cdness
2006 - Present
Have you ever sat back and looked at your tank and said to yourself "Why do these fish just poop all over"? This random pooping increases the need for expensive cleanup crews, repetitive vacuuming of the substrate, and sometimes even the use of harsh chemical cleaning agents to remove the stains and smells associated to fish poop. This article covers some of the theories behind potty training fish and some of the steps you need to take to get to a cleaner aquarium.
Method 1: Reward based training.
This first method involves rewarding your fish when he or she poops in the right place of the tank. Set aside an area of the aquarium where you would like the fish to use as their bathroom. Whenever the fish poops in the specified area, reward with food or other treats. Soon your fish will associate that corner, the act of pooping, and the associated rewards which in turn leaves you with a single spot for a much smaller cleanup crew to focus on.
Method 2: Toilet Method.
This method involves placing a small toilet into the aquarium. Set the fish on the toilet until he or she poops. Then reward the act and see if it has caught on. If the fish poops out of place, set it back on the toilet and see if he or she will poop again. Reward and repeat until you have a successfully trained fish.
Method 3: Sump Method.
This method is a bit more intense. It involves training the fish to travel down the plumbing to the sump to go to the bathroom. This way all of the poop is contained in the sump where the skimmer can remove it from the water. The art of traveling down to the sump has been perfected by many fish, but the trip back to the main tank is still a mystery. We would be open to ideas on how to accomplish this task without harm to the fish. I am thinking a conveyor belt with small cups to transport the fish in small amounts of water and dump back into the main tank... What do you think.
I hope this article has been helpful in your difficult feat to potty train your fish. Please feel free to comment on your success rate and what type of fish so we can all see the progress Reef2Reef members have made toward keeping our tanks cleaner via potty training.
Method 1: Reward based training.
This first method involves rewarding your fish when he or she poops in the right place of the tank. Set aside an area of the aquarium where you would like the fish to use as their bathroom. Whenever the fish poops in the specified area, reward with food or other treats. Soon your fish will associate that corner, the act of pooping, and the associated rewards which in turn leaves you with a single spot for a much smaller cleanup crew to focus on.
Method 2: Toilet Method.
This method involves placing a small toilet into the aquarium. Set the fish on the toilet until he or she poops. Then reward the act and see if it has caught on. If the fish poops out of place, set it back on the toilet and see if he or she will poop again. Reward and repeat until you have a successfully trained fish.
Method 3: Sump Method.
This method is a bit more intense. It involves training the fish to travel down the plumbing to the sump to go to the bathroom. This way all of the poop is contained in the sump where the skimmer can remove it from the water. The art of traveling down to the sump has been perfected by many fish, but the trip back to the main tank is still a mystery. We would be open to ideas on how to accomplish this task without harm to the fish. I am thinking a conveyor belt with small cups to transport the fish in small amounts of water and dump back into the main tank... What do you think.
I hope this article has been helpful in your difficult feat to potty train your fish. Please feel free to comment on your success rate and what type of fish so we can all see the progress Reef2Reef members have made toward keeping our tanks cleaner via potty training.
