# Help! Arowana ate a bottle cap



## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

I dropped a beer bottle cap into the pond and the arowana swallowed it immediately.

Is there anything I can do that can make him throw up? Are there any local fish vets that might be able to operate?


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## pyro (Dec 6, 2010)

Dr Sandra Fazakas at the Ripley Aquarium may be able to help you.


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

How can I contact her?


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## pyro (Dec 6, 2010)

I would place a call to the Ripley Aquarium?


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

Will do. Thanks


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## pyro (Dec 6, 2010)

Hi aeri
She emailed me as she is in California right now. She asks if the Arowana still eating and acting normally?


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

This happened 2 nights ago. I tried to stress him out in hopes of getting him to throw it up but he didn't. He swam and ate normally for hours afterwards.

Yesterday he didn't eat, not sure if it's because of the stress.

Today he ate but not as aggressive as usual. He is swimming normally though.

I'm going to move him into a smaller tank tonight with no tankmates so that it's easier to change the water daily and monitor if he threw it back up.


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## zenins (Sep 17, 2013)

aeri said:


> Are there any local fish vets that might be able to operate?


Dr. Fazakas would probably sedate the fish, then use forceps down the throat into the stomach to retrieve the bottle cap.
I would love to see a video of that procedure


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

pyro said:


> Hi aeri
> She emailed me as she is in California right now. She asks if the Arowana still eating and acting normally?


Dr Fazakas reached out to me. Thanks Pyro for the referral


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## videosilva (Oct 14, 2013)

*Bottle Cap*

Get one of those JUMBO CANS of pellet fish food and feed it to the Arrowana ! If it eats the can it will then expel the small bottle cap ?


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Links vet clinic deals with exotics, call them up and see what they can do.


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## mkblitz (Oct 12, 2011)

Can you keep us posted? Would really be interested to see how this is resolved. Your fish is one tough bastard!


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

videosilva said:


> Get one of those JUMBO CANS of pellet fish food and feed it to the Arrowana ! If it eats the can it will then expel the small bottle cap ?


That's bad advice. It's clear the fish isn't going to regurgitate the bottle cap, and trying to push it further down the digersitve system would almost certainly cause severe damage.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

So any news on the Arowana? I'd like to know if you managed to save it or not


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

wondering myself, also curious about the cost.


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

The arowana has been doing okay, he's actually swimming and eating normally.
Dr. Fazakas will be sedating, x-ray/endoscope, and attempting to remove the bottle cap through his esophagus next Sunday.

In the meantime I'm just maintaining the water as usual and looking out to see if he threw it up somewhere. In the best luck that he does throw it up I'm also hoping that the tankmates don't pick it up and eat it. I have no idea how a metal bottle cap can taste like food. He usually spits out things he doesn't like.


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## videosilva (Oct 14, 2013)

*Arowana*

Lesson learned ?

Don't drink and Arowana !


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## mkblitz (Oct 12, 2011)

to be fair, Arowana sounds like an imported beer. Hope he pulls through okay. Also curious as to what the damage to the wallet would be on a fish surgery


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

Great news. After 11 days, I found the bottle cap in the pond late last night.

It was in the gourami's area so there might have even been a chance that the jardini threw it up a while ago, and the gourami took it and threw it up yesterday.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Unreal.. but nice to be able to avoid the surgery. Sometimes animals are just silly about the things they decide to consume, be they fish, mammals or whatever else.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Hey Aeri- where do you live that you're able to keep an arrowana and a giant gourami in a pond all year round?


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

It isn't exactly a pond. It's a plywood box pond type of thing that I built in my basement.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Oh. That's neat. How many gallons is it?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I'd love to see more info on this build


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

Gallons...around 4-500? Depending on how high I fill it.

It's 8'L x 4'W x 3'H. Inside dimensions approx 84" x 44", and I fill it up to 24-30" to allow space for the arowanas to jump. Lids are made with clear shower curtains so they won't hurt themselves either.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

That sounds pretty awesome! That's a lot of gallons. Can we see a top-down shot of the fish in their home? That'd be neat.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

how do you filter and heat it? and how is it water proofed?


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

Thanks.

I made a thread about my build here: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?506773-New-Fish-Room-Setup-DIY-Pond-In-Wall

Filtration is a diy 100G wet/dry with about 800 pot scrubbies, 4gallons of bio-balls, sponges, ceramic rings, and filter floss.

Heating is only 2x 300watt heaters. I insulated the entire pond and it retains the temp quite well.

I used 45mil epdm pond liner for the inside. Bought from clarke koi ponds.


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

Here are some top-down pictures from when I first built it. It's hard to get a decent shot with the reflection of lights.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Awesome setup.

What's the fish with the orange fins (you have several)?
The smaller one?


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

7-10" Red tail tinfoil barbs and black bar silver dollars. Most of them were because they outgrew people's tanks, and they're great schooling dithers.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

aeri said:


> 7-10" Red tail tinfoil barbs and black bar silver dollars. Most of them were because they outgrew people's tanks, and they're great schooling dithers.


So you have tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, an arrowana, and a giant gourami? Pretty cool. What do you feed them? And how do you do water changes on that giant thing?


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## aeri (Sep 9, 2007)

I feed them 4 different types of hikari pellets. Every few days I feed beefheart or shrimp for the aros and gourami.
Water changes I have a spare pump that I use to pump the water into the sink to also clean filter media. Filling the water takes a while though.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

aeri said:


> I feed them 4 different types of hikari pellets. Every few days I feed beefheart or shrimp for the aros and gourami.
> Water changes I have a spare pump that I use to pump the water into the sink to also clean filter media. Filling the water takes a while though.


Do you ever feed the giant gourami fruits and vegetables? Apparently they can tolerate it in their diet. Here's one eating a tomato.


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## SwimmyD (Feb 9, 2013)

I think your pond is really cool! And I'm so happy you're arowana is okay. I felt terrible for you (and the fish) when you were stressed out from waiting to hear back from the vet, and hoping your poor fish was okay! I assume he's eating like normal now?


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