Question
Hello.  I have a rather large butterfly Koi and while feeding all the fish, I noticed a goldfish tail sticking out of her mouth, then when I looked again it wasn't there.  She's not eating and has just been swimming around, looking likes she's chewing.  Will she be alright?  Will she eventualy digest it.  I do not know what size the goldfish was, because we have all different sizes.  I'm really concerned about her.  Any advice?

Answer
Yikes!  Koi rarely eat other fish but if one ends up in there (just from sucking along or because she just wanted to try), the koi might eat it.  If the koi has a goldfish stuck in her mouth, then she wouldn't be able to eat.  Koi swallow food whole.  It should go down as long as its not stuck in the mouth.  If you don't see it now, the koi should be ok.  If you're worried, you can take the koi out and open its mouth to see what you can see.  That's stressful so only do it if things are dire.  Koi can go weeks without eating so she won't starve anytime soon.  Good luck!

Robyn
fishpondinfo.com