Fish death ettiquette

So yesterday when i fed my fish my sailfin tang was hanging out in rockwork-thought breathing heavy

Did not eat

Came home now and he was upside down stick against back water overflow-which does not have much suction

Was still alive but floating upside down and what not

Had him for about 4.5 years

So what is proper ettiqutte-let him die in tank or pull him out

 

Whenever I find one of my fish that is about to die, I usually pull them out. I put them in a separate fish bowl until they have passed on. For some reason I always feel bad when I see a dying fish and the other fish are trying to beat it up or eat it. I feel that putting it in a bowl away from that is best. However that is my opinion. Sorry to hear about your fish!

 

I would leave the fish be and let it die in it's known environment as long as it was not being picked at.

Some hobbyist use clove oil to euthanize their fish..

Freeze a dying fish is never a good idea, it has been suggested. The fluid inside a cell ruptures cell walls and membranes as the fluid freezes.

Sorry about your fish, that is a long time to have him.

 

sad indeed 4.5 years is a long time. have you changed anything in your tank recently? could it be the sand bed realsed some toxins (thouhg other fish would have been affected as well) whats your salinity? he could have maybe died simply of "old age"

 

I doubt that Swiss.I have read 10-15 years for this particular species but I wouldn't be surprised if that number is a lot higher.We know some species live up to 40 years.

 

in captivity?

 

There are many threads on rc of people who have had them 10-14 years.

 

http://www.forthefishes.org/Reef_Animal_Welfare_ZG5L.html
Sad but true. We would never get away with treating mammals in this manner.

 

but wow 40 years for a yellow tang. it was you who mentioned perculas live up to 30 yeah?