Paradise fish--circus tricks

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 08 Aug 2006, 13:02

While looking for information on the Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) I read that somebody actually taught one to jump out of the water and take food from his fingers dolphin-style. (They do have a tendency to jump; I suppose in the wild they catch insects that way).

Now that intrigues me, and I naturally cast a speculative eye over my own Paradise fish (whose name is Bigfoot). Bigfoot is quite tame; but teaching a fish to jump is something you may later come to regret; in fact he did jump out once and had to be rescued. And how would I go about training him? Does anyone know of any catfish that will do this trick?

oscar300 · Post by **oscar300** » 09 Aug 2006, 18:48

My O's used to jump but once they got past 6" I had to teach them not to, so much water LOL.

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 09 Aug 2006, 19:08

I have a group of Synodontis granulosus and those are easily tamed.

they don't 'jump' but sure stick their heads out of the water for a bit of unpeeled shrimp (they'd do ANYTHING for a bit of unpeeled shrimp

), and the big un even can be rubbed on her head when eating out of my hand.

the smaller ones are still skitterish, but getting less so every time I feed shrimp, wich is about once a week.
anyone telling me that fish have a short memory (like the 30 second myth that I can bust in one feeding show

) is laughed at for sure.

heck even my Danio patirana's can be handfed and if you're talking skitterish stressed-out maniacs, you're talking Danio's for sure. yes, it gets you wet alright. they're loco.