If you’re new to taking care of angelfish, then it’s a great idea to try to learn whatever you can about them. It’s better to have as much knowledge as possible since that will make it easier to care for the fish overall.
You probably already looked up the basic information about angelfish care. So you should know how much to feed the fish and what the water parameters are supposed to be.
There are other questions that you might have about the fish, though. For example, you could wonder whether or not you will need to worry about angelfish jumping.
It isn’t too uncommon to hear about fish jumping out of the water, but will angelfish jump? Is it possible that an angelfish could jump out of the fish tank?
Keep reading to learn about angelfish and whether they are known to jump. This should help you to be prepared for any possibilities.
Angelfish Can Jump
It’s possible for angelfish to jump out of the water. However, it’s likely not something that you need to be too concerned with.
Generally, angelfish won’t try to jump out of fish tanks unless there is a reason for them to do so. If the angelfish is content and being taken care of well, then it likely won’t try to jump out of the tank.
This doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, though. There are many stories from angelfish enthusiasts that tell of times when the angelfish jumped out of the water when the tank was uncovered.
If you wish to keep the fish from being able to jump out of the water, then having some type of cover on top of the tank is highly recommended. Regardless, you’re likely wondering why an angelfish would choose to jump out of the water in the first place.
Below, you’ll read about some reasons why an angelfish might jump. Perhaps knowing about these reasons will make it easier for you to keep the fish happy.
1 – The Water Is Too Dirty
If you’re new to caring for fish, then you might be making more mistakes than you realize. It’s important to take care of the water in the fish tank to ensure that it is clean and healthy for the fish.
When the water in the tank becomes too dirty, this is going to cause the fish to experience many problems. Angelfish are particularly sensitive when it comes to water quality issues.
If you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do, then the water might have high levels of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. This is very bad for all of the fish in your tank, and the angelfish might choose to try to jump out of the tank to escape the dirty water.
Of course, the fish doesn’t realize that jumping out isn’t going to lead it to cleaner water. You need to take care of the water quality issues so that the fish doesn’t feel the need to escape the tank.
If you don’t solve these issues, then the fish could wind up dying. Even if they stay in the tank, the high ammonia and nitrite levels could make them very sick.
In some circumstances, poor water quality will outright kill the angelfish. It all depends on how fast you respond to fixing the water quality problems.
2 – The Temperature Isn’t Stable
Angelfish want to stay in water that has a consistent temperature. If the water temperature is fluctuating too much, then this will cause the fish to feel stressed.
Sometimes stress issues will cause fish to make poor decisions. When an angelfish is unhappy with the water temperature situation, it might try to jump out of the tank.
Whether the fish jumps or not isn’t that relevant, though. You need to understand that taking care of the fish tank is imperative when you’re keeping pet fish.
Angelfish need to be kept in tanks that have a water temperature between 76 degrees Fahrenheit and 84 degrees Fahrenheit. While it’s true that the fish can survive in higher or lower temperatures, this range is generally considered to be the best.
Fish don’t like it when the water temperature fluctuates too much. It’s fine for the temperature to change, but the change should be gradual.
Sudden temperature drops could be really dangerous for the angelfish. Do your best to combat these issues so that you won’t put your fish in a tough spot.
Keeping the temperature of the water stable shouldn’t be a problem. All you need to do is make sure that you have a heater in the fish tank.
Take a look at the thermometer on the fish tank every so often to ensure that the temperature is where it needs to be. Otherwise, you might need to make adjustments or test to see if your heater is working as intended.
3 – Not Enough Oxygen
Fish need to have oxygen so that they can breathe. If there isn’t enough oxygen in the tank, then the fish might feel that it will need to escape or else it will die.
A jumping fish could be seeking out better waters where the oxygen will be sufficient. To be clear, fish don’t breathe oxygen directly, but they do utilize dissolved oxygen in the water for breathing purposes.
There are a few different situations that could cause your tank to not have enough oxygen. The most common one involves packing your tank with too many fish.
If you try to put too many fish in a small tank, then there will be too much competition for the available oxygen. The fish in the tank could easily wind up dying if you don’t remedy the situation.
Algae can also cause oxygen problems in fish tanks. Having too much algae in the tank could make it so that too much of the dissolved oxygen is being used up for the algae.
That means that there won’t be enough oxygen for the fish in the tank. You’ll need to solve the algae issues if you believe that this is the cause of the lack of oxygen in the aquarium.
4 – Jumping Out of Fear
Another thing to consider is whether or not the fish is jumping out of fear. If the fish is afraid, then it might jump because it is trying to escape something that it deems to be a threat.
There are a lot of different things that could scare your fish. For instance, flashing lights and bright lights have been known to cause angelfish to get scared.
Even sudden movements near the fish tank could wind up frightening the fish. Some angelfish owners have suggested that the fish will get scared by the sudden emergence of your shadow.
If you don’t keep light fixtures on the tank, then the fish might become frightened when you suddenly turn on the lights. Noises can cause the fish to feel stressed too, and you might not want to put the fish tank in a part of the house that is particularly noisy.
Try to find a good spot for the aquarium in your house. You want to put it somewhere that it can be seen, but you don’t want the fish to get stressed by loud noises from the TV or your stereo system.
You should also know that angelfish get stressed when little kids tap on the glass of the aquarium. Try to keep any kids in your household from doing this since it isn’t good for the fish.
5 – There Aren’t Any Hiding Spots in the Tank
Did you bother to put hiding spots in the fish tank? Technically, you can keep fish alive inside of a tank that just has water, but this doesn’t mean that it’s an ideal environment.
Angelfish will feel significantly more comfortable in a tank if you put aquatic plants inside. Live plants will do a good job of making the fish feel at ease, and it’ll give them spots to hide.
The fish might need to hide sometimes when they feel frightened. They might also use hiding spots as a way to get away from other fish.
If you don’t put hiding spots in the tank, then the fish simply won’t like that. They might feel too exposed all the time, and this will make them want to leave the tank.
Seeing the fish try to jump out of the tank could be related to the lack of hiding spots. You should look into aquatic plant options that angelfish will enjoy.
Amazon sword plants are some of the most popular ones that people place in angelfish tanks. Jungle Vallisneria (or jungle Val for short) will also prove to be a great choice.
6 – The Presence of Bully Fish
The presence of bully fish in the tank could be a real problem. If your angelfish do not feel safe in the fish tank, then they might jump as a way to escape aggressive fish.
There are a few different ways that this could become a problem. Firstly, you might have put the angelfish in a tank with a large fish that bullies them.
It’s always important to take the time to find compatible fish that can be in a tank with angelfish. Angelfish are mildly aggressive themselves, and they will eat or bully other fish that are too small.
If you put an aggressive fish in the tank that is larger than the angelfish, then that could be bad. You need to stick with fish that are known to be compatible with angelfish such as guppies.
There are plenty of different fish that you can put in the tank with your angelfish, but you just need to do the research ahead of time. Make sure that all of the fish in the community tank are compatible so that you won’t encounter issues.
You should also know that male angelfish will sometimes fight each other. It’s not recommended to keep two male angelfish in the same tank if the tank is small.
The males would just continue to fight, and they would likely injure each other. They don’t often fight to the death, but it isn’t completely unheard of either.
Don’t Give the Fish a Chance to Jump Out
Giving the fish the chance to jump out is likely not a good idea. While it’s true that an angelfish jumping out of the water isn’t a common thing, it’s still something that could happen.
If you’re a bit late changing out the water one week, then perhaps a fish might choose to jump. If you have a cover or top on the aquarium, then the fish simply won’t be able to do this.
You should always keep a top on the aquarium that will allow for proper ventilation. This will also keep debris from getting into the tank from the outside.
Aside from this, you’ll want to do your best to care for the angelfish. You should be doing everything that you’re supposed to do to keep the fish healthy.
This means ensuring that the water is kept as clean as possible. Remember to check the pH balance of the water fairly often to ensure that it stays between 6.8 and 7.8.
You’ll need to utilize a heater in the tank so that the temperature can remain steady. Most angelfish owners will choose to keep the water temperature at a steady 80 degrees Fahrenheit just to be safe.
Feeding the fish often enough will also be appropriate. Angelfish can go a while without eating, but you want to feed them normally so that they can remain as healthy as possible.
An adult angelfish should be fed twice daily. Only feed the angelfish as much as it will be able to finish in two or three minutes.
If you’re doing your best to keep up on tank maintenance, then it’s likely that everything will be fine. You probably won’t have to worry too much about the angelfish jumping out of the tank.
You can keep the cover on the tank to ensure that you won’t have any issues no matter what, but it’s good to know that you’re doing the best job that you can as a fish owner. Let your friends know the importance of taking care of these things if they’re thinking about buying some angelfish sometime soon as well.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.