i know i havent been here in a while, but i think i posted about my favorite dp freckles before. about a week ago, he started getting skinny, but still ate so i thought he would be fine. maybe 3 days ago, he was so skinny that his body except for his head was flat but he still ate a little. yesterday, i noticed how he tried to bite into a bloodworm but couldnt and he faced me and i could see the bottom part of his beak so i bought some clove oil(i was desperate and it would only get used once on him) and put two drops into a quart of water then very carefully clipped his beak. i think he might have been in it too long because it took at least 10 minutes of being in the clean bucket for him to move again(i was freaking out thinking he died). but once he was back in the tank, i could tell the clove oil probably damaged him because he kinda floated near the surface for a while and couldnt seem to swim in the direction he wanted to. about an hour later, he seemed back to normal. so i tried to feed them again and he took a small bite out of a bloodworm and i think he just gave up. i finally got some live blackworms today(tried to get some on monday but the lfs was out until today) and tried to feed him but it was like he couldnt see the worms right in front of him. after leaving him in there for a while, i decided since he was having trouble swimming again, id euthanize him. so i put him and a little tank water in a cup then added a lot of crushed ice. then i wrapped him in a paper towel and put it in a ziploc and threw it away. came back in my room and looked up humane ways to euthanize fish and started worrying he wasnt completely dead so i got the bag back out and made sure there was no air left in it then flattened the whole thing with a rock to make sure he was completely crushed and dead.
so now im just feeling really guilty and i just wanted him to get better but i knew he wouldnt. i wish i could have seen his beak like a week ago then he might have been able to eat more and he wouldnt have been so weak to get put under clove oil for a trimming... if youre wondering, he was about an inch long, the biggest dp i had in the tank.
did i do the right thing? :(
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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hadla
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did i do the right thing? :(
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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Pufferpunk
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Re: did i do the right thing? :(
So sorry for your loss... 
In the weak condition he was in, he probably wouldn't have made it. It's pretty darn near impossible to force feed a 1" fish. This actually is the 1st case I've heard of a DP with overgrown teeth but I do believe it could happen.
In the weak condition he was in, he probably wouldn't have made it. It's pretty darn near impossible to force feed a 1" fish. This actually is the 1st case I've heard of a DP with overgrown teeth but I do believe it could happen.You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
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RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: did i do the right thing? :(
I can't imagine trimming a DP's teeth. That's awful.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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yunachin
- Former Staff Member
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Re: did i do the right thing? :(
Oh I am so sorry for your loss.
Don't blame yourself. You did all you could do.
Don't blame yourself. You did all you could do.
E.Ridgeway
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hadla
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: did i do the right thing? :(
thanks, i figured the bottom one was overgrown if he just spit out his food, it was like he couldnt get it into his mouth. and i actually was able to trim it with nail clippers without cutting his lip so i was proud of that. maybe it just took too long for me to do it...
yeah i was wondering if it was possible to force feed him before i had to put him to sleep.
yeah i was wondering if it was possible to force feed him before i had to put him to sleep.
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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hadla
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: did i do the right thing? :(
heh every time i see any kind of wrasse, i think of you yuna 
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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katty
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RIP. Lumpy & Spazzy (African Dwarf Frogs) - Location: WA, NV, CA
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Re: did i do the right thing? :(
I'm so sorry for your loss! This is so sad... Trimming a dp's beak sounds incredibly difficult.
This is so sad... Trimming a dp's beak sounds incredibly difficult.-
yunachin
- Former Staff Member
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1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco - Location (country): USA
- Location: SC
Re: did i do the right thing? :(
Aw, every time I see large wrasse my blood pressure goes up.hadla wrote:heh every time i see any kind of wrasse, i think of you yuna
I do have to say about force feeding something so tiny I think it would be nearly impossible. I had to force feed a dogface puffer for some time and it was extremely difficult. He would puff every time I put the tube in...then he would spit most of it out. It was trying on the patience.
Are you going to get anymore puffers?
E.Ridgeway
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hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
- Location (country): California
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: did i do the right thing? :(
i think i still have 6 dps left. last i counted, i only saw 4 though. whenever i can get another 20g, i want a figure 8. i still have instant ocean left from kirby so i could do a brackish tank. theres a store in sacramento that usually has them in stock.yunachin wrote:Aw, every time I see large wrasse my blood pressure goes up.hadla wrote:heh every time i see any kind of wrasse, i think of you yuna
I do have to say about force feeding something so tiny I think it would be nearly impossible. I had to force feed a dogface puffer for some time and it was extremely difficult. He would puff every time I put the tube in...then he would spit most of it out. It was trying on the patience.
Are you going to get anymore puffers?
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR