One Of My Harlequin Rasboras Died This Afternoon With A Gaping Jaw

[kelp]

I noticed it this morning when I was feeding it, its jaw was wide open, and it was the only fish that didn't come up for fish flakes. I came back from school, and the rasbora is dead on the gravel with his jaw wide open, too. Are there any reasons for this?

 

[WILDER]

Had this happen with my harlequins.
Was there anything stuck in the mouth.

 

[cleekdaFish]

strange death probably was gasping for air

 

[WILDER]

Seems to happen quite alot with harlequins and nobody seems t know what it is.
An open mouth can be something lodged in its mouth, sores, and ulcers in the mouth.

 

[kelp]

No idea if there's anything in or around the mouth. It's sort of a freaky death.

 

[WILDER]

Over the years had 5 harlequins die like that, and seen it on here a few times as well.
R.I.P.

 

[kelp]

Another one is doing it, too, this morning. I woke up this morning, and only saw four of my rasboras feeding, and one near the ground with its mouth right open. I hope it doesn't die when I come back home this afternoon.

 

[WILDER]

If it does die and it sounds likely to be hoenst, check the mouth inside for sores.

 

[kelp]

Unfortunately, it succumbed to the same fate as the fish yesterday.
The mouth opening is very small, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. If there were sores inside, what would be the cause of them. My rasboras are no longer schooling as well with only four. I will get more next weekend.

I don't have a water test kit, I can usually tell if there's something wrong by the way the fish are acting, and then I'll do a quick water change.

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't buy anymore for a few weeks, and then try a different store.
I think I would try a bacterial med, do the mouths look red as well or just wide open.

 

[kelp]

For both of the fish, it looked like they had been frightened. Their eyes were huge, and their mouths were wide open. I didn't see any red sores or anything on or in the mouth. The bottom jaw had a hole in the bottom of it. I don't know if that's normal or not.

 

[WILDER]

I would try the bacterial med, were the eyes bulging out.
This is a good read as most harlequins are imported, when I got some harleys some of mine were thin.
http/www.thegoldfishbowl.co.uk/rasboras.html

 

[kelp]

You must be joking me, it's happening again. I thought it'd stop by now. I've done a water change today, and yesterday. Is there a certain bacterial med that I should get? Are you saying that the cause of the "jaw" is the fish store?

 

[geo7x]

well its probably not this because of it happening twice, but one of my hengeli rasboras (similar to harlequins) once got a bit of algae wafer lodged partially down its throat, and it swam around for a bit with a gaping mouth, but then luckily coughed it up and it was back to normal.

 

[fenwoman]

Unfortunately, it succumbed to the same fate as the fish yesterday.
The mouth opening is very small, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. If there were sores inside, what would be the cause of them. My rasboras are no longer schooling as well with only four. I will get more next weekend.

I don't have a water test kit, I can usually tell if there's something wrong by the way the fish are acting, and then I'll do a quick water change.

not even the most experienced person on here could tell simply by looking at the fish or the water, that the tank stats were ok. Before you get any more fish, invest in a master test kit and test the water quality. You may surprised at the result. In the long run you may stop further deaths.