# not the mama..............do your fish recognise you?



## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

i laughed at my friend and his feeble attempt to fool my fish into doing the food dance for him............not the mama.

any one else think their fish recognise them as the hand that feeds them?


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## Matt & Larissa (Sep 1, 2011)

Mine actually recognize the freezer door opening to get them some more bloodworms. 

Door opens, they freak out. 
They know who the real provider is...


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

Right now I'm down to just one fish, my little female betta. I don't think she really recognizes me specifically, she'll swim to the side of the tank any time someone walks by. But I'm usually the only one who gets close enough to the tank for her to figure she's getting food.
I'm pretty sure my turtles recognize me though. When I go near the tanks, they're get their "Food for me?" faces, but anyone else and they're like, "Who are you and what are you doing near my tank?" One tucks in her head and legs when strangers get too close, and one just gets more curious


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## Athomedad (Oct 8, 2011)

My wife never feeds the fish so they always hide from her. (They may also sense her fondness for sushi). 

My parrot fish in particular go crazy when they see me bring a plate of spinach in the room. They definitely know. 

My apple snails even seem to know me & head for the water line at feeding time.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

My fish are always nervous and go dark in fear when strangers (especially large amounts of them) come into the vincinity of the tank. Whenever I enter though they always come to the surface to beg for food. That being said I have given my friend blood worms to handfeed them once and they didn't mind her at all...(albeit those angels were incredibly tamed. the geos were abit timid.)


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

My fish could care less whose around, anyone who has the pellet container in their hand, or the frozen mysis is their best friend. Damn sell outs!


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## Flygirl (Jul 23, 2011)

My fish definitely know it's me. I usually peek at them quite close before feeding and they swim right up to the other side of the glass, directly across from my face and just hover in space - starring... Anyone else gets close to the tank, and they're gone behind the plants... watching. Only after I come close do they swim out, albeit cautiously... then if I feed and strangers are present, most will come out, though not all will eat.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Yes. Many of our fish have recognized me as I am the only one who feeds them.

For example, we've only had King Charles (a blue betta) for a few weeks. He is on the dining room shelf almost next to where my husband sits when he's working from home. He completely ignores my husband's presence. But when I walk into the room (or at least, that half of the room), he comes to the front. He also comes to the front of the tank when I switch on the light.

Downstairs, I have a 36 gallon tank with young red phantom tetras in it. I'm usually the only person who goes to that part of the room (a nook) unless someone wants something from the little fridge or at the sink, and I'm the only person who ever feeds them. When I come into that area, they all gather at the nearest corner of the tank expectantly. When any of my kids do, or my husband -- they stay scattered around the tank.

As far as I can tell, the furcatus rainbows are completely indifferent to my presence unless I actually have food on my fingers. And the endlers are the opposite -- they'd probably fin a welcome to the cats, they are so convinced that the joy of everyone's life is to feed them.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

The Green Machine (the trimac) is a shameless beggar for food. If Djamm or I walk into the office, he starts showing off, and when he sees the container or your hand near the top, he gets nearly hysterical. My oscars also know me as She Who Feeds, as do the goldfish.

Not so sure about the rest of the tanks, although the betta usually knows when it's feeding time.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

absolutely! Gklaw came over one day and I swear I barely had a fish to show him. Even the rosie barbs hid behind their log. Not all the species act that way, of course, but it's funny to look at a 45 gallon tank and not see a single fish


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I'd like to think mine do, though it's mostly due to being a source of food lol.I have a few that do seem to act happy to see me even when there isn't food involved & there are a couple that hide when anybody else gets too close so I am gonna have to say yes they do. Then again like Chris said, if there is food involved they appear to like/recognize anybody. Sell outs is right indeed lol


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## Sanka101 (Dec 15, 2010)

I also think my fish know exactly who the hand is thats feeding them. =] most of them come out in the open as soon they see me walk in the room but will hide when ever companys comes over! Something weird i did notice was the first few days after i dyed my hair red the first time (naturally blonde) non of the usual fish greated me.. instead everyone of them hid like they do for other people. It took atleased a week or two before they got comfertable with me again. =/ They learn to recognize what food they do and dont like, and eventually wont even bother to try tasting it after a while, So it really does make me wonder if they can learn to recognize people?.


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## poiuy704 (Nov 6, 2010)

mine seem to know me!


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## reikidolls (Nov 1, 2010)

I have guppies, mollies, and a few bettas. They all know that I feed them. Even the guppy fry (about a month old) know that I'm the feeder person! btw, hi, I'm Terri, I live in Maple Ridge.


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## Nicole (Nov 21, 2011)

poiuy704 said:


> mine seem to know me!


LOL..I think many really underestimate the intelligence of fish.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

Matt & Larissa said:


> Mine actually recognize the freezer door opening to get them some more bloodworms.
> 
> Door opens, they freak out.
> They know who the real provider is...


I got to see this and it was hilarious - hope that one guy by himself is doing much better these days!


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## raeven (May 12, 2011)

This is actually quite funny.

I'm usually the one that feeds the fish, but we have on in particular (opaline gourami) that the bf just LOVES. Perseus J. Fishrock is his name, so when the bf walks into the room he'll go, "Perseus!" Sure enough, the gourami comes out and says a sort of hello. The bf will then put his fingers in the tank and go, "Give me your wigglers!" And once again, the fish swims to the top of the tank and does what looks to be a high five with his arms. So cute.

And if that's not enough, our angelfish (Widget) gets extremely jealous of Perseus, and he'll come nip at his side for second until the boyfriend goes, "Hey! Widget! Stop that." pointing a finger at him. INSTANTLY Widget backs off and resumes whatever he was doing moments ago. It's the finger that works. He doesn't even have to say anything and the point still comes across.


Funny enough, I can never do this. The best I get is a guppy/platy swarm whenever I dip my fingers in the tank water lol


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## Sweetpea (Nov 7, 2011)

It's amazing how some non-human creatures can be incredibly observant of different humans' appearances. Did anyone hear about that study where they had researchers trapping and banding some crows while wearing masks, and then returning to the area a few weeks later, again in the mask, and having the birds freak out, warning their fellow crows about the dangerous human. Let's see if I can find the link so you can read for yourself...ok, here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/science/26crow.html
Imagine if we could recognize individual crows etc. at that level of accuracy.


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## Ebonbolt (Aug 12, 2011)

With the crows, it may be more scent related than look, but still the fact that they remembered weeks later is pretty amazing, especially considering that I can't even remember my homework first block at the end of the day


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## raeven (May 12, 2011)

Actually, another amazing things about crows, is you can teach them to talk. The bf's grandmother had one, and I guess all they have to do is snip a part of the tongue in the mouth or something? I'm not entirely sure how that was.

Either way, they may look stupid, but crows are actually very intelligent creatures.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

welcome reikidolls. we have quite a few members in maple ridge. there is an introduction thread............say hello to everyone, is a good group.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

poiuy704 said:


> mine seem to know me!


Poiuy, that is a hilarious photo! But, good solid proof that your fish love you, I'd say.


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