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Mouth stuck open. Fast breathing

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bobblehead27

Piranha
MFK Member
So I picked up this crenicichla compressiceps two days ago along with a couple apistos as well as a smaller crenicichla compressiceps. For some reason since I put them in everything is good except the bigger pike has his mouth stuck open and is breathing fast. Any ideas what's wrong and how to fix it?

Not a great pic I know. Can't figure out how to post video though

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I forgot. To add. It's a 50 gallon. Those are the first fish in the planted tank except a clown pleco in months.
I don't see anything that could be propping his mouth open like a pebble or anything.
 
could be dislocated or broken. I've had some pop back. If you try do it very gently. Not sure if that will make it better or worse. I've also heard it argued to leave it alone, that the process stresses them out and the jaw might pop out again any way. I owned a giant danio that lived with a gaping mouth for 3 years he did just fine.
 
Thank you. I am afraid he won't do just fine though because he doesn't go for food or anything. He might be too stressed. I might try to pop it back since it honestly does not seem like he will get better on his own. I just didn't know what could have possibly caused it because it happened in the transfer from LFS to my house I believe. I feel like I would have noticed it at the store. He had a huge stomach too so he definitely had just eaten.
 
i had that with a krib. i know kribs are beginning fish but they got good personality. long story short mine was like that as it had something stuck down its throat it tried spitting it out for ages but i netted it and put the fish at surfice next time a tiny bit came out of its mouth i grabbed and pulled it out very gently the kirb is still alive (since checking this morning)
 
That's sad. I've had this happen with a JD before but it went away before I attempted to try doing anything about it.
 
If you use feeders (guppies?) one could be in the pikes second set in jaws, in its throat, and is taking time to whittled into a size to small enough to swallow.(all cichlids have 2 sets of jaws)
I have also had Petenia splendida get dislocated jaws, and I have snapped them back into place with my fingers, sometimes just getting caught in a net will jar the jaw back into position.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I will try to catch him when I get home and see what I can do. I just didn't know if it was a physical issue or something with an infection or parasite or something. Didn't want to treat til I knew what it was.
 
The bacteria columnaris in its acute form does produce atrophied open jaws (duck lips). But if you test the jaws between your fingers, a columnaris infection makes the jaws solid, almost immoveable, if its a simple dislocation its still usually quite flexible
Below a photo of an acute columnaris infection.

if it is columnaris, you want to get the fish out to a hospital tank and treat for gram- bacteria.
 
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