Tropical Fish Forums

[Sudo]

My blood parrot has a rock in her mouth. I put this in "Cichlids and Cichlid Tanks" but then I read the sticky and so I'll put this here.

Anyway, a day and a half ago, my female Blood Parrot Mango was digging around and swallowed a rock! Not actaully swallowed, but its stuck in her mouth. She isn't trying to spit it out and shes skipping meals! She's missed two meals so far. I'm worried shes going to starve or suffocate, but she is too small to pull the rock out with tweezers or fingers. How can I get her to spit it out?

[Sudo]

Hasn't this happened to ANYONE!? I've had some views so far, but no answers! My fishies life may be at stake here and I can't get help! What can I do? She still won't eat, or move much for that matter. She wouldn't even spit it out for peas and she loves peas!

[Bob]

I haven't kept Blood Parrots, but most Cichlids will try and remodel their home by shifting gravel about, with the Blood Parrot being a hybrid with known mouth problems, there could be some genetic problem with your fishes mouth, that is stopping it from spitting the stone out.

If the fish is suffering, you have a few choices.

You could leave it and see if the fish can sort it out itself. You could try and re-move the stone yourself (small tweezers etc). You could try and find an experienced aquarist or vet who could do this for you or you could euthanize the fish.

One other alternative "shock" treatment (I have no idea if this would work) would be to catch the fish, then holding it carefully (Mouth down) gently shake it.

If you do try to remove it with tweezers, you are going to have to be very bold, make sure the fish is secure in a damp cloth and work very quickly.

Sorry I can't be more constructive.

Bob

[Sudo]

she isnt really "suffering" but she won't eat... I can see the rock. It isnt blocking her gill openings but its big enough to hinder her eating. Is this drastic enough to try and tweezer it out? She's pretty small; will three pronged tweezers work?

[Bob]

Can't say, never had to do it myself, I had a Goldfish with a stuck pebble once, but when I tried to catch her, the chasing about, caused her to spit it out by herself, I would wait a day or two more before attemping it, giving the fish every chance to get rid of it itself, but you will need to do something at some time.

If no one else comes along with any better suggestions, good luck.

Bob

[Serkan]

Blood parrots are mutant fish. Their existence pushes the moral and ethical boundaries of existence.

It

[Sudo]

Excuuuuuuuuuuuse me! Well you know what? I already knew blood parrots were hybrids. And I bought them anyway. They're not mutant. They can swim (and FAST) and eat and do anyhting a normal fish can except close their mouth. My blood parrots dominate my tank, even with the oscar in there.

PS I didn't have tweezers that would fit, shes still small, but I used a small plastic object and loosened it. She should be able to spit it out now.

THANKS EVERYONE

[Serkan]

I'm sorry Sudo but Blood Parrots have anatomical deformities. I don

[Sudo]

yeah I know... some BP are pretty gross, like the dyed ones and the ones without tails...
Anyways, I can't get the rock out without three pronged tweezers, so either I have to find some and buy them, or I need to find a vet who will help my fish. Would a weekend feeder be able to help her? I thought those dissolved into the water so it'd help curb the hunger until then... its been over two days since she last ate.

[Sudo]

The gloves are off. I went to canadian tire and I found a set of precision tweezers. They are super small so I can get the rock out! I'm gonna give Mango one more day to try and get it out on her own, and if she can't, I'll have to go in her mouth again with tweezers this time. Wish me luck!