Fish depression. Stimulate those fish brains!....

[AilyNC]

Thanks for posting. It's an interesting read. I definitely have seen a shift in behaviour from a very bare tank to a well planted one.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I swear my goldfish watch the T.V. since it’s by their tank. When I sit on the sofa next to them, they come sit by me to visit.

 

[ClownLurch]

I’ve an empty 22L plus extras from ebay bought from three streets away. Most stuff got thrown but I kept the ornaments. It’s now full of plastic caves, bridges, no fishing signs, to the beach signs, bog wood etc.
Every WC I move the branches and caves around in the main tank already but I’m gonna add and take out a few from the “22L store” as well.

 

[Stan510]

Its a challenge for sure. Plants hate to be moved around,but adding hollow logs real or imitation might be a sort of plaything for loaches. The Rainbows like a variety of foods..some sink,some they can take whole like flakes or tiny granules..but the krill they can tear into,same for cooked shrimp. Plus I usually start with dropping next to the pump outlet..making for a big rush from the fast fish..to putting foods away..,..then they have to look a little more slowly.
After that,I could use some ideas. When you do things one way too long? Even the fish keeper can get bored!

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Good point to make.
I read an article describing that our fish are so bored in our aquarium especially in aquarium with few decorations and objects.
There is nothing for the fish to do except staring at the aquarium glass.

I guess big tank with plenty of plants, driftwoods and rocks will make their living environment more interesting.
In the wild, they can keep exploring new places and new hunting grounds while feeding on the insects or any small aquatic animals.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I think interacting with other fish helps, too. And of course, a good planted tank is always evolving, which probably helps too.

 

[Colin_T]

I swear my goldfish watch the T.V. since it’s by their tank. When I sit on the sofa next to them, they come sit by me to visit.

You should see the parties they throw when you go out

 

[FishGuest5123]

You should see the parties they throw when you go out

Explains the empty beer cans floating in the pond.

 

[Stan510]

Hunting for food is the hardest to provide. I used to buy live food per week. 3-4 ounces of Brine Shrimp, another 3 ounces of live Tubifex worms.
Fish grew fastest on that. Clown Loaches..well,everything.
Now I feed cooked shrimp,color flakes and granules,krill,beefheart. But none of it tries to get away. So fish action is more competition than hunting.
Also..covid means trying to avoid trips,and the price of live food in the bay area has gone way up from my prime days.
So,let them grow a little slower..as long as they are not stunted and so far those older Rainbows I have are not stunted at all.

 

[Colin_T]

Hunting for food is the hardest to provide. I used to buy live food per week. 3-4 ounces of Brine Shrimp, another 3 ounces of live Tubifex worms.

You can always grow your own. The following link has info on culturing daphnia and a few other foods. AbbeysDad has links on his site about culturing live foods too.

Back to Basics when Breeding Fish

STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Realpedro]

I read that about Pea Puffers so I do change the tank items from time to time!
I don't think I will be taking him to others tanks, though.
Never thought about other fish, though.
Interesting...

I just changed up my pea puffer tank this week. They seem to love exploring. The only problem is they can get nippy with each other for a day or two trying to reestablish territories.

 

[vanalisa]

I just changed up my pea puffer tank this week. They seem to love exploring. The only problem is they can get nippy with each other for a day or two trying to reestablish territories.

I sometimes wonder if I should have got more than one...I'm just so uneasy about any fish aggression...I realize it's normal sometimes with some fish. (But how cute would a tank of puffers be!!!)
That's why I don't keep those kinds.

 

[Realpedro]

I sometimes wonder if I should have got more than one...I'm just so uneasy about any fish aggression...I realize it's normal sometimes with some fish. (But how cute would a tank of puffers be!!!)
That's why I don't keep those kinds.

I have three in a ten gallon. At first I thought it wouldn't work because they were pretty aggressive toward each other, but things calmed down soon enough. Just needs a ton of plants and stuff in the tank. I'm hoping to eventually get some baby puffers.

I think pea puffers do pretty well on their own as well.

 

[vanalisa]

I have three in a ten gallon. At first I thought it wouldn't work because they were pretty aggressive toward each other, but things calmed down soon enough. Just needs a ton of plants and stuff in the tank. I'm hoping to eventually get some baby puffers.

I think pea puffers do pretty well on their own as well.

If you could take a picture of that tank I would love to see it ♡
Baby puffers? Cuteness Overload
Thanks for that last line, I've been sitting here chastising myself for just having one!

 

[Utar]

I have had really long talks with my fish, we like each other.
Not sure about depression, not really sure how self aware fish are, or if their memory is anything approaching ours. I do know that moving stuff around in the tank helps with aggression and aggression leads to stress which leads to all kinds of complications and illnesses.