Fish Depression

[neoGeorge]

An interesting article in the New York Times - ways to keep your fish engaged:

• Make sure there's sufficient oxygen
• Add items and places for fish to explore
• Provide enough room

 

[ca1ore]

Typical anthropomorphism me thinks.

 

[lion king]

Typical anthropomorphism me thinks.

I think this is a typical human response, I am big advocate of considering the psychological well being of our captive creatures. I have opened many people's eyes by helping them observe happy tanks vs sad tanks. If you can't see the difference, then sad for you. One of my biggest points is to feed ambush predators live foods as their main diet, by doing this the evidence is hands down; they are more active, vibrant, and live longer in captivity.

 

[Maddlesrain]

I certainly think fish are capable of feeling depression.
There’s a difference when looking at a tank with happy fish picking at rocks, interacting, and exploring vs one with lethargic, bored animals.

The mood of the animals is exuded to the viewer.

Fish have very wide and variant personalities, I don’t see why they couldn’t feel boredom or depression.

 

[bdejong1112o]

My wife agrees. Especially after seeing the behavior in fish from the sterile bland environment of the QT tank to the display tank. They are completely different animals and I completely understand why. Its also why i have such a hard time watching them while in the QT tank. Hate doing it but also know why i do it. But very different behaviors even whennthey are not sick at all.

 

[ca1ore]

Meh, doesn't matter what anyone may 'think', including me certainly, there's either scientifically valid data or there is not. Been keeping fish for 40 years, and I have never seen anything that suggests to me they get depressed. People see what they want to see I suppose.

 

[Tahoe61]

Definitely think hobbyist contribute too many human emotions to fish and inverts. I cringe every time I see threads " My fish murdered", "so and so committed...."Unexplained aggression of Damsels", "Why does my hermit hate snails.." They are animals, adaptations to environment and evolution predict their general behaviors, it's silly to label with the same humans behaviors.

Now that I have had my say on that I will say I do believe fish grieve. I have lost clown fish over years and I almost always noted a decline in eating, and activity of the remaining clown if it was a long established pair.

 

[K. Steven]

I think they should attempt this with saltwater fish, like clownfish. Zebrafish are studied so extensively and are a popular model organism, but it'd be interesting to see if this translates to a saltwater environment. It'd be cool to compare gene expression in brains and neural tissue between control and experimental clownfish in bare and typical reef tanks.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Of course fish look better and are more active if fed live foods vs frozen or dry. Live food has beneficial gut bacteria and is exponentially fresher.

Of course a fish will look better in an established dt rather than a qt tank. There is more cover, established bacteria colonies, more microfauna, and other fish(which is a sign of no predators, which in turn makes them more outgoing).

Of course fish are more active when oxygen levels are higher, muscle activity requires oxygen.

Whether fish have depression or not, perhaps to a degree, but definitely there is a lot of anthropomorphism, it is healthier to provide a varied nutritious diet, cover, and clean oxygenated water.

 

[DracoKat]

Whether they do feel emotions or not, I like to “think” they do. Makes me feel like I am interacting with the fish more- especially when my wrasses pause to look straight back at me.

 

[GK3]

I think this is a typical human response, I am big advocate of considering the psychological well being of our captive creatures. I have opened many people's eyes by helping them observe happy tanks vs sad tanks. If you can't see the difference, then sad for you. One of my biggest points is to feed ambush predators live foods as their main diet, by doing this the evidence is hands down; they are more active, vibrant, and live longer in captivity.

You are keeping aquatic animals in a giant, clear box. Considering the psychological well being would mean you go to the fish store, buy some creatures, and dump them back in the ocean.

Seriously tho, dogs are only capable of basic emotions - joy, fear, anger, Love. So I seriously doubt your fish has the ability experience even these. My fish remember where the auto feeder is, but they don’t love me or hate me.

Put ur hand in the tank, and a fish swims away - basic fight or flight response to a threat.

Happy vs sad tank I doubt this is due to depression but rather a sad tank has bad parameters and makes a fish sick so it seems sluggish and/or won’t eat. Likely confused with something more complex but really isn’t.

But that’s just my 0.00011% of a Bitcoin. (2 cents)

 

[Kamden Uelton]

My male Mimic Filefish is always pacing on the glass like he has nothing to do, really worries me sometimes I plan to get him a female when I can find one.

 

[mtfish]

Fish people may love the fish they keep, but fish do not love the people that keep them. Can a fish become stressed? You bet. Do you want your fish to not be stressed? Of course. Put ethanol in the water and lower the oxygen level, will the fish be stressed? Go sit in a highway tunnel and breathe car exhaust for a couple of days straight, will you feel stressed? Sure! Depressed? Where do these researchers get their money to run their studies? I will stop now. This topic is silly. Plan your tank so that the fishes are not stressed as best as possible, but don't go dumping a load of Xanax in your tank to keep depression away.

 

[Paul B]

Its also why i have such a hard time watching them while in the QT tank.

Thats one reason why I don't do that.
As to weather fish feel depression I don't know, but I am sure that flounder I had for dinner last night was not "happy"

 

[bdejong1112o]

Thats one reason why I don't do that.
As to weather fish feel depression I don't know, but I am sure that flounder I had for dinner last night was not "happy"

Hey Paul, is it that you dont watch when in QT or dont QT..

And I would agree on the flounder issue. Kind of like the tuna I eat is none too pleased either. However, I sure was.

 

[Paul B]

I don't quarantine, but if I did, I probably wouldn't watch them because they would be depressed and that would depress me forcing me to have a glass of Grand Marnier and I just ran out of it.

 

[lion king]

You are keeping aquatic animals in a giant, clear box. Considering the psychological well being would mean you go to the fish store, buy some creatures, and dump them back in the ocean.

Seriously tho, dogs are only capable of basic emotions - joy, fear, anger, Love. So I seriously doubt your fish has the ability experience even these. My fish remember where the auto feeder is, but they don’t love me or hate me.


Put ur hand in the tank, and a fish swims away - basic fight or flight response to a threat.

Happy vs sad tank I doubt this is due to depression but rather a sad tank has bad parameters and makes a fish sick so it seems sluggish and/or won’t eat. Likely confused with something more complex but really isn’t.

But that’s just my 0.00011% of a Bitcoin. (2 cents)

I think in order to understand you may have to keep certain species of fish that definitely inter-react with you and are much more aware what is also out of the tank. I have many fish that I hand feed, my friends are amazed at how the fish will react to me vs them. I've had girlfriends even become jealous. I often tickle my dogface puffers belly and he wiggles in my hand. My angler only fishes me, my triggers will only swim to the top, follow, and spit at me. My lions are the same way, so friendly to me I have to shoo them away while I'm working in the tank. There's much more there than most give credit for?

 

[norfolkgarden]

No question that some carnivore fish and certainly some Tang's have the ability to recognize you as their main food provider and certainly showing interest in your coming closer to the tank.
Lol, as long as you serve a purpose for them.

They definitely know which side I'm going to feed frozen cubes on and which side I'm going to dangle my fingers in the water and let the black worms slide off them a few at a time so the new small copperband gets the majority of the live black worms.

Can't really vouch for too much beyond that though

 

[Heliarc19]

There is definitely no proof that they can not feel some basic form of emotion so I will choose to believe they do and do my best to keep them happy and engaged the best I can. Even if there was proof they couldn’t I would still do this lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]