When I was in my teens and got my first aquarium, I fed the fish in the community tank the wrong thing: medium-sized sinking pellets.
The bigger fish ate them all up, but a smaller Cardinal tetra got one stuck in its throat.
They really can, as I learned the scary way! But how do you know if your fish is choking and what should you do? Let’s find out…
As fish owners, we want to keep our aquatic pets happy and healthy. An important part of fish care is providing them with a nutritious diet. But did you know that feeding our fish can sometimes lead to a dangerous situation – fish choking on their food? While not extremely common, it is possible for both small and large fish to get food lodged in their throat.
In this article, we’ll explore whether fish can choke, what causes it, symptoms to watch for, and most importantly – how to dislodge food and save a choking fish!
Do Fish Really Choke on Food?
Yes, fish absolutely can experience choking on food or other objects that become stuck in their throat Their throat anatomy and swallowing process are similar enough to humans that blockages can occur
Anything that is too large or awkwardly shaped compared to the size of the fish’s esophagus can get lodged. Some common choking hazards include:
- Pellets or flakes that are too large
- Live foods like feeder fish, worms, or crickets
- Inorganic materials like gravel, decor, and plants
So fish choking is not just an urban legend – it’s a real possibility!
What Happens When a Fish Chokes?
Choking can impact fish in two dangerous ways Let’s look at both
1. Blocked airflow/suffocation
If an object completely blocks the mouth and throat, it prevents water from flowing over the gills as usual. This means oxygen can’t be absorbed into the bloodstream and the fish essentially suffocates.
Signs of choking due to suffocation include:
- Gasping and gaping mouth
- Rapid gill movement
- Loss of orientation and balance
- Floating motionlessly near the surface
2. Inability to eat/starvation
Smaller objects lodged farther down in the throat may still allow some water and oxygen to pass. But they block food from reaching the stomach. Over time, the fish starves.
Symptoms of this scenario are:
- Lack of appetite
- Fish seems ill
- Weight loss and thinning body
So in both cases, choking can quickly become life-threatening if the blockage isn’t removed.
What Should I Do if My Fish is Choking?
If you notice any signs of choking or see an object caught in your fish’s mouth, take quick action:
Step 1) Use an aquarium net to corner and catch the fish gently.
Step 2) Wet a cloth and hold the fish still in one hand.
Step 3) Use long, blunt tweezers in your other hand to grip the object and pull it free.
Step 4) Return the fish to the water once dislodged. Monitor their recovery.
Speed is critical, but be extremely cautious not to harm or puncture the fish’s throat when removing the object. Making multiple attempts gently is better than damaging their esophagus by acting rashly.
Can I Prevent My Fish from Choking?
The best remedy is prevention. To reduce the risk of choking, here are some tips:
- Feed only properly sized foods your fish can swallow
- Avoid live foods that can fight back
- Crush pellets or flakes for small species
- Use sand or very fine gravel substrate
- Check decor for loose parts that could dislodge
Case Study: Gourami Choking on Pellets
To see this in action, let’s walk through a real example of a dwarf gourami choking on its food and how the owner helped it.
Simon first noticed something was wrong when his dwarf gourami wasn’t coming up to feed at dinnertime like usual. He tapped on the tank but the fish seemed listless and made no move toward the surface.
Taking a closer look, Simon spotted something sticking out of the gourami’s mouth. He realized immediately it was choking on one of the large sinking pellets he fed to his bottom feeders.
Thinking fast, Simon scooped the fish up in a net and wrapped it in a wet paper towel. He used a pair of blunt tweezers to gently remove the pellet lodged in its throat.
Almost instantly the gourami began moving its mouth normally again. Simon quarantined it overnight to recover. By morning, it was back to perfect health – hungry and ready for breakfast!
Simon learned his lesson and now feeds the dwarf gouramis separately on crushed flakes they can safely swallow. No more choking incidents since!
Can Small Fish Like Tetras Choke Too?
Absolutely! Even little fish are capable of getting food stuck. Their narrow esophagi don’t take much to become blocked.
As a beginner fishkeeper, I accidentally caused my cardinal tetra to choke by offering it a pellet too large for its tiny throat. Eventually the pellet softened in the water and the tetra spat it out. But it was clearly distressed during the ordeal.
Now I’m very careful to give my small fish properly sized foods to avoid choking. For tetras, I stick to mini crushed pellets, flakes, or live foods like brine shrimp.
Choking Prevention Tips for Various Fish
To wrap up, here are some feeding tips tailored to different popular species to lower choking risk:
Bettas: Feed bite-sized pellets formulated for bettas, avoid freeze-dried foods.
Goldfish: Offer gel foods, soaked pellets, veggies rather than hard pellets.
Cichlids: Crush large pellets, supervised feedings of live foods.
Plecos: Skip large algae wafers, opt for sinking carnivore pellets instead.
Guppies: Crush all dry foods into tiny pieces, feed newly born fry powdered flakes.
Angelfish: Avoid foods wider than their pencil-width throat like blackworms.
The Takeaway
Choking is not a common occurrence for most aquarium fish. But if it happens, knowing how to identify the symptoms and act quickly gives your fish the best chance of survival.
Prevent it in the future by tailoring feedings to your fish’s size and species. With a few precautions at mealtimes, you can help your fish swim, eat, and breathe easy!
The Dangers of Choking
Like all animals, fish need oxygen to survive. But instead of breathing air, fish species absorb oxygen from the water through their gills.
In fish, if the water flow from their mouths to their gills gets blocked, they won’t be able to breathe and may die.
This is the worst-case scenario and can lead to death quite quickly if the obstacle is not removed.
Your fish may not be able to keep eating if the blockage is small or further down in the esophagus. It will still be able to breathe, though.
If the esophagus is completely blocked, no food can reach the fish’s stomach.
If you do this for a long time, your fish may get weak and thin, and they will eventually die of hunger.
Choking can also adversely affect your fish indirectly by causing them to suffer stress.
In the worst cases, your fish could get shocked and scared, which would put a lot of stress on their bodies and leave them open to attack from other fish.
How To Treat a Fish That Is Choking
Following these steps right away is what you need to do if your fish is choking and showing signs of suffocation. Leaving the fish unable to breathe properly could result in death in a short period of time.
If you know your fish is breathing well but has a blockage in its esophagus, you could leave it alone for 24 hours to see if the blockage goes away on its own.
Over time, hard pieces of food can soften and be swallowed or spat out. Even hard things may eventually pass through the body.
But if, after a day, the obstruction is still there, it’s time to get it out. Here’s how:
You’ll need a net, a wet cloth, and a long pair of tweezers. Tweezers without sharp points are preferable to avoid hurting your fish.
Bring your fish to a corner of the tank with your net. Then, slowly raise your net to the water’s surface to catch your fish.
What happens when you swallow something down the ‘wrong pipe’
Can fish choke on food?
As with any animal (including humans) that eats and then tries to swallow food or other items that are too large for their throat and esophagus to handle, the potential is certainly there for a fish to choke on food. Fish can and do choke on all sorts of items in their environment.
Why does one feel as if they are choking on their food when they eat?
Inflammation of the pharynx, tonsils, and larynx, as well as esophageal diseases such as reflux esophagitis, cause discomfort such as a foreign body sensation, difficulty swallowing such as choking, and a feeling of being stuck in the throat. In rare cases, throat discomfort may appear as an early symptom of laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, or esophageal cancer. I think that it is desirable to undergo an endoscopy at an otorhinolaryngology department once.
How does a choking fish affect a fish?
Choking can also adversely affect your fish indirectly by causing them to suffer stress. In a serious case, your fish may become shocked and panicked, straining their system, and making them vulnerable to attack from other fish. What Are the Symptoms of a Choking Fish?
Why do some fish choke more than others?
In addition, some fish species – such as trout, salmon, and bass – are more likely to choke than other species of fish. This is because these species tend to take in their food quickly, which can cause them to choke if they try to grab something that’s too big for them to swallow.