Holy Cow!!

[HiroPro]

Get this. About 2 weeks ago I bought 10 pygmy corydoras from a lfs. I did my usual drip acclimation procedure by dumping them and the water in the bag into a bucket. I keep bags and threw this one underneath my cabinet with a stack of others. After acclimation, I net them and put them into my tank. They scatter and I see a few here and there in small schools among the plants.

Fast forward to today. I go to put some extra supplies I got under my cabinet and I see something squirming around in a bag! I’m freaked cause I don’t know what it is. At first I think it’s a shrimp or something. I pull the bag out and it’s a freakin cory!! He’s swimming around in about a tablespoon of water. Not knowing what else to do, I dump him in my tank.

How the crap does this happen!? How does he even manage to survive that long in conditions like that!? I don’t even begin to understand!!

I'm stil bummed about losing my female GBR but this kinda makes up for it.

[sumpnfishy]

They're a lot more resilient than we give them credit for!! I heard a story (I think it was Mark on Anubias Design) about a guy who sent fish to someone in breather bags, but the box got lost in the mail and didn't come back for two weeks. He then assumed the fish were dead and didn't open the package until a couple weeks later when he decided to reuse the box. The fish were still alive! Skinny though!
Michael

[HiroPro]

I suppose, but I'm still really surprised. You practice acclimation; monitor water conditions; perform water changes - all to keep your fish healthy. Then something like this happens. Makes you wonder if it is all worth it.

[etheonut]

Many corydoras species, I don't know about the pygmy ones, can breathe air from a surface source. They actually swallow air and the oxygen is absorbed in their intestinal tract. What a great example of how fish might get transported from one location to another over a great distance in only a small amount of water though.

That is a great story, definitely one to share and not try to repeat!

Kevin

[pinkrblu]

That is amazing. How are all the tiny guys doing now?

[HiroPro]

All seem to be doing well. I can see groups of 3 to 6 most of the time. It's hard to get an accurate count with all the plants.


Ryan

[Josey]

We had a betta jump out of a tank at an office i worked at a few years back. He went missing on Thursday and we didn't find him until Monday.He was on the carpet behind the bookcase that the aquarium was on he wasn't pretty but in about a week he was back to normal minus some fin length and eventually he got his fins back even.