Tropical Fish Forums

[sepgundamrg]

[redmum]

Then there's always your feet....


But back on topic LOL - I hand feed my Bolivian Ram, Angel fish and SAE - not all the Rams will actually come up yet, but one is very friendly and will nip my hand until I let it in to get some food . The big angel has always been very tactile, and the SAE would do anything for food I love it!!

anna
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190ltr freshwater tank

[Jun]

Nicholas, my neon blue dwarf gourami, will eat from my fingers, as will Titus, my current community betta. None of my other bettas will (Yet, that is). Nic will also spit water up above the surface of the tank when it's feeding time, as if to tell me, "I'm hungry! Feed me now!" He's the quirkiest and most beautiful gourami I've ever owned. :3

[lenoirj]

I just discovered yesterday that my crowntail betta will eat from my fingers. I fed him a pea from my fingers and he would take a bite and swim away, eat it, then come back for more. Then my cherry barbs decided they wanted some too, so I had a pea feeding frenzy from my fingers! It was great! I haven't tried hand feeding the pellets to my betta yet but he didn't seem afraid of my fingers. He actually nipped my fingers a couple of times when he missed the pea.

[bored2.0]

I have giant danios and guppies that hand feed. my friend next door had a ram would have hand fed but missed the food then got it when he dropped it.
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why would you read this?

[andiesch]

how did you guys start to get your fish to hand feed? I want mine to do it sooooo badly
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tanks in profile

[Angela G.]

Well, I noticed that my fish were kind of timid when first put into the tank, but once they start to associate you with food much of that fear tends to go away in most fish. What you can do is just start putting your hand in the tank and let the fish get used to it. Then try holding an irresistable food item in your fingers and see if you have any takers. It may take a little while for the fish to get used to your hand/fingers being in the water.

I know my gold barbs will eat from my fingers, but that's more like a feeding frenzy. Those guys really are little pigs.

A little side side story, I had a dwarf gourami that wouldn't eat from my hand but surprised me one day when I was rearranging some things inside the tank. I had one hand down in the bottom of the tank moving a piece of driftwood and the other was just kind of dangling just under the surface of the water. Next thing I knew something fast and fishy feeling charged the hand at the top of the tank. I looked into the tank wondering what it was and saw my male dwarf gourami when he did it again. It didn't really hurt or anything but it did surprise me as normally he wouldn't go near my hands. I guess I was invading his territory and he was sending a message.

[redmum]

hiya,

The way I was taught at the shop, was to put some food in your fist (this isn't for bettas!) then plunge your hand into the tank with your fist closed tightly. then slowly let a bit of water in and out to get the smell of the food out to the fish. They get curious and come for a look. Then slowly open your hand, or just a finger, to let some food out - but it is soaked by this point and stays in/near your fist, so they have to come in to get it. My rams think that nipping me lets the food out, heheh. They get used to it after week or so, and then see your hand as the 'bringer of yummy things'!!! I get nipped a lot now, even when cleaning LOL!

Just make sure your hands are cleaned before and after


anna
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190ltr freshwater tank

[Michael L.]

Some fish are just okay with hands. I haven't hand fed any of my current fish yet, but I could literally pick my bolivian ram out of the water if I wanted to. She is very open to human contact.

When I get my discus, I'll be sure to trai nthem to be hand-fed.

This thread makes me miss my oscars. They were great with hand-feedings.
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