Using Mirrors 2 Distract Aggressive Fish

[euphoria]

Has anyone here placed mirrors outside the tank to distract aggressive fish? I told my LFS that my angel keeps harassing my clown, and he told me to try placing a mirror somewhere so that my angel keeps seeing itself in the mirror and thinking it's another angel of same kind. This way it will spend more time fighting its copy in the mirror and leave my clown alone.
Seemed to work last night, but I just wanted to know if this is bad for the fish in some mental way.
Thanks

 

[tony detroit]

Dunno about that, but you could try re-introducing them after rearranging the tank and keeping them in dark buckets for half an hour or so, then their territoriality issues will be gone, they will all feel new. I've done that with tangs in the past and it works. Add small and/or scared fish to the tank first, probably add the angel last.

 

[reef_magic]

having the angel seeing it's reflection is prolly stressing him out....re-introduction sounds like a good idea:yes:

 

[schlong33]

I used the mirror trick when I introduced in my LMB to my tank.
My hawkfish is an agressive fish, and kept bothering any fish I introduce.
Tried the mirror, hawk kept looking at himself, and I introduced in the LMB. I kept the mirror there for about a day, and Hawk kept coming back to it. (I really think it was just so he could look at himself)
The LMB and the hawk have had a couple issues, but I think the mirror kept hawk occupied until the LMB acclimated and grew comfortable in the tank.
Now, the only time that I have had problems with these fish is at feeding time. They both want the same food, so sometimes you have a little competition.

 

[krishj39]

I kinda doubt that it causes much if any harm. Since it is the aggressive fish that are attracted to it, they aren't too stressed. If the fish hid every time he saw his reflection then I think you'd know he was pretty stressed. Also, VERY few animals recognize their own reflections. In fact, that is used as a test to measure a species level of inteligence (or at least the particular animal's). Dolphins are the only aquatic animal I know of that has "passed" this test, though their certainly could be others. The way they proved that dolphins knew they were looking at themselves and not another dolphin is they put a dot on the dolphins where they can't see it without a mirror. The dolphins would then swim up to the mirror and inspect the dot. Pretty cool, huh?