Looks like it anyway. He's not using his right fins, curving his body to the left and only moving his tail from neutral to left.

I've put him in the freezer to euthanise him. He was looking like he wouldn't last much longer anyway and just floating at the surface. He didn't even move when I scooped him up in the bowl to put him in the freezer.

Poor thing

Poor thing

I reckon, freezing to death would be horrible! Clove oil FTW.

I've already decided to take advantage of this to test the theory that they freeze before they die. My personal belief is that their metabolism simply slows down and stops painlessly long before they freeze.

So far the fish is at 12 degrees and appears to be dead. No movement, no gill movement. No evidence of freezing found due to the temperature being 12 degrees above freezing temperature. I have not checked it for a heartbeat because I do not have a tiny stethescope.

I'm now warming it back up to normal tank temperature to find out if any evidence of life returns. If none does I believe this would mean that the fish was dead before it froze. If it does then it would mean that the appearance of death was due to the extremely slow metabolism caused by the cold temperatures and that a lower temperature is likely necessary to cause death.

In other words, it died from hypothermia?

Of course.

Temperature up to 24° with no signs of life. He's now been buried in the septic tank.

We had angel fish that looked like it had a stroke once. Poor old girl started only using one side fin if any and would just glide around randomly, her body was curved to the right I think. I left her as long as I could a few weeks I think before I did the same thing the other fish had started eating her fins.

Maybe a tiny sphygmomanometer would be a good investment so you can keep on eye on things before this happens

Maybe a tiny sphygmomanometer would be a good investment so you can keep on eye on things before this happens

But they don't have arms to put it on!

Ok, I admit, I had to google it to find out it's a blood pressure cuff

But they don't have arms to put it on!

Ok, I admit, I had to google it to find out it's a blood pressure cuff

Doh! :lol:

I was just showing off that I know such a long word

Did u try tto use the difliblultor on him?

ok I know what it is but I cant spell it :lol:

I had a fish that I wondered if it had a stroke.

It did seem a little off colour the day before, but ok. Then it quickly became paralysed from the 'neck' down, could not move its fins or body, only thrash about in circles one way by throwing its head about. Died after a couple of hours, had breathing difficulties, can't remember if it was slow or rapid.

Personally I quickly drop a fish in a plastic bag and dash its brains out (then dispose of the bag, don't want to see fish brains). Tis extremely quick and effective.