whetu Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 ok I know this might sound daft to some people, but I'm always looking for ways to keep my fish amused, entertained and mentally stimulated :lol: In the olden days a lot of people had this idea that fish were stupid, had a memory of only a few seconds, and it was ok to keep them in a small bowl with maybe a plastic plant if they were lucky. At the same time, zoo animals were kept in small concrete enclosures with nothing to do but pace up & down all day. These days our attitude to keeping captive animals has changed. Zoo keepers put a lot of time, money and energy into dreaming up new ways to keep the animals busy and happy. So do you think fish need something to keep them amused, or are they in a whole different category to other animals? If you do think it's necessary, what do you do to keep your fish busy and stop them getting bored? What different toys, activities or entertainment works for different types of fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Apparently Bright coloured pingpong balls keep bettas entertained :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Ping pong balls, thai fish, mmmmmmmmmmm connection or coincidence. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Ping pong balls, thai fish, mmmmmmmmmmm connection or coincidence. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 skinny dipping in your tank will definately keep your fish entertained and amused ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 skinny dipping in your tank will definately keep your fish entertained and amused ron and add a few extra things to nibble on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 I put my finger on the glass, and my GG tries to eat it, then when he's not looking I put it in the water, and he races over to try and eat it. Love corgette, doesn't mind cichlid pellets (they're sooooo out of fashion now apparently), but my finger must look like chocolate cake to him because boy does he move! When my ex had oscars, once a week we'd rearrange the tank. They would move to one side, we'd do it, then they'd spend the next few hours looping through any new tunnels, digging anything that annoyed them, and trying to move rocks they didn't like (as in rocks 3 times their size, was funny as to watch). Danios also LOVE water changes with the cold hose, in a 4ft tank my angels go away from it, danios and black neons race towards it and for an 20 minutes after I've done it, all be playing in the small area where the hose was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 I just like to play with their minds and rearrange their tank on a regular basis :lol: I do however have to make sure that the small mussel shell is always accessible for the Giraffe to play with. More often than not, he will be doing laps around the tank carrying HIS shell :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Ha ha you guys sound like you have a lot of fun with your fish! In my tank, the barbs are very bold and anything new I put in there they will investigate it immediately to see if it's edible (including my arm). The loaches are a bit more shy, and it takes them a while to come out of their hidey-hole and check out anything new. So all I really have to do is move a single rock from one side of the tank to the other, and the loaches scuttle away and hide. Then they sit for a while with just their noses sticking out of their tunnels. Eventually one will dash out in the direction of the moved rock, get halfway to it, have a minor panic attack and dash back to the safety of its tunnel. Eventually (usually when the tank lights are off) they will all venture out and by the next day they're all relaxed again. Last week I put a red glass marble in the tank. The loaches were scared of it, the barbs tried to eat it and the bristlenose tried to fight with it. This week I put a sandpit in the tank. Actually it was a shallow dish full of peat. I buried a couple of food pellets in the peat just for fun. The barbs were right into it, kicking up peat all over the show. The loaches waited until the barbs had lifted the food out, then dashed out and stole the pellets and took them away to eat. Today when I got home the bristlenose was quietly sitting in the empty dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 haha funny. i think it's good to keep them amused even if it's just the odd tank shift around once in a while. spidersweb i know what you mean about the finger cuz that huge GG at HollywoodFishFarm in Mt Roskill always opened it's gob right up and tried to swallow my finger hole when I put it up to the tank.. was quite a.. hideous type sight haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 I entertain mine by putting an earthworm on the end of a curved piece of metal and dangling it in the tank with a piece of string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant N Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Oscars will "play" with a ping pong ball too. I think they only have 3 parts in their brains,, "can I eat it?," "can I fight with it?," "can I mate with it?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandysme Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 have one of those red laser lights and they like to chase it over the rocks and all over the tank... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 have one of those red laser lights and they like to chase it over the rocks and all over the tank... yeah laser pointers are great! fish love them! and the cats... lol except goldfish. they're too dippy. lol :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 have one of those red laser lights and they like to chase it over the rocks and all over the tank... enjoy the lasers before they get banned... after those stupid turkies shone them into pilots' eyes.....smart move that was! :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesejawa Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 The red laser thing is fun especialy with angels, they are really interested in it,probably their hugryness. And all my fish seem very good at bitting my finger at feeding time. I always thought that fish would keep themselves entertained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/giant-gourami-appreciation-thread-vt31933.html Ducks are for drowning..... In the 3rd photo the red thing in the background is a toy boat that came with the duck.... It was VERY interesting. :lol: I love the idea of the "sandpit"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 i think when they look at us they get entertained and amused :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 In my 4 foot community tank, I put JBL Novo tabs on the glass and watch to see who's first to get the food - some of the fish try to eat my fingers first, and others wonder what the heck I've done! My fighter girls are a little weary of them though... With my mollies, I have an African Butterfly Fish (called Fat Tony the Mafia Hit Fish) and when we don't have live foods for him, we feed him cichlid pellets. We call it Molly Soccer - the pellets are too big for them so eat, so they nip at them and chase them around the tank until they are soft enough for them to nibble at! It's so funny to watch, because they all go after the same pellet, rather than getting another one for themselves! :lol: :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 It isn't really a game but if you want to try something take a whole kiwifruit (golden seems favoured) and dig a couple of small holes in the side (about 1-2cm). Drop the whole thing in and let them work out what it's all about. Balas/loaches love it and I have seen the pleco munching once he can fit his snout in. Typically a couple of kiwi last about 12-16 hours before just the skin is left. I'm always looking for ways to save on fish food. Kiwis and supermarket whole frozen shrimp (shaved or just broken up for the eel) has saved me a fortune and is much more engaging for the fish. I still drop flake and tablet food though as the bulk of their diet. (i should mention kiwis sink which is much better than apples! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 hmm... I just happen to have a slightly over-ripe gold kiwifruit in the fruit bowl... I'm off to play with the fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindy500 Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 (i should mention kiwis sink which is much better than apples! thunk yep that was the sound of the kiwi squashing one of my plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesejawa Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 thunk yep that was the sound of the kiwi squashing one of my plants But your fish could go apple bobbing with the apples. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 I entertain mine by putting an earthworm on the end of a curved piece of metal and dangling it in the tank with a piece of string Oh Ira :lol: :lol: :lol: I did try the laser in with my barbs and they do chase. But the minute more than one goes after the light I get nervous so I stop. I'm guessing that shining it in their wee eyes would cause blindness would it not??? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Well the gold kiwifruit was a hit. Thanks Captain Conkout. One of the bristlenoses has his head buried in it now, munching away! I'm reluctant to take it out but it's been in there since Saturday and there are now bits of fruit floating all over the tank - I need to give the filter a chance to catch up! Gold kiwifruit will definitely be used again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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