Mouth Agape???

**Dragonwolf** · 10-15-2008, 05:55 PM

My christmas wrasse (Zorro) is suddenly swimming around with his mouth wide open! He looks like an idiot, but he still eats without closing his mouth. No spots or ick and he seems healthy, except he won't close his cake-hole. My water is all within parameters and nothing new has been added to the tank --except-- I changed my bio balls to all live rock rubble...??... Anybody ever seen this before? There's no way I'll ever catch him because he's still active.

**boyesreef** · 10-15-2008, 06:05 PM

that sound lik a riot to watch

**Skurvey Dog** · 10-15-2008, 07:55 PM

How is his breathing? Is his gill action normal or is it accelerated? If his breathing is normal..... could he have possible injured himself burying in the sand or on the LR in the tank?

***lReef lKeeper*** · 10-15-2008, 08:36 PM

did you also change all of the bioballs at the same time ?? this can cause drastic parameter changes and cause stress. i have the same questions as Lori.

**CarmieJo** · 10-16-2008, 02:03 AM

Do you think he is actually swallowing the food?

**Dragonwolf** · 10-17-2008, 05:11 PM

Yes, he's swallowing the food, breathing and gill action are normal, in fact, he's not doing anything out of the ordinary, except his wide open mouth that won't shut!! AND yes again, I did change all the bio balls at once (against all advice) but it was all or nothing endeavor. My parameters are perfect except my nitrate went up to 25ppm a couple days after the change out, but I'm correcting this with water changes until the rock kicks in, nitrates are under 20ppm as I write this and I have added a 1 qt. bag of Seachem "de*nitrate" to the sump. Tonight he ate well and I had a good chance to look him over--looks fine. Tomorrow i'm doing a 30% water change. Any ideas????

**Skurvey Dog** · 10-17-2008, 05:51 PM

Hmmmmm..... do you own any type of magnification equipment, ie. head gear, hand held glass? It'd be good to take a closer look there as this is not normal and I am definately baffled with normalacy appearance and behavior with regard to an open mouth. Has his coloration changed any in the least? Process of elemination is if it's not environmental, it has to be physical as in an injury or an object..... Eyeball view (close up) might shed some light on it. Are any other inhabitants injured or "missing"? Perhaps a jaw injury. I just find it odd as jaw actions help with swallowing of food. Does he just swim around like a baleen whale and skim food like a funnel? Sorry if that sounds really stupid, but I just can't picture food being eaten and swallowed w/o lip/jaw movement. The DeNitrate will help, but not instantly, that will happen over a length of time. Your best course on that account is to stay faithful with water tests and water changes. You'll have to give your tank some time to adjust to the bio ball removal. Hang in there, all good things take time.