A Natural Death??

[girlfish]

Hi everyone- as I write this, my bimac is dying. She is my fifth one so I've been through this before and I'm getting to the point where I know they're ready to die...She's hanging at the top of the tank and I know she'll drop down to the bottom soon. I hate this part. My question is- do you all just let them die naturally, or do you kill them quickly so they don't suffer? I had thought of taking a brick and dropping it on her real quick outside. That would not be the high point of my day for sure...

Thanks ya'll,
Lisa

 

[Nancy]

I think most of us just let them die naturally, as hard as it is on us.
Sorry about your octo being at the end of its life.

Which octopus is this? It's been a long time since you've posted about your octos.

Nancy

 

[girlfish]

Yeah, it is a sad day for me. I did buy one of those square fish net breeders to put around her when she drops to the bottom. That will keep my shrimp from picking at her. It's always sad to see the fearsome predator who once ruled the tank, lifeless and vulnerable to the smaller scavengers that were there merely as a food source:-(


Lisa

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

So sad. . .

 

[joel_ang]

It is heart breaking when your cephalopods die, it would be better to let them die naturally, it might not really be painful for them-unless they get picked on by predators.

 

[cthulhu77]

I think it would be better to let her go with grace, rather than having a brick dropped on her...neither way is pleasant, but the confusion of being out of water and being smashed sounds worse...
Bummer though...yeah, it is always tough.
greg

 

[NickA5582]

Sorry to hear about this, it's always hard to let them go.

 

[corw314]

So sorry to hear....I too think it's better to let them die naturally.

Carol

 

[johnism]

sorry to hear about your loss

 

[oscar]

I too am sorry, but i myself have never been through an octopus death.

In one of my freshwater tanks however an axolotl had been weakening over several weeks from bag fungus + infection a parasite and it was sucked into the powerhead during the night. In the morning it was still alive but one side of its body was gone, down to the organs.

Now axolotls can regenerate skin and organs but i thought it kinder to euthanise her as she was obviously in a lot of pain. If she was dying of old age, i wouldn't have done it! but it is up to you. However, if you do choose to euthanise your octopus - hard i know! I wouldnt drop a brick on it -traumatic for you both - but put it into a bucket of ice with a little water added to make a slurry - fish die in 3 -5 seccond and the axolotl in about 1 minute. it seems like a long time but it puts them to sleep and slows their heart to a stop. I believe it is kinder this way - if you doo choose to end its life

i think you should let it die naturally but once again, its your choice

sam