Fish out if water...

[Cory1990]

So today I did a huge tank cleaning, removed the old sand and put in silica sand. I had each fish in a ice cream bucket on the floor for a total of 8 buckets.
During this time I was waiting for the tank to conpletly drain so I went outside to hose down the rocks. I came back up my yellow lab was laying on the carpet... He was dried up no moister at all on his body. I quickly put him in the bucket and he seemed fine swam away. No problems, I put a cover over his bucket all other fish seemed fine without one since its been 20min of them in the buckets. I go back outside still waiting for the tank to drain I went out to smoke, come back my red zebra on the floor even more dried out not moving at all. I guess he was out about 5 min or so. Since I had luck with the lab I put him back in the water he wa a floater. I was in panic so I held him by his tail fin in front of the power head forcing water in his gills. About 3 min of that he showed vary little movement I grabbed him kept holding him by it. He eventually moved from my hand is now swimming fine both have no problems.

So how long can they stay out of the water for? Or did I get lucky?

[emc7]

I've had pretty dried looking pleco survive. No idea how long it was out, though. IME if you hear them leave the tank, you can always save them if they don't hit their head wrong on the concrete floor.

[Cory1990]

Lol I was lucky able to save both of my fish, it was just my luck that the two fish I like the most made there ways out of the buckets onto the floor. Oh my heart was racing when I seen that. They both showed 0 movement on the ground by the time I seen them.

[emc7]

Read this. A midas cichlid falls from a TREE and lives

http://www.vancouversun.com/Lucky+fi...116/story.html

[Cory1990]

Wow haha I thought you were full of it when you said a cichlid fell from a tree. That is a crazy story! I would think that's god telling me I need another tank haha. Amazing that it was alive. I'm curious to if anyone ever claimed it and how far the fish Travled to the birds nest.

Where did you find this crazy story?

[emc7]

Facebook link from a AAAA friend. I guess its "gone viral" Happened in Vancouver.

[grogan]

Hahahah nice! If I had this luck it would be a convict. Dang convicts living everywhere, jeez now they can breath air!

[Cory1990]

I think lucky was a good name for that fish. Iv named my yellow lab lucky since he was out of the water so long. But that's nothing compared to this.