I'm A Goldfish Trainer

[fishteer]

Hi, Folks ~

I'm new to the board, and my interest in goldfish is a little different from most. I am a professional puppeteer and animal trainer. For about two years I have been training ranchu and ryukin goldfish for acting roles in my newest puppet production, The Ugly Guppy. The show will be a shadow puppet of The Ugly Duckling, with a subplot parody of the film Casablanca. My trained fish perform tricks, which I then film and insert into the show.

I use positive reinforcement (reward-based) training, and I find goldfish to be very smart, willing and charming trainees. They are just as interesting to train as the dogs and birds I have worked with. (I have an M.S. in wildlife management with an animal behavior specialty, and most of a Ph.D. in veterinary physiology. Decided not to finish the Ph.D.) I have loved each and every one of my actor fish.

I maintain a blog with a chronicle of my training progress, The Bubble Blog. There you can delve into the details of operant conditioning or just enjoy the many photos and videos of fish doing tricks.

Stop by for a visit!

Regards,
Diane

http://www.freshwaterpearlspuppetry.com/bubbleblog/

[*Ci*]

Wow. I am amazed at your dedication. Your goldies are fantastic and beautiful!
Thank you for posting - I'm going to go and explore your website - the videos load a little slow, but the two that I watched so far were really neat!

[flaringshutter]

So cool! I love the blog. Perhaps I can use your methods and train my fish to swim slalom and such. Great to have you here! :)

[thomasn]

that sooo is cute! I liked Bellasima video. got some questions, if you could indulge me.

are younger goldfish easier to train than older ones? in other words, can you teach an old goldfish new tricks?

how long do the goldfish retain the trick once learned?

are some individuals easier to train than others? are some varieties easier to train than others?

[fishteer]

Glad you're enjoying The Bubble Blog!

I'm happy to answer questions. I haven't found much difference between learning abilities of older vs. younger fish. (Or other animals.) Of course, the difference in the ages of fish I've trained is only a few months or maybe a year. I've never owned a really old goldfish.

I am, however, a proponent of early education. We know that learning stimulates the development of new neural pathways in the brain. Young animals may even grow new brain cells in response to learning. Education physically makes you smarter! When I've finished The Ugly Guppy, I plan to get some very young fry and train them. I'm curious how much they can learn when started very young.

I believe that goldfish can retain what they've learned for as long as any other animal. But like us, they need to continue practicing their skills in order to perform well.

Some individuals are definitely easier to train. Some are just smarter to start with. Skittish and fearful animals are harder to train, because you first have to train them out of their fears before you can get them to learn new skills. That's a very difficult and time-consuming process. The best trainees are calm, healthy, fond of food (THAT's a given with goldfish!) and interested in the world outside their tank. When I shop for a new goldfish, I always choose the one who hangs out at the front of the tank looking at me. (If he's healthy and not floaty.)

Some breeds of goldfish are harder to train just because of their anatomy. Ranchus are smart and willing to learn, but they are not as streamlined as commons and comets. The comets are little athletes! I think ranchus are harder because the position of their eyes sometimes makes it difficult for them to see what you want them to see. But, though they take a little more work, they are certainly capable of learning.

If you're interested in training your fish, I recommend you start with a kit by Dr. Dean Pomerlau. He runs a business called Fish School. His kit is ingenius, with a feeding wand and little goldfish-sized props. Check it out at http://www.fish-school.com/ . Have fun!