Trying to teach my oscar to let me pet him.

[SpaceButler]

Any suggestions?

I already hand-feed him. Other than that, I'll leave my hand in the tank, and when he lets me touch 'im, I toss in a pellet.

Any other good tips?

 

[n5xmt]

Don't pet him!
you will remove the slime coat off him and that opens him up to infection and disease...
I like to let Oscars nibble my fingers...

 

[SpaceButler]

Holy moly, is that true?

Durn. Well, he bites me anyway. I'll just let him keep doin that.

 

[n5xmt]

my 16 year old has a tiger oscar that is probably a foot long or maybe a little more in a 100 gallon tank... he is trained so he comes to the top when you feed him and follows fingers... my son opened the top of the tank BEFORE grabbing the food, and his little friend actually jumped out of the water and attached himself to his arm LOL... Left a nice hickey on his forearm for about a week...

 

[FishLover14]

Yes it is never a good idea to pet any of yuor fish as it removes the natural slime coating a fish has and opens him up to infections and disease- a fishes slime coating acts like our skin does. Never pet a fish.

 

[SpaceButler]

Never pet a fish.

What a coincidence! That's what the bumber sticker on my car says.