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I am a fish keeper of a number of years and this is a first. My wife discovered a tadpole madtom on the floor this morning. She said he was not flopping put was still gasping. She put him in a cup with tap water and called me. I told her to put aqaurium water in the cup instead and I ran home from work to help. He was in the cup resting at about an 80 degree angle, gasping and covered in fuzz and cat hair.

We carefulled pulled off some of the hair with hobby tweezers and I transferred him to a larger container that I use hold fish while transporting. He seems to thrash and swim when agitated, but otherwise rests in the same angled position with his mouth at the surface of the water. This container is large enough for the fish to "lie down" as they usually do and to swim in a circle. I added a small dose of mela fix and start right.

We recently moved and I cannot find an airpump, but I insturcted my wife add more aquarium water after an hour and when I come home I plan to change some of it. I wrapped a dark towel around it and a lid with small holes covers the container.

The tank is well-covered, so I have no idea how he got out.
Any guess if the prognosis is good? Any suggestions for recovery?

I've seen Melafix, good water, and time heal some pretty banged up fish. Yours however has had the additional insult of having taken a dip in chlorinated tap water. I believe chlorine burns the gills, so he's probably having a hard time getting oxygen. Aeration would help. Since madtoms are cold water fish, I would try to keep him cool. Cooler water holds more oxygen. I live down river from you and in the 70s it was pretty polluted. I can remember pulling madtoms and bullheads out of it, so they must be pretty hardy.

Unless there are fish in there that would pick on him in his weakened state I would return him to his original tank.

Keep the water pristine, zero ammonia and nitrite, nitrate below 20ppm. Watch his fins for signs of infection. You may have some dead tissue there. Maybe add a little melafix.

Good luck

Don

Thanks for your help. I hope to return him to the tank as soon as possible.
I'll keep the forum update on the recovery process.

I would return him to his original tank as well, he will feel more at home and there will be less stress on him.

Madtom was settled down more when I cam home from work, altyhough he was still hanging verticle. I changed wome water and reoved any fuzz I could get off of him. He swam when prodded, but remained still when pulling hairs off. Perhaps, the fish knew he was being "helped."

I returned the madtom to the tank at 11:30, about 12 hours since he jumped. He settled down next to a plant in the front, adn I am keeping close watch for infection or odd behavior. I placed a preventative 1/2 dose of fungal treatment and melafix in too. I think if there are no infections he will be okay. Tonight a meal of frozen brine shrimp will be offered.