My Trigger Went Carpet Surfing

[Coral Hind]

Well I got up this morning and checked on the tanks like I always do around 5am and everything seemed fine. A few hours later I walked back downstairs to find my family's favorite fish, a pink tail trigger, stiff as a board on the carpet. Pretty much dry on the top side and no life. I took it upstairs and as I am standing over the trash can about to slide it into an old bread bag I saw a fin twitch. I figured it was a reflex but then it did it again. So I ran back downstairs and placed its face in front of a nano stream to push water across its gills. After about ten minutes one pectoral, the one on the carpet side which was still moist and the dorsal fin were moving normally. It was still stiff as a board and when I moved it away from the power head it would take about three breaths and stop. Twenty minutes later, my arm is getting tired and my foot went to sleep but I still kept holding it in front of the power head. Then it started to become limp and slime up. It is now breathing unassisted but is just sitting upright on top of a rock. I'm not sure if it will make but I am just glad I decided to blow off two meetings and stay home today.

[Gilbert]

That sucks, I hope you can save it's life! If not oh well, still got that big huge clam!!!

[Der ABT]

holy cow, i never woulda though about the powerhead, Hope he/she makes it. I wish i woulda done that to my picasso (though it was bone dry as it was on concrete) i wouldnt be suprised if the carpet saved its life.

 

here hoping for a holiday miracle, i think the coworkers will understand (i know mine think im nuts)

[Origami]

Good luck. Hopefully this story has a happy ending!

[trockafella]

Good luck. Hopefully this story has a happy ending!

 

 

+1.. bEST OF LUCK TO YOU.!!

[Coral Hind]

Thanks! He is still alive but just resting in the same place. Hey looks funny right now in that the side that was on the carpet and stayed moist is his original dark green color and the side that was up and dry is really black. Finger's crossed.

 

 

[ErikS]

Glad to hear it's alive........wonder how much tissue trauma a fish can handle?

[dbartco]

had a freshwater fish do the exact same thing years ago in college. Peeled him off the carpet. Was dry, eyes clouded over, but his gill moved just before placing in the trash. I had to manually move him back and forth for hours (no powerhead). Took a few months to regenerate all his scales/fins - but lived.

[davelin315]

Some can live for hours out of the water. The key is that they don't dry up inside too much and damage their organs and their gills. I'd rig something up if you can to kind of hold it steady and in some decent water flow. The gills tend to stick together so breathing may be very difficult for it.

 

Different kind of fish, but I have cleaned out fish to eat and had beating hearts 4 hours plus after I removed them from the water.

[OldReefer]

That is an ugly story with a nice fish. Hope it ends well. I am happy to build one of those clear mesh-screen tops with you. I never thought of Triggers as big jumpers??

 

 

[Coral Hind]

Thanks for the offer Bill. I actually have a screen top that L82Rise made for me. I just didn't use it as I never would have thought the trigger would have jumped. It is on the tank now.

 

Doug that story provided lots of hope for the family.

 

It is swimming around now, not as energetic as normal but at least it is swimming. I think it will make it as long as there are no infections from the dead tissue. The one eye is all cloudy, hopefully that heals.

[zygote2k]

almost as sturdy as an eel. I'm sure it will be fine since you resuscitated it. You can always hold it by its' tail and pull it back and forth in the water to flush water thru the gills.

[ChrisTran]

goodluck and keep us updated

[Chad]

Sorry to hear about the bad luck David, I have my fingers crossed that it pulls through ok. It sounds like

The prognosis is hopeful though!

[mogurnda]

Sounds like it might pull through. Fingers crossed.

[Hoyden]

I hope he survives. This has absolutely pushed me to cover my FOWLR - I only have a grouper, a desjardinii and a sacrificial damsel in it, but I would be heartbroken if I lost the grouper or tang. I tried to revive a bandtail puffer at the aquarium the other day with no sucess. He landed on concrete after making it through a tiny gap in the jump barrier.

[Coral Hind]

Just an update for you. It is not swimming around much but it is eating. Here is a picture showing the two toned look of it. The moist side that was on the carpet still has the nice dark green but the dried side looks really nasty. It reminds me of Mr. Deeds foot in the movie.

 

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[Der ABT]

wow what a two face

looks like he is doing good i hope you get a full recovery, one of the pet places i used to work at in roanoke had one of these that loved to be petted i mean for like 10 or 15 min it would sit there and let you touch it pick it up without moving etc.

 

how is the eye on that side doin?

again good luck

[Chad]

Wow, I hope he does ok, it seems a good sign that he is moving around a bit. Athough he is very, very sneaky sir!

[Jan]

+1. Had a red freshwater swordfish do the same thing. It was dry. I put it back in the water and moved it back and forth a little and the darn thing started breath and took off swimming. It lived for a few years after that.

 

 

had a freshwater fish do the exact same thing years ago in college. Peeled him off the carpet. Was dry, eyes clouded over, but his gill moved just before placing in the trash. I had to manually move him back and forth for hours (no powerhead). Took a few months to regenerate all his scales/fins - but lived.

[Coral Hind]

how is the eye on that side doin?

again good luck

The eye is cloudy but I think he can see out of it.

[TonyD]

I had a fairy wrasse that went hardwood floor surfing. Now I'm thinking I put it in the trash too early without trying to bring it back from the dead.

[treesprite]

Wow, what a save! Now I know that if I ever have a fish jump, I need to make sure to not assume it's dead just because it's not moving. Thanks for sharing this unfortunate event with us.

[Incredible Corals]

Would adding a cleaner shrimp help out with removing the dead skin? The shrimp will probably molt ever few days he will have so much to eat.

[bluce]

Amazing story Dave - I wouldn't have thought that you could resusitate a fish like that.. Sounds like you gave him a great chance at recovery.

I always wanted a trigger, but am afraid it would kill my corals. How is the pink tail with corals?