Dr. Dolittle question

[koi lady]

I just have to ask this.
Just how many in this forum "talk" to their fish, seahorses, eels, crabs, shrimp, etc., etc., etc.
I am asking because my children think I am crazy when I praise something in my tanks for doing what I want it to. Like my mandarin eating mysis for the first time, or the seahorse finding the food dish. Or how gorgeous a critter has become over the last 10 months.
Come on and fess up. I would like to know that there are people out there as "crazy" as I am. There has to be at least one.

 

[zoie2]

yup. I'm just as crazy. I talk to all my animals, fish, everything. I actually had a boss that called me Dr. Dolittle. He could never remember peoples names, but for some reason he could remember to call me Dr. Dolittle
I think everybody does even if they don't admit it. I caught my husband talking to his truck when he was waxing it one time.

 

[princess8077]

I do!
I call my fish to dinner.....open the lid, tap on the corner lightly, and call them! They come flying. My 2 Percs and 1 blue/green chromis swim together always.
The CBS and cleaner shrimp come out, and the little legs of the brittle star (or 5) in a rock come out too.
Sal the SLF Crab doesnt come out til the blue lights are on - he does "the dance" for us.

 

[thoroughbred]

I only take when something crazy happens or when there being mean to each other. I had a snowflake eel for a while with 2 clowns and during feeding time one day the eel snapped and started chasing all the other fish. I swear the neighbors down the block could hear me yelling "RUN NEMOS RUUUNNNN!!!".

 

[mie]

I just yell at them when somthing is'nt right.

 

[swalchemist]

I don't know, how many name there corals

 

[jmick]

Lol, why talk to something that is not able to respond? Fish will react to visual stimulation such as when I dip the food bowl in to get water to thaw their Rod's food or Krill.
This is almost as silly as thinking fish feel emotions that are comparible to what humans feel.

 

[swalchemist]

Maybe it's a human thing, maybe it goes deeper than that, but things we name, or talk to are things we seem to care more for. IMO it's not silly at all you obviously care for your animals in short there is no wrong or right about it.

 

[sepulatian]

I talk to my fish all of the time! They always want SOMETHING! I can't look at my tank without them begging

 

[stdreb27]

Sure fish can talk, what do they say 80% of our communication is non-verbal. They speak a non-verbal language too. When my puffer is hungery he spits water, if he is mad he changes color and hides. When he wants attention he swims to the top and spashes water and says look at me. Then presses his face against the tank when I look at him. I only whisper back I don't want to mess up their ear drums.

 

[lesleybird]

I mainly talk to my favorite fish. I say hi Squiggy and hi Loushu when I come in the door at night....Squiggy is my scribbled angel and Loushu is my Majestic angel. They will eat out of my hand and my name is Miss Food to them. I don't expect them to undersand or hear me, but talking to them out loud helps me to relate to them. I also have conversations with all of my parrots (two cockatoos and three amazons), and they do respond by talking back to me. Talking to animals is not crazy unless you expect them to understand everything that you are saying to them. Talking is just how us humans relate to things that we care about. Lesley

 

[nate487]

i feel the same as everyone else said but ive also noticed its not what you say because they dont understand but its your tone. fish react to sound and motion so when you say something in a specific tone and then do a jester such as feeding they will understand that what they here means food coming etc., etc. atleast thats how i got my fish to hand feed

 

[tarball]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
Sure fish can talk, what do they say 80% of our communication is non-verbal. They speak a non-verbal language too. When my puffer is hungery he spits water, if he is mad he changes color and hides. When he wants attention he swims to the top and spashes water and says look at me. Then presses his face against the tank when I look at him. I only whisper back I don't want to mess up their ear drums.

Do fish have ear drums?...... I didn't know they had ears either..

 

[tarball]

I wonder how i would look with ears?

 

[zeke92]

yeah, most people are 'crazy'. my grandma thinks her dog understands her... she will be like "do you want some ice cream?" "go potty if you gotta go" and expects the dog to listen.

 

[shinobi9119]

my fish knows its food time wen i do a little tap pattern on the top lip of the tank. They all come straight to the source of the tapping!!!!

 

[dischirm]

"yeah, most people are 'crazy'. my grandma thinks her dog understands her... she will be like "do you want some ice cream?" "go potty if you gotta go" and expects the dog to listen."
Ok Then I am definately crazy, because I talk to my fish, my cats and my dogs. I talk just like that Grandma to my dogs and my dogs communicate back with me. I understand only too well what they are wanting most of the time. (obviously they do not vocalize, but I usually get what they are thinking!) ((TOLD YOU I WAS CRAZY!))

 

[alexmir]

i always talk to my fish, my fiance thought i was such a loser when i started getting really attached to them, and talking to them. But she has now become very attached to my domino damsel, thats the only one she likes, and she talks to it all the time, i agree with the earlier post, you do become much closer to your pet, even if its a fish that doesnt react, when you talk to it!

 

[mcbdz]

I do, I do. And Mine understand me. Sorry some of ya'll have dumb fish.

LOL

 

[koi lady]

Interesting comments. Thank you.
I "know" what my clown fish is saying when she faces me and mouths fishy comments about how late I am with the food. We as humans do seem to care for an animal if it is named. It becomes part of the family.
The relief when Fred and Ethyl, my gobies, finally peeked out of the rockwork after my tank nuked itself and all the rest of the fish died. Can't explain the big sigh and the word "Hi" just floating out of my mouth. Along with a big grin.
Yep. I am crazy and I do admit it.