how long can a goldfish survive out of water.?

Question

my goldfish recently jumped out of its bowl. we found it lying still on the ground and assumed it was dead. while debaiting for about five minutes on wether to tell our little one we decided to put it back in the bowl as soon as we did it started to show faint sighns of life and we were amazed. we left it for about five minutes and it is back to normal, except for the redness round its gills which looks like blood, is this normal?

Answer 1

That's not too unusual really. It can be amazing how long a fish can survive out of water. Do watch it carefully for signs of fungus that can commonly follow such an event. That would look like fuzzy or cotton-like growths on the fish and can easily be treated with fungus medications from the pet store. Personally, I like Maroxy for fungus control.

MM

Answer 2

The redness around the gills is normal for a fish that has been under alot of stress. I had a bullhead catfish jump out one night, and I found it the next morning, dry to the touch! I put him back in the tank, and a couple of days later, he was fine. Your fish has lost much of his protective slime coat, so he will be very susceptable to infections and fungus. Now would be a good time to add a bit of rock salt. Keep close watch for infections, and treat immediatly if you want it to live. Otherwise, just buy a new one. You also mentioned that you have a goldfish in a bowl. Goldfish need a filter and airation to live properly. I would strongly recommend that you buy a tank, filter, and air stone. Goldfish get big if you are able to keep it alive, so be prepared to get a big tank. If you insist on keeping fish in bowls, bettas are a much better choice because they can breathe air from the surface.

Answer 3

Hi Mark, what a stroke of luck you spotted it in time! As you now know, Goldfish are good jumpers-especially when they are in a confined space so I recommend some type of 'breathable' cover such as netting secured with an elastic band to prevent further escape attempts. I would also respectfully ask you to think about getting the Goldfish a tank with a lid & filter as a bowl is not a suitable home. The first link tells you why bowls are bad news for fish & the second tells you all you need to now about setting up a tank should you decide to.

Answer 4

This Happened To Me Once. My Fish Jumped Out Of Water And Stuck To A Magazine. I Put Him Back In And He Was Alive...But A Few Days Later He Died After Develping Some White Stuff On Him.

Answer 5

He was trying to commit suicide. Goldfish can not live healthy lives in bowls. Get your fish a proper home before you kill it. Goldfish need 10 gallons per fish. I'd start with a 20 gallon tank if you really want to keep the fish alive. I'm amazed the fish has survived this long.

Answer 6

OMG! We had a similar experience with our goldfish! I had heard a crash in the middle of the night, but didn't get up cause I just figured our cats were just getting into things. Well, I was right . . . and while 'snooping' around the top of my daughter's dresser where her fish bowl was, the cats managed to knock it off the dresser. My daughter woke me up with tears in her eyes. As I was bent over her (dead?) gold fish contemplating between flushing of burying it, I'll be damned if that fish took one (possibly final) gasp! I started yelling for my son to fill its bowl up with water so we could see what would happen . . . long story short - that fish lived another TWO years!! I know that didn't answer your question, but I just had to share my story, since everyone had a hard time believing me!!

Answer 7

A few years ago, I found my fish on the ground and he was just laying there. I put him in water after, and he was swimming! He was out for atleast 25 minutes.

Answer 8

I would add a water conditioner that provides a slime coat this may help the gold fish Ex. Seachem Prime, or Stress Coat. This is the only thing I know you can do to help it.