Need Help for Genghis the Betta

[chestnutmarebeware]

About two weeks ago I found 3-y-o Genghis the Betta lying on his side in the gravel at the bottom of his tank. I stuck a net in the tank to get him moving, and he floundered around, but couldn’t swim up to the waterline.

I pulled him out of his tank and into a hospital (3.5 gal.) tank, and I rigged a plastic baby fish trap on an angle at the surface, so that one end has about an inch of water, and the other goes to about 2.5 inches. That way he can lie where he likes, but still get his mouth out of water to breathe. (He seems to be struggling, even though the water quality of both tanks was/is fine).

Anyway, I figured he’d go pretty quickly, but two weeks later he’s still alive and exactly the same. He’ll eat 2-3 Betta Bites a day (if I drop them in front of his nose), but he still can’t hold himself upright, or swim for more than a second or two. I did treat him with a course of Maracyn (just for lack of anything better to do), but saw no difference.

Anyone have a suggestion for something else to try? He’s been my buddy for a long time and I want to help him. His quality of life sucks right now, but I can’t bring myself to do something cruel to end it. How about a method to gently euthanize a fish?

[caffeinated]

He may actually be having constipation problems. Stop feeding him for a day or two, keep up with water changes, and then try giving him a very small amount of the inside of a blanched pea. That may help clear him out if that is the problem.

Alternatively, he’s been around a while so things may just be starting to go. I had one die this way about a week and a half ago, and still can’t figure out why as he wasn’t very old. The only thing I can figure is he over-ate frequently and was constipated or had some organs not functioning properly due to pressure. Either way, for euthanizing, the most ‘recommended’ route is to anaesthetize with clove oil, then immerse in vodka. Here’s the routine:

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

The more controversial method, and one I use as it’s easy and extremely quick, is cold shock. I fill a cup with crushed ice and water, set it in the freezer for a while (you want it extremely cold), and transfer the fish in. They will usually flinch once (if that) and then it’s over. A lot of people think this is horribly inhumane and evil but I’ve never seen it take longer than a second (flip side, putting the fish in a container of regular water into the freezer is not so humane). I don’t find this ‘slow’ or ‘torturous’ but people get pretty passionate about it.

[Preposterous_Ponies]

2-3 pellets is A LOT. Their stomach is the size of their eye. Most commercial feeds suggest over feeding bettas. I’d give him a few days (or even a week) without food and then drop it down to one pellet per day, and one day of no feed. Keeps their bowels moving.

[Nezzy]

is the water warm enough?

if you have to euth, they say it is kind to put the fish in a plastic cup in the freezer. idk to me that seems like a slow and painful death. maybe just a quick flush would be kinder.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Thanks to everyone so far! Water temp. is 82-84 degrees, depending on how often the heat pump kicks in.

And it sounds like I’ve been overfeeding him for years (and he’s been enabling it!). I’ll try fasting him for a few days, and then the blanched pea innards.

He’s a really neat fish—always happy to interact with people. But has lived in solitary splendor because he’s an absolute terror to any other critters in the tank (hence his name…). I have three other male bettas, and they all live in community tanks and get along fine with their tankmates.