Absolutely Unbelievable

[Missy]

Well I just can't believe what just happened!!!

While eating dinner I noticed that one of the fish in my goldfish tank (I know its not tropical but still absolutely must share this story) was doing a headstand. My hubby went to check on Nemo and when he came to the tank he started swimming around so we thought he was ok. Then, a few minutes later I saw him doing it again. Again, he was swimming fine as soon as I came over.

Then I checked him closer. Concerned and worried because Nemo is a very important fish. My two year old daughter loves him. When I looked closely, he had his mouth wide open, stuck open, and I noticed a large piece of gravel lodged about an inch in there.

I freaked out, my sister freaked out and since I lost my cool so did my little girl. So my sister and I decided to try to get it out.

It was such a funny scene. I hooked up a lamp on the dining room table, a soft cloth to lay the fish on and one to put over him to hold him down. The I got the tweezers. So here we are getting the courage to actually do this.

Our first try failed. My sister worked the tweezers but just ended up pushing it further down. I put him back in the water prepared to force my husband to euthanize him for me but, then my little girl saved his life.

She went in to her toy box and got her toy phone. She called the Doctor and said her Nemo ate a rock and it was stuck in his throat. She asked if the Doctor could help Nemo because she didn't want him to go up in the sky.

Well, that was that. We pulled him out of the water and I tried the tweezers. It didn't work so I grabbed a plastic fork and broke off one of the tines. I used it to push the rock to the front of his mouth but it was still stuck so I had to squeeze him from the top of his mouth and from the bottom and the thing just popped out.

Well, sorry the story was so long but I just can't believe it. We just warmed up the hot glue gun and glued the rock to the tank as a reminder of my first and hopefully only, fish surgery.

 

[SnowQueen]

I have heard of that happening before!!

Some guys family video taped a man taking a piece of gravel out of their pet goldfish mouth with tweezers. (I saw that one on tv)

Also, my boss who had a goldfish had the same thing happen to her goldfish.
They also used tweezers to get it out.

A fish mouth is very delicate. Amazingly they did the "surgery" with such skill, no damage was done to the fish.

I can't help but wonder if it is only goldfish it happens to.

Gravel stuck in a fish mouth is not unheard of sadly.
That is one of the reasons why I never liked the idea of gravel.

Glad to hear your fish is okay !!!

 

[smb]

Wow, glad to hear it worked out ok, missy. Good job in a stressful situation.

 

[Where the river goes]

wow, good job

 

[Missy]

Thanks guys, my family keeps laughing at me because I keep bringing it up. I have a one tracked mind.

Just wondering, should I be using smaller gravel maybe.

 

[Eelzor]

Hi Missy,

That was a nice story to share! Goldfish always seem to eat left overs in gravel. I had one that did that once too.

 

[pondfreak4365]

Good job of keeping a cool head girl!

 

[snotirl]

good well done

 

[Missy]

Thanks guys. It was fun now that I look at it and its over but I definitely don't look forward to that again.

 

[Aqua_Princess64]

Great job!!! Hope that never happens again!

 

[Inchworm]

...Just wondering, should I be using smaller gravel maybe.

Hi Missy

Congratulations on a job well done!

But, don't buy smaller gravel!!!! If they swallow it, it will have to come out the other end. (Need I say more? )

Buy larger gravel so that your goldfish can't fit it in their mouths.

 

[AquaNut]

Wow Good work missy, and good work to your 2 year old, too!! I'd have been really nervous, but if the alternative was euthanizing the fish, what did you have to lose? You should be proud; you kept a level head and did what you had to do.

Btw, Inchworm is totally correct... don't buy smaller gravel. Buy bigger gravel.

 

[kuter]

Great Job!! I too have found that I dont care for small gravel. My tanks have the larger gravel too large to get into any of the fishes mouths to begin with. Its also my opinion that the smaller gravel is harder to clean.
At any rate, I am glad lil Nemo is all better!

 

[AttackKoala]

Good work! I don't think I could do surgery on my fish...

 

[mike777]

Great work!!!! one of my friends lost his goldfish too that and I was thinking how bizzare it would be if someone actually did do surgery once again great job!!