# Oscar ate bristlenose pleco! Help!!



## kdawg2293 (Sep 3, 2012)

I came home last night to find that my xanthinistic (golden) oscar of about 4-4.5" had swallowed my smaller 2.5-3.5' bristlenose pleco. He didn't have any bristles yet so basically the same as a common pleco, but the pleco is definatly stuck in his mouth. The oscar ate him head first, but there was quite a bit hanging out of his mouth still. I turned all the lights off and gave him a lot of privacy and went to sleep, but this morning the pleco is still lodged in his throat, and its gotta hurt having your jaw wide open for 24 hours. I asked my Dad (who is way handy at near anything and everything) if he could help me use a tiny sciccors to maybe cut the pleco out...but he was to afraid he would hurt my oscar even more. I don't know what to do ...i don't like losing any of my fish but my golden oscar is special to me, and incredibly rare for around here (lfs got him in by accident and sold him to me as a reg oscaar, although tiny, color dyed(injected) and half eaten, i sat up with him through the first night, he couldnt even swim to the top by the time i rescued him. i held him in hand to the surface so he could eat, got him back and going, regrew all his friends, yeah  kinda crazy about my little goldy) Any ideas exoeriences suggestions...calming words...all apreciated!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

This will sound weird but try pushing the pleco forward, then grab sold of his front find and pinch them to it's body and pull it out. Ever catch a catfish? It's the same thing pretty much they have barbs on their fins and that's what is probably stuck. Have someone hold the Oscar when you do this also to minimize the movement cus by doing this you could kill the Oscar if he flinches to much and a barb goes to deep. Or take it to a vet lol


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Talk about biting off more than he could chew. 

Ratbones is right about the barbs. If your oscar is still swimming, get a soft rag, wet it with tank water, and use it to hold the oscar. Then, take a needle nose pliers and try to grab one of the pleco's pectoral fins. If the pleco is still alive, you may wish to kill him to save the oscar. I suggest taking a large sharp scissors and cutting the pleco in half as far forward as you can reach- if he's dead already, this may make it easier to get at one of those pectoral fins.

I know this sounds awful, and it may not work, but I can't think of what else has a better chance of saving the oscar. Please let us know what the outcome is, whatever happens.

Best of luck...


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## kdawg2293 (Sep 3, 2012)

I decided that as active as my little oscar was being it couldnt be poking him too bad. And i keep my oscars WELL fed, so i decided to stick it out for a couple of days. 48 hours later her finally swallows the pleco, but mustve disclocated his jaw. Another 36 hours later he finnally hinged it or worked it shut. I waited 12 hours to give him some time to heal what i imagine is a very sore jaw, and within a week hes completly normal and voraciously eating his pellets again. Whew...rest easy after that nonsense


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Wow- good choices on your part! And congrats on the (1) healthy fish. =D>


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