okay, so i need help please... a few days ago, i came home from work to see one of my neons by himself, not with the group, with his mouth stuck open and breathing very rapidly. they had all been fine earlier that day, before i left for work. he was rejoining the group occasionally, but mostly sitting by himself. i went to bed, and when i woke up the next morning, he was dead. this was, i believe, two days ago [the dead day, not the sick day. sick day would have been three days ago]. i figured something happened to him that was not an illness, perhaps got something stuck in his throat [though what it would have been if it was that i'm not sure. no gravel in the tank, i use sand, and the food is flakes and i break it down a little so it's easier to eat. he would have had to have eaten something off a plant]. so today i just got home from work, look in my tank, count my neons, and notice again that one more is missing from the group. i looked around and noticed a second neon by himself, mouth stuck open and breathing rapidly. i'm guessing i'll be burying another in the morning. this can't be a coincidence. i did a google search and can't seem to find anything that might give me answers to an illness, only posts on other forums about people finding their fish dead with their mouths open; nothing useful that i've seen, at least. does anyone know anything about this? please let me know if you do.. i don't want to lose the tank..
mouth stuck open
- Thread starter sigaru
- Start date
mouth stuck open may not be the cause but the symptom of something else. Your neon (Ill assume tetra) may have something else bothering it and the rapid breathing is a more telling symptom by itself. Check your water quality, if more than one fish is doing the same thing then its very unlikely that both of them swallowed some obstructive object. the mouth wide open is the fish trying to get as much water through the gills as possible. you may need to increase oxygenation and do a large water change for a good measure just in case you have bad water quality or something poisoning the fish in the water. it can be the onset of ich or even a fungal infection of the gills that is preventing the fish from getting enough oxygen from the water and thats why they are breathing rapidly and having their mouths open. any fish in such a stressfull situation will not last long, especially small things such as neon tetras.
check your water parameters before and after water change
make sure newly added water is of good quality, dechlorinated, ph leveled, and conditioned.
if you have a spare hospital tank.
if you have recently introduced new fish to the tank you may have brought in a disease or parasite with it.
good luck, hope you dont lose any more
check your water parameters before and after water change
make sure newly added water is of good quality, dechlorinated, ph leveled, and conditioned.
if you have a spare hospital tank.
if you have recently introduced new fish to the tank you may have brought in a disease or parasite with it.
good luck, hope you dont lose any more
I have 2 koi that have a side of their mouths open.. like the joint is popped out of place. They weren't caught in time, and I think they are stuck this way because I used to be able to pop them back in, but I can't anymore..
But since yours are dying... that's odd. I would first assume something in throat area.
But since yours are dying... that's odd. I would first assume something in throat area.
m1ste2tea;5158260; said:
thank you very much for the response and for trying to help. i realize that this is not what is causing the death and way more likely a symptom, but as this is the only symptom i know if, it is the only thing i can say. i don't believe it would be a lack of oxygen, as it is not a matter of him keeping his mouth open, the fish is incapable of closing its mouth, even to eat. i am quite sure it is not ich either, as, first of all, the one fish died very quickly without any signs of ich, and secondly, this tank has been established for well over a year and a half with no bouts of ich or deaths ever.. only thing i've lost in this tank was two of my amano shrimp at one point, and that was over a year ago. water quality is absolutely perfect, i do weekly water changes in this tank. i have well water, so there has never been chlorine in the water either. some of my neons are new-ish, but they've been in the tank for several weeks. i am at a total loss as to what this could be -- as i said, i've never lost a fish in this tank..
I would guess bad batch of Neons... this happens a lot over here in HK... especially with neon tetras for some reason... in the pass i've tried adding 20 - 30 to a fully established tank with high oxygen levels and everything, and had lost close to 10+ in one week, then after those passed the rest were fine for a few years...
Fat Homer;5158483; said:
lost just the neons? i hope this is my problem... i really don't want to lose any fish, and feel very bad for the poor little neons that are/were sick, but if it can stay to just being the neons that would be great.. i really don't want to lose my older fish as well..
