Stone Stuck In Mouth

[Bluestraw]

My golden barb seems to have developed a taste for the tank gravel... Last week I saw him get a stone stuck in his mouth, and eventually he seemed to 'spit' it out. He's just done it again, but it's not coming out.

Any ideas how I could help? Even if I can get it out, it seems he's going to keep doing this???! Anyone else seen this?

The fish is about 2-3 years old, and reasonably large as barbs go.

 

[WILDER]

Sterlise some tweezers fast, wrap the fish in a clean cloth wet in tank water wrap him up in the cloth, remove the stone from the mouth, or from inside the gill flap.
Or catching him with a net might make him release it.
I would change your substate to sand.

 

[raptorrex]

My golden barb seems to have developed a taste for the tank gravel... Last week I saw him get a stone stuck in his mouth, and eventually he seemed to 'spit' it out. He's just done it again, but it's not coming out.

Any ideas how I could help? Even if I can get it out, it seems he's going to keep doing this???! Anyone else seen this?

The fish is about 2-3 years old, and reasonably large as barbs go.

i should leave the fish too it, it may be messing with it is worse than leaving it alone. unless the fish is going "ga ga", which is unlikley. a stone too big to fit in its mouth, may well cause problems, but if its too big swallow, it will be moved out of the gills, or spat out!

 

[Bluestraw]

Sterlise some tweezers fast, wrap the fish in a clean cloth wet in tank water wrap him up in the cloth, remove the stone from the mouth, or from inside the gill flap.
Or catching him with a net might make him release it.
I would change your substate to sand.

Thanks - but the good news is he just spat it out!

Do you think it's a good idea to change to sand anyway? Is there a reason why most people typically use gravel?

 

[WILDER]

Best to change substrate if a fish is eating the gravel.

 

[raptorrex]

Best to change substrate if a fish is eating the gravel.

you really believe that?? cichilds do it all the time, i can see people being worried. but suggesting a substrate change is in order, just make no sense to me. fish of many types pick up and spit out gravel, i assume you suggestion is that we all change over? perhaps if the fish were truly trying to swallow, and choking on the stuff, i could see the point. other wise it seems like plain over reaction.

my comment on just leaving the fish to spit out the stone, turned out to be spot on. the stress caused by poking forceps down its gob, would have far out weighed the benefit to the fish of removing the stone. destroying the fishes environment, can be no less stressful.

we all are concerned as to our fishes well being, intervention is most often, and should be, a last resort! this seem to me nothing more than intervention for interventions sake.

 

[MikeD67]

every1 has there own opinions on things to help I see both points you 2 are making but bob theres no need to critisize someone for there own opinion on what they would do its up to the fish owner who needs the help to decide which advice he will use both of you make good points im sure either method would work.