# Weird Mouth Movements



## twankyfive2 (Sep 19, 2012)

Hi all - quick question. I've got a couple of my malawi's who periodically do some pretty strange mouth movements. It seems like they're breathing a big rapidly and then open/close their mouth pretty dramatically as if they are crunching on something.

I have sand, and I've seen them both digging around - so I'm thinking maybe some sand is getting stuck somewhere in there and they're trying to dislodge it? Or is this a symptom of some other type of problem?

Tank is a well-established 180 with weekly 30% water changes so no real nitrates and no ammonia/nitrite.

All fish in the tank are eating fine and nobody is really hiding out or anything. Just these two who go in/out of breathing rapidly with their crazy mouth movements.


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## twankyfive2 (Sep 19, 2012)

Oh and the two who are doing it: A nigriventer and an albus.


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Does it look like they're yawning?


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## twankyfive2 (Sep 19, 2012)

Yeah - they'll do the yawn move and then bite down a few times really hard as if they're trying to crush something or shake something out of their mouths.


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Yawning is normal. It's speculated that the fish are "stretching" their jaw muscles.


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## pallen773 (Sep 22, 2012)

I suddenly have the same problem,I noticed my Livingstonii acting sluggish this morning and not wanting any food. It then started rapidly opening and closing its mouth every 20 minutes or so? Not sure whats going on


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## gverde (Mar 3, 2010)

pallen773 said:


> I suddenly have the same problem,I noticed my Livingstonii acting sluggish this morning and not wanting any food. It then started rapidly opening and closing its mouth every 20 minutes or so? Not sure whats going on


My haps do it too on occasion, not every 20 minutes though. I thought at first it may be some sort of parasite, but I dont think it is because they are all fine.


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