hand feeding
- Thread starter denisec
- Start date
grouperhead
Active Member
i have hand fed my eel, but try not to. they will associate hands with food and will automatically think when your hand is in the tank, food is in there. he has hit me several times, and once it was pretty bad. at the lfs i work at i used to feed a huge panther grouper halfs of squid. but all in all, its usually not too good to feed your fish. my fish will eat out of my hand if i let thim. my trigger and wrasse will both get out of the water to grab a piece of food, its kinda a trick i show people who come over. also at the lfs, i hand feed some of the corals and anemones krill and silversides, i also hand feed them dt's phytoplankton (i guess that would be hand feeding, its done with a seringe type thing) bo
[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: Grouperhead ]
[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: Grouperhead ]
puff(er) daddy
Member
I hand feed my map puffer all the time he's about 7'' . He does associate my hand for food and that is a problem but it cool when you have company.
goofieones
Member
I heard puffer bites are to pleasant. I can hand feed my regal tang seaweed selects, but usually don't because I am too lazy.
blueberryboomer
Active Member
I hand feed our snowflake eel every night, I have never had a problem with him comming at my hand when there is no food in it, he only comes out when he smells it, I wave it in the water and he nows I'm there to give him his diner. I also can hand feed our Niger Trigger, and most of our fish in the 200 will take food from my hand. I haven't lost any fingers yet...Later Lisa 
weazil
Member
my 2 anomes, "Snappy" my red emperor snapper, the snowflake eel, shrimp, and my starfish.
all of the above get hand fed. I hate to over feed with flake food so I hand feed the shrimp and starfish some silversides from time to time. So far the only fish that has been a problem with hand feeding is snappy, he will not attck your hand if you cleaning or moving rocks but he will hunt you down if you have food in it, even if its not for him... :-/
all of the above get hand fed. I hate to over feed with flake food so I hand feed the shrimp and starfish some silversides from time to time. So far the only fish that has been a problem with hand feeding is snappy, he will not attck your hand if you cleaning or moving rocks but he will hunt you down if you have food in it, even if its not for him... :-/
pufferlover
Active Member
Oh boy this topic reminds me of another story I want to share (my apologies to Grouperhead who kids me on my stories).
A few years back I had trained my then small female Pork to take food from my hand, after a few days practice one night I told my wife you have to see this come here. I then proceeded to do my thing only at one point the Pork lunged I got nervous and pulled my hand back only to fling the poor Pork across the room. My wife screamed I panicked then decided no time picked it up and put it back in the tank and it went right on eating. I do not do this anymore the stress on me is to great and I don't want white spots all over me.
A few years back I had trained my then small female Pork to take food from my hand, after a few days practice one night I told my wife you have to see this come here. I then proceeded to do my thing only at one point the Pork lunged I got nervous and pulled my hand back only to fling the poor Pork across the room. My wife screamed I panicked then decided no time picked it up and put it back in the tank and it went right on eating. I do not do this anymore the stress on me is to great and I don't want white spots all over me.
blueberryboomer
Active Member
Pufflover, poor fish, but too funny!!! Thanks for the chuckle!!! Glad she was ok.
Later Lisa
Later Lisa
grouperhead
Active Member
hahaha, thats a good one puffer. did she puff up any during that whole experience? thats got to be one of the funniest things i have read.
im still laughin. bo
playtime
Member
Thats funny puffer. I can totally picture that. I just got a pork puffer and I love him. He has the cutest personality. I decided to try to get him to go to the top of the tank when it is feeding time using frozen mysis cubes. He does really well and learned fast. He will let his mouth come out of the water just enough to grab a piece of dangling mysis shrimp. I am pretty nervous though so I don't let him get too close. I have never been bitten by it yet. I am sure that it is painful (does anyone know)? I also feed my pink skunk clownfish he is a riot. He has done that from the beginning. I took a little hit from him lastnight but with those little teeth, no pain. My dwarf lionfish (who is in with Hooty my puffer) is now learning to come to the top for feeding and that scares the he!! out of me so I really have to watch for him. I know where he is at all times. Oh, his name is Metro.
Playtime
Playtime
hermit enthusiast
Member
Playtime,
what do you feed ur clownfish?
what do you feed ur clownfish?
corky
Member
I can hand feed my Naso tang, yellow tang and clowns. The other day I put my hand in the tank to grab something quickly and hit the Naso really hard(didn't see him by surface of water)so hard it thought for sure I hurt him(he's fine). He is so used to my hands going in the tank that I could grab him right out of the water with no problem if I wanted to.
denisec
Member
I tried it for the first time tonight in my 40gal. One damsel was the only one brave enough to come up and nibble while I was holding it though the other guys where hanging close by. I think I'll try it with the puffer at work tommorrow. I'd like to be able to show off with him doing it.
ocellaris_keeper
Active Member
OK - I'm sold - a NASO is for me - Right now I only hand feed my cleaner shrimp and he is the coolest. If the NASO is willing then I'm all for it - I will try not to send my fish across the room though.
Brewski
Brewski
goldfish
Member
Ok with all the "good" stories floating in this thread I thought I might add one that's not so good.
It was feeding time in my aggressive tank and in went all the yummy frozen brine, squid etc. I put my hand in to get the veggie clip to put the seaweed selects in, and what do you know? Morty (eel) smelled food, saw movement and WHAMMO got a hold of my finger. HMOC! (Holy mother of crap..I am quoting Trey) that hurt!!!!! I jerked my hand out and Morty was hanging on for dear life while blood poured out of my finger. I shook him hard enough and he eventually gave up and plopped back into the tank--about 2-3 good hard shakes.
Let me tell you...that is the LAST time this cat puts her hand in the tank at feeding time.
It was feeding time in my aggressive tank and in went all the yummy frozen brine, squid etc. I put my hand in to get the veggie clip to put the seaweed selects in, and what do you know? Morty (eel) smelled food, saw movement and WHAMMO got a hold of my finger. HMOC! (Holy mother of crap..I am quoting Trey) that hurt!!!!!
I jerked my hand out and Morty was hanging on for dear life while blood poured out of my finger. I shook him hard enough and he eventually gave up and plopped back into the tank--about 2-3 good hard shakes. Let me tell you...that is the LAST time this cat puts her hand in the tank at feeding time.
grouperhead
Active Member
goldfish, thats why i try not to hand feed my eel. they will associate your hand with food and whack it happens. i know its hard, but you should really try to stay calm during this situation (i know what your thinking, yeah right stay clam whn teeth are digging into my flesh). you shouldnt try to pull it out, as it usually wont work, they will mostly hold on tighter. most eels teeth are rear facing, so pulling wont do much good either. if it is holding on and absolutley wont let go here is what you do. grab it right at its jaw hinges with your thubm and fore finger. squeeze it firmly, but dont squeeze it so hard its eyes will pop out. it will usually make the eel let go. put some ointment on that finger, eel bites are notorious for giving a nasty infection. bo