# Happy Fish



## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

what constitutes a 'happy fish' ???

i see lots of people saying their fish are happy in their tank, ... their tank could be pristine, or dirty, ... and they're promoting that their fish are 'happy' ???

what makes a fish happy ?

i know i'm happy with a full belly , and plenty of rest  

but what about for a fish ?

(there's gotta be some better threads on here promoting some smiles and joy over the ones of people arguing - yes i'm guilty of that too)

what about guilty pleasures ?, do fish have those ???


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

I consider my fish to be happy when the water is clean, they are in full color, active and eating.


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## jpepe1 (Dec 16, 2013)

I know I'm guilty of humanizing my fish,I give them individual names but I don't think fish can be happy in the human sense of the word.I think stress free would be as close as it would get.To the best I can tell a fish doesn't have a recognition of self. Fish respond to their own reflection as if it were another fish(male betta,mirror).Shorter lived species(mollies) are better off relying on instinct rather then the abilty to learn,they simply don't live long enough to benefit from it.Whereas long lived species (bichir) can benefit from experiences gathered over time. My bichir seems to get bored at times but this could just be me humanizing her.She takes her toys(empty snail shells) and will move them all around her tank for no apparent reason.If this an act of boredom then it is also stressful so maybe she isn't "happy". I don't know but I think it's a fascinating topic


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Guilty pleasures .. Possibly . My ornate bichir sneaks up on certain fish ( he particularly likes loaches and CAEs) stalks them and eats them .. But.. He swims off very fast if he notices anyone watching him. And if he's hiding for a day .. Well it's time to do a head count . Lol
I find generally what I consider to be "happy " behaviors are swimming actively and not hiding . Of course for some species that's not really normal but for most that's a good sign. 


Sent from Petguide.com App


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## jimscott (Jan 24, 2014)

I would say that if the fish are active and their fins are not clamped, as well as eating and pooping, things are going well.


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