Putting a fish out of it's misery?

[cupsnakes]

We have a very unhappy goldfish (a blackmoor). He has had various illnesses over the time we have had him including a major bout of fin rot (they did eventually grow back). Over the past month he has spent all his time floating still or lying on the bottom of the tank.
Dh cleaned his tank this morning and he is currently in another bowl, lying on the bottom and completlely listless.
Would it be kinder to just let him die? And what would be the most humane way?

oh yes don't let cod see this!

Freezing can be very painful for the fish as the ice crystals form in its body

Still not sure what to do. Just been to the pet shop and they sold me some old fashioned tonic to give it one last chance and see if it peps up (to be honest I would be amazed).
If still alive tomorrow without improvement I think I'll go the vodka route.

can't you just let it die naturally?

While we're at it - any thoughts on killing the small mutilated mice that the cats sometimes bring in? I've tried the freezer method which is certainly mess-free and effective (mouse popsicle anyone?) but I'm now concerned about the comment re. ice crystals forming in the body.

CUPCAKES DONT DO IT - Your fish will be fine. I have had several goldfish - I know its not the same - that have done this and recovered. What I do is put them in a more shallow rectuangular bowl with onyl a couple of centimetres of water - they need oxygen, and feed them very little. I have done this to one of my fish twice - DD calls it fish hospital - and said fish is still alive and well.

ah - thank you! will try that.

southy - I just feel if it's in pain it would be kinder to kill it. It's been lingering like this for a month.

Take it to the vet. They can treat it if possible (we did this with a fan tail) and you do the shallow bowl thing plus give it stuff in its water. If this fails they can put it to sleep for you - they put something in its water and it works v. quickly. Have done this too for a goldfish (I'm vegetarian and couldn't bear to see any animal suffer)

Message withdrawn

Im gonna try that.

Fish died in the night. We'd left him in the shallow bowl but he hadn't moved all day and this morning he was definitely dead.
Glad he's not suffering now and at least I haven't had to make a decision about how to end it.
dh wants to go and buy more fish tomorrow but I've told him to slow down.

OMG sorry

Have you any other fish in the bowl? If you're not sure whether you want another fish but want to delay a bit it might be worth sticking a fish net in there and put a daily fishflake to rot in the net (making clean up easier) to feed the good bacteria in the tank and keep it going until a new fish goes in.

Presumably the tank is fully cycled and used to the mess a goldfish makes - would be shame to lose that and have to start from scratch again with a new fish if the bacteria has all died away....