Odd question I know. Let me explain. I have a tank with 1 severum in it with some tetras and a pleco. I want to add more sevs but any I can find are much smaller than mine. So I'm going to move the established sev to another tank, add more to the main tank, then later reintroduce my big guy. I'm hoping this will make him the new guy instead of them. Which brings me back to the original question. How long will it take for him to forget his old empire? Will he recognize it and get all territorial? Thoughts?
How long do fish remember?
- Thread starter skinnyfish
- Start date
Studies have shown that fish, especially cichlids, have very good spatial memory. For example salmon that migrate upstream as adults to the streams they were hatched it are homing off not only chemical and olfactory cues, but spatial recognition as well. What you'll want to do is not only move him to another tank (a cycled tank though), but completely reorganize all the hiding spots and plants. If things are in the same position he could, possibly, remember his territory for months. But if you move him, redecorate and let the new little guys establish a territory, you'll likely be ok. However, you won't want to add just him as adding one "target" to a tank with fish (even juveniles) that have established a territory, is typically a recipe for disaster.
Thus is the difficulty of adding cichlids.
Thus is the difficulty of adding cichlids.
I should mention that my guy is still young himself only about a year old and 4.5 inches and pretty docile with his non cichlid tankmates. I guess all I can do is a total rescape and hope for the best. I forgot about salmon so I guess fish do have long memories.
