Loaches Online Forum

First let me say I know nothing about fish. My husband and son have an aquarium and they are the caretakers. My husband is out of town this weekend and the loach jumped out of the tank Friday night. We don't know how long it had been out of the tank, it was red and kind of curled up when we found it, we assumed it was dead. When we went to pick it up it moved so we put it back in the tank. That night he was fairly active and we thought we had dodged a bullet. Yesterday morning he was floating upside down at the top of the water but his gills and mouth were still moving. Starting last night he is on his back at the bottom of the tank but gills and mouth are still moving. He does have that reddish tint to his skin again, his skin is normally a pale off white/salmon color.

What if anything can I do for this poor thing? We desperately want him to survive, my son is devastated, but at the same time I don't want the poor thing to suffer.

Please help!

I am afraid there is not much you can do.
Being out of water injures the gills. They collapse, and the fish cannot breathe, even when he is returned to the water.
Also, the smack as he hits the floor can do internal damage, for example the swim bladder can burst. This means the fish cannot swim right side up, or control where he swims in the tank.

Thank you for your reply. What is the kindest thing I can do for the poor guy?

I would put him in a breeder box under the filter flow with floating plants to make him feel a bit more comfortable. Under the filter flow to help him with oxygen and see if it helps him breathe.

I am so sorry this happened to you. It is traumatic. I had a yoyo jump from the tank and I didn't know and ended up stepping on him. Somehow he survived both, and I have had him two years since that horrible day.

As Moderator, I have moved your thread to the appropriate section. All the best.

If the fish is suffering, in pain, then euthanize it.
If the fish seems not to be in pain, then you can try helping it maintain some stability, the breeding net might help. It is shallow enough, and you can add plants as a cushion.

Keeping it near the filter so there is really good water movement without disturbing the fishes balance is a good point.

Helping the sick or injured fish to feel safer is important, too. Have enough plants in there that the fish does not feel exposed to predators.

I agree with Diana. If it is suffering in pain, euthanize it. But it is not suffering, make it comfortable. I have had fish make miraculous recoveries.

How is he? Definately make him feel secure. If he is not doing very well, suffering, then it is time to euthanise. There is a sticky on this site, which explains different methods: http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=16735

Keeping him under the filter flow in a breeding trap, will really help him. You can also lower the water level in the tank by about an inch. Also, make sure tht you patch up that hole- he might jump again if he can! I lost a loach to jumping a second time- same hour too- after a water change I forgot to replace the tape on the lid, so he jumped again. You can tape over it with duck tape- just make sure that all holes are as small as possible! They will find a way- even if the hole is very small. But not if it is all covered. If the tank doesn't have a lid, then you can get a glass one made for now.

I use craft mesh to plug all my holes including the areas near the filter.

That would work even better. Just make sure that you tape it on, so that cats; or ferrets don't go fishing! (right Tanja! LOL!)

Do any other fish have anything wrong? Any other cloudy eyes? Any other external injuries?
When the fish are interacting do they seem to always chase one particular fish (the one with the cloudy eye?)






















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