# Do any of your fish respond when you tak to them?



## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

I've noticed, with my angelfish and discus, they seem to definitely respond to hearing my voice in particular (not so much my girlfriend or anyone else). I sometimes just sit and watch them, and they act normally but if I begin to talk to them they move to whatever side of the tank I am on and watch me and it seems like, attempt to swim out to me. Maybe I'm just insane, but anybody else have this happen?


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Haha, no worries, your no more insane then the rest of us I'm sure ;-)
My Angel, Plattys, and Dwarf Gourami(and Honey Gourami when she feels up to it)all respond to me approaching their tank and walking about. As all my tanks are in my room, I'm usually greeted with the site of my Angel and occasionally the others swimming around the side of the tank closest to my bed in the morning, becoming more excited when I actually get out of bed. :lol:
I do talk to my fish, but by the time I do talk they're already all excited that I'm by the tank :lol:. I'll have to try that out and see if I can get them to respond to just my voice ;-)


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Same here. My fish all crowd to the front of the tank when I put my face near it. It's like having your very own fan club.

I tell myself that it has nothing to do with the food LOL. 

My two Boseman Rainbows are always the first to swim over, closely followed by the green tiger barbs.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Ditto here to when I approach the tank. Anyone else walking up to the tank is totally ignored but when I walk near the tank the fish go crazy. Especially the guppies and my bettas (Reno, my crowntail, in particular). Spook, my Ctenopoma, always comes out to greet me.


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## Fishin Pole (Feb 17, 2009)

My Jack Dempsey (no longer with us) used to smack his thermometer with his nose till i would come over and greet him when i got home from work..........Soon as i bent over and looked at him he was fine..........I guess he wanted me to acknowledge him...........I miss that fish........


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## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

Romad said:


> I tell myself that it has nothing to do with the food LOL.



With my angels I liken it to the seagulls in Finding Nemo: Mine? Mine? Mine? Mine? Mine? Mine?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXRgpum7OUo


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## Phastanscottsage (Jun 29, 2009)

I have my Jack dempsy and green spotted puffer that Check to see if I have a shot glass... if I do they stare at me and beg for me to dump food in. if not they go about their business as usual ha ha.. little jerks love me for one reason


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## redlessi (Jul 22, 2009)

my fish get so excited whenever I come near the tank, whether I feed them or not, but I will have to check to see if they respond to my voice as well.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

I have a 15gal tank with about 80 endler fry in it. They all jam into the corner closest to me whenever they see me.


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## Nicknac44 (Jul 20, 2009)

My betta Nigel likes to puff out his gills at me when i walk by till i stop and put my face close to the glass then he sweetens up qutie a bit! Little jerk knows whos in charge! lol!  I love that guy!


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## Guppyluver4ever (May 19, 2009)

Whenever someone walks by my tank, all the fish react by racing around, but when i walk in they all come to the galss calmly and follow me wherever i go and when i start talking absolutely all the fish come to the glass (when im just there not really all the fish react)
Anyway i second the whole" love having my own fan club thing"


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## Brianimal (Jul 26, 2009)

My aquarium fish don't care for me, just the food LOL. BUT my female betta, skipper almost does a little dance when i walk in. She is in my bath room and each time i walk in she swims over to me and swishes rapidly like she is wagging her tail! Then if I pick up her food container and shake it she will go even crazier! She is such a sweetie! People dont give fish enough credit, she is just like a puppy!


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## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

Brianimal said:


> ! People dont give fish enough credit, she is just like a puppy!


My girlfriend went to a work sponsored training class and during it the instructor was asking them questions about themselves and the topic of pets came up. Out of the 30 or so people my girlfriend was the only one who was a fish keeper. The general response from the other people was that fish weren't "true" pets and had no emotion, no intelligence, and showed no signs of affection or recognition to their owners. 

I suppose that's why I started this thread, because her tale of these people just really irked me. While it is true that you can't cuddle with your fish or pet them like a dog, I heartily disagree on the idea that they are just dumb and mundane creatures (some species are haha) but from my experience with my angels and discus, and even mollies and gouramis all seem to know and recognize me, and very definitely other people they know are not me. When I sit near the tank and watch tv, they all crowd around the area of the tank I'm next to and watch me, not just begging behavior, but they seem to have a genuine interest. I swear they watch tv with me. I know I'm probably adding a lot in but still they seem to have much more to them than people would give a fish credit for. As far as talking to them (or tak as I have spelled it on the title to this thread-any way to change that? lol) I swear that my angels respond to me talking to them, it gets them so excited it's hilarious. It seems as fish people we are in the minority when it comes to pet ownership. I just grow weary of people who say "why don't you get a dog, they're so much better and easier to care for and blah blah blah". Well, I've had a dog (several), they aren't less work, they aren't more fun, and it's all down to personal choice. People don't seem to like that. I guess I'm just a weird fish guy.


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## FishySuzy (Jun 22, 2009)

Wow, I thought I was the only one who did that. Lol. My guppies only like me when I feed them, bunch of whores they are. Other than that, they don't care about me. My angel fish in my 25 gallon, on the other hand, like to play "Stare". I bet if they could see it, they'd watch TV with me, but I would have to avoid Food Network.
Everyone doesn't seem to give 3 fishy shits about the cats though and vice versa.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I heartily agree Herky, there isn't much more to add :lol:

IME, my Angel very much so just loves attention. He'll come up to my mom and dad if they come to look at the tank. However, my Dwarf Gourami will hide from anyone but me and can actually get a little possessive of me(you can see him attempting to chase the angel in my avvy, of course Mr. Angel didn't really seem affected by this in the slightest) The other morning I came into my room to find my 8" Pleco had come out. Poor thing is scared to death of me and freaked, first shooting towards me and suctioning on the glass. However, my Gourami would have none of it and his little 2.5" self took on Mr. Pleco, chasing him back into his little log. 
As for the dog subject, I just recently lost my dog whom I've had for over ten years....it was very hard, very emotional. But it was my fish that sort of helped me, and still do help me. After my dog passed I started hand feeding my fish, spending more time with the tanks, ext. and it really just brings this happy feeling to my heart when they all get excited when I come in the room or up to the tank. I honestly think that they like me more then my horse does :lol:. Sure, you can't cuddle them, but there is still that unconditional love ;-)


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Hey DragonFish,

So sorry to hear about your dog. Losing a pet is the hardest and saddest thing ever. You just have to remember the great life you had together and what a lucky dog he/she was to have someone who loved them so much.

Now you should go out and get a dogfish?? (Romad can almost hear the groans......)


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Romad said:


> Hey DragonFish,
> 
> So sorry to hear about your dog. Losing a pet is the hardest and saddest thing ever. You just have to remember the great life you had together and what a lucky dog he/she was to have someone who loved them so much.
> 
> Now you should go out and get a dogfish?? (Romad can almost hear the groans......)


:lol: :lol: Dogfish, good one. I'll be getting a hamster soon though, not quiiiiite ready for another dog but would like something furry that I can hold ;-)
Yes, its been very difficult for several reason(won't go into it and ruin the board/someone's day)but I have Fluffy the Dwarf 'Guard' Gourami, my other fish, and we cremated my dog so she sits in an urn by my computer


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Well then good luck with your hammie.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Romad said:


> Well then good luck with your hammie.


Thanks ;-)


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

sorry to read that dragon.it's a hard loss to take.good luck
with hammie. 

i don't think my fish really care about anyone in particular,you walk up to
the tank,and they all rush to the front in a frenzy.
they are excepting of my hand and swim through my fingers without a care in
the wrold.they do peck my arm when i'm gravel vacing,and if i hold a frozen cube
well put it this way,i'm glad they don't have teeth.
my clown loaches click in the morning if they see me and feel i'm taking
to long to feed them.


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

Mikaila31 said:


> I have a 15gal tank with about 80 endler fry in it. They all jam into the corner closest to me whenever they see me.


It's amazing how quickly they learn to do that. My platy fry learned to rush towards the near side of their tank whenever they saw me within maybe two weeks of being born.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

My fish don't understand english. I beg them not to pull the hairs from my arms during maint but to no avail. I am reminded of a pond that we used to swim in as young boys. The perch were merciless in attacking the hairs on our arms and legs along with anything else that they thought might be edible and was exposed.:roll:


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

That's hilarious. 

Did you ever consider those massive gloves they sell at the supply stores that go all he way up your arms? IMO I need to feel what I'm doing so wouldn't bother but I don't get my arm hair attacked. 

Too funny


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

willow said:


> sorry to read that dragon.it's a hard loss to take.good luck
> with hammie.


Aww, thanks 
Yeah.....maybe I can post pics of him when I get him in the off topic sections or something......



1077 said:


> My fish don't understand english. I beg them not to pull the hairs from my arms during maint but to no avail. I am reminded of a pond that we used to swim in as young boys. The perch were merciless in attacking the hairs on our arms and legs along with anything else that they thought might be edible and was exposed.:roll:


:lol:, I hear ya there. My Angel used to find my arm most appealing during WCs. I've actually, believe it or not, trained him to not peck at me unless I have food in my fingers and even then hes carful to only take the food. Dunno how I did it, but he doesn't bother my arm anymore...
Other fish are scared to death of the gravel vac, no clue who but they all hide when I stick it in. Goodness knows how many times they've seen that thing....:roll:


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## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

My fish seem to be just the opposite...they are way too curious about the vac...especially the babies in my gf's tank...good thing it has a shutoff switch or there would have been casualties many times.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Haha, I have no clue whats wrong with my fish then.....only the Angel seems interested in the vac, he'll follow it and my hand around though eventually get bored and go off to do....fishy things :lol:


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