Oscar in trouble

[Nik]

I have a 5" Oscar living in a 50g tank with twin filtration. He shares this home with a 3" Pleco and has done for the last couple of months.

This morning I have arrived to see the Pleco floating around with his head bitten off and my Oscar sick.

Oscar is mottled in colour and resting on the bottom - showing obvious signs of stress . In addition his mouth is stuck open .

Has he got a bit of the pleco stuck in his throat?? If not - why isn't he shutting his mouth? If he has - how do I look or get it out??

Help - I'm freaked - this Oscar is one of my favourites!

 

[reg2k2]

Seems to me I've heard that when a pleco is attacked, they straighten their spines, and sometimes this can kill the predator.
Perhaps ur fish got a spine stuck in there? ..don't know about gettin it out, tho.

 

[Nik]

Thanks for the pointer.

Have learnt a lesson here - no pleco is a match for a 5" Oscar!!

Oscar himself looks slightly better - his mouth is not so wide open now so I am hoping that he is going to recover.

Unfortunately I have lost a pleco but learnt a lesson!