4" Senegal Bichir Tried To Eat The Gravel!

[1411939]

this morning i saw him looking for something on the gravel, i thought he was just looking for food, then i see his mouth and he had a blue piece of gravel in his mouth!!, why did he do this???, since i was in there i was able to smack him with the net and he spat out the gravel( i hope he did), anyways wat shud i do to stop him, and why is he doing it, i mean what kind of fish eats gravel???, not even goldfish which eat anything...
im planning to switch all my gravel to play sand tomorrow as i do the water change.

 

[beblondie]

This is why sand is recomended over gravel.There was probably a piece of food there
at one time and the bichir smelled it.
Bichirs like many fish are suction feeders meaning the food is drawn into their mouth by creating a pressure difference and not bitten like say pirahna eats.
while bichir do have teeth on the marginal jaws they are simply for grasping prey
so it cannot escape-Anne

 

[1411939]

This is why sand is recomended over gravel.There was probably a piece of food there
at one time and the bichir smelled it.
Bichirs like many fish are suction feeders meaning the food is drawn into their mouth by creating a pressure difference and not bitten like say pirahna eats.
while bichir do have teeth on the marginal jaws they are simply for grasping prey
so it cannot escape-Anne

well then, does the piece of gravel stays in the bichir's belly for ever??? will it kill him?, i am switching to play sand now, i dont want this to happen again. last question, if the bichir knew it was gravel, why would he try to eat it, if he knows it doesnt feel and taste like food

 

[beblondie]

Once ingested the gravel may be reguratated or it may stay harmlessly in the stomach or worst case scenerio it causes and intestinal blockage killing the bichir.

It depends on how much ''suction '' was used to ingest it.If it smelled like food it woud probably be ingested as food

 

[1411939]

Once ingested the gravel may be reguratated or it may stay harmlessly in the stomach or worst case scenerio it causes and intestinal blockage killing the bichir.

It depends on how much ''suction '' was used to ingest it.If it smelled like food it woud probably be ingested as food

it looks like his belly decreased its size now, so that must mean that he reguratated it, but im changing the gravel to play sand no matter what, unless i feel sick again tomorrow cuz theres this flu i got its been the worst one so far