Should I Worry?

[BrianRinkes]

I made a dumb move. I have a tank with a decently large Oscar in it as well as a few smaller but not so small fish. I was working with another tank and I relocated a pretty small Cory cat into the big tank. I didn't think this would be a problem as my Oscar doesn't bother my other small fish and generally turns his nose at live food. Well as you can guess the Cory lasted about 90 seconds (no exaggeration).

I noticed the Oscar having trouble swallowing it. Is there any reason for me to worry about the Oscar?

Thanks

 

[Durbkat]

Is he still choking on it? If so get a paper towel and dip it in the tank to get it wet then put the oscar on it and carefully open its mouth and if you see the cory get some tweezers and get it out but if you can't. Then maybe someone else can tell you what to do. Then if you get it out put the oscar back in the tank and add some stress coat. Also don't forget you can't leave a fish out of water for more than 60 seconds then put him in a net if you haven't got the cory out and let him sit in the water so he can get wet again then try again.

 

[BrianRinkes]

Thanks.

He stopped choking, I may have prematurely freaked. By the time I got back to the tank after posting he was done choking. He seems okay, and is swimming around normally. I even offered him a pellet of his normal food and he had no problem eating it. I guess a Cory doesn't really fill you up.

Thanks again.

 

[Durbkat]

Your welcome. You mean you put the cory in then after a minute and a half of attacking the cory it was gone? Eww

 

[BrianRinkes]

Exactly. it may have even been less. I don't thin it was much of an attack, it must have been more of an inhale. I just walked out of the room to get something and when I came back I was searching the tank for the Cory and the Oscar looked like it was coughing and...I'll save the details.

The Cory was pretty small, maybe less than 2 inches, and the Oscar is full grown so it could easily have fit in his mouth. I'm just surprised he went after it, I've tried crickets etc before and he won't even touch them.

Lesson learned.

Thanks