Fish knocked itself out?

[Roasty Toasty]

I was doing a water change this morning and one of my fancy guppies must've got a little spooked. She swam pretty hard right into the glass and laid on her side on the substrate. At first I thought she was dead but noticed her breathing. I turned the lights off to let her chill out and now she is up and swimming but seems a little stunned still. Anything I need to lookout for in the next few days to make sure she will pull through? Thanks.

[Kat_Rigel]

Not sure there's much you can do. You could try adding salt (if it is not a planted tank) to try and cut off any possible infection, although usually I would only be worried about it if there is a cut.

If it makes you feel better, I had a bronze cory that got itself wedged in a piece of cholla wood. Like, super stuck! I had to get my hobby hand saw and cut a piece off very close to the fish! It had an abrasion on its head but recovered fully with no help from me. Silly fish!

[Levi_Aquatics]

I have never heard of this happening! It sounds like the fish should be able to recover on its own. I have no clue how you would fix a head injury on a guppy. I hope it gets better soon!

[FrozenFins]

Just look out for any infections or other external issues. This is especially common with wild caught angelfish, especially altums. I have never heard of this happening to goldfish though. To prevent this from ever happening again, I would cover the glass pannels, except for the viewing pannel. 

Honestly i am surpised she isn't dead

Edited February 1, 2021 by James Black

[HardeepTheLondoner]

Just keep your usual routine up. Spot feed if necessary and perform your water changes as usual. Don’t preemptively medicate unless you can see a decline in health or a physical difference.

If possible, dim the light for a day or so just to let her gently become comfortable in her surroundings again.

[lefty o]

im not sure how one would do a concussion protocol on a guppy, so id just let it be , and keep an eye on it.

[Roasty Toasty]

Well I left the lights off yesterday (plants will be fine for a day) and this morning she was seemingly back to normal, eating and swimming around. Learned fish can knock themselves unconscious!