Petting fish?

[Keeper]

Is it wrong to pet your fish? Can this hurt/damage them in anyway? Only reason I ask is because in one of our 10gals, we can almost hold our betta at feeding time and just thought that it may be wrong!

 

[Lance M.]

I heard that you shouldn't touch your fish at all because it will damage their protective slime coating making them more susceptible for diseases. But whenever I clean my 10 gallon I always touch my dojo loach. He feels so cool- slimy and soft. And he's perfectly healthy.

 

[Punkymom]

I pet my Goldfish everytime I feed her...she lets me and will sit in my hand for a minute...

 

[Keeper]

I heard that you shouldn't touch your fish at all because it will damage their protective slime coating making them more susceptible for diseases

I'd heard the same thing but wasn't sure if it was just a myth

 

[Bioworldmaker]

I would pet my fish if I could... Hehe... But they just swimm too fast!

 

[Menagerie]

If you take the fish from the water and "pet" it with dry fingers, then there may be problems. If you pet your finned friends underwater, all should be fine.

 

[chasgood]

fish rub against things and each other without harm. The slime coat must not be to delicate. Now if your handling them causes stress they may drop the slime coat and our fingers or hands could then cause harm. Guess the key is if the fish dont mind its ok.

I always wash my hands before putting them in the tank for cleaning or whatever.

 

[Menagerie]

I always wash my hands before putting them in the tank for cleaning or whatever.

Rinse, rinse, rinse after washing with soap, before putting your hands in the tank

 

[kenor33]

I use to have 2 Tiger Oscars**Bonnie 10in and Clyde 12in** that loved me to open the lid and rub the top of their heads with a finger, was so cool.

 

[oscarbreeder]

Yeah Oscars will let you pet them.

I have four and can pet all of them at any time.

It is so cool.

 

[Keeper]

this is great. the betta just loves when we stroke its side

 

[jmoore]

my female black molly lets me pet her at feeding time and anytime I clean the tank. She swims right up to my hand and starts rubbing on it like a cat. Maybe thats a bad thing though?

 

[Cherry Barb]

My Panda Goldfish swims in my hand everytime I clean the tank. If she sees me pass she will even come to the top of the water to see me. (There's no hood on her tank.) She will even take food off the tip of my finger. Anyway, I lightly pet her anytime she swims in my hand. I swear she's like having a little dog with fins. *grins*

 

[Punkymom]

How do I get my Oscars to like me enough to let me pet them??? Every time I put my hand in the tank they come after it like they want to eat me!!! Freaks me out...the only time I can safely have my hand in there is when I'm doing a water change because they're scared of the tube and they go lay on top of each other in a corner until I'm done...

 

[poikilotherm]

IME, the bite of an Oscar is not at all painful, just a little pinch. Maybe if you let them bite you a few times, they'll realize you're not food and let you pet them!

 

[ploughking]

I thought that if you pet them, you have to wash hands like Menagerie said, but your hands had to be the same temp as the water before touching a fish?!? I may be wrong, but thats what I know from when I used to got freshwater fishing.

 

[Menagerie]

your hands had to be the same temp as the water before touching a fish?!?

As long as your hands are wet and not on fire or have ice cubes coming off them, the fish will be fine and so will you

 

[ploughking]

lol