Dang! I missed that episode! But yes, a GREAT show... Nice to know that myth was busted (at least with goldfish). 
How to amuse your solitary fish
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Walk up to any tank, and wiggle your fingers like your waving to them. Works great on baby angels and sword tails. You can also use this in fish store to tell which fish are healthy and which are not. Watch their reaction.
Well, accepting the fact that they have a better than 3-second memory, this does seem to support the idea they should have some sort of occasional stimulation in the tank. Unless, as someone said, they're completely "zen" and don't need anything.
(Anyone remember the insane, bubble-obsessed fish from "finding nemo"? Paraphrase: "Being in an aquarium does strange things to a fish."
(Anyone remember the insane, bubble-obsessed fish from "finding nemo"? Paraphrase: "Being in an aquarium does strange things to a fish."
when i had my Bob the Betta at work i kept him in a 1 gallon lidded bowl, i also kepot a large snail in there with him. every now and then Bob would go over and just SNAP at the snail until it lost it's footing or retreated on his own. i found him also jumping up into his filter area as well a few times before i put his snail in there. yup he needed stim-u-lated.
Food. The only thing that stimulates fish is food. Feed a varied diet and supplement with live foods now and then = happy fish. Adequate space to swim helps too. Placing a betta next to another male will just stress it out for a few weeks until it gets used to seeing a mortal rival 1/4" away for eternity. A betta taken out of his bowl, put into a 10 gallon and given live foods would be a very happy betta.
A powerhead can do wonders for enrichment; many fish will swim into the current.
If you really think that your fish is 'bored', then try giving it a pressed ham.
If you really think that your fish is 'bored', then try giving it a pressed ham.
Kissofthegorami said:
Very well said indeed.
But i am sure that is common sense Kissofthegorami, is it not?
I like to think everyone gives their fish the best diet possible, and the most room they can offer.
And, after all, we all like to be fed don't we? Yet we do not feed 24/7 (well most of us don't). You can not just rely on food to stimulate your fish.
While as for space, let me put it this way. Lets say we housed you in a 4 bedroom (fairly large still), with lots of things to do inside it to do and make yourself comfortable.
We then took you out of that house, and put you in a completely empty 10 bedroom mansion.
I think you would prefer the house in the long run!
Do not get me wrong, food and tank size is a main factor, but it is a factor to health and survival, and the topic in this post is 'amusement'.
If i had wanted to stress the difference between surviving and thieving i would have. As i said, this is about stimulating the fish. Which food and tank size can not do.
Thanks for your point of view though, and it is a reminder nothing can substitute swimming size and a varied diet
Maybe I have a different philosophy here than everyone elose but these are fish. We are not talking about a dog or cat or our pet monkeys... fish. 
The more intelligent an animal, the more easily bored it gets. A bird in a cage with no toys is going to be much worse off than a fish in a bowl. Amusement has to do with bain stmulation. Now I would be bored sitting in an empty 10 room mansion yes.. But a fish would not. Fish don't watch TV or write novels. Fish swim eat and mate. Mammals range in intelligence levels more than most other animals. In recent years studies have shown that birds have a range of intelligence levels with parrots and crows topping out as the smartest. An because of their intelligence, they get bored. A parrot can actually go insane with no stimulation. Mollusks range from the practically brain-dead clam to the very intelligent octopus and squid which can tell apart shapes and duplicate complex patterns and colors. They even communicate in a complicated language of dance and color/pattern displays. But fish, so far as we know are not exactly the wizkids of the animal world. The lack the intelligence to realy get bored. So just meeting those two things, adequate room to swim and explore, and a variety of food is all it takes. They're not monkeys!
The more intelligent an animal, the more easily bored it gets. A bird in a cage with no toys is going to be much worse off than a fish in a bowl. Amusement has to do with bain stmulation. Now I would be bored sitting in an empty 10 room mansion yes.. But a fish would not. Fish don't watch TV or write novels. Fish swim eat and mate. Mammals range in intelligence levels more than most other animals. In recent years studies have shown that birds have a range of intelligence levels with parrots and crows topping out as the smartest. An because of their intelligence, they get bored. A parrot can actually go insane with no stimulation. Mollusks range from the practically brain-dead clam to the very intelligent octopus and squid which can tell apart shapes and duplicate complex patterns and colors. They even communicate in a complicated language of dance and color/pattern displays. But fish, so far as we know are not exactly the wizkids of the animal world. The lack the intelligence to realy get bored. So just meeting those two things, adequate room to swim and explore, and a variety of food is all it takes. They're not monkeys!Kissofthegorami said:We are not talking about a dog or cat or our pet monkeys... fish.
BLASPHEMY!!! Actually, I think you're probably right, but I still think it couldn't hurt to do things that appear to entertain the fish because, if nothing else, it entertains us.
i like sinking clean water glasses, bottles, or even my floating breeder. everyone gathers around the item, the rams are always brave enough to be the first to enter. after everyone has had thier fun and are ignoring the item i will pull it out and look for something new for the next time.
i used to have this little stained glass fish attached to a little handblown glass bubble that would allow it to float in water. all the fish loved pushing it around.
i used to have this little stained glass fish attached to a little handblown glass bubble that would allow it to float in water. all the fish loved pushing it around.
