is happy in his little cup, I would give him 24hrs and see if there is any improvement. Add a little smidge of salt to the cup to help with his injuries. Put him somewhere dimly lit and quiet and leave him be for 24 hrs.

Clove oil on a labyrinth fish is akin to mustard gas on a person, IMO, simply because of the difference in the respiratory process from other fish.

Seen no definitive evidence for that whatsoever im afraid, rather feel it may be a bit of a net myth. I am however prepared to believe that is the sort of reaction you will get from a betta exposed to alcohol.


Saw tests recently that showed severing the spinal cord was actually very painful, leaving both the brain and body able to recieve strong electrical (pain) signals, the cut in the cord occassionally producing a reaction akin to a severe injury, and since the brain is still connected,various scientists have indicated that the severed head may recieve a full range of pain signals of the highest intesity possible prior to death. Upshot of this, dont cut the spine or sever the head for a pain free death.

Kinder by far is the destruction of the brain directly, or far , far, far better in any context, is the usage of around 10 drops of clove oil in a gallon of water which will quickly see the fish off into an insensible la la land, free of pain, leaving you free to behead, crush or further drug him with alcohol completely pain free.

In rather brutal or unsympathetic terms, thats crush the head, or for the less brutal approach, clove oil him, them booze him up. Thats the way id wanna go.


All of which of course, is entirely academic if he can still be saved, which of course you should be very sure of before commencing any euthanisation. His major problem will of course be the rigours of exhaustion, so he will need to be placed away from flow, in an aquarium still high in saturated oxygen .Whether he can survive the rigours of shock and capture in that condition though, is anyones guess. Generally though, id consider it worth it for a shot at life.

Ah, I see I misunderstood, L'Aquatique.

Thanks for clearing up euthanasia for me, lhg, it's something that I have never actually done for any of my aquarium fish; although, on the other hand, I have had to preserve a good number of fish for scientific reasons, in which case ice or ethanol are used doubly for euthanasia and for preservation purposes.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.