Full Version: Feeding From Hand
how is it done? i would LOVE for my fish to eat from my hand but they're too jumpy right now....anyone know how it's done?
The way I "taught" my goldfish to eat out of my hand, is simply to hold the food between the very tips of my fingers just under the surface of the water and wait for them to swim up and take it. If they didn't swim up and take it after a minute, I would release it into the water and they'd grab it up. After a couple of days, they realized that the food always comes from my fingers, and so now if my fingers are in the tank, they come over and nibble.
Once you start hand feeding, just be ready for them to always nibble on you when you are in the water. If you don't want to have your fish nibbling and snuggling you constantly, then I would suggest staying away from the hand feeding.
Personally I really enjoy the interaction. It has gotten to the point with my little moor, that if I make my hand into a flat surface in the water, he comes and sits in my hand. He insists on rubbing on me and tasting my fingers when I put my hands in the tank, and seems to thrive on the interaction. My other goldfish is slightly more hesitant and prefers not to eat out of my hand, but she does every once in a while.
Once you start hand feeding, just be ready for them to always nibble on you when you are in the water. If you don't want to have your fish nibbling and snuggling you constantly, then I would suggest staying away from the hand feeding.
Personally I really enjoy the interaction. It has gotten to the point with my little moor, that if I make my hand into a flat surface in the water, he comes and sits in my hand. He insists on rubbing on me and tasting my fingers when I put my hands in the tank, and seems to thrive on the interaction. My other goldfish is slightly more hesitant and prefers not to eat out of my hand, but she does every once in a while.
Mine have no problems with hand feeding, they're so greedy and usually nibble my fingers because there is always possibility of food in my hands 
. But I have to admit that one GF is shy and she doesn't do that.
It has gotten to the point with my little moor, that if I make my hand into a flat surface in the water, he comes and sits in my hand.
How did you achieve that!?
. But I have to admit that one GF is shy and she doesn't do that.QUOTE(L. E. Pirin @ Oct 23 2006, 04:10 AM) [snapback]590370[/snapback]
It has gotten to the point with my little moor, that if I make my hand into a flat surface in the water, he comes and sits in my hand.
How did you achieve that!?
i am trying to teach mine to do that but my other fish are doing it.It feels so cool 
QUOTE(tonya @ Oct 23 2006, 02:09 PM) [snapback]590663[/snapback]
How did you achieve that!?
Honestly *I* had very little to do with it. He just really likes me. He had a bit of trouble wanting to come out of the bag when I brought him home, but after that he has been obsessed with me. He is *very* snuggly and likes to be as close to me as possible. I'm not ashamed to admit, I'm more than a bit smitten with him myself.
WOW!
that is really the cutest thing! lol! I think my fish like me, but... smitten! wow! lol, I think I have a ways before I get there!
that is really the cutest thing! lol! I think my fish like me, but... smitten! wow! lol, I think I have a ways before I get there!
How I "taught" my fish to be hand-fed, was that when I fed the fish, I left my hand open buy the food, and then after a week or two, I started sticking the food to my hand. It sometimes takes quite a while for the fish to get used to it, but it's worth the wait! Once one of the fish starts to suck, then usually the others follow. Two of my fish are still hesitant to take food from my fingers, but i'm hoping that they will learn too!
I just started feeding them mashed pea's from my hand....My goldies would take food from the hand of the devil himself as long as he had pea's.
They are now starting (only a few) to take food from my finger tips...I haven't had a fishy nibble yet.
LE Pirin you need to try and get a photo of that little moor of yours, he sounds adorable.
They are now starting (only a few) to take food from my finger tips...I haven't had a fishy nibble yet.
LE Pirin you need to try and get a photo of that little moor of yours, he sounds adorable.
I don't have any pictures of me interacting with him, because I can't do that and take a photo at the same time (I need more hands!)... but I do have a few photos that he has been willing to pose for.
2006-09-09
2006-09-09
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2006-10-26
2006-10-26
Or you can check out his profile or the entire gallery or one of the videos he appears in.
I'm slightly obsessive about the documentation of my fish, despite him not wanting to participate in the process and generally wanting to hide from the camera. His tankmate Cassie (a fantail) is much more willing to pose for the camera (as you can see from the photos in the gallery). My camera also seems to have a hard time picking up his coloring, hard to tell how black his black is and how gold his gold is. I'm hoping to snag my brother's camera this weekend and grab a few better photos, mine is several years old and was extremely cheep when it was new, and his is a really nice one that is almost brand new.
*stops rambling*
2006-09-09
2006-09-09
2006-10-23
2006-10-26
2006-10-26
Or you can check out his profile or the entire gallery or one of the videos he appears in.
I'm slightly obsessive about the documentation of my fish, despite him not wanting to participate in the process and generally wanting to hide from the camera. His tankmate Cassie (a fantail) is much more willing to pose for the camera (as you can see from the photos in the gallery). My camera also seems to have a hard time picking up his coloring, hard to tell how black his black is and how gold his gold is. I'm hoping to snag my brother's camera this weekend and grab a few better photos, mine is several years old and was extremely cheep when it was new, and his is a really nice one that is almost brand new.
*stops rambling*
OMG I wish I could hand feed mine... This is rather embarassing, but... If they even touch me when my hand is in the tank for something I totally freak out. I love watching them, but I guess when it comes to touching I am rather fish phobic.
I really wish i had the guts to do it, it seems so sweet a way to interact...
I really wish i had the guts to do it, it seems so sweet a way to interact...
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