I once had a fish (shumbunkin) and it was living in a 10-gal. with 2 other goldfish.(There were 2 ornaments with small holes in them) Well, I went to school one day and came back and the fish is dead due to it sticking its head in a hole of one of the ornaments. None of them had ever done that before, and the fish showed no signs of weird behavior. Though I now think the entire situation is hilarious, I want to know if fish actually have mental problems like that.
Anonymous
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I don't find that all that funny. :S The poor fish died due to improper breathing most likely, and eventually stress. Fishes frequently get stuck in ornaments that aren't suited to them- one of my Dojo's wigged into a tight hole on an ornament once- it began to hyperventilate. Luckily he allowed me to get him out.
Fish can die from stress quite easily, if it's to an excess.
Though yes, fish can go crazy- specifically the more intelligent breeds, like catfish or angelfish. Fish are much smarter than snakes, amphibians, and many other reptiles such as anoles and iguanas. They have a greater density of folds in their cerebral cortex, giving them the ability to register pain, memory, and yes, mental illnesses. Though it's not common, it is possible. Though if you think your pets dying is funny as opposed to something to look into (aka removing the offending ornament, to avoid further injuries) perhaps you should look into a different type of animal to keep. I'm not trying to be rude in any way at all, but fish are very easy animals to stress, and if you don't take caring for them very seriously, there's no promise of them lasting happily or lengthly amounts of time. After all, fish are actually pretty demanding animals- greatly misunderstood in terms of care. Their ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are important, hardness of water, how much space, current and what foods they eat are all very detrimental to their health- and especially their social interactions.
Because they're living, it doesn't necessarily mean they're happy at all. For example: catfish can live fine on their own, but most are happiest in groups. A clown loach can LIVE in a 20-50 gallon tank... but it can grow to over a foot long, and feels cramped after a while. It can become very miserable in a small tank, and unless you know what to look for, your clown could be desperately unhealthy without the owner knowing.
Sure, a buck fifty can get you a goldfish, but a goldfish can live for over 15 years. And in my opinion, that's a much more long and spanning life than that of a rat, mouse or hamster (not to demean these animals as pets, they're fantastic mannered animals and I own some of my own) a lot of fish can outlive most family pets. Some fish can even outlive people, easily! It's just neglect or incorrect information that has them die within a couple years. Irridescent sharks are popular fish at pet stores- but this 2-3 inch pet can get SIX feet long!
LOL Just be careful what you buy next time, do a little research, and definitely get rid of that ornament, if you'd like to keep them. Fish can and will try to shelter themselves if they can find a way- kind of like a person being in a cage and watched. You'd wanna get out of the spotlight for a while, right? In a 10 gallon, try out some hearty fish like dwarf guarmis- they're beautiful fish, very hearty, and don't demand too much in terms of upkeep. :)I have some currently and they're very delightful to watch. Just try to get a male and female!
Hope I helped you out!
Zoe
No, fish don't get mental problems like that.
The goldfish didn't die because it got stuck in the hole... it died, and then drifted into the hole. And it died from poor water conditions. 10 gallons is way way too small for 3 goldfish. One goldfish needs at least 15 gallons of water to be healthy, because they heavy bodied fish that produce huge amounts of waste (which is, basically, toxic ammonia).
Edit: Just thought I'd note that iridescent sharks don't get anywhere near 6 feet long ;) 4 feet is the norm for wild adults and 2 feet is normal in captivity, even in a large tank. They are still by no means beginner fish, but let's not exagerate.
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I don't consider fish being cramped in too small of a tank with ornaments that it can get stuck in, which it does and dies because of it hilarious or that it had mental problems.
longnosedquoll
I think they can. My fish snapped and ate every other fish in the tank after a year of living with them.
Amanda D
fish like to hide in places i believe that what your fish was trying to do.NO donot think fish can go mental.