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Thanks guys, i have always been sure that my fish could see me but he insisted it was vibrations. Which i couldn't deny they weren't because i didn't know for sure, But figured that a fish would have to be pretty clever to sense vibrations and follow them exactly to where i was standing. Also Veteric my fish follow my fingers whether they are on the glass or not. Especially my oscars.

LOL...there is a formula that you can find out the angle where total interal reflection occurs...but I forgot it...Have you ever been swimming under the water, look up, and not see the sky?

I doubt the lateral line of a fish can sense the movement of a finger in the air on the other side of a sheet of glass. I've also seen many a cichlid follow fingers around the glass, even if the finger isn't making contact with the surface. I've seen fish follow from just behind, and stay dead on where the finger was. I've also heard of more aggressive fish charging the glass trying to hit family pets outside the tank (dogs, cats, etc.) I think your husband may be thinking that its a mirrored effect because if you look through the glass from the front at the glass on a side pannel, you see a mirror image.

My 29g is on a half-wall between two rooms. When I approach the tank from one side all the fish swim to where I am, probably waiting for food. I sneak around to the room/side, and don't have to wait long before they follow me there. I definitely think they can see outside the tank.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Sorry baerfin must have been typing the reply for CyndieL73 when you submitted your's. I would just like to say a BIG thank you for your reply it has him scratching his head ....hahahahah Yes we could see each other. How dumb am i for not suggesting that. We were going to set up an old 3ft tank in the backyard tomorrow and fill it up with water and dunk our heads in to test out my theory that we would be able to see through the glass. Bet we would have looked pretty funny to the neighbours.....LOL
I like the way you summed it up "Do you think the fish wonder if we can see out of the car windows when we drive!!"
Also a big thank you to you SolubleFish while he still wouldn't admit defeat i think we should compromise on the fact that we are both right and both wrong to a degree and leave it at that. I just don't think a compromise is what he is after.
Thanks Babelfish, that stands to reason aswell, During the day the room is brighter than the tank but of a night the tank is brighter. That's' when i have my viewing pleasure of watching them for hours. But like i just said I too agree on a compromise.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Angel2211 2004-08-16 12:29][/span]

It depends on the lighting in the tank and in the room. If the tank is brighter than the room then they can't as well if the room is brighter than the tank then they can very easily.

Hate to play the "you're both right" card but *shrug*.

^_^

Soluble has a good point. And, the fish can only see from the side (not an expert, I could be wrong), so maybe if they are coming straight at the side of the tank, they can't see ya cuz they have no perifial (spell?) vision. But if they are swimming with the eye close to the side, they probably can see you.

Can you See Me Now?? lol

Actually, if they are at a certain angle, the fish might not be able to see you. When light goes from a more dense to a less dense material, and the light is at a certain angle, something is experienced called total internal reflection. That means the light bounces back (basically the fish can't see you). But at all the other angles, the fish will be able to see you.

HTH

Thank your very much for your quick response. I say thank you because it has helped (it has also added fuel to the fire...lol) but we love a good debate and i think this one in particular has been going on for about 4 years. So thanks again.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Angel2211 2004-08-16 12:13][/span]

Yes they can see tell your husband to go to one end of the tank and look while you go to the other end can you see each other? Yes you can. I am a male and sometimes we are worng very wrong. Do you think the fish wonder if we can see out of the car windows when we drive!!

Well, I don't know if they can see out or not, but I do think they can. For one thing, they can at least see a dark image coming toward them. But it may be the vibration too. But when I am sitting on the couch..not moving, but watching them, even moving my finger or something near the tank freaks them out, so they have to be able to see that.

Did that help? or make it worse?? :%)