I need help!!! SHARK GOT OUT of TANK

[tannersmith2000]

Hey

So I am both sad, depressed and scratching my head all at the same time.

I have a female Aussie Epaulette Shark that is about 26" long. She lives in a 300 gallon circular tank. I found her this morning at about 10 am out of the tank on the ground. She probably fell 2' as the tank sits on the ground.

I picked her up and she was stiff as a board and almost dry but I noticed her still barley breathing. I placed her in the tank and noticed her breathing to improve more and more as time passed but still remains stiff as a board and not moving.

I turned the lights off and noticed her pupils are not completely fixed. If I flash a light in front of her face, I get a slight jerky response. I placed my hand around her abdomen and felt what I guess is a heart beat. There's definitely activity in her abdomen.

I know Epaulettes can be exposed to time outside of water and can remain alive with low oxygen but this would probably have been an extreme case. I have no idea how long she has been out of the tank. It could had been all night long. I have no idea. All I know is that she is technically alive at the moment and I will not remove her from the tank unless I see her quit pumping her gills.

I am afraid too much damage has been done and it's sad but I am optimistic as long as she is showing signs of life.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences here?

[fishhuman]

Tell me about your setup, when was the last time you saw her how many hours could she have been out. Don't give up eppies can live along time out of water. I have never dealt with a jumping shark but I have seen fishermen get sharks back in the water alive after at least an hour they did this by slowly splashing water back into the sharks gills remember if she has been out for a while the shock of a temperature change will be almost as bad as lack of oxygen

[Zoodiver]

Get your oxygen levels up as high as you can - extra air stones, extra surface movement.
If she has gill movement, hope is not lost yet. Eppies are very tough when it comes to being exposed to air / out of water. Every once in awhile help her wiggle a bit to keep the blood circulating (prevents muscle/tissue damage).

[griseum]

Good luck.
As stated bamboos and eppies can survive out of water for brief periods of time. Brief being a subjective term here.
Ive been there and its a terrible place.

[dominic]

how did u make out with the shark?

[RabbitKungfu]

...Did she make it?

Based on the lack of responses I'm guessing no...