Goldfish With Otto Stuck In Throat

[McInnis]

I have a 55 gallon tank with four fantail goldfish and a few little ottocinclus for algae control. Last night the smallest of the goldfish, about 2" in length, tried to swallow one of the ottos. This morning he still has the tail sticking out of his mouth. I'm afraid its stuck in his throat. I caught him in a net and tried to gently pull it out, but it's stuck pretty good. I don't see how he can survive like this.

Is there anything I can do?

 

[Tolak]

You will need a clean towel, and a pair of needlenose pliers. Get the towel wet with tank water, and fold it, you will use this to hold the fish. Net the fish, hold it with the towel, and pull the otto out with the needlenose pliers.

 

[McInnis]

Well OK, the operation is complete. Some of the mouth tissue tore, I hope he'll heal. He's kind of swimming around with his mouth gaping open.

And believe it or not, the otto was still alive.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Tolak]

Just keep up on water changes, and add a little melafix to the tank. The biggest factor for healing fish is fresh clean water.

 

[GoldLenny]

Get the oto's out of the goldfish tank. Goldfish will try to eat anything that will fit in their mouths. Oto's are catfish and have little spines in their fins which is why the goldfish could not spit it out and the heads are hard so the goldfish could not crush it to swallow it. If you must have an algae eater in your goldfish tank, get a BN Pleco or even a common pleco but you must set up with your fish store to exchange them every year because pleco's can get aggressive as they mature. Plus they don't eat algae as well when they get too big. You don't want aggressive fish in your goldfish tank... especially not nocturnal fish like plecos which could cause stress issues for your goldfish when they should be sleeping.

Come on over to the goldfish (coldwater forums) too! http/www.fishforums.net/Coldwater-Fish-and-Ponds-f18.html

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Get some hillstream loach/butterfly loach/butterfly pleco/hong kong pleco/boreno sucker/stingray pleco in your tank. They grow to about 3-4 inches and they like colder water like goldfish.

 

[Squidman]

You will need a clean towel, and a pair of needlenose pliers. Get the towel wet with tank water, and fold it, you will use this to hold the fish. Net the fish, hold it with the towel, and pull the otto out with the needlenose pliers.

Wouldnt the tweezers hurt the otto?

 

[Tolak]

You have a choice when things like this happen; risk almost certainly loosing both fish, or risk injuring or killing the swallowed fish to save the larger fish.