Betta fish are one of the most popular types of freshwater fish in North America. They are also well-known for their striking colors and amazing finnage. But do betta fish recognize their owners? How do they do it? Can you tell if your betta recognizes you or not? What do they do when they see you, that proves that they know who you are?
This article will answer all these questions, and more!
It’s been found out that bettas will even notice if you’ve been gone for a long period and greet you enthusiastically when you return home! In this article, we’ll go over 7 ways your betta recognizes you so take some notes!
In case you are in a hurry we have an on-point short answer for you here.
Do betta fish recognize their owners? Yes, betta fish do recognize their owners. They’re very intelligent and social fish. They tend to be more active at feeding time and will respond if called by name or hand clapping.
I am sure that most of the people who have kept a betta fish in an aquarium at home would agree with me when I say: do my betta fish recognize me?
The answer is simply, yes. They do.
When you do some research on this topic and read more do betta fish recognize their owner’s articles and information, you find out that it is a common thing for the Betta to remember its owner.
They do not just recognize you in a second because somebody else is feeding them, but they do remember the person who takes care of them and brings food on time.
I feel like I need to mention that it does not matter if your betta fish remembers you or not because this means nothing when it comes to its health.
You can do all that you can do to make your betta feel comfortable, but it will not recognize you. This does not mean that the fish is unhappy or something like this, so do not worry about anything when it comes to its health.
Now that you have known that betta fish can recognize their owners. Let us move forward to some awesome interaction methods betta fish uses to communicate with the owner.
Below is a section, we discussed 7 ways a betta fish can interact with the owner.
It’s quite simple for the Betta to remember its owner as they can easily see and hear them through an aquarium glass wall.
All your movements are visible to it and every sound you make will be heard by him or her to make it easier for you to do everything in front of aquarium glass.
Bettas are very intelligent fish and can easily notice anything that could be related to their owner or any other members of the family like children etc., whom he/she gets used to after a few days.
It has been seen that bettas do not like it when they are taken out of the water for a long period.
However, if you do so then take them back in front of their aquarium glass wall to let them see and hear everything again before its usual environment at night which is enough to make your betta remember you again.
It’s simple: You just have to feed him every time he gets hungry. If you do this enough times, your pet will recognize you. This way, your betta will do what he can to get food from you and not just anyone else!
Most of us understand that the best way to keep our beloved pets happy is by spending time with them – it doesn’t matter if they are dogs or cats or fish, all living creatures need attention to thrive.
How To Find Out If Your Betta Recognizes You or Not?
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These are some bettas behavior that will let you know if your betta recognizes you or not.
#1 Behavior – They Don’t Shy
Your betta does not shy away from you when you enter the room.
#2 Behavior – They Don’t Hide
Your betta does not try to hide in a corner of its aquarium and does not swim on top of their plant whenever they see you walk by.
#3 Behavior – They Won’t Show Aggression
Showing aggression is very common among fish, but with time your betta will get used to seeing you every day and do not do this anymore.
#4 Behavior – They Will Greet You!
When your betta does see you, it will swim towards you and greet you happily.
#5 Behavior – Watch Their Actions
It extends its fins and puffs out to appear bigger than they are.
#6 Behavior – They Will Swim Slow
Your betta will do a very slow swimming motion, almost like they are waltz to greet you.
#7 Behavior – Say Hello to Them
If your betta is already eating when it sees you, its fins will be out and body stiff as if saying “Hello” back at them.
Do Betta Fish Recognize Their Names? How To Call Them?
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As I said earlier, there is no clear answer to this question. However, we can give some explanations and make some assumptions based on scientific studies and observations of fish behavior.
It is possible that do betta fish recognize their names, but it can be difficult to know for sure if they do or not without having a conversation with them (and we all know that this isn’t an option).
The fact that betta fish are one of the most intelligent fish on the planet makes it very likely that do betta fish recognize their names, but this remains an assumption.
For example, in a recent study made by researchers of Hiroshima University (Japan), do betta fish recognize human faces? was investigated using images of women’s faces and voices to see if do betta fish would respond differently when they saw or heard their owners.
The study showed that do betta fish do not seem to recognize the face of a person, but they do show different behaviors when hearing her voice (friends and family).
7 Ways Betta Fish Interacts With The Owner
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These are the 7 ways that help betta fish to communicate with the owner.
Your Betta Is Staring at You
If your betta is staring at you it means that he/she is interested and wants to do something with you. This betta fish shows his interest in communicating.
You can also do this experiment, when your pet is sleeping put a mirror before the tank so that he will see himself and it will wake him or her.
Your Betta Fish Is Swimming Rounds and Stoping To See You Again and Again
This sign explains that you betta want your attention and want to show you his/her swimming skills. You should pay attention to the fish and enjoy it as well.
Also, try to do the same he/she doing in the aquarium. Like, turn round, stop and stare your betta. It will be really fun. Do it now!
Betta Fish Can Do Kink-tail or Half-moon Shape
Well, this is the sign that your fish do not feel happy with his/her surrounding.
You can do something to make him or her, comfortable.
If you are taking care of more than one betta then try to keep them in separate tanks so they can have their own space and will be able to swim freely without any disturbance.
Betta Fish Do the Circle Shape and Go to Another Corner of the Tank
This sign shows that your betta does not feel comfortable with his/her surrounding. It will help you to understand the problem of your pet fish and make the necessary changes.
Also, try to change the temperature of water frequently because it will make your fish comfortable as well.
It is also important that do not overfeed him any kind of food.
Your Betta Follows You While Your Walk Nearby Him/Her
When your betta fish do this, it means that he or she is showing his interest in communicating and want to do something with you.
You can do the same in the aquarium nearby him so that will be more interesting for both of you. It’s really fun!
If we talk about games then there are also some games which you can do with your betta.
If you are spending time then do not forget that it is important to do this daily otherwise pet fish will feel lonely and he/she has a tendency towards depression so try to spend at least an hour in a day communicating with your betta.
Don’t wait just do it now! 🙂
Betta Does Come to You When They See the Food
This is a sign that tells you that do you want to eat food which is given by you. Betta fish can do this because they have a good memory so if he or she eats the same food every day then it will show his interest in eating that particular type of meal.
When your betta does come to see the food, try to feed him with their favorite meal do not do this more than once a day.
There are also some other ways through which you can make your betta fish feel happy and comfortable as well such as do not overfeed them, do changing the temperature of water frequently because it will help him or them to live a healthy life.
Your Betta Does Something With Their Fins When They Are Excited
Betta does have the habit of doing this when they are excited about something.
They do it to show their happiness and excitement so try to do the same with them if you want a healthy life for your pet fish because it will also help him or her to live longer as well.
Finally, do not forget that betta’s do not like to live alone, do keep them in separate tanks if you are keeping more than one betta.
Do Betta Fish Get Excited When Seeing Their Owners?
Yes! Betta fish gets excited every time seeing their owners. This only means that do betta fish recognize their owners.
It is very important to spend time with your pet for them to feel you near and love you more than ever.
You need to give special food, treats, or small toys every day so they get used to seeing you bringing something good inside the tank.
If betta fish recognize their owners they will do everything to be near you and do not hide inside the shelter just because you are around.
Is It Important To Spend Time With Your Betta?
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It is very important to spend time with your bettas especially if they are not kept alone in a tank or aquarium, as this will make them feel lonely and do the needful actions which show that their owners do matter for them.
Betta fish can hear all kinds of sounds made by you like clapping hands, calling their name, and even talking to them.
You must do this as it will help you in making your betta fish recognize you and remember that they do have an owner who cares for them.
Bettas are very smart and sensitive animals so it’s not difficult at all to teach them tricks or simple tasks like swimming through hoops.
You can even train your betta fish to do specific tasks like do a flip whenever you clap your hands, turn around when you call their name and do other tricks.
It is very important to spend time with them as they do require mental stimulation for doing tasks on their own even if it’s just making them swim through hoops or playing games.
You can play the way you want but make sure that you do not fish any other animal in the tank as this will stress your betta fish a lot.
Do Betta Fish Miss Their Owners?
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Yes, betta fish misses their owner when it’s been a long time they haven’t seen him/her. Betta fish do not show their feelings but might do something to let you know that they are missing you.
When betta fish misses its owner, it will start doing things that indicate he/it is feeling lonely or depressed. Some of these signs are listed below:
– Do not eat food. – Do not swim. – Stays in a single place. – Start hiding with other fish and people.
How To Know If Your Betta Fish Is Happy With You?
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To know if your betta fish is happy with you, you can do a few things:
Feed the betta some pellets and see if it is excited to eat them.
Put some lids with small holes on top of the water that your fish are in, then take off one lid every day for about two weeks.
If they are happy being left alone by themselves during this period, then they are most likely happy with you.
Feed your betta fish in front of them, do not do it behind their back!
They need to see the food coming towards them so that they know there is more where that came from.
Make sure that you clean out the tank at least once per week and do water changes. Your betta fish do not want to live in dirty water, it is no fun for them!
Make sure the room that your betta lives in has a steady temperature of at least 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the night and daytime hours.
Research how much space does a Betta Fish need so you do not overcrowd them and do not give your betta too much space, that is a bad thing too.
Know that when feeding your fish you do it in small portions at least three times per day.
Betta Fish does not do well with fast food, they are more of a sit-down restaurant type of fish.
Can Betta Fish Hear You Talking To Them?
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It’s important not to assume that bettas do not hear you talking.
In the wild, they do have predators so it is essential for them to be able to identify sounds from a young age to understand when danger may approach or if food has been found.
It was also thought that betta fish didn’t respond well to their names, but instead to the tone of your voice.
Some do argue that this is because they do not hear certain pitches very well due to their labyrinth organ ability (the way betta fish breathe air).
However, I had many experiences with my bettas where if you spoke in a happy or excited tone it does seem like they do get excited, while others do make a betta fish sad.
Betta fish do have feelings. Betta Fish are very intelligent animals, not just pretty little aquatic pets to be kept in a bowl or jar with no attention paid to them.
However, there is some debate about whether they do feel pain and sadness as do other animals because of their small brain size – smaller than the tip of your thumb.
Betta fish do show feelings of sadness when they are alone for too long without any stimulation or company from others of their kind.
They will do things like swim up to the surface as if gasping for air even though there is enough oxygen in the water due to this lonely and boring state.
Yes, betta fish can recognize their owner. They have a strong connection to the person who takes care of them and they show signs that they know it’s you feeding them or changing their water each day.
But what is even more interesting about this study was how many ways these little guys showed recognition.
From looking at your face when you walk in the room to rubbing against your fingers as soon as you reach into the tank for food.
If you think your betta doesn’t recognize you, why not try some of our methods listed above.
What are some other things that make your pets happy? Comment down below with any thoughts!
