Unfortunate Oto

[Gooner]

My Convict of around 3" decided it was hungry and fancied the look of an Oto, (please dont ask what a Convict and Oto are doing in the same tank, It has something to do with the wife and it will not happen again, I hope).

Anyway the Oto is lodged in the Convicts throat and is struggling to digest it, (I have tried to remove the DEAD Oto from the Con by hand but it is wedged, didn`t want to do any damage by pulling it).

The Question

Will the Con eventually digest or will it slowly choke to death?
Is there anything that I can do to help?

Sorry, do not have a hospital or quarantine tank at the moment.

Any help appreciated.

Gooner.

 

[england]

couldnt say for sure but otos a small so convivts each fish and should be able to digest it.....
my oscar when it was 1inch at 7 woodlice all at once gob was buldging took him about 3hrs to finish it all off wouldnt spit any out for fear other would it eat....stupid eh......whats the fish doing now?if its looks major just pull it out

 

[Waterbox]

I would think the Con would figure out how to either swallow it or spit it out if he is in trouble. Ususally they know what they can swallow and wont kill themselves with food.

Does the Convict seem stressed sitting on the bottom of the tank or gasping for air? If he does not look too bad I would just let him try it himself but keep an eye on him. If he seems to be doing poorly just pull it out. Maybe you could cut the Otto in half with some small scissors if he is wedged in a way you could.

 

[Gooner]

The Con is sat at the bottom of the tank in a cave looking very sorry for itself. Looks like it is gasping, but i think i would if i had a fish lodged in my mouth. Not sure if it helps but the Oto went in head first. When i tried to pull the Oto earlier there was no way it was coming out, it felt as if the fins were dug in. Maybe I should try the 'Heimlich Manoeuvre'

 

[england]

would love to see that followed by the kiss of life
soz.....my oscar allways looked like that when he had a gob full......
ive seem pictures of a redtail catfish with a stugoen logded in its mouth and it survived
just monitor him<thats what id do>
unless someone gives u good advice

 

[snapefish]

Ottos are pretty spikey for a small fish - supposed to stop things eating them I guess. With the otto is in head first it is most probably the spines on the fins stopping the Con from spitting him out. If you decide the Con has had enough and you are sure the Otto is dead it might be worth performing a bit of minor surgery to try and get the Otto out without damaging the Con. All depends on how far he's in and how much distress the Convict is in.

Good luck

Mark

 

[-germ-]

Just wondering if oto's have the irreversible dorsal like some plecos this could be the oscars problem....
Its a defence mechanism to prevent exactly this sort of thing from happening....

 

[vancouver]

I think your convict might be in some serious trouble... If you cant pull it out, and it cant swallow it/wont spit it out..

Sounds like there's nothing really you can do but wait and see.

 

[Gooner]

Well the Con has made it through the night, but, doesn`t seem any better off. The Oto is still lodged, some serious thinking needed I think.

 

[Straydum]

you would have to get the oto out. by what means i dont know.

 

[Gooner]

Have just had another go at removing the Oto, unfortunately it has moved further down the throat of the Con. Not sure if that is agood thing. Oh well, will just have to wait and see what happens. The Con does not look distressed in any way at the moment, it is swimming around normally as if nothing has happened.

 

[fishlette]

sounds like one you are going to have to leave to the fish to sort out. although ottos prob arent found in the convicts natural habitat, im sure there are times when they get something stuck in their mouth and while it is sad to see in an aquarium fish, i guess it does happen and most of the time they sort these things out for themselves. if it has gone further down and he seems to be swimming around unaffected etc then i wouldnt worry. maybe he is just chewing his food well for good digestion hope it all works out well for you

 

[Gooner]

I would like to say for all of the advice given, unfortunately I had to do the honourable thing an put the Con out of its misery

It had developed very laboured breathing and its gills really started to swell, its whole underside of the front body turned very white, I can only assume some sort of infection set in, all within a space of an hour.

Once again for the advice and support given.

 

[three-fingers]

Sorry for your loss, I had a similar incident once involving a goldfish and a corydoras, luckily we managed to pull it out though .