Hand Feed a Fish

It is possible to hand feed some fish just like many other pets. It takes a steady hand, patience and a knowledge of which fish are more likely to respond to close human presence. The following suggestions are to help you begin hand feeding your fish.

Steps

  1. Choose the right fish. Some fish tolerate human presence more than others and some fish are not shy about coming close. Koi, Black Ghost Knife fish, and Goldfish are three very good examples of very sociable fish that live in harmony with humans that are very happy to get close, and will often take food from a human hand.
  2. Select the feeding place. Whether it is going to be your own pond, your aquarium tank or even a local park, it is important to choose one place that you will always treat as your "feeding spot". The feeding spot should be free of sudden noises (such as splashing water), sudden movements (such as other humans walking by) and too much light/shade contrast.
  3. Start slowly. At first, just throw the fish food into the water and observe the fish as they eat. Make your presence obvious (that is, don't move away). The first fish to eat will be those that are bravest. Their determination to eat will encourage the less courageous to come along later. You may need to repeat this process of the fish just getting used to your presence several times.
  4. Move your hand closer to the fish as they feed. After a few tries with you standing close to the fish, start to stretch out your hand towards them. Leave it hovering above them for a short time as they feed, so that they can see it.
  5. Try food in your hand once you feel certain that the fish are used to your presence and your hand. One way to observe their familiarity with you is when you see the fish getting excited by your presence, as they have come to associate your being around with receiving food. Do this at the same time as your other attempts at getting the fish used to you, with the same food and in the same place as before.
  6. Set your hand into the water, and don’t make fast movements or the fish won't take the food. Release some of the food into the water and leave your hand outstretched with some food still in it. Wait for the boldest fish to come close. Again, this may take several attempts before the fish feel comfortable enough to share from your hand.
  7. Continue the feeding by hand regularly. If you want to continue feeding your fish by hand, practice it regularly so that they remain friendly towards you and are not scared by your hand. It remains important to keep a regular method so that the fish are not spooked; this is less a problem once koi are trained but might be a problem with smaller, more delicate fish.

Tips

  • If you choose to feed the fish in a local park, the fish will most likely already be familiar with people, especially in the case of koi. In this instance, you can simply enjoy feeding the fish straight away, without having to follow any of these steps.
  • Choose the right food for the fish. Some prefer flakes or pellets. Do your research first.
  • Instead of holding the food, try coating it on your finger and putting your finger into the tank or water and see if the fish will come and feed from your finger. (But be careful, some fish might accidentally nip you.)
  • Spend time by the tank. Sit down and read a book next to the tank so the fish get used to your presence.
  • Don't try hand feeding for new fish!

Warnings

  • Don't try this with delicate fish that have less sociable temperaments or exhibit shyness. This can be a trait of expensive tropical fish and you could scare them enough into killing them. Be careful, gradual and sensible about feeding a fish.
  • Don't try this with a new fish your have just bought; the fish needs to settle in first and feel safe.
  • No matter how tempting, do not touch or "pet" your fish when you are hand feeding. Fish have a protective layer of slime on their bodies, and will become sick if this "suit of armor" is breached.
  • Go extra slow with large, predatory fish. Although they are usually intelligent, if they come towards you too aggressively, species like an Arowana are more than capable of removing your finger. However, they tame down much faster than smaller fish sometimes.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish Food
  • Fish

Related Articles

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Hand_Feed_a_Fish&oldid=323193"