Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
May 25, 2013, 09:42:36 PM
Home Search Search Login Register

+  Pet Goldfish - Aquarium Forum Community
|-+  Aquarium
| |-+  General Goldfish Discussion
| | |-+  Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose! 		« previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!  (Read 1030 times)
Igor
Newbie
*

Karma: 2
Posts: 38
Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« on: July 28, 2010, 03:53:58 PM »
I am still excited. I noticed that one of my goldfishes, oranda Hose behaved himself in strangely manner. He drifted with his tail up on the bottom of the tank... And then I saw a black gravel stone stuck in his mouth!!! Jesus! Poor guy sucked a stone and was choking... I caught the sillyboy out of the tank and using toothpick picked the stone out. Hope I have not injured his jaws.
Half an hour passed and the guy seems ok.
So - did I make a mistake filling the tank with fine gravel! The same gravel was in all tanks at Petco.
Logged
Andrea
Sr. Member
****

Karma: 163
Posts: 1059
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2010, 12:33:12 AM »
Sunshine was choking last night too!!!! Scared the poo out of me Sad I was feeding him these frozen goldfish cubes which I always cuts bits off for her because the cubes are much too big for one goldfish. I must have cut one up a bit too big and she was sitting there doing the whole lip action where a fish is eating for ages but in a distressed way and was just floating at the bottom of the tank for ages. I didn't know what to do and eventually he sort of regurgitated some of it and was fine.
Glad your fish is doing ok and I bet he'll be fine from now on Smiley How fine is the gravel we are talking about? I'm not sure as I imagine they are designed for fish so nothing should be too harmful. But maybe we should all be wary in the future and buy as big gravel as possible. Oh and cut up the food smaller because of greedy goldfish Tongue
Logged
Igor
Newbie
*

Karma: 2
Posts: 38
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2010, 10:16:38 AM »
Glad your Sunshine is okey too.
The gravel I put into the tank is standard one which is on sale in Petco... Approximately 1/2 of an average pea. And the fishes use to suck it in and then realizing that it is not eatable spit it out. But this time the stone stuck.
Now he is fine, eating and swimming normally. But should I be worried! What if this happened two weeks ago, when we were out for vocation?
Logged
Nossie
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 481
Posts: 5469
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2010, 11:02:37 AM »
Goldfish shouldn't have fine gravel in their tank, sand and the like should never be there! Try to keep gravel either in a size that the goldfish easily can spit out (About pea size) or coarse gravel that won't even fit into their mouths.

And one more thing, if it'd ever happen again, you should take a NOT SHARP object and gently push the rock out through the gill cover. If you want, you could add a small dose of melafix to prevent any bacterial infections in the mouth in case he got hurt Smiley
Logged
katie88
Jr. Member
**

Karma: 7
Posts: 82
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2010, 04:58:24 AM »
i hate it when mine do that! scares the poo out of me!!!

as nossie said fine gravel or sand shouldnt really be in with goldfish (they eat everything in site as you all know) i used quite chunky gravel and have larger rocks in there.

hope your fish is ok now. who was it that posted silly fishes do cute things??? haha
Logged
Igor
Newbie
*

Karma: 2
Posts: 38
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2010, 07:58:19 PM »
Through the gill???!!! Whow! Is there anything that possibly could be damaged? Would never have thought about that. Through the gill, hmm...
Logged
Nossie
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 481
Posts: 5469
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2010, 02:43:05 AM »
Yep, through the gill Wink That's what's recommended by a veterinarian in one of my books!
And I do think it's reasonable since it'd probably be an easier way than starting to pick and pluck with it to get it back out through the mouth, when you can just push it out with a slight move of a wet q-tip Cheesy
Logged
Nicole
Full Member
***

Karma: 49
Posts: 264
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2010, 09:16:40 PM »
That happened to us once, too.  We didn't mash up their peas small enough, and Stripe got too big of a piece and couldn't swallow it.  He eventually got it out on his own, but it was a scary 10 minutes!
Logged
Nossie
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 481
Posts: 5469
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2010, 03:58:13 AM »
A pea is, to me, a tad less dangerous than a rock Wink Since the pea is kinda' soft and will eventually be chewed down (with the teeth goldies have in the back of their throat) But I would freak out too if it happened o_o
Logged
goldfishluver12
Jr. Member
**

Karma: 12
Posts: 93
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2010, 12:29:08 PM »
None of my goldfish have ever choked on their gravel but it makes me wonder about the gravel i have. I bought my gravel from my local pet store so it should be ok i would think. Its smaller then a pea. My fish suck on it every once in a while but since my fish are bigger they should have no prob:) I have fantails by the way. Glad your fish is well!!
« Last Edit: August 21, 2010, 12:31:48 PM by goldfishluver12 » Logged
Nossie
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 481
Posts: 5469
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2010, 05:00:13 AM »
That shouldn't be a problem! As long as they're round! Your fish will be growing too, so it'll be easier for them to spit out the gravel in time d:
Logged
Igor
Newbie
*

Karma: 2
Posts: 38
Re: Think twice before putting fine gravel into a tank. Or how I saved Hose!
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2010, 09:02:04 PM »
Right. I would hate to change 5 kilos of gravel in the tank. Hope that served them a lesson and they are smarter now :-)))
Logged
Pages: [1]  
« previous next »
Jump to:  
Page created in 0.118 seconds with 17 queries.