today i noticed my oscar picking up LOADS of gravel in his mouth and biting on stuff in his tank, openong and closong his mouth alot and his gills are slightly flared out. i took a closer look and i could see in his moth he has a piece of gravel stuck under his tounge. i thought he could get it out himself so i left him for a few hours and came back to check on him. he is now doing the same things but more vigorously, so it is still there and bothering him very much. is there anything i can do to get it out without hurting him or myself? thanks a lot for your help!

Oscars don't normally have a problem with gravel or rocks.If I was you, I would wait and see what happens tomorrow, only intervene if the Oscar seems to be having difficulties. If you have to,remove it from the tank as quickly as possible, without chasing the fish around the tank. Remove any obstructions from its mouth and then put the fish back. It's easier said than done, you might get a bit wet taking the fish out of the tank.

unless the gravel is so big, it can never stuck-in inside the fish mouth...

isn't a common issues. Take a closer look to make sure it is gravel in its mouth. Your eyes and mind may be playing tricks on you, since you are very concerned about your O.

cebosound wrote:


this is a good point! Can you post a pic of the mouth with the gravel in it.

If the gravel is still stuck after 24 hours then you will need to remove the gravel. Lay a damp cloth on a table or kitchen side. Catch the fish and lay him on the towel, cover him with another wet towel covering the fish except for the mouth. With a correct tool (tweezers or long knose pliers) remove the gravel. Take care not to harm the fish but be quick. If you havent removed the gravel after 2-3 minutes put the fish back in the tank and wait at least half an hour before trying again.