Poor dogs
Looks as if you put your fish on your signature. That'll be usefull .

Then there is another show called Its Me Or The Dog. In fact I'm going to watch it now.

The fish don't associate my hand with tank cleaning but with food...whenever I have my hand in the water whilst cleaning, they all try to nibble at it! 

Nossie is very right about humans not communicating effectively towards the dogs. Canines don't understand cussing anyways.  they only get confused.

I don't know why I never Wikipediaed common goldfish before, but check this out:

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Temperament

Common goldfish are social animals who prefer living in groups. They are able to interact with any fish belonging to the same species. With provision of adequate care and attention, common goldfish can become tame. Once familiar with the face of its owner, swimming towards the fish keeper during feeding time can be observed and hand-feeding becomes possible. Small goldfish will normally avoid any form of human contact. However, this fear ceases in a middle-sized and mature goldfish. A full-grown goldfish is more likely to eat directly from the hands of its owner without evident hesitation. While this behavior is welcomed by goldfish owners, it proved problematic in outdoor ponds where predators may eat such friendly prey. Mature goldfish will also explore their surroundings through nibbling or grazing behavior.

If transferred into a tank of other goldfish, a common goldfish would normally try to communicate and familiarize itself with its new tank mates by rubbing up against the body of other fish. The most common introductory gesture would be by swimming side by side with another goldfish with its head facing forward, or by swimming side by side with another goldfish with its head facing the opposite direction, or even by swimming above another goldfish in a perpendicular fashion. Schooling is a common behavior when there is a new fish in the tank. After some time, this schooling behavior eventually ceases, and soon every individual fish will again be swimming and exploring the aquarium on its own. Aggressive behavior is uncommon when a new specimen is introduced into a settled school of goldfish.

Hierarchy during feeding is commonly observed in which the larger goldfish receives most of the food. However, small goldfish may also become aggressive or competitive feeders despite the presence of larger fish which is, in general terms, considered a good sign, as a willingness to feed is indicative of a healthy goldfish.


That covers a lot of what we have talked about here previously, I mention it now not so much because of the tricks (although the bit about using older more experienced fish is helpful) but because I remember you talking about the way the new fish in the tank swam amongst it's new peers. Much of the rest I have observed in my pond.

It's a cool fish!

Fishy Jeff

I was about to post that bit from wikipedia too
Really interesting thread guys, I'd quite like to give taming goldfish a go! Imagine a goldfish circus? Now that would be interesting... reminds me of this 'Lion-fish Tamer' idea I had a while ago...

Although one thing that could help with taming are these little packets of bloodworm in jelly, where you feed the fish from this little nozzle shaped part at one end of the packet and it seems to promote the idea of fish eating out of your hand.

Although Lucky doesn't come to the surface yet (I can only assume as Wikipedia states that because his small he'll avoid human contact? It makes me wonder how they were fed/kept before) and I had trouble trying to feed him the blood worm, it just fell out of the packet and sunk down to the bottom and Lucky didn't seem that interested in it. Yet he has no problem eating the plant in the aquarium

The bloodworm product that I refer to is called 'Tetra Fresh Delica; Whole Bloodworms, in a nutritious vitamin-rich jelly'.
Then on the back of the pack it mentions that if you 'Squeeze the sachet whilst holding the feeding nozzle underwater and your fish will feed from your hand!'

Skwishee: If you can get more tetra products, I have a really awesome supplement to recommend It's called Tetra Natura, and comes with Brine Shrimp, Blood worms and Algae Mix. I use to feed mine with the brine shrimp and algae mix, since I already have frozen blood worms

Google or YouTube search "Comet the Educated Goldfish".  Now that's one talented fish!  You can also order the training wand from their site.

Nicole they have a vidoe of Comet the Educated Goldfish doing soccer, football and fetch on animal planet's website!

I tried the broccoli.

Waldo, tried it right off the bat, and spit it out. So did little orange. Big Orange found it editable but not with relish. Red Dot (tancho) ate a little bit. Whitey just looked on.

So. Nobody really loved it and two fish threw it up. So, fish and people regard broccoli the same way!

Fishy Jeff

Well Lucky hasn't shown any problems this morning, certainly no swimming upside down!
I think I'll give him some fish flakes tonight and I had some peas out to defrost for him for tomorrow anyway

But thanks for that top twelve list!

Your fish sound huge They must have so much fun in that pond, do you get many problems with predators?

Well, not huge, but heading in that direction.  I suspect they will be the better part of a foot long in a year or two. Contrary to the fishbowl concept of a small fish, they are large fish. Not as large as cousin koi, but big enough that all the tanks in this group are large.

As far as predators, the pond is bird netted overhead and on one side to keep the leaves out. There are trees overhead and the pond is tucked  sort of behind the house. I have no local birds that naturally prefer fish though.

The obvious predator, the cats, have no interest in the fish. Most of the raptors (hawks) work in open spaces. I think the same is true for owls. That leaves possums and raccoons. I had a big problem with possums coming in the cat door and eating up the cat food. The cats largely either ignored them, or worse, cuddled up against them. It took a while to relocate the possums, but they are now gone.

Raccoons would seem to be the big worry. They are very smart, smart enough, to unlock simple latches. The cats don't like them but are unable to fight them as they are too big and strong. Fortunately I've seen no coons lately.

If the pond were in the open, as most ponds are, I would probably have more trouble. As it is now, there is no predator problem. Not that the fish couldn't be easy targets with their curiosity.

As far as feeding, I think Nossie is right to stay away from flakes. The pellets are closer to what they would normally eat. In my case, since the pond is a bit wild, I have a lot of the wild fish diet and an environment which they are suited for. Goldfish like some murkiness and a softer bottom to  root in. Suitable for a pond, not a tank.

I'm a bit wild myself!

Fishy Jeff

Racoons are terrible when it comes to fish! I had 4 fish devoured by racoons in my pond...they peeled back the screening with their tiny hands (it was mauled the next morning) and then wait for a fish to swim by....they are by far (well, besides snakes) the worst predator I have around my fish. They are nocturnal, so I can't ever scare them off too. 

Where do your fish spend the night?

I think mine head to the bottom of the pond when it gets dark. Sometimes in the morning some of them haven't "woken" yet and I simply can't find them. As I understand it, they do rest, when it is dark. My pond is not deep, but the depths are dark enough that I can't see into them even in the day.

Can you see your fish at night?

Fishy Jeff

It is apparently hard to digest.

Corn is a popular filler and as such it is probably as corn gluten and corn meal. Perhaps a a bit of the whole corn is not bad.  Sort of like how the refined white bread is not as nutritious as the whole grain or for that matter, the bag it comes in. But I really don't know and gave you a bit of karma for the observation.

Fishy Jeff

Boiled rice isn't the best thing to be giving goldfish either. One should by all means avoid this kind of foods (oatmeals, rise and corn among them) even in their pellets. It can be hard, but it will make for much healthier fish!