Environmental enrichment for fishes and frogs (2007)

LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum]

Abstract

Our frogs get PCV tubes in which they hide, upside-down plastic boxes, rocks and bricks on which they climb, and plastic litter boxes filled with water serving as little pools.For our fishes, we place PVC pipes in the tanks. We have bottom dweller-type fish. They get really spooked if they do not have a place to hide. It also helps with males, who are territorial, but you have to place enough pipes in the tank to avoid competition. We also float pieces of black trash bags on top of the water to create hiding places.The best enrichment I can think of for fishes are oxygenating plants, e.g., Anacharis and Cabomba. These plants release oxygen into the water, and the fish like to graze on them.