Signs of boredum?

[LittleBettaFish]

Originally Posted by Myates

I wouldn't consider pacing as a sign, as they don't pace... they just swim around. Some just have preferred routes.

Luckily, they don't get "bored" in the terms that we know it as- as they are fish and their minds don't work that way. It's if the tank is bare then they will hang around more then swim, if it's got a good amount of decorations, or if they have a neighbor, they will swim around often. Unsure about their memory span.. I remember a goldfish's memory span is only 3 minutes.

Goldfish have a much longer memory span than that. I think a study was done that determined they had the capabilities to remember things for a few months and could recognise individual faces out of a group of people. Mine are certainly intelligent enough to remember my face as they react with a lot more enthusiasm to me than to anyone else in the house.

I don't think its boredom fish suffer from, but a lack of stimulation. I had a female who lived in a sparsely decorated, bare-bottom tank and she would continually swim back and forth along the glass as there was nothing else really to do in there. That was definitely a neurotic behavior, as it was repeated over and over again even when I changed the decorations around and added a few hiding places.

I've found the less there is to do in a tank, the less active my bettas are unless I provide a source of entertainment for them. The bettas I house in small, bare-bottom tanks are much less active overall than those housed in more planted, and stimulating surrounds.

I think it is this lack of activity that causes stress and neurotic behaviour, rather than boredom as we know it.

[Myates]

Ooh.. I should look it up. I haven't messed with goldfish really for about 15 years, haven't really done any studying of them other then their needs. Thanks for the info on their memory span.

*edit* should of researched earlier.. you are correct (didn't doubt you). I never got into goldfish, only had a few once.. I learned their needs, but never went beyond that. I'm actually glad you mentioned it, makes my view of them change a little for the better :) But I'm still a betta and cichlid girl lol

[Badjer]

Originally Posted by Mars788

Three words - Dry erase markers :) I saw that someone had posted about them a couple weeks ago and had to try it out. Take a darker colored marker and put it up to the side of the tank/bowl/betta habitat. Start drawing. Mine likes chasing the tip of the marker and flaring up at it. haha

This is an awesome idea! I tried it out, and both boys went nuts. Xavier normally doesn't flare, but the marker had him going nuts. I left the scribbles on the tank for a bit and Tybalt is still staring trying to figure it all out.

I thought goldfish had a 5 second memory, until the pond babies learned to recognize when I was going to feed them and started going crazy whenever I got near the pond. Pretty sure they forget during the winter months though since they don't get fed. It always takes them a few weeks in the spring to learn to recognize food again.

[Wolfboy51]

i show him pics of other bettas from ipod, sometimes moving so they seem more real. males AND females XD

[Wolfboy51]

goldfiish have long memories (sort of) a person would place a red block down where he would feed the fish (the fish would learn to swim to it), and every time he would feed it there, he did this for around a month i think. but once he put the block down and the fish swam to it expecting food (he put no food in).

[yumekon]

Wow thanks for all the ideas guys!! I'm sure like other first time fish owners, I thought he would like a lot of room to swim but looks like I'm wrong.

Time for more decorations!