A thought.

[Fidgetromeo]

I often see photos of people with one of their favourite fish in their hands either just below the water or sometimes completely out of the water. I'm wondering just how bad you guys think this is for the fish's health.

Everything I've ever read or heard says that it's something you just don't do.

 

[twiddlemuffin]

It just stresses them out I'm pretty sure. Unless you're holding them out of water for a long time, I think it should be fine.

 

[Brookster123]

As long as you don't disrupt the slime coat! I've caught fish with hand shaped infections on their sides. Always lip them! Not always possible with aquarium fish or toothy fish though..

 

[Fidgetromeo]

What does lip them mean?

 

[twiddlemuffin]

Basically hook your thumb in their mouth and sort of pull it out softly.

 

[Fidgetromeo]

You mean like pull out a hook?

 

[Brookster123]

Just the way you handle them by grabbing their lip between your thumb and index finger

 

[Fidgetromeo]

Oh ok, for me personally I've never handled a live fish other than in a net.

 

[Mebbid]

There's some fish such as plecos that you shouldn't handle with a net because they tend to get caught in them. Just be sure not to grab fish with dry hands because that's what damages their slime coat.

 

[pip walters]

As long as your hand is wet, they will be fine.... a dry hand may remove some of the slime coat. However, loss of slime coat doesn't mean the fish is doomed to infection, the slime is just the first line of defence. Scaled fish also have .... well... scales which are a pretty tough suit of armour.

In any case, never keep the fish out of water any longer than is necessary.

Hand shaped infections? Maybe just coincidental shaping IMO

 

[skullminerteam]

There's some fish such as plecos that you shouldn't handle with a net because they tend to get caught in them. Just be sure not to grab fish with dry hands because that's what damages their slime coat.

Theyre a lose lose because if you use your hands you get pricked

 

[pip walters]

Theyre a lose lose because if you use your hands you get pricked

Only if you manage to catch a healthy pleco with your hand in the first place

I sell a lot of plecos and mostly catch them with nets with few problems. Pictus cats are a different story though!

 

[Camescu]

Is it possible to grab a fish with dry hands?

 

[Wiggles24]

That's what i was wondering.......doesn't seem possible

 

[LucidSardine]

I always use a ladle! Works for me! You just dip it into the tank, catch your fish and move into the new tank, or take a picture whatever. It's deep enough so he's still in the water the whole time! It may be weird, but I think it just might be the solution to all our problems.

 

[pip walters]

Is it possible to grab a fish with dry hands?

Haha, only after you have netted it

 

[pip walters]

I always use a ladle! Works for me! You just dip it into the tank, catch your fish and move into the new tank, or take a picture whatever. It's deep enough so he's still in the water the whole time! It may be weird, but I think it just might be the solution to all our problems.

Lol, I might try this at work when packing customer orders. Should only take about three days to bag 50 neons.

 

[LucidSardine]

Yeah, mostly works for personal tanks lol.

 

[skullminerteam]

Only if you manage to catch a healthy pleco with your hand in the first place

I sell a lot of plecos and mostly catch them with nets with few problems. Pictus cats are a different story though!

So spikes=health