# Fish Memories (Cichlid Mans thread of the week)



## *GoGoGo Fish!* (Jul 6, 2005)

I got a question for everyone. It might fustrated. 
I know fish have short memories, but how long does they memory last?
I can't remember how long.I know their memory is short, but how short?^

My other question is do they know they are sick or hurt if they have short memories?  

This is such a weird question I'm asking. Don't you think. I'm just wondering. :grin: 

Thanks,
*GoGoGo Fish!* :fish:


----------



## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

hmm when i was younger i was always told 3 seconds, but i dont know if thats true, so dont take my word for it


----------



## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Just like Dory  jk


> My other question is do they know they are sick or hurt if they have short memories?


Well I think they don't connect, they still 'sense' hurt but I'm not sure if they remember that for long after recover...


----------



## Imbrium (Feb 7, 2005)

That whole 3 second memory thing is silly. They remember from one day to the next that you're the one that feeds them. You can tell because they swim to the top of the tank.


----------



## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

they tested that on myth busters they remembered how to get to other side of a aquarium in a week adnd tested another week l8ter with out practice and they did it again so i say yeah. They have long memmory cause my gurami has been tought to eat food from my fingers if they had short memory then he would be scared everytime.


----------



## *GoGoGo Fish!* (Jul 6, 2005)

Okay, my guess even though I started this topic is that they remember some things they do like feeding time, but thats probably it for them. 
I think Dory is hularious. I compare my Mom and GRandma and All my aunts to Dory. Dory is so funny. Don't you think so?
Only problem with Dory is that she has like very short term memory and she doesn't know how to shut her mouth when she needs to.


----------



## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

i dont think i would love dory if she had a perfect memory and new what to say thats what makes us like her.


----------



## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

IfI may add something here, add a power strip to your tank pumps, then like i do at feeding time, i hit the switch, off go the pumps, out come the fish, and this don;t matter if it;s the day after a purge or not they remember......

Now I know they remember, back when fished everynight, I had the first spot i would go to,8.45pm arrive time, have two poles baited and in the water buy 9pm, between 9:15 n 9:30 everynight, would start catch catfish....i fished that hole out in a weeks time...after after about 4 days it slowed down.....then a few days later nothing....
They knew where to be at what time for food, and the fish i caught proved it...

And then people who train oscars, how do they remember that trick that gets them food......


----------



## *GoGoGo Fish!* (Jul 6, 2005)

don't ask me. If we could be fish just for a few minutes in an aquarium we can know about fish memories and more about them.


----------



## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

*GoGoGo Fish!* said:


> don't ask me. If we could be fish just for a few minutes in an aquarium we can know about fish memories and more about them.


i wish!! thatd would be awesome to be a fishy for a day!!!!


----------



## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

About the training, feeders, aren't they just like Pavlov's dogs? If you know what I mean...


----------



## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Fish memeries are nothing like our own. Fish only having memeries for three to seven seconds can be true to some extent, but isn't strictly true. A fish can't remanis, for example it can't say to itself, "I had flakes yesterday", or it can't connect two ideas together, for example, "I had flakes for 6 days in a row, that means today we get bloodworms". A fish uses it's instict most fo the time, and most fish can't learn things like we can, they can only accociate things, like when the tank lid goes up, food goes in. And also they can remember a fish when they haven't seen it for many months, for example when you put an aggressive fish in the tank that has been quarintined for a while, and then all of the sudden the remember it was a bully and they either swim off, or fight with it because they think it's their territory.
I had an experience similar to this once. I used to have two male parrot fish and a few smaller cenral americans in a tank. One male was slightly larger than the other and was dominant, But they never used to hurt each other. One day I bought a large powder blue zebra mbuna from Lake Malawi. At first the parrots and the mbuna didn't notice each other for a while, the mbuna was too busy showing off to the other central American cichlids as he hadn't seen any fish for a long time because he was on his own in a small tank at the shop. Anyway, the larger parrot took notice of it after a few minutes, and because he had been the dominant male in the tank for such a long time, six months, he thought he'd better show the cocky mbuna who's boss. He gave him a few nudges, but the mbuna wasn't having any of it, he was whirling around the mbuna like a violent tornado, throwing a few snaps here and there every now and then. Well, after a few minutes of sizing each other up, they locked jaws. The mbuna being faster and having stronger jaws had the upper hand, however the parrot still hung in there as he had the power behind his fins. After a while they were both getting tired and had a few rests here and there but it was still firey.
Tossed and turned in my sleep that night, woke up the next morning to see who'd won the fight, standing there was the parrot with a broken jaw, I thought that this couldn't go on no more. The mbuna was then the ruler of the tank, chasing everyone my heart really sank, I wanted to take him back to the shop coz I really wanted this fish to stop. he was really causing so much trouble, he was really getting on everyones bubble. All the fish with ripped fins, couldn't eat their dins coz that mbuna kept on snapping at their chins. This mbuna fish was on top, I really wanted to take him back to the shop. This big mess, I should of took him back to the lfs, but then came the trouble, yeah the real big test...........
LOL sorry, Just thought I'd make this really long post a bit more interesting. 
Anyway, both of the parrot cichlids were cornered at the top of the tank, and the mbuna didn't let them swim in the middle. Also their fins were all ripped, it took ages for them to repair. I took the mbuna out and bought a tank specialy for him. I only had one tank, then two, now because of so many problems like this one I've ended up with tanks all over my house!
After every few months when ever the parrots recovered and re-established their territory I would put the mbuna back with the parrots and the same thing would happen. However, after a while, both parrots joined forces and were evenly matched with the mbuna for a while but not for long. I thought that the parrots were a breeding pair or something, but they were too males for sure and never joined forces unless I put the mbuna with them. After they lost their territory again though something remarkable happened, my texas cichlid joined forces with the parrots as well! and flared their gills and forght with the mbuna, probably because they were all at risk from losing their territory again.
From then on, whenever the parrots saw a blue fish similar to that of the mbuna, both parrots would fight feircly with it untill I took the fish out. The strange thing is, both parrots never showed any aggression towards any other fish throughout their whole life span.


----------



## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Wow, really cool story!
So the fact that most cichlid come as their owner approach the tank means that they 'think' "This face" = "food" is it?


----------



## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

ChichlidMan: i like the little nursery rhyme, made me laugh

for those who didn't catch it, remanis = reminisce. I did a double take on this myself. T.R.O.Y.


Most snakes and reptiles have short term memory measured in seconds. The theory that Fish have a 3 second memory, well it's been proved wrong a few times. For those that have fish that can't remember anything, well there's an exception for fish who should ride the short bus with head gear. Cichlid Man's story proves that even hybrid fish can remember.


----------



## drosera (Feb 2, 2005)

I think this question is a little more complex than asking a simple question like, "how long can fish remember?" The most important point that it seems everyone has missed is that there are thousands of species of fish, some with better memories than others. 

I'm sure that we all have stories that prove that fish can remember longer than 3 or 7 or more seconds. Remember too that this used to be a prevalent theory about dogs and cats too, and we all know that is wrong.

We also have to take into account that there are different 'kinds' of memory. Cichlids must remember their territories for example, where many livebearers don't. Fish with social traits must remember who specific other fish are, while many schooling and solitary fish don't need to know that. There is also conscious and subconscious memory. And of course you have to try to determine any memory as distinct from instinctual behaviour. 

So in essence, while I believe most fish have memories far longer than a few seconds, I don't think they remember everything they see or do.

To determine any evidence of memory, specific tests using only one variable per test shold be performed (such as object memory, spatial memory, recognition of other individuals, etc). As mentioned, this sort of thing was done on myth busters, where the fish had to remember a path for x amount of time. I think it would take an expert to put together these individual results, and propose a theory about the mechanics and overall functioning of memory.

Take care!

Chris


----------



## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

> don't ask me. If we could be fish just for a few minutes in an aquarium we can know about fish memories and more about them.


This is just to put out their u might think im weired but fish coudl have like 2 second memory then if were fish for a day we would not remember. If u dont understand its ok i get that a lot.


----------



## tahuampa (Jun 26, 2005)

So if we turn into fish for a day; we will forget this in a couple of seconds!!!
What a useless experience!!!

I had a Motoro Stingray that usually took its food from my fingers.
She stand over one side of the tank and stayed there jumping and moving her fins as if saying "hello, food is comming" untill I release a earthworm directly in her mouth.

Then, I had to be out for a month or so; and no one else fed her the same way I did, during that period.

When I came back, I hold an earthworm in my hand and she started to make the same dancing in front of me.
She remembered me? my hand? the earthworm? her dancing steps? 
Dont know; but some kind of memory this should be...


----------



## *GoGoGo Fish!* (Jul 6, 2005)

wow, amazing story tahuampa. I love how she remembered you. Awesome stories everyone, awesome. thanks everyone. I now know about fish memories.


----------

