How To Train A Fish

Hi! I know a lot of people want to be able to show off their fish and what better way to do that then training your fish. In this thread I will talk about how to train your fish to jump, and what fish is best for it. DISCLAIMER: NOT ALL FISH ARE ABLE TO OR WILLING TO JUMP NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRAIN THEM TO

First off I would like go over fish that are easily trained to be able to jump, and what fish aren't easily trained (or have issues) being able to jump. Some fish that are able to be trained to jump include: Oscars, Flowerhorns, Arrowana, Bass, Blood Parrots (when young), Most Cichlids, and many more. Some fish that may have trouble jumping are: Live Bearers, Blood Parrots (when older), Goldfish, Catfish (however you can train them to eat from your hand). The training method I will be using involves food. Just note there are many more fish that be trained to jump but the fish listed will be used as my examples.

This is how I have trained my fish to jump. Step one: Find a food your fish really like and that you can easily hold (like krill, or large pellets). Step two: Make sure the fish knows your hand means food, start to try and hand feed in the water. Step three: start to make your fish chase your hand around the tank for food. Step four: Raise your hand slightly above the water and check is your fish will poke its head out to grab the food. Step five: Keep increasing how high your hand is every day until you reach about 3-4 inches of the surface of the water (some fish may be able to go higher and some fish might not be able to jump that high).

Now I will explain the steps in detail. In step one you are trying to find a food your fish loves and will be willing to go after, that way it is easier. You should probably make sure that you feed that food often. In step two you are establishing what your hand means. You fish should be able to see your hand go above the tank and go right to where you feed it most times (BTW it is a good idea to put the food in the same spot every time so they know where to go). In step three you are gaining trust with the fish. Making sure it knows that it can trust you. In step four you are seeing if the fish is willing to jump. Some fish might not be willing and you will have to accept that. In step five you are just testing how high your fish is willing to jump.

I would also like to say that it may take several weeks to train a fish to do all of this. I hope this is helpful and let me know what you think

 

Very informative!! I will try it once I get out of boredom house 101(aka school).

 

Some of my fish try to fly when I open the lid for feeding, does that count?

 

Lol!! Hey!! Maybe I should try to train my fish to fly........

 

CaptainAquatics How long does it usually take to get something as simple as handfeeding? All my fish see the hand and run, with the exception of giving them food. They still don't like my hand being close to them though

 

Yep, mine to, when ever I vacuum gravel, or try to move a plant around, they swim like their pants are on fire!!(if fish have pants that is, and even if they did, and even if they were on fire, they wouldn’t be cause it’s under water!!!! Lol

 

Mine flare their fins and give the vacuum a stared down hahaha

 

Lol!! Same, maybe mine and your fish are cousins!!

 

You get a funny! I get a funny! we all get a funny! I'm just giving away funny's!

 

It took me about a month to train my fish.

 

Ok, so I'll just keep trying to get them to eat food out of my hand until they're confident enough then
Out of curiosity, I see so many people that have trained their fish (mainly cichlids) to be pet. How would I go about that?

 

Ok, so I'll just keep trying to get them to eat food out of my hand until they're confident enough then
Out of curiosity, I see so many people that have trained their fish (mainly cichlids) to be pet. How would I go about that?

That I am still trying to figure out

 

Alright, keep me posted? I find it facinating to see someone petting something like an 8" blood parrot or flowerhorn

 

You can also try target training, which is super easy if you feed bloodworms through a eye dropper. The eye dropper is the target, when the fish strikes the tip of the dropper you give them a worm. Once they learn the target means food, you can then lure your fish into doing anything. My Gobies will 'walk' around on my hand now.
I personally won't teach fish to jump because they can jump out of the tank. I did teach or have betta self-learn to jump every time I go to feed her. She can leap a good inch and a half straight up to touch my fingers.

 

This is what I would do to train a fish to sit in your hand:

Step 1: Get your fish to eat from your hand
Step 2: Slowly (when you hand feed) put your hand in the water
Step 3: Hand feed fish while your hand is under water
Step 4: Move your hand (SLOWLY) Towards the fish when you feed it
Step 5: Keep doing this until your fish is comfortable with your hand
Step 6: Hope your fish will sit in your hand

 

Hey everyone! So I have been doing the processes up above (on how to get your fish to sit in your hand) with my flower horn and here is how it went.

Day 1- I put my hand fully in the tank and offers krill, he took it right away with no hesitation
Day 2- I did the same as day 1 except I tried to put my hand close to him from the start
Day 3-4- did the same as day 2
Day 5 (today)- after feeding I kept my hand in the tank, grabbed the flowerhorn (gently (kinda just out my hand around him but did not apply pressure)) then lifted him near the surface of the water and was able to pet him, he didn’t struggle at all then when he wated to be let go, I let him go

Long story short it worked and I can now hold my flowerhorn