Today I started ApplyTexas Essay C. This essay is simply talking about life goals and how what I'm doing now will help get me there. Quite simple. I'll probably finish by Wednesday .
However, I haven't started intentional fish training or even went into detail about procedures. This is because my fish and I are cold, and unwilling to feed or do much. Once the house gets warmer, the fish and I will be more comfortable and give better data.
Fish Info and Planned Tests
To each fish, I will show various shapes and colors cut out of paper to show them, while offering food to only one shape/color combination. I will use a timer to gauge how quickly the fish react. Also, I won't feed the fish except during training, to keep water quality decent and increase willingness to eat.
Featherfinned Catfish (Synodontis euptera)
Chosen because this one is in a tank with only a small Gambusia. My personal favorite fish. Very hardy, and can survive dirty water and temperature extremes. S.euptera hails from the Nile River, Chad, and the Volta Rivers. They feed in the evening and night on aquatic insects and worms, but eat prepared fish food at any time when kept in captivity. This particular one is a subadult of unknown gender, but I refer to it as male. Because of my lack of time interacting with him, he doesn't act extremely excited like the other two test subjects when I come by, but he isn't afraid of me. This particular euptera can tell me apart from other people, and does not recognize me without my glasses.
Green sunfish / Bluegill hybrid (Lepomis cyanellus X macrochir)
This is a fish commonly used to stock ponds. Its fast growth, smallish size and voracious appetite make it a popular fish for novice fishermen. This one is a highly aggressive male who lives alone. His adaptability, large size compared to the other fish I have and quick learning make this hybrid a good subject to train. However, he is somewhat skittish, so if I scare him in the duration of the experiment, he probably won't respond to stimuli, skewing my data.
Convict Cichlid (Amatlania nigrofasciata)
A prolific native of parts of Central America, like the Honduras. The convict cichlid's behavior and colors have endeared them to many aquarists. Since convicts breed easily, have been common subjects to study fish behavior, and are hardy, my lone male will take part in the experiment. So far, he recognizes me as his feeder, but I haven't taught him anything else. My convict has no known quirks that will skew the data.
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