How long can a fish survive out of water?

[sap]

Changing up the tanks, moving fish from one tank to another. had a 5 gallon bucket with 4 4.5 inch escondidos in it and one jumped out. not sure how long he was out, maximum of 10-15 minutes he was dry to the touch, no gill movement..... threw him back in and he swam around in the bucket......he seems fine but I think he will prolly end up a floater.

[supersmirky]

Sounds like an amazing story. My lobster was bone dry and I assumed got out sometime during the night. PUt him back in the water and after an hour he was swimming around again

[sap]

he must have been out for less than 10 minutes prolly around 5, he is in the 180g and loving it so are the rest of the escondidos

[REYREY]

I had a couple of KOIs and I was changing up a tank and moving them to a larger tank... was taking my time and such....had them in a bucket with a batter powered air stone...so they could be there for a LONG time without my concern....

well... by the time I got done, I went to move them... and only one was in the bucket!!! .. I was just like that DAMN DOG came and ate them!!!! They were both about 2 feet fromt he bucket... dry to the touch... I mean dry..... needless to say...not a good feeling...had them a while already....

through them in the bucket and moved them in the water to get water to flow through the gills....

both survived...and thrived for a long time there after...UNTIL my electriciy went out because of a storm and KILLLLLLLLLLLLED THEMMMMMMMMMMMMM

moral of the story....pay attention to small details... BUY MORE BATTERY OPERATED AIR PUMPS!!!!

[kewlkatdady]

When I was moving around some rock I decided to cull my tank of some fish that I didn't want anymore.
I havd the rocks out of the tank for over 2 hours while I went to the fish store the trade in the fish i didn't want anymore.

When I got home, I putting the rock back in the tank and found 1 clown loach in the rock, and another one on the carpet...
I chunked them back in and they survived. I could not believe it.

[rolloffhill]

When I was moving around some rock I decided to cull my tank of some fish that I didn't want anymore.
I havd the rocks out of the tank for over 2 hours while I went to the fish store the trade in the fish i didn't want anymore.

When I got home, I putting the rock back in the tank and found 1 clown loach in the rock, and another one on the carpet...
I chunked them back in and they survived. I could not believe it.

I had the exact same thing, 2 clown loaches hiding in a rock, they were out for 10-15 minutes at least.

[bra8ndy8]

http://dfwfishbox.com/showthread.php?t=354

[EAST_TX_RN]

Lobsters are crawdads, aren't they? Well, they can live some time out of water because I have seen them crawling to the next water hole when one dries up. I am amazed that a fish could live that long, unless it was a catfish! I think y'all are very lucky the fish lived! By the way, I asked dear hubby to buy a back-up generator in case we lose power out here in the sticks. When he asked why, I told him I wanted one to protect my fish. He just laughed at me and said it would cost too much. So, how much do they cost?

[biggin]

Speaking of storms....

I was thinking about this the other day why has no one talked about a battery backup for any of their setups? Its pretty cheap and I would think would get you by an hour or so for a storm....

Just something I was thinking about when driving home the other day...

I had a couple of KOIs and I was changing up a tank and moving them to a larger tank... was taking my time and such....had them in a bucket with a batter powered air stone...so they could be there for a LONG time without my concern....

well... by the time I got done, I went to move them... and only one was in the bucket!!! .. I was just like that DAMN DOG came and ate them!!!! They were both about 2 feet fromt he bucket... dry to the touch... I mean dry..... needless to say...not a good feeling...had them a while already....

through them in the bucket and moved them in the water to get water to flow through the gills....

both survived...and thrived for a long time there after...UNTIL my electriciy went out because of a storm and KILLLLLLLLLLLLED THEMMMMMMMMMMMMM

moral of the story....pay attention to small details... BUY MORE BATTERY OPERATED AIR PUMPS!!!!

[sap]

jehmco UPS backup

http://www.jehmco.com/html/battery_backup_system.html

[EAST_TX_RN]

Thanks for the link, Sap!

[fishyjoe24]

petco also sell battery powered pumps that run off of two a batterys. but there for like small tanks or something.

[Haiven]

When I first started setting up tanks I inquired about a backup power source.

They told me I would only need it if I ran an undergravel filter because the release of toxins would quickly kill the fish if no air ran through it to keep everything "under gravel."

I don't use undergravel filters and the power has been off a couple of times for several hours with no ill effects.

[sap]

i have seen large UPs server farm backups that retail for thousands, for as cheap as 200 at local auctions