Mouth open

[masai]

My goldfish has started to keep its mouth open 24 hrs. What is the reason behind this and how can I fix this issue

 

[LyndaB]

Can you see if anything is stuck in there, like a piece of gravel? Fish can get lockjaw.

You can take the fish out of the tank, hold in a towel, and look into its mouth to see if anything is stuck. If so, sometimes you can pop it out with a toothpick.

On occassion, you will also have to move the jaw back into place.

 

[jlk]

I agree with Lynda- remove the fish in wet towel & look in its mouth with a flashlight to see if anything is stuck. Goldfish are notorious for sucking up any gravel small enough to fit in their mouths & are prone to choking. A small pair of forceps or blunt-edged tweezers can be used to extract a foreign body. Small gravel is not the best choice for goldfish- i would opt for large gravel (quarter size), pfs sand, or a bare-bottom tank for keeping a goldfish to prevent choking hazards.

 

[masai]

The gravel are quite big. I did do a preliminary chech and did not notice anything. But anyway i will try to look properly again.

My telescope fish is kinda small and can not see how it mght have swallowed a stone. Is there any other suggestion for that or did it just gallop something humungus for its own size

 

[jlk]

You might be surprised at what they try to fit in their mouths! Also look inside his gills as well. If you do not see anything anywhere, you can try to gently push his jaw back into place. Good luck!

 

[masai]

Sorry i aint an expert but how do i push his jaw back. Do i literally pushbit back or...

 

[LyndaB]

This is hard to explain..... gently grasp the lower jaw. Pull it forward. You may actually hear it snap back into place.

 

[masai]

Thanks a lot. Will try it tmrw as it is mid night wer i am