does my betta recognize its owner?

[onyxite]

Hey guys, I've got something pretty cool to share about my three betta buddies - Puyo, Bonbon, and Isola. I'm their sole caretaker in a big household, but my family members occasionally swing by to check them out. What's caught my attention is how Bonbon, the grumpiest and largest of the trio, always gets agitated when he sees my mom, dogs, or other people, but never with me.

I've noticed that whenever I approach the tank, they all swim up to greet me, probably expecting food. It's like they know it's "feeding time" and I'm the one who brings the goods. This got me wondering - do they actually recognize me as a person, like how dogs recognize their owners?

I know for sure they've figured out I'm the "food god" who magically makes pellets appear, and they've also learned to associate the gravel cleaner with a good scare. But what's interesting is how they always seem to flare up at everyone else except me.

I've also been experimenting with feeding them using a toothpick, dipping it in their tank water to pick up a few pellets. Accidentally, I've trained Puyo to follow the toothpick around in the water - it's hilarious! Puyo's always been a bit of a genius, and this just proves it. The other two don't seem to care about the toothpick, but Puyo's always on the lookout for it.

I've attached some pictures of my guys - Puyo's a lazy bum who loves squeezing into tiny spaces, Isola's a bit of a slowpoke, and Bonbon's a bit of a show-off (sorry about the blurry pic, he was being stubborn). Puyo's in a 15g tank, while Bonbon and Isola share a 10g tank. No tankmates for them in the long run - I did try with cherry shrimp once, but Puyo had other plans.

I just love talking about my bettas because they bring me so much joy. I can spend hours just watching them swim around - it's super relaxing. But whenever I try to share this with non-fish enthusiasts, they just don't get it.

[SlyFox]

I'm pretty sure my tetras know when it's feeding time, like when I'm opening the lid or getting the food ready. I think they can recognize their owners too, you know, in their own little way. It's kinda like how cats know their name but just choose to ignore it most of the time. They're just so pretty to watch, aren't they?

[burglar_4]

I'm pretty sure my betta knows who I am. It's probably a combo of things, but I think the size difference plays a big role - I mean, I'm way bigger than my kids, so it makes sense they'd react differently to me. When I approach the tank, my betta always comes swimming up, whereas when my kids come near, he gets all defensive and flared up.

[happyone]

In my experience, all fish tend to react positively to whoever feeds them, it's not that surprising to me.

[onyxite]

I really hope my bettas recognize me, even if it's just as the magical food god. Puyo's tank is right at my desk, so I'm basically in his line of sight all day. Sometimes he'll come and stare at me through the corner of the tank - I like to think he's curious about what I'm up to, but maybe he's just checking out the surroundings. Either way, it's pretty cool that he seems to have a interest in my daily activities.

[daisymay]

I'm pretty sure my betta knows who I am. It's probably a combo of things, but I think the size difference plays a big role - I mean, I'm way bigger than my kids, so it makes sense they'd react differently to me. When I approach the tank, my betta always comes swimming up, whereas when my kids come near, he gets all defensive and flared up.

I've come across some info that says betas can actually recognize their owners, which is pretty cool. Apparently, they can even be trained to do some simple tricks like swimming through hoops or pushing a ball into a goal. My betta, Blue, always swims up to the front of the tank to hang out with me, especially when he's looking for food.

[Burgermuncher]

I'm pretty sure some of my fish know me, like my Gourami and Angels - they always seem to acknowledge me when I'm near the tank. My two female Bettas too, they've got a special vibe going on when I approach. The tetras, not so much, they're just too busy swimming around in a school.

[onyxite]

I'm pretty sure some of my fish know me, like my Gourami and Angels - they always seem to acknowledge me when I'm near the tank. My two female Bettas too, they've got a special vibe going on when I approach. The tetras, not so much, they're just too busy swimming around in a school.

I'm on the same page. My bettas all seem to know me, but the tetras just get hyped when the lid opens and food is on its way.

[fineman]

When I'm standing by my tiger barb tank, they all start swimming around like crazy - I'm pretty sure they're just waiting for food.

[coltin]

Hey guys, I've got something pretty cool to share about my three betta buddies - Puyo, Bonbon, and Isola. I'm their sole caretaker in a big household, but my family members occasionally swing by to check them out. What's caught my attention is how Bonbon, the grumpiest and largest of the trio, always gets agitated when he sees my mom, dogs, or other people, but never with me.

I've noticed that whenever I approach the tank, they all swim up to greet me, probably expecting food. It's like they know it's "feeding time" and I'm the one who brings the goods. This got me wondering - do they actually recognize me as a person, like how dogs recognize their owners?

I know for sure they've figured out I'm the "food god" who magically makes pellets appear, and they've also learned to associate the gravel cleaner with a good scare. But what's interesting is how they always seem to flare up at everyone else except me.

I've also been experimenting with feeding them using a toothpick, dipping it in their tank water to pick up a few pellets. Accidentally, I've trained Puyo to follow the toothpick around in the water - it's hilarious! Puyo's always been a bit of a genius, and this just proves it. The other two don't seem to care about the toothpick, but Puyo's always on the lookout for it.

I've attached some pictures of my guys - Puyo's a lazy bum who loves squeezing into tiny spaces, Isola's a bit of a slowpoke, and Bonbon's a bit of a show-off (sorry about the blurry pic, he was being stubborn). Puyo's in a 15g tank, while Bonbon and Isola share a 10g tank. No tankmates for them in the long run - I did try with cherry shrimp once, but Puyo had other plans.

I just love talking about my bettas because they bring me so much joy. I can spend hours just watching them swim around - it's super relaxing. But whenever I try to share this with non-fish enthusiasts, they just don't get it.

Fish definitely recognize their owners. I had a big household back in the day, and my fish pretty much ignored everyone else. They'd swim around like normal when people were around, but they never begged for food from anyone else.

As soon as they saw my bedroom door open or saw me coming down the hall, though, they'd swim right to the side of the tank closest to me. They'd follow me as I walked past the tanks, waiting for me to give them a snack. This happened at all hours of the day and night, and it didn't matter if they'd just eaten or not.

I had other people feed them over the years, but the fish would swim away and wait for them to leave before they'd eat. Some of them even refused to eat from certain people in the house. They'd just ignore the food, no matter how long the person stood there or even if they left the room and peeked back in.

It's pretty clear to me that fish can tell their owners apart from everyone else.