Dying Fish - Should I flush?

[catsnatcher-CDN]

My fish is dying...I think. It's been a few days that it's floating upside down. Everytime I think it has passed, It starts to swim while upside down and shakes in a bit of a frenzy. Then he stops again. There is one more fish in there that doesn't look like it's doing to well either. Something is definately wrong with the water.

The " garbage fish " seem fine.

Should I flush the fish? I can't bear to watch it suffer but can't find the nerve to kill it.

[Lucky Rescue]

Never flush fish down the toilet. There's many ways to dispose of them, but personally I think the most humane way is to put the fish with the water in a plastic bag, put that into a paper bag and put the whole thing in the freezer. In the dark, the fish goes to sleep and just freezes to death.

[Prin]

Wow, I never thought of that. That's much nicer. But if the fish is already dead, is there an issue with flushing it?

[Lucky Rescue]

But if the fish is already dead, is there an issue with flushing it?

Well, not if it's dead already....flushing live fish is not humane.

[Sneaky]

Nope, flushing a fish is torture. It dies a slow painful death of ammonia
poisoning.
The best way to euthanize ill fish is with clove oil for about 5.00
You get it at any pharmacy.
Add 1 part to 5 parts water and mix well. Add the fish in and wait.
The fish will go to sleep and pass away painlessly after about 15 minutes.
Then you can flush the fish away or bury.

[catsnatcher-CDN]

Thanks Lucky, sneakypete, for your help.

I did what Lucky suggested but used my balcony rather than my freezer since there's no difference here in Quebec.

I have one fish left in there and 2 "garbage fish". I'm considering putting an end to my fish tank days soon. It's been 10 years running but at this point, with one fish left, it's become nothing more than CAT TV.

[Lucky Rescue]

Your tank is very pretty, even with a kitty hanging from it!

I notice you have seashells in there. They are not suitable for freshwater tanks, as they will dissolve and can raise the Ph way too high. This may be what made your fish sick.

[poodletalk]

YES, Your tank is very pretty, do you use live plants or plastic?

[catsnatcher-CDN]

I use plastic. I have just one goldfish left. The seashells have been there for years now. My husband says he may have put too much medicine to kill algae in there. Of course, he didn't tell me about this until I recently complained that the fish were dying.

[Sneaky]

I wouldnt end your fish keeping days, thats a lovely little tank.
You should test your ph, as its likely through the roof with the seashells.
I would get rid of the goldfish and go for something new.
Go for something totally different than you had before.
How big is the tank? Looks like about 20g?
It screams out "Give me a couple/few schools of small colorful fish!"
I could recommend a few to you, depending on your PH.
:-D
Also, that stuff that kills algae also kills fish. What happens is this:
You have a large amount of algae in the tank.
Algae consumes c02 and produces oxygen just like live plants.
You add the algae killer which elimates the algae.
This causes a spike in c02 in the tank, and causes a dramatic
drop in oxygen levels. The fish literally "Suffocate" to death.
Never ever ever ever use chemicals to remove algae, to clear "floaties",
or to adjust PH. They all usually result in dead or dying fish.

[Lucky Rescue]

Also, that stuff that kills algae also kills fish.

The companies that produce this stuff claim it won't harm fish, but I never believed that and have never used it.

I just scrape the algae off the front glass, and leave it on the sides and back.

[Prin]

So algae is a good thing?

[Sneaky]

Algae is not a great thing, but there is nothing really
wrong with it except it seems unsightly to us.
It cleans the water just like other live green plants do.
When you have an algae problem, you should try to get
to the root of the problem to get rid of the algae,
not just try to kill 100% of the algae.
I dont care what manufacturers say about that stuff,
it in itself may be safe to fish, but the resulting death of
the algae coupled with plummetting oxygen levels can and will
kill fish.
There are many causes of algae, eradicate the cause, eradicate the
algae. Theres no simple "quick fix".
Algae can be caused by any one of these :
Too Much Light - too many hours of light
Tank situated too near a window
lack of live plants
overfeeding, excess nutrients in the water column
Nitrates - coming from fish waste conversion, or from tap water.
Phosphates in fertilizers.

Some good fixes for algae problems:
Lessen light by 2 hours a day
Move tank away from windows
Add Live Plants to outcompete the algae
Lessen feeding, dont overfeed, improve water change
schedule .
Dont use fertilizers with phosphates.
Buy an algae eating fish suited for your tank. (Not a Chinese Algae Eater - these fish are horrible, dont eat much algae, grow 11 inches and get super mean, often kill fish)
Use a quality algae magnet or algae sponge to remove from glass front.