HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!&

[FishEnthusiast]

Please someone help me. My betta apparantly has a very small mouth. I gave him a betta bite this morning, he grabbed it and now it is stuck in his mouth. He can't close his mouth, nor can he spit it out. Is there anything I can do to help him? He keeps trying to go to the surface for air, but he can't. I am panicking right now because I have never had this happen before. What is the least stressful way to get this thing out of his mouth???

 

[BrookeLea]

maybe grab him and pull it out with a pair of tweezers. i had to do that with my goofy goldfish who tried to eat a pebble and got it wedged in his mouth. the goldfish was quite a bit larger than a betta, though, so i'm not sure if the tweezers will be too big. i hope he's ok!

 

[WILDER]

Wrap him up in a wet towel of water from the tank, the shock might help him remove the blockage, if not tweezers, how is he now.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I managed to get a hold of him and used the tweezers, it was probably the scariest thing I have ever had to do. He is in shock right now I think. He is sitting at the top of his bowl and taking a breath every once in a while. I am going to change his water out tomorrow instead of today to give him a rest.

It looks like I am going to have to break his betta bites in half so he can eat them. Today is the first time he attempted to eat one. He can eat bloodworms and peas with no problem. I cut the peas into tiny pieces before I feed them to him. Poor guy.

 

[WILDER]

Good you manage to remove it, leave him in peace and maybe a little water change with some stress coat in it.

 

[eudielynn]

My new baby, Booker is really tiny, and I have been soaking his betta bites in tank water to soften them before I give them to him. Might be worth a try.

 

[WILDER]

Yes as that stops swim bladder problems and dropsy, soaking there foods.

 

[BrookeLea]

glad to hear you got it out!

 

[Bettabelieveit]

perhaps some smaller food? I don't know how big yours are, but there are some smaller ones, the hbh ones are quite smaller than the others I've noticed. glad he's okay tho!

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I am using HBH betta bites. I have tried soaking the food, that makes it so big he can't get his mouth around it. He won't even look at it if it is too big. I have to give him peas on a spoon almost crushed up or else he won't eat them. I have to hold his bloodworms vertically in the water or he won't eat them. He has really big lips and he can't open his mouth very well. He is fighting columnaris right now as well as a case of finrot. He sure is a trooper.

 

[Kiarra]

Poor little guy. You might try some Betta Bio-Gold pellets...they're smaller than anything else I've tried, and I have some HBH Betta Bites, too.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I think I will try those, a friend of mine got them and she likes them. He is spoiled, but if I didn't do it no one would.

Thanks guys for your help

 

[Bettabelieveit]

I'd also try brine shrimp, they're tiny and he should be able to eat them down. poor guy needs an iv to get his food pumped into him!

 

[FishEnthusiast]

Brine shrimp is a good idea, I can get the kit for hatching them at my lfs. I was planning on that anyway.

Thanks for the ideas, they are all very much appreciated.

 

[Kiarra]

More examples for feeding if you don't mind visiting the freezer at your local pet store....

Daphnia
Baby Brine Shrimp (if he's really having trouble eating and will accept the TINY particles of food)
Adult Brine Shrimp (use only as a treat...the adult variety has little nutritional value)
White Mosquito Larvae

Those should give him a well-balanced diet, and be small enough that he can eat them without trouble. Of course, include the bloodworms and peas that you have been feeding him.