Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hello everyone,

I'm having a nightmare situation with my tank: we had a cichlid that somehow managed to squeeze into an ornament, and we couldn't find him anywhere. We removed the ornament, and that's when we discovered the hole he must have gotten into - the smell of decomposing fish is now a dead giveaway. I know, I'm sorry to put you through this, but we're really stressed about losing our fish.

We're desperate to retrieve the fish without damaging the ornament, but the problem is we can't see inside. We've tried pouring water in, hoping the body would float to the surface, but so far, nothing. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get him out?

Sorry again for the gruesome details.

Honestly, I'd just break the ornament - it's not worth the stress and hassle. I know you're trying to preserve it, but sometimes these things just aren't meant to be. You've got a decomposing fish in there and it's only going to get worse.

I'd suggest giving it some time, the decomposition process will eventually make it possible to flush out the remains. Consider placing the ornament outside in direct sunlight, this should speed up the process.

You could try making a small hole just above where you think the fish is, then flushing it out that way.

snowyore wrote: ↑Tue Apr 29, 2025 1:32 pm I'd suggest giving it some time, the decomposition process will eventually make it possible to flush out the remains. Consider placing the ornament outside in direct sunlight, this should speed up the process.

That's the ticket. Whatever method you choose, just get that ornament and the, ah, remains out of the tank - it's a ticking time bomb for ammonia and I don't want to see your other fish suffer.