Something stuck in mouth

jewlz · 01/01/2019, 01:51 PM

Hello all,

I fed my tank yesterday and noticed that my neon dottyback appears to have something stuck in his mouth, jamming it open.

He seems to be able to swallow food, but most-often it seems to blow back out of his mouth since he can't close it.

What do you think I should do about this?

JH

homer1475 · 01/01/2019, 01:57 PM

If it were me, I would leave it alone for a couple days and see if he/she can dislodge on their own, since you say it can eat.

If in a few days if it's still in there, then I might try and figure something out.

It almost looks like an operculum from a snail, but hard to tell from the pic.

billdogg · 01/01/2019, 01:58 PM

Looks like maybe a little piece of a shell? With a little luck, it will be able to spit it out eventually. Your other choice is to attempt to catch it and then remove it with a small pair of tweezers or a very small hemostat.

lolgranny · 01/01/2019, 02:05 PM

I’ve had fish over the years do this, eventually it finds it way out. I’ve only had to once pull a copper and and use tweezers to get it out

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jewlz · 01/01/2019, 03:26 PM

Yeah,

Definitely don't want to have to pull it out if I don't have to. I agree it looks like a small piece of a shell, or a chip of broken off montipora.

JH

Uncle99 · 01/01/2019, 08:50 PM

Little you can do......nature finds a way....

01/01/2019, 01:57 PM	#2
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	If it were me, I would leave it alone for a couple days and see if he/she can dislodge on their own, since you say it can eat. If in a few days if it's still in there, then I might try and figure something out. It almost looks like an operculum from a snail, but hard to tell from the pic. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

01/01/2019, 01:58 PM	#3
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	Looks like maybe a little piece of a shell? With a little luck, it will be able to spit it out eventually. Your other choice is to attempt to catch it and then remove it with a small pair of tweezers or a very small hemostat. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

01/01/2019, 02:05 PM	#4
lolgranny The DQ King Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Chicago (McHenry) Posts: 2,414	I’ve had fish over the years do this, eventually it finds it way out. I’ve only had to once pull a copper and and use tweezers to get it out Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ -Dave Current Tank Info: 40g RIP. 300g system, 180g display.

01/01/2019, 03:26 PM	#5
jewlz Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: North America Posts: 116	Yeah, Definitely don't want to have to pull it out if I don't have to. I agree it looks like a small piece of a shell, or a chip of broken off montipora. JH

01/01/2019, 08:50 PM	#6
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Little you can do......nature finds a way....