Fintastic connection: Do you engage with your fish?

[reeftivo]

i usually interact with them while feeding and when they are doing something i dont like.

i have special names for them when they do something i dont like-LOL

Examples: when i just clean the glass and one of my fish whip their tail fins and dump water down the glass i just cleaned. Also choice names for when i add or move a frag and my big maroon clown moves it to the other side of the tank and just stares at me afterwards (laughing i'm sure).

gotta love this hobby!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cwerner]

I don't really anthropomorphize fish, but my children have come up with ridiculous names for them so I would hesitate to talk with them anyways:

Pee Bag
Box
Flousa
Watery
Silly Gum
Striping
Marlin
Neemo jr. (don't ask about OG Neemo)

 

[Kanshi]

My wife and I name all my fish, and I do talk to them. They never talk back though. So There's that.

 

[reeftivo]

My wife and I name all my fish, and I do talk to them. They never talk back though. So There's that.

i'm probably lucky they can't talk back.

they would probably say "Hey Nimrod! feed us more then once a day & pick an aquascape and stick with it! "

 

[MnFish1]

Fintastic connection: Do you engage with your fish?

There are many different reasons to have a reef tank and there are many ways to interact with the fish that live in it. There are fish whisperers and then there are those that talk out loud to their fish. Whether you primarily focus on the entire ecosystem, watch the movement of the fish and corals within the tank, or have developed a connection with specific livestock, tell us how you interact with your tank. If you are willing to admit it, let us know if you talk to your fish and maybe even, do your fish seem to be communicating with you?

Pro Tip: Whether or not you name your fish or treat them as pets, it is a good practice to take the time to observe each individual fish on a regular basis in order to be able to identify any health or interaction concerns. It is typically easier to treat an issue before it becomes severe so early detection is key.

Photo by @sdreef


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.tidalgardens.com

"Our goal at Tidal Gardens is to supply reef aquarists with high-quality aquacultured corals through extensive farming and propagation with little to no impact on the natural reefs."

I do not talk to my fish, or my corals. However - I react and know each of their personality traits. It's one of the reasons I haven't added anything new. My fish don't have names

 

[Cheezle]

When I talk to my fish, its usually when my pistol shrimp and goby are doing stuff they shouldn't be doing like burying a nice coral of mine.. and when I say talk I mean I yell at them because they're up to no good

 

[Kimelix]

My kids have named all fish and most of the hermits.

hermits:
Green Claw
Red Claw
Randy
Etc

Goby doby
Star
Jessie and James
Nemo (got a lucky fin)

 

[Projects with Sam]

I smack 'em and call them Sally.











joking!

I have an big angelfish that I accidentally named Timmy shortly after he was rehomed to me and ate a buncha coral. I was yelling at him and he started grunting back at me like Tim Allen. He eats out of my hands and rubs up against them like a cat.

 

[Greybeard]

One of the reasons I was so fascinated with marine fishes, when I switched from fresh water to salt... what, 1984, if I remember right, was how much more personality was displayed in marine life.

I'd had oscars, pacu, that sort of thing. Just kinda hang there in the water, unless they were eating. Very little interaction between fishes, or even their environment.

The activity level of a healthy marine tank is far higher than a typical freshwater tank. Fishes swim, interact with each other, even, dare I say... play? I'd suggest that if they're not playing, then I don't have words for what they're doing. My Genicanthus angels, tangs, and foxface certainly seem to play. Clowns interacting with their anemone hosts... blue streak cleaner wrasse investigating every nook and cranny in the rockwork. They're just fascinating to watch.

Interact with my tank? Well, I don't talk to them, or name them... but I do feed them, and watch their antics.

Once upon a time, I kept H. Erectus and H. Kuda seahorses. Talk about interesting behaviors... A healthy mated pair will literally intertwine their tails and dance around the tank each morning.

Even further back, I had a dog face puffer, maybe 8" long. He'd let me rub his belly after I'd fed him. A buddy had an even larger porcupine puffer that would spit water out of the tank at him when he walked by. Didn't do it to anyone else, just his owner. Quite accurately, too! That interaction enough for you?

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I talk to them, they interact especially feeding worse than dogs, smash the glass and pace the front like fiends, and they all have names. Borbonius is Big Glup, 2 bimac anthias are Ike
And Tina. ( use ur imagination) the Starkii damsel is Baby Boss just because she thinks she is, the Flame Hawk is Dexter just a stalker perching about, the Melanarus is Dr Seuss play on its color and red fish blue fish book and the yellow tang is “Monty” Mantequilla Spanish for Butter. Just sayin.

 

[craiginphoenix]

My clowns will attack my hand, does that count?

My sexy shrimp will climb upon my hand and arm though when I am algae scraping or doing any work in the tank. It will take food out of my fingers and scurry back to the rock flower it sits on. The other fish these days don't seem phased or skittish at all around me even if hand is in the tank which is a win/win for me.

This. I don't really talk to my fish. But I do yell and curse at the Clownfish that comes for my hand every single time I put it in the Aquarium. It doesn't hurt but it startles me every single time.

I tried chasing after him to make me seem like I was some "aggressive hand-fish" but he was not scared in the slighted.

 

[Eggs]

I’ll ask the fish who knocked over the frag?
Sadly no one ever confesses.

 

[JFinlay]

I have my aquarium in my office and they definitely interact with me, My clownfish pair come to the front corner of the tank where I'm at and stare at me, my Blenny will hide and peak from behind a rock, I'm almost positive they're used to their feeding times as well. Always in position when it's time even checking the top of the water to see if any pellets are floating, if I stand up they'll go to where I put food, pretty smart and aware of their surroundings for little fish.

I leave the talking and naming to my kids though, I know I'd forget the fishes names so no point

 

[Staci.Pinck]

I’ll ask the fish who knocked over the frag?
Sadly no one ever confesses.

We do the same, but we know it's always the Falco Hawkfish who must touch ALL the corals...unless it was a glued-on frag (usually the stylos or birdsnests), then it was a turbo snail, which we've named D9s (for Caterpillar's biggest bulldozers)

 

[Jrink]

My Starry Blenny has more personality than a lot of people I know. He likes to post up on a rock or my mag-scraper and look at me while I look at my tank. He always acts like we are homies until I reach into the tank for whatever reason and then BAM! He strikes and bites me. I find that if I'm a little proactive and kinda chase him with my hand straight away, he'll leave me alone.
My tobacco bass also shows interest in me when I'm around my tank, but he doesn't nip or bite or anything. He just follows me around while I walk around the tank. I can hand feed him flakes, so that's kinda cool.

 

[Operation Philo Beddoe]

Yes most named and I do tell them how pretty they are. I suggest that Archie the achilles could try to be more tolerant of MyBoy Blue., but that falls on deft ears around full moon. To Mama Clown, “sorry about all the tangs honey”

 

[kindafun]

The only one I interact with is a clownfish that bites me every chance she gets.

 

[JoJosReef]

Of course I talk to my fish. I'd tell you what they say back to me, but I don't think it's allowed here.

 

[SneaksMcdoogle]

I talk to them, they have been named by the family

 

[GARRIGA]

I talk to myself. Seems to amuse the fish...