Clownfish injured from jumping

Silly clownfish · Oct 2, 2026

My spotcintus clown jumped out this morning when my husband startled her awake at 5 am to fix a pump. He got her right back in the tank, but she apparently injuied herself pretty good hitting the hardwood floor. She has been lying on her side breathing hard all day. I have the lights off and she is the only fish in the tank.

Anything else I can do but give her time? Would an air stone to add more O2 in the tank help or make things worse?

Fish Fan · Oct 2, 2026

Adding an airstone is never a bad idea, in my opinion, and certainly can't hurt.

In my experience, fish that jump out usually recover well if you get them back in the tank quickly, and it sounds like your husband did just that. The fall certainly could have injured the fish, but again, usually they recover from this, from what I've seen.

I think you're doing the right things; keep the lights low, maintain good water quality, and adding an airstone wouldn't hurt.

I'd suggest watching for any subsequent infections that may develop from an injury. If that does occur, that may need to be treated with an antibiotic. But hopefully it doesn't go there

The R2R #fishmedic may have further advice.

Good luck!