nursing back a fish out of water

Question
I need help. My comet jumped out and we found it on the flor this mogning barely alive. We put it in a separate tank of water and it is still alive. It will occasionally swim around but mostly just swims upside down. Is there hope for our friend?? If so please let me know if there is anything I can do.

Answer
Good morning Heidi, thank you for your question.

Members of the carp family are remarkably resilient. As long as their gills are moist they can obtain oxygen directly from the air. Were its fins and tail stuck to the floor?

Aquarium salt would be the only helpful remedy right now. Put some in the water at a concentration of 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons. Add an airstone to the water if this separate tank doesn't have a bubbler already in place.

I believe your comet will survive this. You will need to watch very closely to check for signs of secondary infection. Fin rot and fungus all are possibilities due to the drying and perhaps dying of the tissue. Your comet may be without much of a tail or fins for a while, but keep medicating with salt by replacing what is lost after water changes - just make sure not to add too much.

You may want to investigate the cause for the jumping. If your tank is uncovered, provide a cover for it to avoid this mishap in the future. I do hope you have your comet in a proper tank of 10 gallons or more, with a filter. Goldfish produce loads of waste, so a filter is *not* optional!

Test the quality of the water with a test kit (liquid is best) yourself or take a sample of water to your local fish store. It is best to have your own test kits - but if your local fish store tests your water for you, you'll need to ask them to give you specific readings, not just "high/low" or "fine" on any value. You want to see 0 ppm of nitrite and ammonia ALWAYS! Nitrates should be under 20 ppm, always.

While some fish are incorrigible escape artists, goldfish usually jump out when something bothers them about their water. So do make sure your water is in check by providing adequate filtration, weekly water changes in dechlorinated tap water, and service the filter by rinsing/replacing the media. Also, vacuum the gravel every couple of weeks.

Good luck to you and your comet,
Nicole