Colour_genes Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I had one of my guppies die yesterday from what would have been totally a mystery cause, if I had not been watching the tank earlier. Thought I might record it as a cautionary tale - I have a small outbreak of BBA in one tank at the moment, treating with Flourish Excel, which seems to be working. BUT - one of my adult male guppies grabbed a piece of food that had landed on a tuft of BBA, the tuft came adrift; he had it in his mouth, so he slowly munched that down as well (looked like someone slurping down spaghetti :lol: ). It was a bigggg clump, so he ended up with bits still sticking out of his mouth like a beard after 15 minutes, by this time I had decided to grab a net, caught him up and carefully pulled what I could out of his mouth. There was a lot still inside him, and he spent the next 2 days hanging in the water, mouth open and gills flared, then eventually died. If I had not seen the BBA going down him I would never have known the likely cause (choking? can fish choke?), but would be frantically wondering what I should treat the tank with, about now. So now I know that fish do die of causes other than infectious diseases! :dead%fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I was worried about one of my guppies the other day.. I was cleaning the inside glass and put my hand in the water.. a hair of cat fur must have been on my arm becuase I noticed it in the water but before I could get it, a guppy gulped it down.. and he had the top half hanging out of his mouth.. I was worried about trying to pull it out and dragging his insides out with it so I left it to see what would happen.. he swam around for two days with it hanging out and then it was gone and guppy is fine.. he is just a little guy too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 i have left the house for 20 mins, come back to find my oscar with half its scales missing, bleeding from the side, i think something in the tank fell on him, but i'll never know. i also have lost 5-6 fish over the last ten years to spontaneous deaths all with same symptoms, dizzy, lose colour, fins and gils clenched, and death within 4-5 hours of symptoms appearing. mystery deaths are an inevitable part of fishkeeping. best not to get too caught up on it. never get attached to a fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I am sure a fish could choke to death. As it swims about with the leftover hanging from its mouth you have to wonder what is happening to what is on the inside. Other animals slowly dissolve it with stomach acids but not sure how a fish digests or if it has internal muscles to keep the food going down and through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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