How Long Can A Fish Survive Out Of Water?

[stiffler69]

This is a question ive always wondered about how long can they survive if they out of water and if they are out too long but still survive will have any adverse effects on the fish ?

 

[shroob]

Depends on the type of fish, some that can breathe air will last much longer than others that can't.
Are you talking of general community fish, or a specific fish?

 

[stiffler69]

Just a general community fish say a live bearer

 

[jourdy288]

Probably only a few minutes.

 

[Ian H]

i would guess at under or around 20 - 30 seconds

 

[rdd1952]

Most could live several minutes although I don't have any scientific information to back that up but have seen a tetra out of water for over a minute with no ill effects. For other fish, as mentioned, it can vary. Back in my younger days when I fished a lot, I saw catfish alive after being out of water for several hours.

 

[celaeno]

what about labyrinth fishes like bettas or fishes that take in air from the gut like corys/otos?

 

[indigoj]

Well, I suspect a Loach of mine could have been out of water anything between 2 and 10 hours depending on if he jumped at evening feed or morning feed. He was a bit fluffy when I found him but is fine!

 

[fry_lover]

On at least two ocassions i have found a swordtail on the floor, and it must have been atleast 3 or 4 minutes out the water. This would have been from moving buckets of fish about and then 3 or 4 minutes later finding a fish on the floor (usually kitchen) from the positon of where i had moved the bucket from (i.e. thats why i am pretty sure fish out of water for 3-4 mins)

Unless the fish got crushed, i would be shocked if it died having just been out the water for anything less than 1 minute (adult fish).

When my Malawi tank smashed all over the floor, i had to rescue about 30-40 fish, and i was decorating so my living room was a complete mess. It took me at least 10 minutes to find all the fish. The only fish that died was one that i trod on accidently and two that i didnt find until the next morning.

In fact out of about 30-40 fish, i am pretty sure i was only missing 3. All the others are alive and well to this day.

If you had told me a 300 litre tank could smash with close to 40 fish in the middle of a cluttered room and 3-4 months later only 3 fish missing / dead, i would not believe you

The water went all over my flat, no puddles anywhere, once the fish left the tank, that was it, they were not in water!!!

 

[luque]

Pike can last ages like 10 hours or so, but tbh i wudn't give a small community fish over a minute

 

[andywg]

Lungfish and some snakeheads have the ability to spend a good 24 hours out of water, and I am fairly sure at least one species of those fish spends time hibernating in a mud bank out of the water.

 

[stiffler69]

The reason i asked is i was just bagging up some young endlers and one of them got stuck to the side of the bag not sure how long it was out of the water but it was fine i poped it back in the water

 

[PRW1988]

i would guess at under or around 20 - 30 seconds

Surprisingly I thought that too, until yesterday at work, a Zebra Danio jumped out of a tank, I placed it into the tank and it was almost dead so I decided on a mercy killing. I was going to give it a quick bop on the head when a customer needed my help, not wanting to show the nearly dead fish I kept it in my hand, and clenched it into a fish. When I was done with the customer about 4 minutes later I opened my hand and the Zebra Danios gills were still moving, there was no water in my hand except that which had come off of the fish.

So pretty much they can live about 4-5minutes. Depending on if theres any water around or not.

 

[smithrc]

The reason i asked is i was just bagging up some young endlers and one of them got stuck to the side of the bag not sure how long it was out of the water but it was fine i poped it back in the water

I've recovered endlers from the lawn in the past (after they got too close to the hose while doing a water change)

they can last a good 15-20 mins and be fine afterwards.

 

[CFC]

Its funny that this topic is here after what happened at the weekend. Saturday morning i went down to the fish house to do a few water changes and as i was syphoning one of the tanks i noticed that a paddle tail eel was missing, i had a quick look around the the floor near the tank but couldnt find the fish so presumed it had either been eaten or had wriggled off somewhere i couldnt find it, either way i presumed it was dead.

Sunday morning i went down to finish the rest of the water changes and something caught my eye moving under one of the racks, i had a closer look and found the missing paddle tail eel somewhat covered in dust and fluff but still alive and wriggling along the floor, i popped it back in the tank and as far as i know its still alive, at least it was on monday morning. That fish had been out of the tank for at least 24 hours on a cold concrete floor, quite the surviver i think!