Can fish get depressed?

[Saintsaber]

Hey i have a flowerhorn who lies on the bottom sometimes but when he sees me he feels like 1 mil bucks. He looks healthy and eats and acts normal he just got cured of swim bladder disease and fin rot. He has no gravel in his tank or anything. He has a flowerhorn male next to him in a different tank and he acts if hes not even there. I had him for about a year now and he looks depressed. Should i get a mirror or one of those flowerhorn toys where the flowerhorn attacks the toy?

 

[Saintsaber]

Bump

 

[Nemesis]

I'm not sure about depressed, but they do get stressed. How big is the tank? Are the lights off before you usually greet him? Gravel and decorations may also benefit him. Many large cichlids love to spend their days redecorating their tanks.

 

[kdrun76]

He needs something to do. As has been suggested, gravel to dig around in, a few plants to move around and perhaps a school of dither fish. (Giant danios work well for this as they are fast enough to avoid most predators.)

 

[tbradley97]

Did you say a fish toy? Im sorry im new to this bein a college student but never heard of that.

 

[kdrun76]

Fish toys: Ping pong ball partially filled with water, wiffle balls, plastic plants etc...

Large cichlids have more intelligence than you might think, and really do get bored. Most large oscars will play catch with you and a pingpong ball. Yes, they throw it back! (along with a good slug of water, have a towel handy!)

 

[tbradley97]

I never thought of that ill have to try that out wen i get home haha

 

[inssane]

+1 for boredom
Give him something to move around and/or dig up

 

[tiddlywinks]

new world cichlid do but they dont stay like that very long