EE,
I don't think fish have memories either. I think it is hardwired into their brains that they require so much room to live comfortably. Call it a range or territory, depending on the species of fish we're talking about.
Imagine that you are somehow locked in a bathroom, or even a one bedroom apartment for your entire life, without ever having been outside the given space. Don't you think you'd have some innate need to be "outside" of this enclosed environment even though you have no memory of ever being "outside"? Would you become stunted as a human being in your restricted space like the fish being stunted by the limitations of living in a small tank?
I know fish are not human, but they have needs that are unique to fish, just like humans have needs unique to humans.
I'm just as guilty of having fish in aquariums that are way smaller than their natural range would be, no doubt about that. It bothers me sometimes, is all. I'm just hoping that by expressing this idea that other people might think about their fishes' environments in a different way.
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