My Gouramis like to be touched?

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Banky

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I have 2 unusual gouramis. I have a dwarf blue, and dwarf "honey" (orange) I have read that these fish are supposed to be shy

When I put my hand in the tank, the orange one will literally slip right through my hands and let me touch him. The dwarf blue is sometimes the same.

I can feed them both bloodworms by hand.

The orange one is so laid back that when i was fishing out snails with my net, he actually swam into it and just stayed there. I had to shoo him out.

I find this odd since my other fishes run for thier lives from my hands and the net.

Anyone have similar expiriences with gouramis? Im loving the interaction I get with them that I dont get with the others.
 
Sorry guys, I didnt realize I posted this in the plants forum. Moderators please feel free to move it to the appropriate forum.
 
So it's not just mine then:D

My two red honey gouramis are very friendly and follow my hand around the tank when I'm planting, vaccuming, etc. One is a little more shy than the other, but still quite friendly and curious. I guess maybe it's a dwarf gourami trait. I love their colors and personalities!
 
My betta is the same way, he swims through my hands when im working on the tank, i havent tried this with my honey gouramis but i will do that later!
 
Apparently some fish are very responsive to tactile stimulation. Think of fishes that go to cleaning stations.
It's been shown that a fish will stay still if they are gently scratched with a hanger or some other pokey thing that simulates the sensations a cleaner fish gives them... although I can't site any sources off the top of my head to prove that.
 
My platies are like this too. Interesting to note though, that since I've been away at school for the past 3 months, and only go home every 3-4 weeks to clean the tank, they're so much more jumpy, like they forgot me. They cower at the opposite end of the tank from where my hand is, and don't come up to nip it or anything anymore. Otherwise they're happy fishies, just don't like my hand in their tank anymore. So I think it is familiarity rather than just any fish wanting to be touched because of the cleaning thing.
 
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Banky - one of my bettas is like that. When I go in the tank to trim the plants he swims right up and rubs his tail against my hand or wrist. If I go to the other side of the tank to trim a different plant, he follows me over and sits there watching what I'm doing. He's like a dog! :D When I was trying to catch a frog once he kept swimming into the net. He's so cute:D

Because of these types of interactions, I've noticed a lot of people, including myself, who say that they form much stronger bonds with their gouramis/bettas/other labrynth fish than the others - which the exception maybe of fish like oscars.
 
Originally posted by Starry
So I think it is familiarity rather than just any fish wanting to be touched because of the cleaning thing.
Click to expand...

A human hand is hardly the same as a cleaner fish in the symbioses observed at cleaning stations. Obviously, not all fishes are going to jump at the opportunity to be man-handled.


Edit: And I don't believe I said "just any fish wanting to be touched."
 
Being an Oscar guy I Guess I never thought of this as odd behavior, most of the oscars I have had like to be "petted" and some of the blue and pearl gourami's I've had over the years have as well. It makes the fish fish keeper relationship more fun I think, try teaching them some easy tricks, It's a blast to get your fish to jump up and take food from you above the tank, just don't let them land on the wrong side of the glass This tends to ruin the trust a bit.
 
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