It is a common belief that fish have only 3 seconds memory. However many fish species have demonstrated much more than that. They will remember the ‘lessons’.

Which type of fish are good learners?

Usually, cichlids, moor goldfish, bettas, fancy goldfish are the species capable of performing tricks.

What is the main factor behind the tricks?

Food is undoubtedly the main factor. If you teach your fish that had they can get a treat only if they perform a particular course of action, they will be happy to perform such actions.

At what age can you teach the fish any trick?

You can teach tricks only to adult fish. You should never try to teach a fry.

Which tricks are usually performed by fish?

The fish can act quickly after a signal of flashing lights. It can also pass through the whole or jump out of the water to catch a piece of food.

When should you train your fish for the tricks?

If the fish is hungry, it can happily perform tricks with food expectations. So it is better to keep the fish hungry before teaching any tricks. A simple trick of calling them to the surface can be successfully taught if you call them for offering the food.

How many tricks you can teach to your fish?

Well, you can teach a trick or two but you should never over-burden them with a bundle of tricks. Remember, every time you teach tricks to your fish; you have to offer them food. If you try to teach many tricks, you have to offer food which may lead to overfeeding. If you feed your fish too much, that will spoil its health.

Is it fair to ask the fish to jump out of water to take its food?

Some species of fish can easily jump out of water. However you should ensure that the size of the tank is big enough to accommodate such a jump. If the fish jumps out of the water on the floor, it may get hurt. Females are likely to learn how to jump out of water. Males may not be able to do that because of their heavy fins.

Which signals on indications you can give fish for performing a trick?

Usually the indications of flashing lights are considered to be the best. The fish will act quickly on flashing of lights with expectation that they are going to get a treat. You can also use other ways like tapping on the tank or calling them by their names. It will take some time for them to understand these indications but once they get it, you will be surprised by their behavior. It is very important to feed the fish immediately after performing the trick. The fish considers it as a reward for its actions.

Which type of food should be offered to the fish for performing tricks?

Usually frozen blood-warms are considered to be the best bet. You can also offer some other types of live food as a treat.

Can you teach the fish in the same tank in which other fish are kept?

Well, you should isolate the fish for teaching a particular trick. If your tank is overcrowded, you may not be able to teach any trick to the fish. You can buy a tank divider which can be useful for isolating a particular fish for teaching purposes.

Within how much time you can teach tricks?

Usually, you can teach them in about three sessions of 10 minutes. Thereafter it may take about a week for the fish had to master the trick. Continuous training can make your fish expert in many tricks within a period of one month.

Finally, an important tip about teaching

The fish or for that matter any pet will learn tricks if they are kept in a healthier environment. If the fish is under stress, it may not be able to understand. If you try to provide a natural environment to the fish by keeping good water conditions and other surroundings, the fish will be happy to learn many tricks from you.