H. "Ruby Green" with mouth stuck wide open. Pleas

[Bravo]

Hi Pam,

I have a H. "Ruby Green" which yesterday I noticed had its mouth stuck wide open. I first posted this yesterday on cichlid-forum.com and I was recomended to post the question here.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=
(In case you want to read what others wrote also there is a photo of the fish)
From cichlid forum I was told to try to use a popsicle stick to push at the jaw joint in an attempt to put the jaw back in place. Unfortunately I either could not do it right or it just will not go back into place. I do not know what to do? I will move him into a hospital tank today. I hate seeing him suffer. Is there still hope for him?

By the way I recognize your picture from Cichlidae Communique. Thanks for all the info you give there also!

[Pam Chin]

Hey Bravo,

A dislocated jaw is really a crap game. First off, I would isolate him. Don't worry about him not eating. He looks plenty fat, and should be able to go a long time without any food (weeks). Isolation will calm him, and allow you to really keep his water clean, because the fish is stressed, they become susceptible and can come down with something else. Sounds like you have tried to pop it back in unsuccesfully. If that isn't working, there isn't a whole you can do, unless you are willing to take a risk. However, at some point you are going to have to make that decision, to either more aggressively try to put the jaw back in place, or euthanize when his quality of life is not what it should be.

Often cichlids with damaged jaws, learn to eat, and do quite well, even breed. Eating is really the major key. Hobbyisty have been known to perform surgery on their own cichlids, but the jaw is really an intricate joint, definitely a tough one to work on. Would it be better off to leave the jaw in this position, or force it close and hope that he can halfway open it to taken in food. I know it is hard one to decide, but it is your fish.