Should I consider euthanasia for my fish?

I've been researching this for a while and I was actually surprised that people do this. Anyway, I have a fancy-tail gold fish that is a bit over a year old. He shared the tank with one other and he started to get sick and I moved him out. He has been getting progressively worse no matter we we've done. His fins are red and shredded about halfway and he no longer swims or eats. His poo is thin, stringy and clear.. I'm pretty sure this is bacteria, from what I've read.

Anyway.. he's started floating sideways and sitting on the bottom, breathing rapidly. I don't know what else to do for him - nothing works. Should I euthanize him or wait it out? If I do, is the best option really baking soda (for the college student who has no idea where to get clove oil)?

Flushing a fish is cruel.

You get clove oil at the drug store, its sold as toothache remedy.
Not ambusol - thats something else. The brand I know has a white package and a red cross.
Just read the ingredients
It runs a whopping three bucks a bottle.

Hold on hold on... Get some Fungus Eliminator and some aquarium salt. add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per-gallon of aquarium water, mix it in a container and then slowly add to the aquarium, do the same with the Fungus Eliminator and see what happens...

Take Care and please don't give up hope

flush the fish....it's just the way it should be done. we have 120 gal tank with many fish and when we suspect ICK or anything else..sideways swimmer....we dispose of them. no, it's not what god intended, but seriously are you willing to corrupt a tank for a 5 dollar fish? i don't mean to sound cold, but i've had tanks for decades and honestly it's the best thing to do for it. i once had to remove a 1.5ft long placo from our tank becasue he was floating sideways...he was stilll alive when my hubby removed him, but we had to do it. he went out with the trash that AM. i felt so morally wrong for doing it, but he was suffering and delaying his death by leaving him in any tank was cruel. on a side note...a sick fish can polute your entire tank and kill all involved. so, please relieve your fish of his suffering and take him out. it's what most pet stores do to their fish. it's not as inhumane as you might think.
sorry for your loss,
monti dog

Go to petsmart, they sell products to kill of bacteria or parasites or what ever illness your fish has. I would personally just let it die on its own. If your really feel bad for it, flush it down the toilet. But seriously, spend the ten dollars on the medication.

Hun, it sounds like Fin Rot, if you go to the vet, they can give you drops to put in the water to make him better, if you haven't waited to long