Oscar Jumped Out

jhook

Polypterus
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Mar 12, 2016
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Last night, at 10pm, my ~ 12" - 13" 14 month old male Tiger Oscar decided that he wanted to explore the house for a bit. He somehow managed to launch himself out of my 150 gallon tank from the front, flop around on the lid for a bit, go over my lights and fall to the floor behind my tank. This is extraordinary because I do have a decently heavy (I thought) hinged glass lid. The hinge part of the lid is no more, he destroyed that last night. It took me a good five minutes of looking around the interior of the tank stand, in the sump and around the wires before I found him laying wedged between the bottom of the stand and the wall. I was finally able to push him out and grab him with a towel to put him back into the tank where he promptly went to his spot and stayed there.

He's pretty beat up and has quite a few scales missing. The worrying part is that he had a string of blood coming from his gills. When I checked on him this morning, him and the Lutino Oscar seemed normal although they didn't eat. Hopefully he'll be fine. I know they're tough fish but I didn't realize how strong they can be.

This whole thing really scared the hell out of my dogs and now they're hesitant to go near the tank. That part, at least, is funny.
 

skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
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Hello; Good luck. I have found a few fish on the floor still alive. Some have lived for a while after being put back in a tank. Most have not made it.
I think one problem has been that the protective slime coat gets removed which can lead to infections of things like a fungus. There is also the physical damage from hitting the floor and from the thrashing around.
Over time I have had to revise the lids on tanks. It is amazing that fish can somehow find a way out of a fairly tight cover.
 
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tlindsey

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I agree with S skjl47 but if the Oscar did not damage anything internally the Oscar should recover.
 
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xraycer

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Gotta hate that!

He should be fine, since you found him right away and got him right back into water. He probably won't eat for a few days, since its a bit shell shocked, but the eating machine will come back around soon. Just up the water changes, to keep the water cleaner than normal, to help along any necessary healing process
 
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jhook

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Mar 12, 2016
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Hello; Good luck. I have found a few fish on the floor still alive. Some have lived for a while after being put back in a tank. Most have not made it.
I think one problem has been that the protective slime coat gets removed which can lead to infections of things like a fungus. There is also the physical damage from hitting the floor and from the thrashing around.
Over time I have had to revise the lids on tanks. It is amazing that fish can somehow find a way out of a fairly tight cover.
Thanks, I'm currently trying to figure out how to keep the lids on tight enough to keep them from jumping out again. I have a few heavy books on the lid now while I'm at work and until I can figure something out. I did put a dose of stress coat in the tank after I put him back in. Hopefully this helps. I don't really want to put anything else in until I see that I really need to or if he is struggling. Unfortunately, I don't have a big enough empty tank to use as a hospital tank to treat just him.
 
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jhook

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Mar 12, 2016
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Gotta hate that!

Just up the water changes, to keep the water cleaner than normal, to help along any necessary healing process
Will do. Usually I do a 30 - 50% twice a week. I'm thinking of doing 30% per day until / if he heals up. The new pump I bought and attach to the python helps with those water changes.
 

tlindsey

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Thanks, I'm currently trying to figure out how to keep the lids on tight enough to keep them from jumping out again. I have a few heavy books on the lid now while I'm at work and until I can figure something out. I did put a dose of stress coat in the tank after I put him back in. Hopefully this helps. I don't really want to put anything else in until I see that I really need to or if he is struggling. Unfortunately, I don't have a big enough empty tank to use as a hospital tank to treat just him.

Btw recently had a Florida Gar jump out onto concrete floor thought lids on the 180 was heavy enough also. The Gar wasn't large but apparently strong so now must find clamps .
 
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skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
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Hello; Too bad you do not have a suitable hospital tank right now. I have been in that position a few times. I was going to suggest a few days in a solution of methylene blue. Not sure if the methylene blue is still available. It use to be a suggested treatment for fungus problems. It is a dye and will stain some things. There may be other products to do the same thing.
Good luck
 
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tlindsey

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Hello; Too bad you do not have a suitable hospital tank right now. I have been in that position a few times. I was going to suggest a few days in a solution of methylene blue. Not sure if the methylene blue is still available. It use to be a suggested treatment for fungus problems. It is a dye and will stain some things. There may be other products to do the same thing.
Good luck

Its still available bought powder form off Aquabid and from a reliable vendor.
 
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