Tang with Superglue

[this is me]

I was gluing some fallen corals. And today, I found my yellow Tang with super glued mouth. It would be a pain for me to get the fish out. Even if I get it out, I don’t know how I would get the glue off without hurting the tang. Will this eventually fall off?

 

[Maritimer]

I think that, in most cases, they manage to get superglue off on their own. @eatbreakfast might have a better handle on it than I, though.

~Bruce

 

[Xanthurum]

If you look into it you will find many a post about this issue. In almost all cases the glue dissolves or falls off or magically disappears within a few days at most and he fish forgets it ever happened. Next time be sure to have a stern talk with your fish about their behavior. My wife swears they understand her.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Happens all the time, usually turns out well!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

If the fish has been alive for more than a few minutes after getting the super glue on its mouth, then it's likely not an emergency. There's at least enough room for water to get into the fish's mouth so it can breathe. It will be fine not eating for a few days until the glue falls off.

 

[eatbreakfast]

In most cases the glue sloughs off, though not all. I had a flasher wrasse eat some glue and got it pretty far in its throat. But usually if it is just on the mouth it comes off in a few days.

 

[this is me]

Thanks guys!
The tang seems to be just fine. Just that it couldn't eat. I'll wait but continue to monitor the fish. If the fish can stay still, its other tank mates would've pecked it off for it. ;Joyful

 

[this is me]

Man, it saddens me to see the yellow Tang with super glue in its mouth chasing the food and trying to eat it but can’t.

 

[CindyKz]

:'(

 

[Rakie]

They do this sometimes... Don't stress, it'll stress him out a little sure, but it usually falls off in a day or two. It looks like he got a pretty big chunk though -- It may take a day or two longer if he got a whole bunch.

He may start rubbing his face, and maybe even hitting the glue against the rocks. Again, he'll probably be fine. But this is one of those that you just wait for.. Because if you pulled it off his face he'd be losing scales, skin, maybe even some tissue... And that could be much worse.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

I don’t have the link handy, but I think @FishOfHex posted a YouTube video showing how he removed superglue from one of his fish’s mouth.

 

[MIKE NY]

It’s happened to me many times and only once after about 3-4 days did I have to remove it manually with a tweezers.

 

[Eva Rose]

How is he doing today? Has any fallen off yet?

 

[FishOfHex]

 

[this is me]

I'm happy to report that the superglue has fallen off the tang sometime yesterday and was eating by feeding time in the evening. All good here.
I honestly can't tell you which yellow tang of the 5 I have that had the superglue. They all look the same.