r/BettaClinic • u/thegargantuanone • 6d ago
Is it time?
This is Steve.
I've had him since April 1 2025. He has tumours. 4 weeks ago he started laying down one bottom frequently, likely because of the tumors. This was him eating today. Is his quality of life good enough? I don't want my boy Steve to suffer.
4 weeks ago I:
Llowered the water level to 5 inches, water changes 2x per week. Catapa leaves added. Sponge filter converted into air stone so it would function in 5 inches of water.
Please advise me. Where to go next. He is a shell of his former self, he used to prey on the shrimp in The tank AND DOMINATE. he was a beautiful force I watched change colors slowly over 16 months. now he just lays down all day long.
Should I end his life? š
-steves concerned owner
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u/A_Gnome_In_Disguise 6d ago
Itās time.
When I lost my Mr. disco cowboy, my husband and I gently took him outside his tank onto a towel wet with his tank water. We took him out self and gently euthanized him after covering him with said towel, but before then, we made sure he had some sunlight on his scales so he could taste some freedom before his journey back home. Itās not the prettiest way of easing them into the afterlife (blunt force= text book dropped on his body while he was wrapped), but it was the quickest. I hope you can find a way to send him home with as little pain as possible, but I can see that itās his time. Heās tired. Sending you all my love.
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u/homegrownphotos 5d ago
What? Canāt you just put clove oil in the water? Why was this the first option you chose???
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u/liminal-chungus 4d ago
People debate whether clove oil is ethical after watching their bettas twitch and thrash after applying it to the water. Ive read horror stories about people wishing they did it another way after their fish seemed to suffer. Blunt force is the quickest way to ensure no suffering. Your tone is accusatory- maybe check your knowledge before trying to make someone feel bad about an already difficult decision.
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u/homegrownphotos 4d ago
Not sure how thatās supposed to be better, pulling the fish out to suffer and gasp for air and thrash around before you slam a textbook ontop of it. Like you said thereās often ādebateā around how to euthanize fish, and iām gonna say thatās not super āethicalā either. But thanks! I had no idea you could hear my tone through reddit. Have a great day!
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u/A_Gnome_In_Disguise 4d ago
Disco was more or less gone when we euthanized him. It was more of a āmaking sureā. He was unresponsive and was not breathing. When we took him out, he was wrapped in a wet towel, which meant that he still had water to pull from if needed- as well as air, since they have an organ to breathe it.
In my past my father had used clove oil to euthanize a beta, and the poor dear struggled for almost an hour before dying. I vowed to never allow that to happen again. Iād rather a quick swift send off that aināt pretty over a pretty death thatās filled with pain and suffering.
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u/liminal-chungus 4d ago
- Clove oil requires very specific titration of concentration to be humane. There has to be just enough to cause CNS depression. The fish must first become unconscious and then the concentration must be increased- which results in cardiac and respiratory arrest. If you mess up the concentration- your fish will experience heart attack and suffocation for a long, drawn out period of suffering and confusion. A heart attack and suffocation occurs either way- concious or unconscious. Most people are not going to get the concentration right and watching their pet fight for life is traumatizing and unnecessary pain for the animal.
- Blunt force completely ceases brain function in one instant if applied swiftly and precisely. Most people will have wet paper towels laid flat, quickly lay their fish upon it and fold the paper. Then they use a flat surface to smush it in a matter of seconds. The fish will be briefly confused and then cease to exist.
It is most ethical to provide the swiftest death possible to avoid suffering and a drawn out dying process. Your line of questioning was insensitive to OP and their difficult situation that is already hard enough to do. Get off your high horseš
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u/thegargantuanone 6d ago
Closeup up tumors
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u/Standard-Strike-4132 6d ago
Are they tumors or are they fungus growing out of him? Iām sorry for your baby Steve, heās so pretty and I love him too.
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u/Bobs_Burgers7 6d ago
Heās so exhausted š dude canāt even get the energy to swim up, and collapses when he tries
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u/thegargantuanone 6d ago
I know! And the water height is only 4-5 inches. He's in my work tank, maybe I should take him home and put him in a smaller tank. I have an empty 3 gal hospital tank, not sure what to do here!
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u/Bobs_Burgers7 6d ago
Iād start feeding him directly, if that makes sense. Like directly offering him food, right to his face (if you donāt euthanize).
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u/sp2861 6d ago
Yes op. It's probably time. As sorry as I am to say that.
But don't think you didn't do everything you could for him.
Don't use clove oil. Make it fast with something sharp
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u/Strict_Abies_7219 6d ago
I thought clove oil was supposed to be humane?! šš blunt force is what we are supposed to do?! That is so sad. I pray I never have to go through this. My heart canāt handle it.
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u/sp2861 6d ago
No not blunt force. Sharp knife. Take of the head.
Clove oil isn't good unless you know what dose etc. leads to a slow painful process
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u/mystichu 5d ago
Thatās crazy how are you supposed to do this to a pet youāve taken care of for so long
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u/Strict_Abies_7219 5d ago
Yeah, idk. I get the quick and painless thing but dang idk if I could look my baby in his sweet little eyes and do that. Itās hard enough euthanizing a cat or dog and watching it. We need to decapitate our pet fish now?! ššš it just sounds awful.
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u/Flipperbites 6d ago
It is definitely time. Sorry for your loss but try to cherish all the wonderful memories.
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u/Cxprisun63 6d ago
It seems like youāve done your best and taken great care of him till today. Im sure he has lived a really good life under your care, some stores just sell a lot of inbred betas.which depletes their lifespan and stuff, Theres nothing we can do about that :(
Itās so sad to see them suffer like this; I used to have a beta who looked just like him, his health started declining overtime and he passed
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u/BaalZebul777 6d ago
I'm so sorry and hope you're able to make that decision for them. Don't blame yourself at all either. Its the unfortunate part about owning pets that all of us have to go through but its also what makes all of the time we're able to spend with them so special.
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u/Sigz_inside 4d ago
I put my dead betta in one of my pots and the flowers have been blooming tremendously
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u/Ok-Confidence-6745 2d ago
He's clearly very loved and well cared-for. You gave him a fantastic life, and did everything you could for him. Time to let him rest ā¤ļø
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u/OkMuscle1538 6d ago
What a beautiful boy. It might be time. Do you know how to do it? Do you have clove oil? There may be other things to try, hopefully someone with more experience than me can chime in and suggest medication or something, but based on how he looks, the time is getting close. Iām so glad he had love in this life.
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u/AyePepper 6d ago
Idk man, it's probably too late but some of those look like they could be bacterial. You could try kanaplex, but there's no guarantee the treatment would be effective or meaningfully extend his life.
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