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	Can Fish Smell?
houston Fish Guru You want what when? Posts: 2623 Kudos: 2462 Votes: 337 Registered: 29-Mar-2003	OK as most know I have created a divider to seperate 2 bettas from each other in a ten gallon tank...I have tried looking through the mesh that creates my divider (plastic canvas) and cannot see through it anymore than a brief shadow... So my question is, how do the bettas know there is another betta on the other side of the divider? With the lights on we flair, with the lights off we're fine... Here's a picture for you...Heidi heidi attached this image: "I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17
sirbooks Moderator Sociopath Posts: 3875 Kudos: 5164 Votes: 932 Registered: 26-Jul-2004	Yup, fish have a sense of smell. Just as sharks can smell blood in the water, aquarium fish can smell food and tankmates. My cories are adept at smelling the frozen food I plop in their tank, they start buzzing around within seconds of me adding it. Some fish are better at smelling things than others (like the blind cave tetra), but all of them can smell. And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17
keithgh Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 6371 Kudos: 6918 Votes: 1542 Registered: 26-Apr-2003	heidi I think it has been recorded that sharks can smell blood for several miles, also they can pick up virbrations of a distresed fish. The Lemon Shark is practically blind or has no sight at all it can smell food and feel the virbrations. On a recent fishing trip (tropical Aust) we would bring up them up by hitting the fish frames on to the water. Keith Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do. I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT? VOTE NOW VOTE NOW
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17
fishyhelper288 Fish Guru Posts: 2161 Kudos: 1951 Votes: 137 Registered: 29-Feb-2004	remember their eyes are much smaller than yrs or mine they can see through those tiny holes
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17
Cory_Di Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 7953 Kudos: 2917 Votes: 25 Registered: 19-Dec-2002	If you look carefully, the fish have nostrils. A testimony to how well they smell is how quickly a bottom feeder begins to move the minute food hits the water. Within a few short minutes, they have sniffed their way towards the scent and then find the food by feeling around. I've observed this in my non-bottom feeders as well. I've found my guppy munching on a wafer I put in while it was totally dark and everyone was asleep, only to check back 15 minutes later and find the cories, otos AND the guppy poking away at it. Consider the tank is in my very dark basement. You can't see your hand in front of you. Incidentally, I wondered about the very thing that you bring up - whether they smell other bettas nearby. I have to believe that each fish gives off its own scent, much like humans do (before deodorant ). I'll also add that if that plastic is semi-clear and the shadow is blue, he may only be reacting to that as he would any blue or red object you put in front of the tank. I have a glass bluebird near my tank and Rube reacts to it. Last edited by Cory_Di at 01-Apr-2005 08:49
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17
bettachris Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 3875 Kudos: 4173 Votes: 452 Registered: 13-Jun-2004	fish can smell. an example would be a shark being able to smell blood at long range. the betta i amgine can feel the water being moved by the other fish, weither it being smell,sound.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17
Callatya Moderator The girl's got crabs! Posts: 9662 Kudos: 5261 Registered: 16-Sep-2001	there is also the fact that they have small eyes, and would have less trouble seeing through the holes of the mesh. Fishermen use stinky attractants to get fish to bite, fishfood always has a pleasant smell, I'd say that itsa good possibility, though how well an aquarium fish can smell, I don't know. For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:17


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