Bala Shark - Open Mouth

[RaeKT]

Hi

I've just noticed this evening that our Bala Shark (approx 5 inches long) has an open mouth. I've read on a number of forums about people having balas with open mouths and they end up dying after a number of weeks / months and there's been no suggestion of how this happens or how it can be fixed.

Do you have any suggestions as we obviously don't want it to die?

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or lites.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Open mouth means that the fish has something stuck in the mouth, or sores or ulcers in the mouth.

Can you see anything in the fish mouth.

 

[RaeKT]

The tank has approx 500 litres and is a community aquarium with a wide selection of fish. They have all been living harmoniously with no new additions for a number of months (fish include loaches, catfish, other bala sharks, plecos)

All water stats should be normal as we have a fish guy service the tank regularly. There is nothing in the fish's mouth - it is stuck open (looks like lock jaw). On other forums, owners have had similar problems that the mouth remains permanently open for months, the sharks have problems feeding, then eventually die (presumably from starvation). The fish doesn't appear to be in any obvious distress and when we put a little extra food in to see if he would be able to shut its mouth to eat properly, the best it could do was suck up the flake food we put in.

 

[WILDER]

I would try and see if you can see any sores on ulcers in the roof of the mouth.

You can push the jaw back into position, but I wouldn't like to do it, if the jaws dislocated.
You would have to wrap the fish in a cloth soaked in tank water, and ask someone to hold the fish down for you.

I lost harlequins to open mouths too.

 

[RaeKT]

Sure, thanks - I'll try that out. Any idea what causes the mouth to lock itself open in the first place? Seems to be something quite common in Bala Sharks if other people are having problems. It doesn't sound like anyone has had an open mouth problem then seen their fish to survive the ordeal.

 

[WILDER]

Locked jaws can be linked to fish tb I think seen it some where, but I wouldn't panic as it hard to say fish tb without tests.

I had harlequins with open mouths and they all died, they isn't much you can do as there not much information on it.

 

[WILDER]

What do the gills look like as sometimes gill flukes can affect the mouth.
Also make sure they nothing stuck in the gills.

 

[WILDER]

Found some info not much around,
Open Mouth (cannot close mouth)- This is usually when fish have a rock or something
... (2) Scrape the gill and examine under a microscope for flukes. ...

 

[Nina]

Depending on how long the shark has had it's mouth open for will also factor into this.

We have balas and sometimes they yawn and get stuck. So far they have all managed to sort themselves out and are all still alive.

While it may be serious, it equally may sort itself out.