Posted by Lauren Boy on January 2, 2006

Q: In my animal behavior class we had a lab that we were doing and our objective was to be able to get the goldfish to swim to the top of the tank whenever we came by. We worked on it for about a month and we learned what and what not to do, but our goldfish just stayed at the bottom. Why is that? We knew not to make loud noises, and we also checked the water daily and cleaned the tank twice a week. So why would they stay at the bottom?

State: New Jersey

Habitat: pond/lake

A: I think your project is a good one and one that can be applied to so many other situations. You "should" have been able to get your goldfish to swim to the surface within a week or so - really! You didn't mention what you were doing to get the fish to behave this way however.

I would have approached the tank ONLY when I fed the fish. So, each time you loom over the tank, your fish would receive a "reward" - positive reinforcement. Within a very short time, your fish would have connected your presence with food and it would automatically rise to the surface when you approached. I'm guessing that your fish was initially afraid (normal behavior) and never had any reason to "change its mind". Hope your project is still underway and you can apply what I'm suggesting. I have goldfish in my own home and within a week, they were eager to come to the surface when I came into the room - it really does work! Best of luck to you and thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( January 3, 2006)