# the emotional life of fish



## Bridget01 (Jan 19, 2011)

This is probably kind of a silly thread, but here goes....I have two albino corys in my tank, whom I am enjoying very much. They just seem like such happy little fish and they wiggle when they swim. I am wondering just how intelligent and for lack of a better word, emotional, fish are. I have heard of fish that come to the surface when their owner approaches, but maybe this is just operant conditioning. When we bought the second albino cory and put him in the tank, the two corys seemed to be greeting each other really enthusiastically. Since they came out of the same tank at the fish store, we actually wondered if they had been friends and remembered each other. Does anyone think this is possible or am I just humanizing my fish?


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## pirasha (Jan 25, 2011)

I totally think fish have personalities like that...I had a betta a few years back (what got me into fish actually) who had an awesome personality..every time I walked into the room he would come to the front of the tank and flitter and flare to get my attention. In fact I had to go away for a week so...and when I came back he swam to the front of the tank..saw me..and turned and showed me his tail. It was the funniest thing..he wouldn't look at me for three days or something...when I fed him he would get excited...then like remember he was mad at me..show me his tail and grudgingly eat the food. He was pacified after I got him frozen blood worms to eat ^_^

Really though this is the reason that I really am not a fan of community tanks...I just don't have the time to go and form the relationship I want and really observe everyone's different personality...I dunno I may also be humanizing fish...but I think its fun and don't see the harm in it.:-D


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## Bridget01 (Jan 19, 2011)

Your betta story is hilarious! I have a dog who gets mad if I leave her for too long, but never thought of a mad fish! Thanks for sharing.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

All it takes is owning more than one betta to figure out that they have individual and varying personalities. I didn't think it was possible until my second, and my third, and my fourth..... well you get the idea.

As for my community tank, the second they see me come into the room they swarm over to the side of the tank that's closest to where I am. Now I know that this is conditioning and they associate me with food but when I just hang out at the side of the tank to watch them, they will come as individuals to just check me out and hang for a while.


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## DisneyCoralReef (Feb 26, 2010)

I discovered that after setting a tiny fresh water tank with my Molly and Disney Fish ;-) Absolutely phenomenal creatures.


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## bigrift (Aug 30, 2010)

i have a dwarf fuzzy lion fish that comes to the top of the tank when it wants to eat thats conditioning i know but if i dare put my hand in the tank i have to pick up a small stick that was in my live sand and play with it. the lady at the lfs where i got it told me they act like dogs but i never amagined it would like to play with sticks lol


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