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does where a fish grow up in a younger stage of life have any effect on its behaviour when they are adults?

for example. i have 2 young small 1-2 inch GT in my community tank with larger rainbow fishes etc...., but the GT are the smallest thing in the tank, and their is no aggression.

will being in a community tank and them being peaceful now, have any affect on thier aggression when they are big.

Not exactly sure, sorry. However, I know for a fact that those who raise bettas for fighting (which is a BAD thing) will start from when the betta is young. Read one of the ways to make them tougher and more agressive was to kinda "attack" it in a way with the net, and the betta will learn everytime when it sees it, so naturally attacks back. Anyways, something like that was in a webpage I read. I'm sure how a fish was in a younger stage will affect how it is when they are adults in atleast a tiny way, maybe not even noticeable. If it was raised somewhere where food was scarce and they had to fight over or get to it first before it was all gone, may show when moved into a tank with plenty of food even. Just a thought.

I seriously doubt they will be more peaceful. When they start to mature, hormones will be released in their body, greatly increasing their aggression. No matter what kind of tank they were raised in GTs won't work in a peacful community.

Chris,

I am with Ethan14 on this one, although I have no personal experience in this.

I would assume that it is possible to breed out the more aggressive gene by having many generations of only the most peaceful fish continue into the next generations.

Nevertheless, an aggressive fish is an aggressive fish by nature and although they may may seem peaceful they might remember some day where they are coming from. Just look at pitbulls.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

They may start out peaceful, but as soon as the fish come into adulthood or breeding condition theres no way to stop the territoriality. They are at the mercy of their hormones, and theres nothing that can be done about it. In a species with such powerful instincts, and not a great degree of intelligence there is no conscious choice . It will react as thousands of years of evolution dictate.

There are instances in which bad habits are learned by young and neonate fish that may carry to adulthood, but they are usually to do with feeding problems, like the retiscence to try new foods after having been fed a limited diet to start with. Some fish kept in small enclosures may show stereotypical behaviour even when put into larger aquaria etc, and others kept in spartan breeding aquaria often do well even if they are a species that supposedly requires cover, but its pretty much 50/50 on that kind of thing.