serious ethical issue here...

[shimmermepretty]

I've been gone for the holidays and I come home to find my roommates fish... that she has left here...all alone...for the past... week+? The poor thing looks like a zombie fish. it kind of scares me...

So my question is... what in the world do I do? Do I leave it alone?

I feel like I shouldn't do anything because it is her fish, not mine. In her mind he is nothing more than "just a fish." And she may even get mad at me for touching her stuff... She won't be back until the end of next week, and she is out-of-country right now, so it is difficult to contact her.

But then again I feel like it is my duty to either put him out of his misery or try to do something to save him, even though I think it is wayyy too late for him.

Reasons to believe so:

• He is in a way too overstocked tank (2 gl with a betta, 2 ADFs, and a baby mystery snail. Too much? yeah.) BTW, the snail is already dead in there.
• The water hasn't been changed since more than a week ago.
• The water temperature has got to be super cold because her room is super cold.
• She bought him already sick with fin rot and clamped fins, or something was terribly wrong with his fins.

So what do I do? Do I just leave it alone and let it take its course? Do I step in? What are you guy's opinions...

And lastly... am I being to over emotional about this whole thing...?

[jinxhex]

Originally Posted by shimmermepretty

I've been gone for the holidays and I come home to find my roommates fish... that she has left here...all alone...for the past... week+? The poor thing looks like a zombie fish. it kind of scares me...

So my question is... what in the world do I do? Do I leave it alone?

I feel like I shouldn't do anything because it is her fish, not mine. In her mind he is nothing more than "just a fish." And she may even get mad at me for touching her stuff... She won't be back until the end of next week, and she is out-of-country right now, so it is difficult to contact her.

But then again I feel like it is my duty to either put him out of his misery or try to do something to save him, even though I think it is wayyy too late for him.

Reasons to believe so:

• He is in a way too overstocked tank (2 gl with a betta, 2 ADFs, and a baby mystery snail. Too much? yeah.) BTW, the snail is already dead in there.
• The water hasn't been changed since more than a week ago.
• The water temperature has got to be super cold because her room is super cold.
• She bought him already sick with fin rot and clamped fins, or something was terribly wrong with his fins.

So what do I do? Do I just leave it alone and let it take its course? Do I step in? What are you guy's opinions...

And lastly... am I being to over emotional about this whole thing...?

If it was me I'd at least try to step in and maybe help, if you save the fish in the overstocked tank until she gets back, you could maybe let her know what was going on and that her tank is a little to overstocked? Then she could maybe work on a way to find a better home for the fish.

I would be grateful if someone helped out and saved my fish!

[shimmermepretty]

The thing is I think she was hoping he would die...

I do know she would be mad at me if I spent money, so all I would be able to do is treat him with aquarium salt and Epsom salt.

She makes fun of me for "caring too much for a fish" so I don't know what she's say if I "adopted" him for a week :/

[jinxhex]

Originally Posted by shimmermepretty

The thing is I think she was hoping he would die...

I do know she would be mad at me if I spent money, so all I would be able to do is treat him with aquarium salt and Epsom salt.

She makes fun of me for "caring too much for a fish" so I don't know what she's say if I "adopted" him for a week :/

Shoot, I would go out and get my own tank and put him in it to save him from her... Who cares what she says, ya gotta do what ya gotta do

[shimmermepretty]

Welllll I totally would! But I gotta live with her for 5 months :/ and I'm so new to betta keeping, I don't think I know enough yet to be able to heal him :(

Is even the thought of putting him out of misery too drastic? :/ I mean he's not my fish... But oh my goodness it just hurts me inside to watch him suffer.

And it's not just him! It's the froggies too! (I really don't know anything about them to help them :'( )

UGH! Why do people get pets they can't keep?!

[LadyVictorian]

Putting him out of his misery if he is too far gone would be a kinder thing to do than let him suffer with her. As for ADF's...they need 10 gallons if you have 2 of them. Smallest you can keep them in is a five gallon tank. You need about 2.5 gallons per frog plus 2 gallons for a betta and 2 gallons for the snail. In total she needs a 10 gallon tank for all that. To put a fish down put it in a baggie and smash it's head with something. It is the easiest way to put a fish down and it's painless since they die so quickly they never feel the pain. If the snail is dead clean it out too and when she gets home tell her the fish and snail died and she needs to take better care of her frogs. Anyone who can't care for animals shouldn't have pets. I feel she is one of those people, not even a hamster or a cat would be safe with her <.<

[shimmermepretty]

That's what I thought... I just wanted to make sure I wasn't some psychotic "bleeding heart" animal person for wanting to euthanize someone else's pet......

Is there another way I can put him out, though :/ I'm not sure if I can pull that smashing thing off...

I think she only has 1 frog left. I could be wrong... But I'll check in the morning. I'm so panicked I don't have a clue how to care for ADFs

[jinxhex]

Originally Posted by shimmermepretty

That's what I thought... I just wanted to make sure I wasn't some psychotic "bleeding heart" animal person for wanting to euthanize someone else's pet......

Is there another way I can put him out, though :/ I'm not sure if I can pull that smashing thing off...

I think she only has 1 frog left. I could be wrong... But I'll check in the morning. I'm so panicked I don't have a clue how to care for ADFs

http://www.oscarfishlover.com/helpfu...euthanize-fish

This should help!

[LadyVictorian]

ADF's are sensitive little creatures who need a fully cycled tank and it needs to be cleaned often. They also need to eat bloodworms and brineshrimp or beefheart hand feed or kept in gravel free bottom tanks or sandy bottom tanks. I have a little ADF of my own and he is such a remarkable little dude.

The other way to put a fish down is with clove oil. Mix it with some water but mostly the oil and put the fish in it. This knocks the fish out. Then you can either add vodka to make sure it is dead or freeze it over night to be 100% certain the fish will not come back to life. Once that is finished you can bury the body if you like and give it some respect it never got from it's owner. It's less bloody that way too.

[LadyVictorian]

Also when using clove oil make sure it is 100% dead because fish do come back from it sometimes.