Please Help!!!!

[Clair]

I think my lionhead goldish is really really sick. He has dropsy and he is lying on the bottom of the tank dying. He is gasping for breath and I don't know what to do

[mr gerbil]

Tank size?
Water conditions?
Tankmates?
Other information?

If the fish really does have dropsy, there probably isn't anything you can do for him bar a humane killing. If there aren't any other fish in the tank, clove oil works well to send fish to a peaceful death.

[Clair]

there ate two other fish in the tank so I can't use that method

[mr gerbil]

What type of fish are they/how large is the tank?

You could remove him with some tankwater to a seperate container for it to be done.

[Nell]

There are 2 methods I would use to humanely kill a fish. One is the clove oil, which is an anestetic. It will put the fish into a deep sleep that it may or may not wake up from. Put the fish in a smaller container and slowely add the clove oil. Always put the fish in the freezer for several hours after using this method just to make sure the fish is completely dead.

Another meathod is to put the fish in some ice water. Put a dish of tank water into the freezer until it starts to form a thin sheet of ice over the surface. Catch the fish and drop him in the water for a quick and painless death, then put the fish in the freezer for several hours to insure that he's dead.

There are other humane methods, such as decapitation, but most people wouldn't have it in them to do that.

Never flush a fish thats still alive. Its horribly cruel, and never put a concious fish in the freezer to die slowely.

And be sure to test your tank water for ammonia, pH, nitrites and nitrates to make sure that there isn't an underlying water quality problem that caused the illness, otherwise you may end up losing other fish to a similar fate.

[mr gerbil]

Any updates Clair?

[Clair]

Thank you for your all your advice but unfortnuately Berry died during the night. It was horrible to see him suffer, I will have to get some clove oil to keep incase something like this happens again.

[mr gerbil]

Just out of interest, how big is the tank and how many fish are there in it?

Also, do you have a test kit?