HELP! Chocolate Cichlid's mouth stuck open-can't eat!

[rbslilpanda]

Ok, so I'm pretty sure my chocolate's problem is that it's mouth/jaw is locked in the open position. I was not home when it happened, but my partner said he saw the fish get it stuck but then reel it in for a moment, but then it popped back out. Sorry for the crappy pics, its the best I could do. I have read that you can try to manually maneuver it back in, but I'm scared to death to do this, for fear that I will make it worse of hurt it. But I know that if I don't try, it might die of starvation...WHAT SHOULD I DO? Oh, and btw, my local fish stores were of no help, so I'm really hoping you guys can help me ASAP!

Chocolate cichlid-about 4 inches, voracious eater (usually), kept with an adult jack dempsey with a spine deformity in a 17 gal hospital tank. Has been cycled for over a year and has regular water changes, all parameters are normal for water. I had suspected that maybe the jack dempsey locked up with the chocolate, but I am pretty sure this didn't happen, as the JD is pretty much lame and has to push itself to get up to eat food.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

What ever happened to it? Going in and fixing it manually might work, but give it a few days perhaps it rights itself

 

[joe jaskot]

You have nothing to lose. If the fish can't eat, it's going to die a slow death.

 

[rbslilpanda]

My fish is still alive, Im giving him granuals so he can just kind of suck them in. I am scared to take him out and try to dislodge it, I was hoping someone would have some experience with this and tell me specifically what to do. I wanted to also make sure that this was what his problem is, so does everyone agree that it's stuck out or is it something else?

 

[Kollection]

wow, this is really weird never seen this before. most fish i've seen with a mouth like this was a deformity that it was born with. If the fish is still eating and acting normally i would just leave it alone for now.

 

[ExoticGREEN]

better pics will help also

It seems to look like the lips are stuck together and there is a whole above the mouth

 

[Thelatinofishlover]

dude the water is really dirty.....

 

[rbslilpanda]

well its the best pic i have at the moment. He's been like this for 2 weeks now and hasnt died or gotten thinner, so I think I'll just monitor it and see what happens. The water isnt that dirty, it was the day before a cleaning and the tank is acrylic so it stains easily, dont worry your little heads.

 

[joe jaskot]

Was the fish's mouth normal when you got it?

 

[rbslilpanda]

Yes, it just happened suddenly when he was feeding one day.