So, my power was out for 3 days so I withheld feeding because of no filtration. Apparently, that was too long to wait for my Syno Decorus(7''), so he ate one on my German Rams(1.5''). I wouldn't really care except the ram's tail is still sticking out of the Syno's mouth. Should I worry? I'm not sure how long ago he ate it because the power just came back on today and I had the tank covered with blankets to keep the heat in. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Help! Fish caught in Syno's throat.
- Thread starter mcsnapper1
- Start date
If the ram is truly stuck, you can catch the syno and try your best to remove it. Some people have cut the stuck fish in half lengthwise to save the bigger fish. I would try using tiny thin scissors to cut the fins off of the smaller fish and see if it will slip out then. Some fish do die from having another fish stuck in their mouth. Watch your catfish's breathing rate. If he seems to be struggling, definitely time to intervene in some way. Don't be afraid to add extra oxygenation right now, either. It's harder for the cat to breathe so more dissolved oxygen in the water would help him a lot.
Thanks for the replies. I think I'm just going to have to wait this one out and hope for the best. There is not much of the tail sticking out so I don't think I can really cut any fins. The syno seems OK except for reduced activity. He doesn't have clamped gills, in fact they seem to be moving a bit more than usual. I hope that's not a bad thing.
This is very frustrating. There is nothing I can do but wait. I'm afraid if I try to pull it out I'll rip up the Syno's insides. What are the chances of survival at this point? I'm going to be really bummed if he dies.
You may just have to remove the ram from the cat's mouth if it doesn't swallow it soon or you may lose two fish instead of one.
Got it! His gills and mouth are still moving pretty fast, but he just had a pretty traumatic experience. I got him with the net, held him with a wet washcloth, and VERY carefully removed the fish with tweezers. The fish came out easily. Judging by the amount of decay, it had been in there a while. I just hope it wasn't too late. Thanks to all who replied.
That's great to hear! Just oxygenate the tank for a bit, turn the lights off, and don't feed for like a day or so. (unless you have more rams-- then feed. haha.
The only reason he ate it was because of the power outage and I wasn't feeding them for 3 days. They've been together for a few months with no problems. I think I'm going to move my other 2 Rams into my new community planted tank as soon as it is done cycling.