Lionfish - Heimlich Manouevre!

[summer57]

Noticed our fuzzy dwarf lionfish had been sitting on the bottom for quite a while. That's not usual, so I went to take a look -- his mouth was wide open and had a babylon snail stuck in his throat.

Looked like the point of the shell was wedged into his jaw.
What to do? Ok, we're going to try to catch him and try and get the snail out. Heimlich, or hold him upside by the tail & shake? Or?

After chasing the poor lionfish, mouth wide open, around the tank a few times, catching him then losing him, all that thrashing around the tank did the trick. The snail popped out.

I've seen him go after bristleworms from time to time, but never expected he's suck in a big, dead snail. Has anyone seen that before? He wasn't hungry, I fed him frozen mysis a couple of hours earlier.

[AquaAddict]

I had a Bangaii Cardinal try to eat a large worm she caught in the rocks. She was chocking and choking. I was able to net her quite easily. I held her in the net and pulled out the worm very slowly with tweezers. Then I put her in the quarantine tank over night. The next day, back in the main tank and she was just fine.

She and her mate went on the breed several times. I even caught a few babies to give to a friend to raise.

AquaAddict

[summer57]

Glad both our fish are ok!