Do fish get used to people messing with their home ?

[HTH]

A lady friend had a cat that she treated like a china doll. She never rough housed with, just a pat now and then. The cat never got the idea that people would not hurt it. It was a terror to work with even for the vet.

In a recent post a member asked how to catch fish without upsetting them. That had me thinking. Maybe fish that live in ponds where the water level goes up and down, people put hands into or step into the pond, and nets are more or less common. Maybe these fish get less stressed because they know these things happen and they don't die.

 

[Neo]

Mine aren't only used to us being in the pond they seem to love it. I literally have to push them out of the way while they try to swim through my hands the entire time I clean or move plants.

When we changed ponds this Spring I was surprised how easy it was to move them to the larger pond. I think My Wife Caught almost all 18 fish in 5 minutes. They practically swam right in the net.

 

[koiguy1969]

ABSOLUTELY... mine flock to me if i'm in the pond...try to eat the hair on my legs!! (theymust think its a new string algea) my skimmer net can bump into them as i use it. but on the flip side..they "know" the black "fish" net....

 

[dieselplower]

ABSOLUTELY... mine flock to me if i'm in the pond...try to eat the hair on my legs!! (theymust think its a new string algea) my skimmer net can bump into them as i use it. but on the flip side..they "know" the black "fish" net....

Hahaha my fish dont like the net either!

I also agree that my fish seem to enjoy my presence. In the pond they will swim all around my legs and in my fancy tank they will swim right into my hand.

Maybe it is because they know who brings the food?!

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Yes, I can vouch for that too, as soon as I get into my pond to do something the fish are swarming around me and nibbling at my legs. On the other hand, sometimes I will net small fish out of my vortex/settling tank, and return them to the pond, after they've allowed themselves to be sucked through the bottom drain, and they aren't very cooperative.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Mine aren't only used to us being in the pond they seem to love it. I literally have to push them out of the way while they try to swim through my hands the entire time I clean or move plants.

Same here. Anytime my hand is in the pond my shubunkins tend to come right up to it.

 

[sissy]

fish seem to be social and cats seem to be happy with how ever they are brought up .No attention they get used to it and go on there own ,more attention and they crave it .Fish just love attention

 

[HTH]

I am thinking that size comes into play. Maybe the larger a fish gets the less it has to fear? The little/young ones do seem to be more skittish.

 

[Mmathis]

I think mine get used to the things I do. But darn, how can they figure out the difference when the net is out to catch one of them!? I can swoosh the net around in the water and they will swim in & out like it's nothing (well, some will). But let me TRY to catch them and POW...... Gone-gone-goldfish!

 

[Neo]

I have fish around 4 weeks old now and they already swim all around my hands while I work in the pond and have been coming to the top and eating for a week. I'm not sure if that's normal but last year we had goldfish spawn and we didn't even know it until they were weeks old because they were always hiding but these seem social for some reason.

 

[sissy]

yeh but if you have food you are there god :cheerful:

 

[richyd]

Agree with all of the above. My shubs, goldfish, and ghost koi always love to see me. When cleaning my plants / pump they will often suck on my fingers and arm hairs lol.
Same as any other pet. Pisses me off when you say to a pal, "i lost a fish this winter" and the reply is along the lines of "its only a fish, chil out"

 

[Pambates]

I've had my pond for about 3 months now. Lately anytime I'm messing with rocks or plants they are right there, or all I have to do is just stand by the pond and they act like they know me. It sounds funny to say that cause I've never thought about fish being social.