Accidentally Dropped One Of My White Cloud Mountain Minnows

I was just about to start cleaning out my white and gold cloud mountain minnows when I dropped one on the floor. I was using the net to try and get them into what I call their cleaning out and transfer bag. The first one I picked up in the net jumped out and landed on the floor from quite a big drop. I quickly scooped him up although he kept jumping on the floor. When he first dropped he was just laying there without moving. As soon as I put him into the bag, he started swimming around like crazy. I got the rest and he calmed down. When I put them in the tank I gave them some food and they all ate. They usually don't right away. From this information, will he be ok? Anything else you can add would be greatly appreciated 

Hi Rainbow and welcome to the forum. 

We all do things that cause a panic, and more often than not things are fine. In the past few months I've left 1 fish in a small amount of water in a tank without a filter or heater, because I was transferring them to another tank to replant their original tank, and missed one during removal. Noticed him the following morning when I went to clear out the tank. He's fine. I've had fish stuck between rocks and the tank, that was worrying. My most recent one, which even the guy at the LFS felt perfectly entitled to laugh at and liken it to "looking for your glasses when they are on your head", happened when moving silver hatchets between tanks. They make me a bit nervous in case they jump out of the water (predator response). Had caught all except one, when I heard the characteristic noise of a fish jumping out of the water. Panic! Looked all around the tank multiple times, couldn't find it, checked the tank, more panic. I still had the net in my hand, whilst doing another lap of the carpet around the tank.  Eventually noticed that he'd jumped into the net. Popped him onto the other tank, everything was fine. 

I agree with Sue that it is much easier to clean around the fish rather than removing them.

I have also siphoned fish up during a water change. But as long as you keep your eyes on the fish, they'll be OK. It's the nosey ones who go to see what the tube is (and can they eat it or mate with it) that are most at risk.
It is much less stressful for the fish if you leave them in there.

I've seen a Scissortail drop from at least 3 feet in the air onto a hard floor when my sister was giving him to me. He was absolutely fine

Colin, are you sure that he was a real one and not a rubber one? 

Hi all. Thanks very much for replying. I feel more reassured that he'll be ok. Will just keep an eye on him 

Quote from: Sue on June 13, 2016, 09:40:19 AM

I was once transferring some cherry barbs from one tank to another and hadn't realised that one female had missed the tank. She was on the floor for about 15 mins before I found her. She was covered in fluff but I did not attempt to remove the fluff, just put her in the tank and let the fluff float off. The edges of her fins had dried up and cracked off but after a few days they had completely regrown and I couldn't tell which one she was from the group of females.

Incredible she lasted 15 mins out of water!!! What a fish!!!

I was astounded.
I moved the fish from the 125 into my old 60 litre. It took ages to catch them all one by one, then the 125 needed tidying up after all the rearrangement of decor that I'd had to do to catch them. It was only then that I found the fish on the floor and assumed it was dead - till I picked her up and she twitched. I knew the worst thing I could do would be to try and pick the fluff off her so I lowered her into the water where she sank to the bottom, gasping. Within a few minutes she started swimming and within a couple of hours the only way I could identify the fish was by the damaged fins. The fluff protected her from burns from my skin when I picked her up and it came off bit by bit over about an hour. I can only assume the fluff also stopped her drying out.

Cherry barbs are a very hardy species which is why I was very surprised that they were the first victims of the whitespot (or import spot) infection.

Human hands are at 37^o while the fish live at 25^o-ish so we are quite a bit warmer. Touching the fish, especially with dry hands, will also damage the slime coat. Both together will cause damage to the fish.
To pick up a fish from the floor, either use a net, very carefully to avoid squashing, or a tissue/paper towel soaked in tank water. Or in an emergency, use your hand but wet it in the tank first, be as quick as possible and watch the fish for skin damage.

The only reason I picked up that barb was because I thought she was dead. Until she twitched. And the fluff she was covered with insulated her from my dry hands.

My Mums cat once left a large koi carp on the back step, I have no idea where it got it from or how long it had been there but when we lifted it up some of the scales were left on the stone, the house gets sun from first thing in the morning and we were sure it would be dead but it jerked when we picked it up. As it was still alive Mum put it in a bucket of water (tap with no conditioner  as we didnt know any better). Then late morning she knocked on a friends door as she knew they had a pond and it got put in there. I know it was still there years later.

That sounds like my barb. Was your danio covered in fluff, or was there no carpet round the tank? I didn't dare pick the fluff off as I didn't know how much damage I'd do so I left it to come off by itself in the water. Then I removed the fluff with a net.