Blue Gouramis Hitting Betta

[fishman102]

Hi, I have a 29 gal tank that has three blue gouramis and a betta (along with other fish) and whenever any of the gouramis pass by the betta they start hitting it with those long, thin, appendages they have. The gouramis do not do this to any of the other fish I have in the tank so why do they do it to the betta?

 

[fishnovice]

Hi, I have a 29 gal tank that has three blue gouramis and a betta (along with other fish) and whenever any of the gouramis pass by the betta they start hitting it with those long, thin, appendages they have. The gouramis do not do this to any of the other fish I have in the tank so why do they do it to the betta?

Gourami generally don't like sharing their tank with other air breathers like betta and will often attack them. I put some paradise fish (relatives of betta) in my gourami tank once and had to remove them after 20mins as the gourami almost bullied them to death. I would suggest moving that betta out of the gourami tank if you can.

 

[danotto]

I would have thought the betta would of attacked the gourami's not the otherway round, i had a dwarf gourami and a betta in my tank the betta chased it all the time,so had to rehome the betta.

 

[symon_say]

They don't like each other, Anabantids are territorial fish and get along with family.

 

[Inchworm]

Those long, thin things are their ventral fins. Gouramis use them as sensory organs. They are checking the betta out with them. If your blue gouramis are Trichogaster trichopterus, they are (or will grow to be) considerably bigger and meaner than the betta. Since they occupy the same space and the gouramis, especially if they are males, will see them as competition, I suggest you move the betta to another tank where he will be safer.