Can fish get stuck?

[thatlouguy]

This is probably a very stupid question.

Is is common (or even possible) that fish get stuck within the leaves of a fake plant in the aquarium?

I've lost two fish this way, I think. I had one angelfish get caught between the side of the aquarium and the side of a mountain decoration. I think it happened at night when and when I found her in the morning it was already too late.

I just saw one of my platys caught in the leaves of plant, freed it and now it is swimming around like a regular fish.

Am I crazy or can they get caught up in the decorations?

 

[happyhillbilly]

It could happen. I would'nt have any decorations aganst the wall, more to the middle. Sorry about the Angel!

 

[lmw80]

yes, it can definitly happen. The decorations should give the fish enouh room to swim by. I have never see a fish get caught indefinitly in plants...usually they wiggle their way through.

 

[Talon242]

I think I had an otto that got stuck in a plant decoration in my qt tank. Not really sure if thats the reason he died though.

 

[QTOFFER]

There are no stupid questions here - just stupid tank ornaments.

I've had fish get stuck in those evil hollow resin logs. I'm sure that a fish could get stick between the glass and a large ornament.

 

[thetmaxx]

My yellow chiclid use dto get stuck under my action air ship, he would dig a cave out down there, wiggle his way in, and not have any way to wiggle out. so I buried it alot better, and now he doesnt have anymore sticking problems. I've seen my puffer wedge his way through my plant-air a few times, as it is right in the corner of the tank... but he always makes it... anyways, yes it happens... in the wild, thats considered the strong survive....

 

[pkremer]

I was floating a biowheel in my 10 gallon for a few weeks to help cycle it, and one afternoon I walked in from work and found that one of my otocinclus had jammed himself in between the wheel and the plastic support for it. He was dead, and oh my goodness did I have to pull HARD to get him out of there! I don't know how (or why) he did that!

Paul

 

[shawmutt]

It may just be that they die before you find them stuck in something. My cichlids squeezed their way through a bunch of close rockwork. IME, if they can wiggle in they can usually wiggle out.