# Helpppp !!



## babyalbino (Oct 13, 2006)

I'm really interested in learning how to teach your fish to let you pet them.. Also i read that you can teach them to ring a bell wen they are hungry if its attached to a stick in the water that they can run into.. and apparently you can teach them to play with a ping pong ball.. has anyone ever been able to do this or know anyone who has.. and if so could you please tell me how.. i just think it would be amazing. i like my fish more than most people and would love to be able to do awesome things like that. Thanks for any help


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

umm, riiiiiiight


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Seriously, these things happen. One famous goldfish has even been in the magazines and on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno for it. It takes a long time to train a fish, but it's doable. I'd suggest you study a bit on the general subject of animal training and then apply the techniques to your fish. By the way, it's usually koi & goldfish which make good students, since they have big brains and live a long time.


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

My fish don't ring bells or play ball but I have taught them to eat from my hand and let me pet them and swim through my fingers. A couple of them will let me close my hand on them and pick them up...as long as I don't take them out of the water of course. In fact they seem expect me to interact with them.


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## Sue Gremlin (Jan 16, 2007)

I had a puffer that would spit water at me to get me to feed him. Another would grit his teeth to get me to look at him. That means I actually have had fish train ME. 
(do you suppose they have a forum of their own and are talking about this subject)!?  

Doesn't petting fish disrupt their slime layer?


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## fishermanzack (Jan 31, 2006)

I think it is definitely doable, I mean its common psychology... just like pavlos dog if that means anything to anyone  before I feed my fish in both my tanks I tap the top. At first it did nothing, but they soon learned when I tapped the top it meant food was coming. Just a type of condtioning. Ring bell before you feed dog, eventually dog heres bell and salivates thinking food is coming.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

I have My oscar eating from my hands and he lets me pet him. Same thing with my jack dempsey, and most other of my CA/SA's. All you have to do is spend alot of time with your hands near the tank, and teach him to associate you with food. Simple as that. And aout doing tricks, its not as difficult as everyone says. In fact, look at the aquarium fish magazine from a couple months ago and there is an article on it.

http://www.clickertraining.tv/product.html?item=FREE-03


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> ring a bell wen they are hungry


 Lol, if i gave my cichlids a bell id never get any sleep. When aren't they hungry. But seriously, its common practice to alway hold a clipboard when feeding your potential show fish, so the fish will alway come out during the judging. Anything a chicken can learn, a fish can too. Pick something long lived.


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## Kyoberr (Dec 6, 2006)

Wow, well maybe it is possible but I think it would be hard and rare. That would be way cute though.

Well, I think you were right about one thing. Them being able to do all that would be amazing!!!


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

They can do all it.... and its not that hard or rare. I know people whove done it.


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## babyalbino (Oct 13, 2006)

Thank you Gourami i knew i wasnt crazy! I read about it on at least six different sites. Im real excited to get started


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## goldseverum109 (Mar 7, 2007)

you know its bad for your fish to touch them, it wears down on their protective slime coat


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

big pacus will go side up untill you pet them, its pretty cool. Ive also heard of oscars being trained to do things. I pet my midas to calm him when i need to put my hand in the tank, he charges hard at my hand trying to bite so if you keep your hand next to its side he cant bite and rub his side while doing it and he will start to slow down and then go to his cave. Id say use a non aggressive big cichlid like an oscar because training a midas/dovii type fish would be like teaching a child with ADD and on blow to play jenga. 

Good luck and keep a log of your progress.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

I first saw this on another forum I frequented at the time. Here is a link that you may find interesting. I've never tried it, so I am not endorsing it, but it may be worth your time to look at if you're truly interested. Hope it helps. 

http://www.fish-school.com/


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## Kyoberr (Dec 6, 2006)

So, Gourami Swami, if it is so easy then why:
1 - doesn't everyone do it?
2 - don't you tell us how?


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2007)

He didn't say it was easy, he just said its not really rare. 



babyalbino said:


> you can teach them to play with a ping-pong ball


Play with a ping-pong ball? I can train my grouper to eat a ping-pong ball....oh wait. He's come close to doing that. 

That was an interesting moment. There's a lesson in that: don't play ping-pong around your fish tanks.


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## Cichlidsrule (Nov 8, 2006)

I heard Jack Dempseys learn to beg for food on their own...and some of the bigger fishes (I forget which ones) you can train to leap for food by stringing some hamburger or whatever on a string and stretching it over the tank...and goldseverum's right, it's not good to touch fish...they have a protective slime coating on their sides that wears down when you touch them...that's why some stores sell Stress Coat to replace the slime coat after they are moved.


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

Kyoberr said:


> So, Gourami Swami, if it is so easy then why:
> 1 - doesn't everyone do it?
> 2 - don't you tell us how?


1- its not important to me or most fish keepers or you would see it more
2- if its something you want to do figure it out by doing your own research

im with GS in saying its not as rare as you would think. and as for touching fish i hand move all of my fish as well as handle fish i catch in lakes and rivers. make sure your hands are wet before touching it.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

1- most people have the attention span of a psychotic four year old off their ritalin when it comes to fish

2- im not in the mood to type up a lengthy essay right now. Google is your friend.

and touching fish with wet hands is fine as long as you dont like play hot potatoe with it.


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

Gourami Swami said:


> 1- most people have the attention span of a psychotic four year old off their ritalin when it comes to fish.


actually I prefer xanax..............


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