Okay, I decided to move my tank around a little bit. I just turned it so that it faced another direction. I have a female betta and a male betta in a divided 5 gallon. And right after I moved the tank, I opened the food lid to feed them. I let a pellet drop into the male's side. Then I heard this PLOOOP. I looked at the tank and the female, Tovi, was ALSO on the male's, Trumpet's, side. Apparently Tovi jumped over the divider! Tovi learned by herself to jump for food. I haven't been letting her jump for it, although occaisonally she jumps when she thinks I've put food in. Although that is more like lunging at the top of the water. I'm worried that she'll do it again cuz Trumpet and Tovi have been really interested in one another. And when she jumped, I saw Trumpet nipping at her. She's grown a lot since I rescued her and she has beautiful long fins. I don't want them to get ruined again. Please help!!
How To Unteach?
- Thread starter FishQueen
- Start date
Fish understand negative reinforment just fine, it was how I taught my first betta not to attack his cory roommate.
Whenever he flared at the cory, I'd flick my fingernail against the side of the tank. Gave both fish a good scare. It was only a two gallon plastic hex, so the simple flick was really effective. After doing this for a few times (I don't remember how many), I watched and waited.
The betta would go up to the cory and hesitate, as if thinking about it, then turn and swim away. No flare, no flick. Occassionally I had to repeat the flick so that there would be no extinction of the learned behavior, but after about a day of doing this, the betta never gave the cory even a passing glance.
Once thought of writing a paper on it, unfortionatly was was neck deep in my senior thesis for college.
~~Colesea
Whenever he flared at the cory, I'd flick my fingernail against the side of the tank. Gave both fish a good scare. It was only a two gallon plastic hex, so the simple flick was really effective. After doing this for a few times (I don't remember how many), I watched and waited.
The betta would go up to the cory and hesitate, as if thinking about it, then turn and swim away. No flare, no flick. Occassionally I had to repeat the flick so that there would be no extinction of the learned behavior, but after about a day of doing this, the betta never gave the cory even a passing glance.
Once thought of writing a paper on it, unfortionatly was was neck deep in my senior thesis for college.
~~Colesea
thanks colesea!
