In the course of filter maintenance today a small piece -- probably 0.5 cm in diameter -- of Seachem Matrix biofilter media came loose and got dropped into my tank. (Seachem Matrix is white lava rock type stuff that is roughly spherical in shape.) Because it floated, Penny thought it was food and immediately snatched it up. I immediately grabbed her and brought her to the surface and looked in her mouth. It was gone.

Does this mean that my new baby is going to die? Is there anything at all that I can do for her? The piece she swallowed is way too big to pass out the other end. Will it obstruct her intestinal tract? HELP?!

So far she is acting completely normally... I fed her some peas. I don't know if that was the right thing to do or not? She gobbled them right up... would she have done that if she has a rock in her tummy?

Can you crush this lava rock in your hand or with a fork? If its crushable your fish will have managed to chew some of it with her teeth at the back of her throat and break it down into manageable pieces. It will then pass out.

If it canot be crushed (try it) then the piece may well lodge inside the GI tract. What I would do is feed, feed, feed, feed her right now to encourage an immediate bowel movement. Sooner is better before the piece gets lodged. Peas are great!

Well, some of the rocks are more crushable than others. None of them crush with fingers; some crush with some effort with a fork. Hopefully the one she got was one of the more porous ones.

Penny (and everyone else in the tank) likes your advice about feed, feed, feed. She hasn't pooped yet, however (although she is one of those fish that you never see poop ).

How soon will I know if the rock is lodged in her gut?

When I can I breathe a sigh of relief and assume that Penny is in the clear?

This morning she still is her usual self. There are lots of huge pea poos on the filter intakes, but obviously there's no way of knowing whether they came from her or the other fish (I almost stayed up last night to wait for her to poop, but my husband made me go to bed).

She ate a lot last night -- probably four peas and 6 or 8 pellets of ProGold. I am thinking if all that was backed up inside her she would not be feeling good and would be showing some signs of stress.

Thoughts?

Haha, yes I thought they'd like that too
You would know by now if there was going to be a problem. the fish would bottom sit.



I think so too. i think you can assume she's in the clear now. A close call

Thank goodness!

What a scare! I would still keep a close eye on her for the next few days-- but that's because I am a horrible worrier! I'm so glad she seems okay now.

I think it's time to fast your babies. Little piggies!!