# Cardinal with weird propped-open mouth



## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

I just went to feed my tetras, and one of the cardinal's mouths was weirdly open. I said to him, "What is wrong with your face?" There is actually a black line in there, literally as if he bit down on a stick and it's propping open his mouth, like in cartoons when they prop open their eyes with toothpicks to stay awake. He's swimming and shoaling just fine, and was interested in/chased after the flake, but couldn't eat it because...well...see above.

Does this sound like some kind of parasite or another disease? Or did he actually bite down on something? Should I fish him out and investigate?

Tank is well cycled, tetras have been in there for two months with no problems, temp is a bit warm due to a heat wave (around 82F). I might add that last night I saw one of the cardinals with something visibly dark inside his abdomen, but decided to wait it out in case it was constipation. No way to know if this was the same fish - none are showing dark spots today. 

Advice?


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

I have seen something like this before and was told that the fishes jaw had dislocated maybe from a quarrel with another fish, don't know if this can be corrected or not.


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

No, it honestly looked like something was stuck in there - I could see it. I was going to try fishing him out today to investigate...but overnight, a Christmas Miracle!  He dislodged it himself and is swimming around with his mouth normal and closed, indistinguishable from his buddies.

My theory is he was hovering around one of the BNPs as he ate his sinking wafer - as my tetras do, you'd think I don't feed them! - waiting for the messy little bugger to stir some wafer bits up, but bit down on a piece of substrate instead. Hopefully he's learned his lesson!


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## Mr. Scruples (Apr 20, 2012)

I know I shouldn't be laughing, but I'm sorry -- this thread is hilarious!  (especially since it has a happy ending)

My Cardinals are serious chow-hounds as well. I've had to resort to feeding my Corys their 'treats' at a completely off time since if I give them wafers during a regular feeding the Cardinals will instantly smell it and turn their little fishy noses up at their 'normal' food and school around the cats instead. They just hover around snapping at any random bits of debris that the Corys stir up and set loose while they're snacking -- I can just picture one of them lunging at a small twig that's floating by without thinking about the repercussions and getting it stuck in his mouth like that (because let's be serious -- fish aren't the most introspective of creatures).

Comedy gold


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Mr. Scruples said:


> I know I shouldn't be laughing, but I'm sorry -- this thread is hilarious!  (especially since it has a happy ending)


It's okay, I've been giggling about it all day!



Mr. Scruples said:


> (because let's be serious -- fish aren't the most introspective of creatures).


It's hard to be introspective when your brain is the size of a pinhead!  And to think I use to hassle my cats for having brains the size of walnuts!

The cardinal is doing fine. I just gave my BNPs their wafers, and you can tell the tetra school is all like, "Come on you lazy louts, FIND THEM ALREADY!!!"


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