HELP EMERGENCY - My Loach Jumped out of Tank ?

[dzap79]

Last night my weather loach jumped out of the tank and I found him this morning behind the bookshelf that the tank is on. I figure he was out of the water for about 6-8 hours. He was not looking good but is alive. Initially we was just kind of floating near the surface but eventually found a corner in the tank and was staying there. Now he is not really moving around the tank and when he does it is upside down. He appears to be just hanging there. I gave some stress coat to the tank and also removed all the cat hair from hair with my hands. If I put my hand near him he does dart away but is swimming in a weird upside down way. Anyone have any ideas what I should do?

I love this guy and will do whatever I can to save him. Please Help Me.

Day two and he is still alive but not moving at all. About half way down his body he has a red spot that looks like a bruise and it goes all the way around him. Also from the bruise up he has turned whiter. I wonder if he is struggling to get air?

[nurseshelly]

Wow! I'm amazed he is alive, what a tough fish! I don't know if it would help, but probably extra oxygen might help. If you have extra airstones/tubing and a pump, it would probably be good for him to have added oxygenation in the tank.
Other than that, I don't have any ideas ... the only time I've had escapee-s, I've found them crispy the next morning

[Bully]

Wow, I don't suppose there's much else you can do but wait it out. Hopefully it will make a full recovery.

The fish probably survived so long because they have the ability to swallow atmospheric air and pass it through the gut to extract the oxygen.

You can find out more by checking the species index on this website:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/we ... licaudatus

[starsplitter7]

I am not sure if more oxygen would help, but an easy way to increase it is to drop the level of the tank water a couple of inches. My dojos like to lay on plants. Do you have any floating in the tank?

Could you post the chemistries of your tank when this emergency is over? Sometimes fish jump when there's a problem in the tank.
Good luck! Tanja

[mistergreen]

extra oxygen would help actually. From what I remember reading, when the fish's gills have been expose to air for a long period of time, it dries up a bit. And when dried, the little filaments that collects oxygen clump together, thus making it harder for the gills to collect oxygen.

[andre]

And? Did he survive?

[dzap79]

Day two and he is still alive but not moving at all. About half way down his body he has a red spot that looks like a bruise and it goes all the way around him. Also from the bruise up he has turned whiter. I wonder if he is struggling to get air?