Scales are not so fragile as to be knocked off by water. I mean sure, if you're hitting it with a pressure washer, you'll probably knock some scales loose, but just dropping a fish into water isn't going to do that. If fish were that fragile, I think salmon would have to be scaleless, with all the abuse their bodies have to go through.
I don't believe that slime coat is as big of an issue as people make it out to be, either, as I've never heard of anyone having their fish get sick after being handled, and I really doubt that a net removes less slime coat than a hand, but no one really complains about netting fish, for the most part.
Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
