We will answer the question: How long can fish stay out of water? In this article. We will go through the normal functioning of how fish breathe along with the different types of fish and how long they can stay out of water. So, let’s dive into the discussion.
How long can fish stay out of water?
A fish can live up to 10 minutes at max without water. As soon as a fish is taken out of the water, normal breathing is compromised. The compromised breathing of the fish ends up in the complete drying out of the fish along with the suffocation. However, how long a fish can stay out of water depends upon its kind as well.
Keep in mind that is one of the main freedom rights of the fish to be provided with sufficient water and natural habitat. The life of fish entirely depends upon water. Therefore, any disturbance in the water can lead to severe consequences.
Different fish require different types of water. Freshwater fish requires freshwater having ideal temperature and salts concentration, while seawater fish needs salty water having enough salt in it.
Therefore, keep in your mind that proper water conditions are required by fish to have a natural and healthy habitat. Before talking about How long can fish stay out of water? Let’s talk about the normal physiology and anatomy of a fish to better understand the importance of water for a fish.
Respiration in fish
Fish don’t have lungs like humans, they have gills that perform the biological vital function. The water moves through the gills having oxygen content in it, as the oxygenated water passes through the gills it undergoes a gaseous exchange with the external environment of water.
This gaseous exchange allows carbon dioxide to be released in the water while the fresh oxygen diffuses into the blood for the normal and proper function of all the vital organs of the fish including, the heart, brain gastrointestinal tract, etc.
The oxygenated blood reaching the different tissues prevents fish from developing hypoxic conditions or any kind of events that can lead to the suffocation of the fish, leading to a complete respiratory collapse.
When fish are taken out from the water, their gills cannot use air to receive oxygen and other essential gases to pass through and let the gaseous exchange happen.
Instead, the fish face difficulty obtaining fresh oxygen from the environment and diffuse stale gases such as carbon dioxide out from their system. As time exceeds fish, the body shifts to the inner reservoirs of oxygen, leading to the depletion of oxygen to many vital organs.
The internal system tries to cope with the depletion of oxygen as much as it can, but eventually, the less supply of oxygen to vital organs such as the heart and brain leads to shock and eventually death.
Therefore, it is extremely unethical and against animal welfare law to take a fish out of the water and let it dry in the environment. How long can fish stay out of water depends upon several factors such as the Species of the fish, the Requirement of oxygen, and the normal metabolism of the fish.
Requirement of Oxygen
How long can fish stay out of water depends upon the oxygen requirement by the body of the fish. Many fish living in colder environments require less oxygen. The body of these fish has evolved in such a way that they can survive efficiently in deeper colder regions of the water with the least amount of oxygen to be consumed.
Tropical fish as compared to cold water fish require a high amount of oxygen in the water, that is why most of the fish come to the surface of water often. The surface of the water is in direct contact with ersh air having oxygen in it. The deeper the water gets, the lesser the oxygen content becomes.
Different Species
Fish are of different kinds and species, there are wild fish, amphibians fish, and pet fish of main categories divided into millions of classes and groups.
It has been observed that the fish having amphibious nature can live up to days, weeks and even months pet fish don’t have these abilities and die within minutes.
Therefore How long can fish stay out of the water, depends upon the species of the fish as well.
Must do research about the fish before you decide to buy one, as in most scenarios the unaware owners end up kill their fish accidentally during moving the fish from one pace to another.
Knowing the survival of fish without water is one of the attributes in determining the management of the fish.
Fish Metabolism
Fish have high rates of metabolism require more energy and oxygen as compared to the fish having lower metabolic rates as well as the fish having smaller body sizes. The body mass along with the temperature plays an important role in determining how long can fish stay out of water.
Continuous fast movements require high energy and a fast rate of metabolism, while slow and steady movements underwater require low metabolic rates.
Temperature plays an essential role in these scenarios, as it has been seen that fish living in hotter environments or tropical conditions require more oxygen and cannot survive in less amount of oxygen.
On the other hand, the cold region fish can survive in minute quantities of oxygen and can survive longer without water.
We have discussed in detail the physiology and anatomy of the fish respiratory system along with the different factors that contribute to the factor of how long can fish stay out of water. Let’s talk about some different fish and find out their water conditions and how long can they stay out of water
Mudskippers
These fish are known for their unique appearance and a different lifestyle than other typical fish in the aquatic environment. A major part of these fish is spent on the land without needing water. Therefore, mudskippers can stay up to years out of water.
Koi Fish
Koi fish can live for almost 2 days without water, or conditions not meeting the ideal water conditions of the koi fish, Koi fish require waters having temperatures ranging from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and pH balance between 7.4 to 7.6. That means Koi Fish can live for a longer amount of time than those of other typical tropical fish.
The salt levels should also be maintained as koi fish are freshwater fish and don’t do well in salty conditions. Koi fish survive naturally in ponds and that is why keeping a koi fish pond is the best way to keep fish. Water should be regularly changed and cleaned as unhygienic conditions can lead to certain microbial diseases that reduce the life quality of koi fish.
Betta Fish
Betta Fish can live up to 2 hours without water. This depends on the water conditions as well. Betta fish are freshwater fish and require tropical temperatures to live that’s why they cannot survive for long time periods out of water. It is unethical and against animal welfare law to keep the fish out of the water, as it can cause severe damage to the vital functions of the body of the fish such as brain activity or heart activity etc.
Rainbow Fish
Rainbowfish like other typical tropical fish can live up to 10 minutes out of water only. They are sensitive and delicate fish, anything that leads to the change in this temperature and ph range can drastically affect the rainbowfish, that is why it is very important to provide the rainbowfish proper water conditions.
They are freshwater fish and too much lasts in the water can lead to osmotic imbalances in the blood and body of the rainbow fish resulting in metabolic disorders that disturb the normal functioning of the rainbowfish. Irregular cleaning and unhygienic measures can also lead to unwanted consequences that can make a rainbowfish face several health complications
Tigerfish
Tigerfish barely survive up to 10 minutes, they can only survive up to 3 to 4 minutes without water and having no gill movements. The temperature should not exceed or lessen from the ideal temperature conditions. The tigerfish should be provided with optimal water conditions, that is the reason why knowing tigerfish water conditions is an important factor.
Conclusion
We answered the question: How long can fish stay out of water? In this article. We went through the normal functioning of how fish breathe along with the different types of fish and how long they can stay out of water.
Feel free to ask anything about How long can fish stay out of water in the comment section below:
FAQs How long can fish stay out of water
Frequently asked questions about How long fish can stay out of the water are:
How long can fish stay out of water before they die?
A fish can live up to 10 minutes at max without water. As soon as a fish is taken out of the water, normal breathing is compromised. The compromised breathing of the fish ends up in the complete drying out of the fish along with the suffocation. However, how long a fish can stay out of water depends upon its kind as well.
Can fish get brain damage from being out of water?
Yes, fish can get brain damage from being out of water for a long time. The gaseous exchange underwater allows carbon dioxide to be released in the water while the fresh oxygen diffuses into the blood for the normal and proper function of all the vital organs of the fish including, the heart, brain gastrointestinal tract, etc.
Do fish suffocate in the air?
Yes, fish probably suffocate in the air. As soon as a fish is taken out of the water, normal breathing is compromised. The compromised breathing of the fish ends up in the complete drying out of the fish along with the suffocation. However, how long a fish can stay out of water depends upon its kind as well.
Which fish can survive outside water for several hours?
Mudskippers can survive outside water for several hours. These fish are known for their unique appearance and a different lifestyle than other typical fish in the aquatic environment. A major part of these fish is spent on the land without needing water. Therefore, mudskippers can stay up even to years out of water.
Why is my fish alive but not moving?
Your fish is under stress if it is alive and not moving. Different conditions can lead to a stressful environment for the fish. Following are some points that will help you find out if your fish is under stress or not:
- If your fish is not eating properly, that means it is experiencing stress
- If your fish is gasping at the surface, or not moving at all
- If the body color of the fish is not as bright and shiny as it is usually then it means that it is experiencing stress.
References
https://afishingstory.com/how-long-can-fish-survive-out-of-the-water/
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-range-of-time-that-fish-can-typically-survive-out-of-water
