Euthanasia Gone Wrong?

After about 3 weeks of my Betta clearly not recovering from a bloated belly, I euthanized with clove oil.
I debated doing this, but his suffering was too difficult to bare.
I have euthanized a guppy with clove oil before and it was a peaceful, uneventful experience.
I can’t say the same for this experience.
I decided to do it in his tank where I thought he would have the least amount of stress. I had visions of him going peacefully, safe in his little log...
There was nothing peaceful about it. He swam around frantically and came up to the surface a few times. He wouldn’t go back into his log, I tried to guide him there. I thought about pulling the plug at a moment, but I knew I had to continue. He lay on his side trying move at times. After about 10 minutes He ended up finally dying on his back, outside of his beloved log (where he had spent 99.9 % of the last few weeks since getting sick)
I know they say euthanasia is the best thing to do for something that’s suffering, but I’m not certain it’s true.
What I thought was a “gift” to him, ended up causing more pain and stress.
Even though he was sick, His will to survive was strong... and I took that from him.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t.
But maybe that’s just guilt talking...

 

I'm very sorry your experience went so poorly. You did the right thing even if it didn't seem like it in the moment. Don't blame yourself for it.

Clove oil - being oil - has a hard time dissolving in water. Technically, it never actually dissolves, it just floats around in the water. Ideally, the clove oil will be mixed VERY well with the water before the fish is exposed to it so that they actually absorb the correct concentration. Otherwise, most of it will rise back to the surface and your fish will not absorb enough of it to pass quickly. This is why the mixture should be in a small, pre-mixed container, so it's less likely that the oil will separate before the fish absorbs enough. Like I said, you can't blame yourself for this, but I'm just letting you know that clove oil is still the best way to euthanize (in my opinion) when done correctly - just remember, small container, shaken very very well.

 

I'm very sorry your experience went so poorly. You did the right thing even if it didn't seem like it in the moment. Don't blame yourself for it.

Clove oil - being oil - has a hard time dissolving in water. Technically, it never actually dissolves, it just floats around in the water. Ideally, the clove oil will be mixed VERY well with the water before the fish is exposed to it so that they actually absorb the correct concentration. Otherwise, most of it will rise back to the surface and your fish will not absorb enough of it to pass quickly. This is why the mixture should be in a small, pre-mixed container, so it's less likely that the oil will separate before the fish absorbs enough. Like I said, you can't blame yourself for this, but I'm just letting you know that clove oil is still the best way to euthanize (in my opinion) when done correctly - just remember, small container, shaken very very well.

Thank you!

 

Sorry about your fish.

I agree with SM1199. Clove oil generally works quite well, like the first time you used it. But you do have to put it in a container with some tank water and shake it well to mix the oil. Then take a small bowl or other container that has enough tank water in it to allow the fish to swim. Pour in the clove oil mixture, then put the fish in. It can take a few seconds, but the fish slows down, then calmly stops. When you added the clove oil directly to the tank, the clove oil probably wasn't concentrated enough.

 

Sorry about your fish.

I agree with SM1199. Clove oil generally works quite well, like the first time you used it. But you do have to put it in a container with some tank water and shake it well to mix the oil. Then take a small bowl or other container that has enough tank water in it to allow the fish to swim. Pour in the clove oil mixture, then put the fish in. It can take a few seconds, but the fish slows down, then calmly stops. When you added the clove oil directly to the tank, the clove oil probably wasn't concentrated enough.

Yes, it might not have been concentrated enough... I did mix it with water and shook it up first though, but then I had to add more in a panic and stir it... poor little guy