The Puffer Forum

OraLacerta wrote:I agree with that too, but in the case of my little Hindenburg, he paces even in his well decorated 35 gallon. I think it's just an obsession with his reflection though- he switches to whichever pane reflects him best.

Narcissistic puffer?

Fish don't see their reflection.
Aquariums are glass. SEE THRU glass.
Perhaps you are talking about how when you look thru the front of an aquarium, the sides will appear as if they were a mirror... this is more or less an optical illusion (if you look thru the side, the front will look like mirror too)

Yes, but I can see my reflection in glass, can't you?

It might not be as clear as a mirror, but I've been known to fix my hair in a car window or something.

Glass most certainly does create a reflection. It depends on where the light is in the room in relation to the tank as well as if there is a light on in the tank, but my puffers definitely can see their reflections. It's just like how you can see your reflection in a window if it's dark outside and there is a light on in your room (that's how a mirror works). They can see their reflections on the side of the tank facing the dark hallway.

That's also why a black background behind glass is more reflective than glass against a white surface. My tank also has a black b/g now and now my puffs can see their reflections on 2 panes!

If I misunderstood you and you are saying my fish may see a reflection but can't recognize the 2-d image of their reflections, that I'm not sure of. It would be an interesting study. Many animals can and are confused by reflections in windows and mirrors and attack their image believing it is an intruder (I have seen my birds do this as well as cats and dogs).

lol, here's an example:

Animals Spooked By Reflection

Also, I've heard backgrounds help from pacing?

HOLY CRAP! Thank you OraLacerta! I think you have somethign there. When my light is on, they surely pace, TONS! But I turn it off, and they still pace, but not so incessively! They also seem to explore more. And I'm sure in a few they'll stop, cuz Im pretty sure they associate light with food, being half time I turn it on, it's feeding time!

We should strap sumbermersible puffer cams onto our F8s so we can see what they see. Too bad I don't have the money for something like that!

Of course, for all we know they might just be trying to read our computer monitors because they know we're writing about them...

lmao, probably