Do you think pet fish are aware of their imprisonment?

tin79 · 21-09-2012 10:39PM

This is just going round and round in circles

Silverfish · 21-09-2012 10:41PM

doovdela wrote: »

I was sure it was a 7 second memory or was it 20 seconds? or 7 minutes something like that, 3 months? Didn't think they had brains but obviously they have to have some kind of one but minute one with very little grey matter!
I either read it somewhere or was discussed on tv.

Lot of myths around goldfish, such as 7 second memories, they live in bowls, or they don't feel pain, or they only live 2 years.

They respond to clicker training, and remember lots of basic stuff, like what food tastes good, what stuff tastes bad, who feeds them, and what time they get fed at. Of course if they're kept in the right size tank, they'll exhibit this behaviour, if they're kept in bad water or a horrible environment, they'll be dull and listless, and won't interact.

starlit · 21-09-2012 10:42PM

Really? Hows it that they don't live very long?

21-09-2012 10:44PM

doovdela wrote: »

Really? Hows it that they don't live very long?

That's one of the myths

Silverfish · 21-09-2012 10:45PM

doovdela wrote: »

Really? Hows it that they don't live very long?

Common goldfish (with single tails) can live upwards of 20 years, and normally grow to about a foot long.

Fancy goldfish with the roundy bodies and fancy tails normally live around 10 years, and grow to about 10 inches.

They most of their growing within the first few years of their life, so if they're kept in a bowl or a tank that's too small, their growth is stunted and they usually just die.

ejmaztec · 21-09-2012 10:50PM

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

In what does it look depressed?

If it weren't for the fish's tears the bowl would be empty.:(

starlit · 21-09-2012 10:55PM

ah I see. I've seen goldfish die after one day and after a few weeks/months and seen some live for years and get big in a pool outside there is a difference how they grow when in a pool compared to in a tank.

starlit · 21-09-2012 10:57PM

They don't do much, not much happens in their lives but why would they get down like that? Cooped up in a small tank maybe but in a big pool if they have more room to grow and swim they might not be too bad.

midlandsmissus · 21-09-2012 11:00PM

ejmaztec wrote: »

If it weren't for the fish's tears the bowl would be empty.:(

The crying Fishtank. To add to the crying chair.

midlandsmissus · 21-09-2012 11:01PM

Maybe the Earth is like a goldfish bowl.....

Pottler · 21-09-2012 11:02PM

Dunno. I've a huge pond out the back. They look quite happy in it. For what it's worth.

starlit · 21-09-2012 11:07PM

They probably happier in a pond!

Where To · 22-09-2012 02:11AM

A man down the pub just told me studies have shown goldfish have a memory span of three months, you learn something new every day eh?

B.A._Baracus · 22-09-2012 02:15AM

Silverfish wrote: »

Lot of myths around goldfish, such as 7 second memories, they live in bowls, or they don't feel pain, or they only live 2 years.

They respond to clicker training, and remember lots of basic stuff, like what food tastes good, what stuff tastes bad, who feeds them, and what time they get fed at. Of course if they're kept in the right size tank, they'll exhibit this behaviour, if they're kept in bad water or a horrible environment, they'll be dull and listless, and won't interact.

you are kinky about fish.

darlett · 22-09-2012 03:08AM

Where To wrote: »

A man down the pub just told me studies have shown goldfish have a memory span of three months, you learn something new every day eh?

I read that once before I think

doovdela wrote: »

ah I see. I've seen goldfish die after one day and after a few weeks/months and seen some live for years and get big in a pool outside there is a difference how they grow when in a pool compared to in a tank.

Yeap Goldfish seem to have a thing where they can really restrict their growth dependent on the size of their environment. Odd to think that the only difference between the wee squirt in a fishbowl and the near foot long monster in the pond is where they ve lived.

flas · 22-09-2012 06:10AM

had a fish for over 6 years,he would start jumping out of the water of his tank when he knew he was being feed,like a dance of some sort...i love a good big,well kept fish tank,look unreaal in a room and unbelievably relaxing to look at!i used to leave my blinds in my room closed during the day so it would be real dark so i could turn the light on at night to watch them!great way to fall asleep!

Gauss · 22-09-2012 08:13AM

I think in general we underestimate the awareness of other organisms.

Maximus Alexander · 22-09-2012 09:02AM

Gauss wrote: »

I think in general we underestimate the awareness of other organisms.

Yep, if it can't speak it doesn't have feelings seems to be the attitude of a lot of people.

I'm not a big animal welfare nut or anything, and I love a good steak, but when you look at the intelligence level of some animals, like gorillas, it makes you think they should have special rights under the law.

They can actually use language, just not verbally. They must be so depressed in zoos.

Reloc8 · 22-09-2012 09:06AM

darlett wrote: »

I read that once before I think

Yeap Goldfish seem to have a thing where they can really restrict their growth dependent on the size of their environment. Odd to think that the only difference between the wee squirt in a fishbowl and the near foot long monster in the pond is where they ve lived.[/

it's the un/less diluted built up of hormones and waste in the fishbowl that stunts them.

TheBoss! · 22-09-2012 10:04AM

bluewolf wrote: »

I had one repeatedly attempt suicide

How bloody shellfish of him.

CruelCoin · 22-09-2012 12:00PM

You cannot compare this: http://www.partnerhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gold-fish-bowl.jpg

with this: http://boneblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Home_aqua_240_litres.png

A fish tank done properly, with good attention to nutrition, water quality, substrate, filtration, environment, etc... will and does result in happy fish.

Most colourfull fish are good self-indicators of happiness, as they lose their colour when stressed, and regain it when all is well.

EclipsiumRasa · 22-09-2012 12:33PM

CruelCoin wrote: »

You cannot compare this: http://www.partnerhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gold-fish-bowl.jpg

with this: http://boneblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Home_aqua_240_litres.png

A fish tank done properly, with good attention to nutrition, water quality, substrate, filtration, environment, etc... will and does result in happy fish.

Most colourfull fish are good self-indicators of happiness, as they lose their colour when stressed, and regain it when all is well.

I did not know this. I learned something today.

starlit · 23-09-2012 12:46AM

I did not know that based on their colour. Seen them of different colours and would notice one livelier than the other dependent on their colour!?

Do they have a language?? :eek:

D1stant · 23-09-2012 01:00AM

Silverfish wrote: »

Lot of myths around goldfish, such as 7 second memories, they live in bowls, or they don't feel pain, or they only live 2 years.

They respond to clicker training, and remember lots of basic stuff, like what food tastes good, what stuff tastes bad, who feeds them, and what time they get fed at. Of course if they're kept in the right size tank, they'll exhibit this behaviour, if they're kept in bad water or a horrible environment, they'll be dull and listless, and won't interact.

How does a goldfish interact?

Twitter?

RADIUS · 23-09-2012 12:49PM

doovdela wrote: »

I doubt they do as I can recall that goldfish only have about a 7 second memory they forget where they were and what they did 7 seconds ago. So its like their 7 second memory is being wiped out every 7 seconds.

That's well known to be a myth.

Different species of fish have different levels of intellegnce.

Some pet fish, such as the Oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, can be thought simple tricks.

A good fish keeper tries to recreate a portion of the fishes habitat. (biome aquarium). Fish in a well set up and suitably large tank will display their most natural behavior and best colours.

A Koi fish in a garden pond may look dumb, but they learn to recognize the person who feeds them everyday.

Koi have been known to live to the grand age of 200+ years old. Goldfish can live until their late 40's. But not in a crappy bowl!

Bowl's are a cruel way to keep fish as they don't allow enough surface area to absorb the amount of oxygen needed for the nitrogen cycle to occur, which is what normally keeps tank water clean. A fish in a bowl is basically dieing very slowly from swimming in it's own waste causing suffocation.

That's why they gasp at the top.

kylith · 23-09-2012 02:02PM

doovdela wrote: »

I did not know that based on their colour. Seen them of different colours and would notice one livelier than the other dependent on their colour!?

Do they have a language?? :eek:

Not a language as such, but they do communicate with body language and colour.

Dr. Ego · 23-09-2012 03:13PM

F*ck em, they're only fish.

I've 3 which got for the kids years ago, they got bored with them after a few days.
I don't look after them properly & I've often been on holidays for 2 weeks to find them still alive when I get home.
Water has to be green before I clean it & kids are forever throwing toys into the tank.
I'm the worst fish owner in the world & they're still alive 3 years later.

Reloc8 · 23-09-2012 08:05PM

Dr. Ego wrote: »

F*ck em, they're only fish.

I've 3 which got for the kids years ago, they got bored with them after a few days.
I don't look after them properly & I've often been on holidays for 2 weeks to find them still alive when I get home.
Water has to be green before I clean it & kids are forever throwing toys into the tank.
I'm the worst fish owner in the world & they're still alive 3 years later.

It does no credit to you or your brood to keep animals in your house in that condition. Do 'em a favour and try and rehome them. Failing that look after them properly. Failing that knock them on the head and give them a quick death. You have them swimming around in more or less a toxic sludge - it's not very nice for them and they didn't ask you to buy them.

Lone Stone · 23-09-2012 08:10PM

I had a tank of tropical fish once, my red finned shark fish killed all my god dam guppies !

CruelCoin · 26-09-2012 12:22PM

Lone Stone wrote: »

I had a tank of tropical fish once, my red finned shark fish killed all my god dam guppies !

Yup,

Long finned species like guppies are prone to being fin-nipped/killed by many other species.

You really need to do your research first.

Example: If you want freshwater snails, then don't put them in a tank with Loaches! Snails will be dead.

A good broad rule of thumb to follow is, a fish will generally try to each any other fish that will fit in its mouth, so keep this in mind when choosing fish to put together!

Do you think pet fish are aware of their imprisonment?

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