:UPDATE: !Gourami swallowed string!

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Blucat

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
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Location
Australia
Hmmm.... just got home from church and noticed my gourami has swallowed something. It's a long piece of line which i think could be a thin plant root. anyway its half in and half out and its swimming around gulping and gulping. What to do?
 
Well the plant root is extremly long so i managed to get the end of the root when the gourami was at the surface of the water. Unfortunately, it is stuck in their pretty good so i guess the root would be in his stomach.
 
You don't want to pull to hard because it might hurt the fish's innards (this happens all the time when cats or dogs swallow string). I would cut off the trailing end & keep an eye on the fish. It may have a hard time passing it or it could just go through fine. With cats & dogs usually they give them a mild laxative to help but I have never heard of a fish laxative.

I think you might want to stop feeding for a few days too because you don't want it to build up if there is a blockage.

So Sorry. Hope it works out. :|
 
I've got other fish in their too so if i stop feeding and add some epsom salt stuff will the other fish mind?
 
They can go a few days without food but I wouldn't go too long. For me, at the most would be like 3 days.
 
If you want to give your fish some laxative, try boiled peas. You'll have to cut them up fine enough to fit in the gouramis mouth though. Keep us posted!
 
UPDATE

I tried gently pulling the string out but it didn't work so last night I managed to cut the string until it was 2cm short and I switched off the light in hope that my poor dwarf gourami would survive. This morning when I went to the tank, the string was gone and there was a bit of the string hanging out of it's bottom!!! My gourami had taken in the string overnight! :fadein: :D :fadein: :D

Now all I gotta do is get the gourami to completly pass the string. Hopefully by eating, it can push the string out. Lesson learnt: Never ever leave plant roots exposed :twisted:
 
Glad it worked out. Your gourami had its intestines flossed! :D :lol:
I recommend feeding fish a pea once a week (microwaved 30 sec, shelled, and mushed) to prevent bloating and constipation. Most of my fish go nuts over peas.
 
Latest news! :mrgreen: :lol:

PLant root/string completly passed. Now the little coward grouami is bright as ever in neon blue. Yet he still manages to bully the other gourami and get chased by a puny juvenile female betta
 
Glad to hear it worked out. Sounds like you fish is no worse for wear. If this happens again & the string is only partly passed you can also cut off the bit from the other side so no other fish will pick at it & cause damage.
 
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