[skylan skylan]

Umm so this is a totally random question (read: just took out all of the rocks in my tank to remove a fish and a compy was hiding in one of them while I caught the fish), but what's the longest you've had a fish out of water? I didn't see the little comp until I was picking up the rock to put it back in the tank, he was flopping a bit and is swimming really gimpy now.. think he can survive? I've had this little guy for over a year now and was hoping to grow him out to adulthood

 

[BrownBullhead]

Try saturating the water with oxygen (increase the aeration) and turn the lights off. Give him back his cave for security feeling of the fish. Wait 24 hours and if he is still alive, chances are he should survive long term.

 

[sneakypete]

The longest I had a fish out of water was about 5 hours - no kidding. It happend over 20 years ago to a 6 inch green terror. My uncle (who was in from Auartalia) was sleeping in our basement next to the tank. Woke up ealy one morning due to jet lag as was watching the fish. He didn't see the male at all. When I woke up 5 hours later, he mentioned it to me - he thought it was just hiding. Went down to chack it out and found him behind the tank. I threw him back in and he was still alive, although in very bad shape. He died the next day.

Dam tough fish.

pete

 

[fiupntballr]

Probably not applicable...
I had a 6 inch pleco jump out...
I have o idea how long but he was white!!!
well I threw him into a bucket with some air stones and instafish came right back....

 

[DirtyBlackSocks]

I've had a clown loach dried out to the point of eyes being blued over come back to life - not sure how it applies to calvus though.

 

[skylan skylan]

Thanks for the replies, was on vacation without internet (yech). Came back to find the two guys alive and well, glad I decided to throw in some airstones before I left. I guess the time I had them out wasn't all that long compared to the rest of you but they seem to be doing good. I'm really happy because I've dedicated my 55gallon to these year and 1/2 old orange comps. They're growing really slowly but I'm patient

 

[ejmbuna]

i've caught channel cats, thrown them in the boat, fished a few more hours, threw them in the back of the truck, drove 2 hours back home, threw them into the sink before I cleaned them and in about 5 minutes later the gills were moving again!

I'm all for fresh fish, but this was a little nuts. And I wouldn't base any aquarium fish series of logic on this info, just thought I'd share.

 

[Joels fish]

I had a Dojo loach jump out and it sat on the dining room floor long enough to get almost completly dried out. (I guessing at least 6 hours) I put him back in the tank and he came back to life after a bit. Tough little sucker!

 

[SilverSurfer]

I've had a exotic pleco out overnight. I had removed chunk of driftwood from tank set it on floor next to tank, went next morning to move it storage, pleco was on towel under it!!!!! STILL ALIVE, not a clue how it was possible, but he lived needless to say. Not sure if had a little water whatever whole he was in, but i found him on towel, so bizarre

 

[adzer86]

my tank in my shed collapsed one night and when i had come out the next day all the fish were dired out including the stones from the humdity from other tanks but the pleco was the only one of 10 fish still alive!! all the others were caked

 

[doncherry0]

I had a knight goby whom I was acclimating to brackish water jump out of the bucket, and immediately get snatched by the cat. Figuring him for a goner I put a lid on the bucket and kept going. About 5 hours later I heard a slapping noise under my bed, and sure enough it was the knight goby. I threw him in the fish tank figuring that even if he didnt make it he could help it cycle. As soon as he hit the water he swam to a croner and claimed it. Not only had he been out of the water for 5 hours he somehow escaped the cat.

 

[SULLY1000]

My alpha male Mpimbwe front decided to "lay out" for a while last year. I was still sleeping, but my wife had heard a splash downstairs that she recalled after the fact. I went to check on fish in basement that morning and found my 12" alpha male front laying in middle of basement floor. Odd thing was that there was no water around him....because it had evaporated!!! I estimate that he laid there for at least 20 min. I grabbed him and stuck him back in tank. His gill plates had dried to the side of his face so I opened his mouth and moved him back and forth in the water. Eventually he decided not to be so stiff and his gill plates opened up. After holding for another 10 min, he breathed on his own and swam clumsily about 20 min after that. He wasn't "right" for another couple hours and acted ticked-off for a couple days. He eventually ate and was right as rain in time.

I was amazed.

 

[exasperatus2002]

30 minute car ride from the lake to home with a mess of channel cats. They didnt servive my fillet knife though.