(08-18-2014, 01:11 PM)Thor Wrote: They got used to feeding routine, which is being fed most of the time when someone goes near their tank. As a result, they expect food when you walk by their tank. It is the reason why they follow you.
This would make sense if they clustered toward the top of the tank when I was feeding, but they seem to playfully follow me. Even after they have just been fed, so while the feeding might have something to do with (perhaps even a large part!) I think it may have gone a little bit beyond that. Maybe I am being a bit optimistic, though. Perhaps they have developed a feeding response and the associate me and the stimuli of me moving around the tank with food. I know clownfish (and most fish) are opportunistic feeders in nature, and perhaps this is just a (cute) side effect.
On a slightly random note...
I have read recently that some cichlids are aggressive and will move quickly back and forth in front of their territory. My friends even bump up against the tank if you get close enough, though they usually relax once they realize food is coming.
I guess my ultimate question would be--do you see this as personality or instinct? Are the ways clown fish and cichlids respond to food/people stimuli just part of nature or is it a mix of nature and personality (which might explain why some cichlids are very aggressive and some are relaxed compared to others).
