Is gravel stuck in gill making our fish ill?

[BarbaraT]

Hello everyone ,
My name is Barbara and I'm new to the site and very thankful it exists.
A little over a month ago our parrot fish Fin who is always landscaping got a piece of gravel stuck in her gill right under her mouth. She seemed unbothered by it but we noticed a couple of weeks later that her eyes turned bright turquoise , the same color as the gravel. After a few days her eyes returned to normal and her normal behavior continued. Yesterday when I checked her in the morning there was a large spot of white over each eye and she was unable to see. She didn't realize we fed her and she didn't play and bob back and forth as she always does when we go by her tank. Today the spot has disappeared over one eye but there is still a small spot and clouding over the other. Her vision seems to be returning but she is just hanging out under the filter, her usual spot when she's not feeling well. The gravel is still stuck in her gill and i am wondering if her body is reacting to the foreign object. We called the fish vet and just to go in it is $110. without the cost of the procedure to remove the gravel. Is there anything i can do myself? I swear i just feel like sticking my arm in there grabbing her and picking the thing out but I know that is not a great idea and the stress will probably be too much for her. Thank you, Barb

[Innovator]

Can you actually see the piece of gravel in the gill? If it is clearly visible you can use tweezers while holding the fish still via wet shammy cloth or a wet latex glove, that is unless skin has overgrown the particle

[BarbaraT]

I was seeing it and now it seems to have skin over the bump.

[Innovator]

If there is skin over the bump then there is nothing you can do other than actual surgery, which I am sure is nothing you'd want to venture through. The cloudy eyes is usually a sign of water quality, nutritional deficiency, abrasion/trauma, or bacterial infection. In any case, post some water parameters and feeding regimens along with performing a water change. The immune system is trying to fight whatever is ailing it.

[BarbaraT]

Thank You so much for your feedback. I'll check the water and get Marycyn in the tank.