Can Fish Be Temporarily Stunned/unconsious?

[Spishkey]

i was cleaning out my fry tank this morning, and a couple of them, clearly startled, seemed to swim full force into the side of spongebobs pineapple house decoration). 3 started swimming again within seconds but one looked dead, it started floating around the tank with the pump flow, upside down round and round, looking very dead indeed. i went to gt the net out of the kitchen to catch him, and when i got back saw he most amazing thing happen, the fry kinda shook itself out of its trance (dont know how else to describe it) and started swimming as normal!!! it was amazing!

sadly a little while later though i went back and found one had got stuck to the filter intake bit and when i freed it, it had a big red blood bruise looking patch on its side where it had been 'sucked', i dont think he will make it idont know if its the same fish, it was one of the younger platy fry in there

 

[Spishkey]

ah the wee thing is dead

 

[ox5477]

If was floating upside down with no movement then it was most likely stunned and it prob recieved damage to its swim bladder. This is damage that is nearly if not completely impossible to come back from. So, when the fish came back it most likely had to work much harder to swim normally and therefore used up its strength so it could not swim away from the filter inlet. It won't make it if it isn't already dead...

Ox

 

[jourdy288]

Yes, it is possible, certain plants are used in Brazil and even by fishkeepers, chemicals called sopophorics (spelling?) are used for hard to get fish.