Not a good night

[Sidrock]

Gars are tough fish, wouldn't be surprised if hes acting like nothing ever happened by tomorrow.

x2

In addition to reinforcing the lid/cover of the tank, I think you need to find out what was the reason the gar got spooked. I am guessing this is due to some aggressive tankmate.

(My gars have never tried to jump out of the tanks even as juvies.)

Good luck,

 

[ShaneRiordan]

Sorry that this happened to you man. I know EXACTLY how you feel. The same exact thing happened to me about a month ago with my 2 year old Florida. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to nurse him back to health. Wasn't even alive when I found him on the floor. It happens though. It happens.

 

[dzjr1188]

I had a blue spot jawfish that i spent alil over 100 for that jumped out threw a 3 inch hole, but it was the next day till i found him... hope he recovers

 

[Polypterus]

what you can do to help is kinda hold him next to the air stone or where you have the best aeration just keep doing this for a short period of times repeating it.

you should take this as a lesson learned and always close the top & every opening if u step away from the tank even a minute or a second.

What is far more important is that the fish is BREATHING air... It does not need more aeration..In fact with gars what is suggested above may make things worse in the end. It fakes them into thinking they do not need to breath air which can result in the fish "drowning"...

Also add a bit of salt to the tank to get the slime coat to recover quicker. Fish will likely do just fine as long as the above two conditions are met and it did not damage it self much in the fall from the tank.

 

[floridagar]

Update hes back up and swimming.

I am amazed hes ok because from the top of the tank to the floor it was a 6 foot drop the tank is a 150 tall. Not to mention he was bloody and barely moving when i tired to nurse him back to health. Hes a little bit scared when i come to the side of the tank to look at him. I think he did get spooked by the little juvie Alligator gar, i just added him to the tank because i was redoing the 125 gallon. I dont plan on keeping the alligator gar i was actually trying to sell the fish a week ago and no one bid on him. I do have plans for upgrading the tanks soon but the alligator gar will keep getting bigger and it was a mistake on my part for excepting the fish without any consideration for how big he will get. More the less my friend bought the fish and handed it to me so i dont really consider it me buying it but i should have told him to take the little guy back and find something that would not out grow my two tanks.

IPejelajarto i did infact add salt because i noticed the slime coat was pretty much gone when i found him on the rug. And i left the normal two air stones i always have running in the tank, He has stopped breathing heavy and is almost 100% normal. He does his normal breathing of air when he goes to the top of the tank. Only thing im worried about is that he still went to the top of the tank and did a mini jump which i never seen him do. Honestly i never thought for a moment that he would jump. But i thought wrong, My 125 gallon is covered very well so nothing can jump out at all.

I am very happy he is alive like i said i would have been very mad if i lost my oldest and favorite fish on account of me not putting the lid back over the top of my tank.

I thank everyone for the concern about my fish And thank you for the useful advice.