Goldfish...

[running_dog]

I tried clicker conditioning a goldfish today. It seemed remarkably easy. There are 3 goldfish in the tank but one is very efficient at mopping up food so he's responded very well to clicker conditioning and I can basically ignore the other fish until they get jealous.

Within about 15 minutes he was responding to a click by swimming to where the current would carry the food when I released it... smart fish. Another day of this and I'll probably give him an object to interact with...

There are lots of videos on youtube of goldfish doing tricks. Does anyone else on here have a goldfish and if so would you like to try an informal challenge to teach it a trick or two? The clicker does not need to be under water.

 

[MissyBC]

So cool! I don't have fish, but if I did I would probably try this. Good luck!

 

[Amateur]

Sounds like fun. I tried to clicker train the cat -- it was hilarious to see the little light bulb go on over her head as she realised what was happening -- while looking me in the eye -- she leaned over -- never losing eye contact, and nosed the target as if to say " is this what you want ?" . Should do more when I can find the time.

 

[running_dog]

My sister's kitten figured out the clicker a little faster than the goldfish. We have to reward her with a toy on a string chase though as she isn't that keen on any food. She knows to sit and we've worked on a kind of "spin" no verbal cues yet. But yes it is so funny to see them thinking and experimenting "do I get the reward if I lie down or only if I sit?" "Duh look I sat why no reward? Come on where's that mouse?" I'm a bit allergic to her so the sessions don't happen that often.

 

[UtonaganAtka]

oh wow i'd love to see a fish do some tricks! ive heard of horses,dolphins and cats and even goats do well with clicker training but never a goldfish! , i only have some neon tetras but i will be getting a betta fish when i get the chance to find a good breeder of them xD

 

[southerngirl]

Hmm... I wonder if I could clicker train my Beta Fish or maybe my Yellow Belly Turtle.

 

[Dogster]

That sounds like a GREAT idea Rdog!!!!! Wow, now I want a fish, lol.
I trained my cat sit and beg, but she's too fat to do beg.

 

[Ripleygirl]

I had goldfish when I was a kid (won one at a fairground and ended up with six as some other people that won them were gonna dump them so I took them home and presented them to my mum who then had to go and buy an expensive large tank etc for them but I had to save them... I couldn't let them die.) I played the organ and ended up training them to different notes on the organ that meant a bit of sinking food would be put in a certain part of the tank. I think they knew different vibration from different notes (high or low etc). But they were definately trained to know where the food would drop in by which note I played, very clever in my eyes! Problem was when I had to practice scales they would be going mad shooting from place to place in the tank expecting a drop of food...!

 

[Dogster]

WOW, That's GREAT Ripleygirl!!!! AMAZING!!!!! The things you can do with a goldfish....

 

[running_dog]

Hmm... I wonder if I could clicker train my Beta Fish or maybe my Yellow Belly Turtle.

Beta fish are supposed to be good at learning tricks so definitely give it a try

 

[running_dog]

I think they knew different vibration from different notes (high or low etc).

Nice work training the fish... so funny to think of them rushing around looking for food while you were playing .
With all your experience you can be chief advisor when we get stuck!
They can definitely sense the clicker... I wonder if they could even hear a voice cue? I guess probably not because the vibrations would be too vague .

 

[running_dog]

Here is one of the youtube videos that show a goldfish trained using a pack called fishschool.

I think I can figure out a few tricks without a training pack but I'll have to see how it goes... annoyingly I might not be able to feed the fish tomorrow as it has gone cold again .

 

[Dogster]

CRAZY AMAZING!!!!!! WOW!!!!!

 

[running_dog]

oh wow i'd love to see a fish do some tricks! ive heard of horses,dolphins and cats and even goats do well with clicker training but never a goldfish! , i only have some neon tetras but i will be getting a betta fish when i get the chance to find a good breeder of them xD

I'm not sure whether the fish I've seen on youtube are clicker trained. I think they may use luring - does anyone else think it looks like they have a kind of target stick from which you feed the fish? I'm curious to see whether I could just use shaping to get the fish to swim through a ring.

Hopefully you'll find a good breeder and be able to clicker train your betta some tricks .

 

[tigerlily46514]

WOW!!!!!

 

[sara]

Here's Karen Prior's video on training a fish (Oscar) it's called Fainting Fish (Training a fish to swim through a hoop) under the heading "watch"

 

[running_dog]

Here's Karen Prior's video on training a fish (Oscar) it's called Fainting Fish (Training a fish to swim through a hoop) under the heading "watch"

Thanks Sara

 

[Anneke]

The vid you posted Running_dog... This is how it was trained
Using a lightsignal

 

[Dogster]

I'm guessing that training a fish takes a little more time than training a dog LOL
It looks very interesting though, fish are A LOT smarter than I thought....

 

[running_dog]

The vid you posted Running_dog... This is how it was trained
Using a lightsignal

Thanks... so basically like clicker training a deaf dog ... I might have a torch that would work for this.