Can Fish Actually See Out Of The Tank?

[david_warehouse_aquatics]

you need some neons in there to give it that special something

in a word... wow!

there are 2 neons in there - can you spot them?



Never actually put fish in it - just exhibition display stuff. It's in Germany this week and contain robotic penguins. Seriously.

 

[fatheadminnow]

you need some neons in there to give it that special something

in a word... wow!

there are 2 neons in there - can you spot them?



Never actually put fish in it - just exhibition display stuff. It's in Germany this week and contain robotic penguins. Seriously.

May I ask what you do for a living?

That is neat!

-FHM

 

[ziouxpioux]

get in a big tank and find out

Well I own this tank

And I have been inside it full of water. And yes you can see out.

Getting out is more difficult than seeing out actually...

yes fish can see outside of their tank. For instance, marine fish are very aware of people they know. If they do not know a person or persons they will hide. But, if I alone am there, they are fine and act happy. I have never tested the distance this awareness covers but my mother who was an invalid and had a visiting nurse complained to me she had taken the nurse into my part of the duplex to show her my marine tank. Mom was disgusted, she said the fish hid and they never got to see them tho the fish kept peeking out at them. I told her with a smile, next time to enter by another door and sneak in and sit on the couch quietly so the fish do not see them. I also told her they know me and when I come in the room they excitedly appear on the side I am and follow me. Or they will just be still and their eyes will follow me but, when I get the food container they then come looking for food. Fresh water fish are not that smart. They like everyone. LOL Karen Campbell

 

[david_warehouse_aquatics]

you need some neons in there to give it that special something

in a word... wow!

there are 2 neons in there - can you spot them?



Never actually put fish in it - just exhibition display stuff. It's in Germany this week and contain robotic penguins. Seriously.

May I ask what you do for a living?

That is neat!

-FHM

www.aquaticimpact.co.uk - used to do a lot of pond/aquarium work now mostly water features.

Also the online shop selling aquatic dry goods (as in my name) but won't post link as not here to advertise or drive traffic!

What can I say? It started as a hobby...

 

[fatheadminnow]

you need some neons in there to give it that special something

in a word... wow!

there are 2 neons in there - can you spot them?



Never actually put fish in it - just exhibition display stuff. It's in Germany this week and contain robotic penguins. Seriously.

May I ask what you do for a living?

That is neat!

-FHM

www.aquaticimpact.co.uk - used to do a lot of pond/aquarium work now mostly water features.

Also the online shop selling aquatic dry goods (as in my name) but won't post link as not here to advertise or drive traffic!

What can I say? It started as a hobby...

That is really neat, I gotta admit!

-FHM

 

[Devorax]

Oh please David_Warehouse, as if it isn't hard to find you using Google.....lol (I admire your honesty though). But seriously, I would be in absolute heaven if I could posess such a tank. But it is true, fish keeping does seem a narcotic hobby, you always want more/bigger/better...lol

As to the original thread, I believe that fish can see beyond their tank's perimeters. This is best portayed (IMO only) by bettas, that respond to your presence when you haven't touched the tank/spoken to the fish. How far this goes varies with species no doubt, and even more by individual, but definitely yes, they can see beyond the glass that confines them.

EDIT To remove an inappropriate comment

 

[Tolak]

Without a doubt. I got out the tape measure for this one. I got in a group of wild caught angels 5 days ago. 7 days ago they were swimming in the Rio Negro. After acclimating them, you could not get within 30' of the tank without them dropping down, going to the back, and hiding.

After a couple of days you could get to the 18' mark, where the hallway ends & room begins. I can get to half that distance today, there are a couple of dominant individuals who will stay out a bit as you get closer. The only way to observe them somewhat closer is to lay on the couch, and wait them out. They do come out a little more at feeding time, after a couple of weeks the skittishness will wear off more, as I have dealt with these before.

 

[monto]

well it's all interesting stuff, i will never undress in my room now as i know my fish will be watching

well, not the tetras, they are pretty passive actually. the mollies go nuts when i'm around though. i love 'em

 

[Ally555]

I am positve that they can see out, I just don't know how far. If I sit my budgie on the edge of the stand, my angelfish comes over to him and trys to bite at the glass. LOL

 

[Tolak]

I am positve that they can see out, I just don't know how far. If I sit my budgie on the edge of the stand, my angelfish comes over to him and trys to bite at the glass. LOL

Wild angels, 30 feet, at least as far as shapes & motion are concerned.

 

[B13]

Whenever I walk into the living room, my lil' danios go nuts as soon as they see me! It's like being run over by a load of bloomin' school kiddies!!



But yeah, I'd be interested to know exactly what they can see. Their eyes have evolved to see in water rather than air, but do they have the same rod-and-cone set up as mammals? How many colours can they see in or is their sight more 'geared up' to movement? I'd imagine that marine fish have reasonably good colour vision because they come in all sorts of spectacular colours.

So (by that reckoning) fish from murky water see more movement while fish from clear water can see better colours, I'd guess.

Hmmm... I feel a spot of Googling a-comin' on...

 

[Gilli]

No question about it. My fish can see me - my tank is in the living room - if I come downstairs and stand in the hallway they all rush to that end of the tank pushing and shoving for best viewing position!!

I also think they can see colours because I have gravel and they are able to pick out the fish food that drops on it which is pink and yellow in colour. Infact my cockatoo cichlid will avoid the red bits and go for all the yellow bits!

 

[pysgodfach]

Look up total internal reflection on wikipedia; at certain angles the fish can see absolutely nothing out of the water.

 

[ChilliPepper]

Yeah they definitely can see out. My fish watch me, especially my Oscar who has very good eyesight, when I am sitting down watching TV or on laptop. That's a distance of about 3/4ft away. The fish in the other tank can also see the fish in the tank which is being fed, as they all start going mental and gathered towards the end

 

[Verminator89]

Fish definately see out the tank. Mine see me come in the door and they come to the near side of the tank pining for food, and if proof isnt in the writing a picture is worth a thousand words they say;

My dempsey will not move from the spot when he sees himself in a mirror which is on the other side of the glass not attatched, proving he sees out.

EDIT: Lol. Ignore the bluetac from an old smaller mirror which was too small to fit the dempseys entire body in, thus my mums big ol makeup mirror i nicked.