Fintastic connection: Do you engage with your fish?

[Alexraptor]

Experts always talk about how we tend to anthropomorphize animals, but I genuinely believe that we are more alike than not, and animals are a heck of a lot smarter than they are generally given credit for.

I have an old cranky temperamental clownfish, and we definitely have a relationship. Like, whenever I introduce a new coral, or move another colony into "his space", he will attack it. When I see him doing this I will raise my finger at him (outside of the tank), and tell him NO! He responds to this, and after a couple of times of me doing this, he will actually back off and leave the colony alone! If I do nothing, he will keep going at it for quite a while, until either it topples or he gives up.

I don't know if it is the soundwaves from my voice, the aggressive movement of my finger or a combination of both. But he clearly makes the connection that it is a disapproval of the activity he is engaged in.

 

[vlangel]

Fish are the reason that I have a reef tank, so for me coral and macroalgae are there to support, encourage and help the fish. All my fish once they have been with me for 2 or so weeks get a name and I ascribe personalities to them based on my observations, ha ha.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

The Flamehawk in my avatar pic is the nosiest fish ever. He's WAY more concerned with what's going on outside the tank than in the tank. I regularly find him right at the glass looking at me when I'm working on something. I just happen to look at the tank and there he is staring me down.

My wife and I name all of our fish and talk to the ones that come to the front to greet us. The Flamehawk, Sailfin Tang and our Valentini Puffer are the most interactive we have at the moment.

My flame hawk was like that too. Always following me around, staring me down, lol.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

i don't really speak to them, but they do seem to interact with me in regards to showing curiosity and hover ing around the glass as i am inspecting the tank and its inhabitants.

My fairy wrasse starts darting back and forth across the front of the tank any time I walk up to it - pretty interesting. My fish are all pigs though... could just be they think they're going to get fed whenever I'm there, lol.

 

[shakacuz]

My fairy wrasse starts darting back and forth across the front of the tank any time I walk up to it - pretty interesting. My fish are all pigs though... could just be they think they're going to get fed whenever I'm there, lol.

yeah, i've associated this same behavior to them expecting food. i always feed at the same corner and they do gravitate to that area but also follow me around and i inspect corals/rock/sand/etc.

 

[fodsod]

My flame hawk was like that too. Always following me around, staring me down, lol.

The Flamehawk was one of the first fish that got me into the salt water hobby. Saw one at the LFS store and just had to have one so set up a FOWLR tank soon after. I'd never seen a fish that entertained by what's going on outside the tank before. I've had one ever since. I actually have 2 now, one in each tank.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I voted "other" because I couldn't select the top 3. I don't talk to them a lot... every once in a while, usually just when the damsels are squabbling with one another, lol. Or telling my tang to back off a new addition or else, lol.
I do name all my fish, always have ever since I was a kid. I even name the inverts. They really do all have personalities I swear! Sometimes they don't get named for a while, especially after I lost almost all of my fish to brook a few months back - I was kind of leery to name the new ones, not wanting to get attached in case they died. So far, all is well though and all the fish are thriving again. I consider them pets and have had many very long-lived fish. It's hard not to get attached to them! I come from the freshwater world - had a Jack Dempsey live around 10 years, and currently my dad has had my albino cory catfish and yoyo loach that are going on 13. Hope to have my salty critters for many years to come. A friend had a pair of clownfish live 20 years!

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

yeah, i've associated this same behavior to them expecting food. i always feed at the same corner and they do gravitate to that area but also follow me around and i inspect corals/rock/sand/etc.

I feed in one corner as well, usually I dump the food into the gyre pump on that side also, and it immediately sends it across the tank and they have learned to expect that. Even if they're just curious, or have learned behavior, it's still clear to me that they are more intelligent than we give them credit for.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

The Flamehawk was one of the first fish that got me into the salt water hobby. Saw one at the LFS store and just had to have one so set up a FOWLR tank soon after. I'd never seen a fish that entertained by what's going on outside the tank before. I've had one ever since. I actually have 2 now, one in each tank.

First ones that got me were the clownfish and melanurus wrasse - but the first time I saw my boss's flamehawk in our office tank, I knew I had to have one! (And I did, his name was Larry, lol - but he died when a blue spotted jawfish introduced brooklynella into my tank a few months ago... that was a hard lesson as it was my bad adding ONE unquarantined fish). I miss that fish. Besides always watching what was going on outside the tank, and following me around, he would hang out with my bicolor blenny upside down under a ledge, lol. I took a chance with him as I have a reef and a lot of inverts... he never touched a single one, even the shrimp. I am definitely going to get another flamehawk eventually.

 

[fodsod]

First ones that got me were the clownfish and melanurus wrasse - but the first time I saw my boss's flamehawk in our office tank, I knew I had to have one! (And I did, his name was Larry, lol - but he died when a blue spotted jawfish introduced brooklynella into my tank a few months ago... that was a hard lesson as it was my bad adding ONE unquarantined fish). I miss that fish. Besides always watching what was going on outside the tank, and following me around, he would hang out with my bicolor blenny upside down under a ledge, lol. I took a chance with him as I have a reef and a lot of inverts... he never touched a single one, even the shrimp. I am definitely going to get another flamehawk eventually.

I learned the hard way they like to jump out if given a chance even if the gap is minimal. I had my original FlameHawk for 7 years and was literally 1 day away from moving him into a new 90g tank from the 50g cube to improve his surroundings. He jumped out one evening while I was multitasking between tanks (landed behind the tank) and I didn't notice until he was dead.

This hobby teaches lessons the hard way sometimes.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I learned the hard way they like to jump out if given a chance even if the gap is minimal. I had my original FlameHawk for 7 years and was literally 1 day away from moving him into a new 90g tank from the 50g cube to improve his surroundings. He jumped out one evening while I was multitasking between tanks (landed behind the tank) and I didn't notice until he was dead.

This hobby teaches lessons the hard way sometimes.

Yes, it definitely does. Sometimes when you least expect it! I have a tank full of jumpers, and boy was it stressful when I transferred them from my 32g to the 75g. My diamond goby almost knocked himself out trying to get out of a 5g bucket w/ loose lid.

 

[twentyleagues]

I dont usually name them and if I do it doesnt stick. I do talk to them. I also interact with them, some physically, I have one saltwater fish (angler) and many fresh. My angler is pretty interactive when hungry and if its not it will still come closer to me if im observing the tank. If he sees me in the fish room he will try to lure me over to hopefully feed him. I also have 14 ropefish that most of them will come to me and check out what im doing in their pond a few of them will allow me to "hold" them for a minute or two. Most of the other fish are just fish and act appropriately, come to the glass when hungry and hide when im cleaning the glass or vacuuming the sand.

 

[fodsod]

Yes, it definitely does. Sometimes when you least expect it! I have a tank full of jumpers, and boy was it stressful when I transferred them from my 32g to the 75g. My diamond goby almost knocked himself out trying to get out of a 5g bucket w/ loose lid.

I've got 3 Diamond watchmen Goby sand sifters (2 in 90g and 1 in 50g) and they are all prone to freaking out and jumping if given a chance. They sure do keep the sand bed clean though .

 

[mushrommy]

I talk to my clownfish to my coral and nems. My family thinks I'm crazy lol. My clownfish will even eat out of my hand! Meh favorite and I would have a mental breakdown if they died.

 

[Roeshelle]

Pretty much everything that goes in gets a name except for the snails and hermits (too many to keep track of and recognize) and I love each and every one! I talk to them daily and they seem to enjoy my presence. No one bites me (yet) I have two clowns, Jojo and Fizbo and they are total sweeties. My cleaner shrimp will clean my hands if I put them in the tank but aside from that everyone just does their thing. I'm not done stocking but so far it's a fairly peaceful tank. (aside from the occasional shrimp fight, they like to slap each other over food)

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

Oh yeah, my fish interact with me. There is a clock within view of the tank, and they know what time dinner is served. They are right at the front of the tank when dinner is due.

My clowns routinely bite me when my hands are in the tank. Once, the female clown did a 'Shamu style' tail slap and soaked my wife's face. Clown thought that was very amusing. My wife, not so much.

 

[OrchidMiss]

 

[ARCkeeper]

Not only do I talk to my fish, but I am certain they are trying to communicate back. My lawnmower blenny once wrote "hi" in the film algae on the glass. He even dotted the I with a heart. Freaked my wife out! I think he was just messing with me for not keeping the glass clean though.

 

[Costareefer]

I live next to a great beach for snorkeling so I put my trigger fish in a plastic fish bowl. Take him to the beach with me and he stays in the fishbowl like a balloon while I snorkel around. I call it taking him for a swim:

 

[Freenow54]

I talk to my one clown that loves biting me when I put my hand in the tank. I think it likes to do it, even better when I take a swipe at her. I make sure I am wearing my wife beater t shirt when I do