Download ArticleTake QuizDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Lauren Baker, DVM, PhD. Dr. Lauren Baker is a Veterinarian and Assistant Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With over 10 years in veterinary medicine, she specializes in the concept of “one health,” which uses insights from veterinary medicine to help human medical research. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, an MS in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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You see your fish floating on their side in the aquarium or notice that they jumped out of the tank. While your first reaction might be to grieve or start to dispose of the body, your fish might not be dead. You can take measures to know one way or the other by checking your fish's vital signs, dealing with a dead or dying fish, and considering other issues in fish who only look dead.
Steps
Try to scoop the fish into your aquarium net. Look for signs of struggle as you place the net around the fish's body. If your fish is just sleeping, they'll wake up and try to wiggle their way out of the net. If they don't, they could be dead or very sick.
Look for breathing. Check the gills for most species. If they're not moving, the fish isn't breathing. Bettas and other labyrinth fish breathe through their mouths. If your fish is from this family, watch their bodies for up and down movements.[1]Advertisement
Check the fish's eyes. Look at the eye as a whole. If they're sunken, your fish is dead or near death. Look for cloudy pupils, which is also a sign of death in most aquarium fish.[2]- If your fish is a pufferfish, walleye, rabbit fish, or scorpionfish, occasional eye cloudiness might actually be normal. However, you should contact your vet if the cloudiness persists for several days.[3]
Examine the fish's scales. Do this if your fish has jumped out of the tank. Look for cracking of the skin as you pick up the body. Feel the body to see if it has dried out. These signs are only present in dead fish.[4]
Spend time with your dying fish. Look for symptoms such as an inability to eat or sinking immediately after swimming to the top of the tank. This will be difficult to watch, but you should treat your fish like any other companion animal. Sit by the aquarium. Talk to your fish, if that's what you usually do.
Euthanize a suffering fish. Clove oil is a sedative and is the most humane way to end the suffering of a dying fish. You can buy it in most drug stores. Place only the dying fish in 1 litre (0.26 US gal) of water. Add 400 mg of clove oil to the water. Within 10 minutes, the fish will lose oxygen and die peacefully.[5]
Remove any dead fish from the tank, if you can. Use an aquarium net to scoop out the dead fish. If you can't find the body, don't worry. The body itself won't harm the other fish and will decompose naturally.- Fish parasites and diseases require living hosts. If you think your fish died of a disease, their tankmates might already be infected. Monitor them for symptoms. If they don't look sick or develop symptoms after a few days, they were strong enough to fight off the disease.[6]
Don't flush the fish down the toilet. A dead fish flushed into a non-native habitat could harm native marine life. Dispose of a dead fish in the garbage or bury them outside. If the fish is large, burial is usually best. Check your local laws to make sure they'll allow you to bury a pet fish.[7]
Treat constipation with deshelled peas. Constipation causes fish to float on their sides. Deshelled peas (any variety) contain enough fiber to make them regular again. If your fish hasn't had a bowel movement in the past few days, feed them two to three fresh peas or thawed frozen peas each day. Mash them or let the chunks float to the bottom of the aquarium.[8]- Avoid canned peas, as they contain sodium and spices that can hurt your fish.
- Soften the peas. You can do this by boiling them on the stovetop in filtered water for one minute. Allow them to cool down after you remove them from the pan. Don't use a microwave, since this can destroy vital nutrients.
- Remove the skin by peeling it off with your fingers. Make sure you wash your hands first!
- Cut the peas into small pieces. First, cut them into halves if they didn't split naturally when you peeled them. Then, cut them into quarters. If your fish is small, cut the pieces even smaller.
Cut back on the feedings, if necessary. If your fish isn't constipated, they might have eaten too much. Overeating can cause a fish's stomach to bloat and force them to float on their sides. If your fish has had a recent bowel movement, don't feed them for three to four days.[9]
Research how your fish sleeps. When fish sleep, they stop moving. For example, betta fish and goldfish sleep by resting on the bottom of the tank. Search online and read books about caring for fish to learn about your fish's sleeping habits.[10]- Search for this information on veterinary websites or at your local vet's office. Visit your public library or pet store for informative books. If you have access to scholarly databases, search for articles in veterinary journals.
- Some fish like to play dead just to see you freak out. Be sure to double-check
Condition the aquarium water. Chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals in tap water can sicken and kill fish. Add water conditioner to the aquarium, following the instructions on the packaging. You can buy water conditioner at your local pet store.- Test your tank water for chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metal before adding conditioner. You can buy testing kits at your local pet store. Follow the instructions on the package to avoid false positives or negatives.
- Alternatively, you can buy distilled water from your local grocery store and use that in your tank instead of tap water.
Check the water temperature. If you recently changed the water, any sudden change in temperature could send your fish into shock. Measure the temperature with an aquarium thermometer. If the temperature is above or below the ideal range recommended for your fish, adjust the thermostat on the aquarium heater.[11]- Monitor your fish to make sure it returns to normal behavior after the temperature has normalized.
- In the future, stick to regular partial water changes to avoid sudden changes in temperature or pH.
- If you need to change a large amount of water, remove your fish before doing so. Place your fish (and their water) in a plastic bag and then slowly acclimate them to the new temperature by floating the bag in the tank.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do you take care of your goldfish if you still don't have a filter and an oxygen machine? We cant find any if those in our area. The fish have been in a bucket for two days now. Is that okay?
Lauren Baker, DVM, PhDDr. Lauren Baker is a Veterinarian and Assistant Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With over 10 years in veterinary medicine, she specializes in the concept of “one health,” which uses insights from veterinary medicine to help human medical research. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, an MS in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
VeterinarianThis is not okay. Fish need to have the water constantly aerated and filtered as they eliminate waste and deplete the water of dissolved oxygen. You can order what you need from the internet pretty easily. Until then, keep performing partial changes of the water to dilute ammonia levels. The newly added water will also introduce more oxygen to the tank. - QuestionMy fish looks dead, but he sinks to the bottom and doesn't float up. He also doesn't do anything when you take him out of water. But yesterday he would wiggle when you took him out, now he doesn't. Is he dead?Lauren Baker, DVM, PhDDr. Lauren Baker is a Veterinarian and Assistant Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With over 10 years in veterinary medicine, she specializes in the concept of “one health,” which uses insights from veterinary medicine to help human medical research. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, an MS in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
VeterinarianIt sounds like he may be dead. If he isn’t, it sounds like he is close to death. You should consider euthanizing him with the clove oil as described in the article. It may be hard, but it's the best thing you can do for your fish.
Comprehension Quiz
Tips
- If you notice strange spots or markings on your fish, call your veterinarian. This might be a sign that they have a disease.Thanks
Tips from our Readers 
- Avoid putting pointy plastic or glass objects in the tank, like plants. These can hurt your fish's fins or tail if they run into them or break.
- If your fish is dead, don't leave it in the tank. Leaving it in the tank might spread diseases to your other fish.
Warnings
- Don't remove your fish from the aquarium unless you're certain that they're dead. Most species can't survive out of water for very long.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://pethelpful.com/fish-aquariums/All-About-Betta-Fish
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-goldfish/goldfish-out-of-water/
- ↑ https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/3/fish
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-goldfish/goldfish-out-of-water/
- ↑ https://kb.rspca.org.au/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanase-aquarium-fish_403.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9eVCyWbGK4&t=14s
- ↑ https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/why-you-should-never-flush-a-fish-down-the-toilet/news-story/5ce0758bbcdd3cf80bddce9f194b6fd6
- ↑ https://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/blparrot.php
- ↑ https://pethelpful.com/fish-aquariums/STOP-Your-Pet-Fish-May-Not-Be-Dead
About This Article
If you’ve noticed your fish floating on its side or lying still at the bottom of the tank, you may worry that your pet has passed away. However, it’s not always so easy to tell. To be sure, try to scoop your fish up in an aquarium net. If it starts to wiggle or try to swim away, then your fish is still alive. It may have been feeling sick, or even just resting. You can also look for signs that your fish is breathing. For most fish, you can tell by looking at the gills. If they’re moving, your fish is still alive. Some species, such as bettas and labyrinth fish, breathe by gulping in air at the surface with their mouths instead. Another way to tell if your fish is dead or close to death is to look at its eyes. If the eyes appear sunken or cloudy, your fish is likely dead or dying. On the other hand, if the eyes look bright and clear, it is probably still alive. If your fish has jumped out of the tank, don’t panic—if you catch it and put it back in the water soon enough, it may recover. However, examine the fish’s scales before you put it back in the tank. If the fish is very still and its scales are dried out or beginning to crack, the fish has probably already died. Dealing with a dead pet can be tough, but it’s a good idea to remove the fish from the tank right away if you can. If you’re sure your fish is dead, scoop it out of the tank and bury the body or throw it away in the garbage. Don’t flush the fish down the toilet, since doing so could be harmful to the native fish in your area. To learn more from our Veterinarian co-author, like how to tell if your fish is just sleeping, keep reading the article!
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