What is it that makes fish scared?

[Oceansize]

It really bothers me that my fish panic and swim away and hide when they see me. What is it making fish scared? Any ideas?

Ive thought water quality.

Space?

Lighting?

Species?

Evolution.

As in, fish lacking a reasonable amount of caution do not contribute many genes to the pool, lol.

Having said that, I have scuba dived in the Caribbean and have found out the hard way on more than one occasion that I was drifting too close to a hosting clown fish. The little buggers get right up in your facemask! Size means nothing to them, lol.

 

[Shawn Killham]

My female clownfish isn't scared of anything. She will try to nip me out of the water if she sees my hand

 

[CoralNerd]

It's your giant hand. [emoji51] [emoji113]
Keep your hands out of the tank.

If I feed a lot they seem less scared however if they are hungry they for sure won't be scared.

 

[jasonrusso]

My porcupine puffer and zebra lion come to the front of the glass (the puffer tries biting the food cup through the glass) when I walk into the room. My eel emerges from his rocks when he sees me, but my Harlequin Tusk always scurries away when I walk into the room. He usually comes out when he smells the food. I've had him for 2 years but he's still real skiddish.

 

[Cory]

My porcupine puffer and zebra lion come to the front of the glass (the puffer tries biting the food cup through the glass) when I walk into the room. My eel emerges from his rocks when he sees me, but my Harlequin Tusk always scurries away when I walk into the room. He usually comes out when he smells the food. I've had him for 2 years but he's still real skiddish.

Seems like the species is an important factor.

In my old 125, i had a dog faced puffer. Just as you said, would bite everything. But man did he make all the other fish less scared. I could even pet him.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[brandon429]

 

[jasonrusso]

Seems like the species is an important factor.

In my old 125, i had a dog faced puffer. Just as you said, would bite everything. But man did he make all the other fish less scared. I could even pet him.

Anyone else experience this?

Mine "lets" me pet him. I'm not sure if he likes it as much as he tolerates it because he sees his food cup. He starts getting impatient after a minute and spits water at me.

 

[jasonrusso]

But man did he make all the other fish less scared. I could even pet him.

Anyone else experience this?

He made the other fish "less scared?" His huge butt had a calming effect? My puffer is by far the biggest in the tank and the others aren't scared of him at all.

 

[Cory]

Lol i miss my predator tank.

somethig. Went wring with my post


Yeah he was the kind of fish who was ironically just like a dog. So happy to see you when you entered the room. I miss him.

Short story.

I came home and found my puffer on the ground. He had a jello slime coating on him. Very thick. I thought he was dead.

So i put him in the toilet, sadly. Suddenly he did a jolt swim! I picked him out (thankfully i never flushed) with my hand lol and put
Back in the tank.

3 or 5 days later, he was normal! I don't know how long he was out of the water, but he lived!

And yeah all the fish were less scared with him around. (Because he was always out chasing me for food)

 

[VSVP bet]

Really? Yellow tangs seem to be the most scared kf them all. Can you give some info on your tank?

my yellow tangs would let me pet them as well, all i would do is stick my hand in and they would go right to it

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I have a method that works great to make fishes more accustomed to movement; attach party streamers to an oscillating fan. The constant movement outside their tank helps them settle down when you approach the tank. This was a necessity when I dealt with wild discus years back.

Snorkeling they are fearful. However, when you scuba dive fish accept you as one of them!

You should try freediving sometime. Basically dive down with your snorkel and hang out; it's amazing how many fishes you never see using SCUBA due to bubbles.

Or if you're really into diving look into rebreathers; no bubbles either, which intrigues large sharks

 

[Triggreef]

Being new makes them scared. Having parasites makes them hide.

My copperband chases my hand so closely I have to keep changing where I'm putting food in otherwise he's so focused on my hand the food goes past him and he's poking his snout out of the water at my hand.

 

[Luis Spinola]

It might be the way you approach the tank, also some fish trigger this behavior and other react, I really hate when our foxface does it, even when nothing is happening around and it hides and changes its yellow to brown, I have even seen some foxfaces lying on the sand as if they were dead, breathing heavily and shocked. Sometimes this behavior gets worse and they can jump out of the tank.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

The amount of activity in the room can be part of it. More activity seems they become less skittish also just one skittish fish in the tank can make them all hide. Parasites can also cause them to get skittish. I am used to my fish eating out of my fingers. They can even tell when it is time to eat by watching what I have in my hands.

 

[armspar]

I love this topic. I just put an Achilles tang into my 150 and he was hiding for the first few hours. Now four days later he comes all the way up to the surface ready to eat from my hand! Every time I walk by he swims to the middle of the tank and is ready to be fed.

They will come out for you if they associate something good (like food) with you!

 

[Bdog4u2]

My clowns bite at my hands if I get to close to the nem it's always fun on nem feeding day my chromis will come up and swim in my hand if I leave it in the tank long enough I try to hand feed atleast once a week tho to get them use to me reaching in the tank. (Don't know if this is working or not) however I have tokey geckos as well and if you come near them they will corner themselves, bark, and if you keep creeping closer they'll bite. I've kept these guys for around 2 1\2 years now and not yet have I been able to actually hold them or get close without them biting

Tokey geckos are some mean jerks.
My fish are comfortable with me ive had most of them over a decade. When im in my bright green work shirt they all group together and stalk me on the end i put the food in

 

[bbearden101]

Tokey geckos are some mean jerks.
My fish are comfortable with me ive had most of them over a decade. When im in my bright green work shirt they all group together and stalk me on the end i put the food in

lol yes they are, never a dull moment when I'm reaching to clean out their cage or getting them out to socialize I have a clutch of eggs so I'm hoping if they make it I can tame the babies down a little. My fish are similar if I'm wearing a neon shirt, the only colors mine seem to run away from is red, and orange or something of that color group. Greens blues, all that they flock to

 

[Bdog4u2]

The amount of activity in the room can be part of it. More activity seems they become less skittish also just one skittish fish in the tank can make them all hide. Parasites can also cause them to get skittish. I am used to my fish eating out of my fingers. They can even tell when it is time to eat by watching what I have in my hands.

Having 5 kids my fish aren't scared of nothing and if my big butt domino damsel bites me one more time im buying a mini spear gun

 

[CenlaReefer]

Being new makes them scared. Having parasites makes them hide.

My copperband chases my hand so closely I have to keep changing where I'm putting food in otherwise he's so focused on my hand the food goes past him and he's poking his snout out of the water at my hand.

Please post a video of this!

 

[Gabriel Garcia]

My fish all crowd around when they see me. I can't take a picture f coral with out them photo bombing me