Pet Your Fish

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Rusty Gilbert

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 23, 2009
337
1
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Staten Island, New York
I have heard from a few ppl that petting or touching your fish is bad because it removes the protective slime from their body therefore can cause damage.

Just wondering if this is true bc my rtc x tsn is very friendly especially when I do waterchanges he comes right up to my hand I guess because he is curious so I just opened my hand today while I was doing a waterchange and he swam slowly up against it. I didnt try to pet him bc of what I heard. So just curious on this matter. Any Info?
 
It can't hurt the fish that bad look at how large fish are handled. and look at how some of the vendors post pics with the fish in their hands. However I wouldn't do it often if I didn't have to just in case.
 
Make sure your hands are clean and free of soap first. It depends on the fish and it's health. Most of the cat family especially armored cats won't be affected by petting. I pet my Discus and the bump me all the time when I hand feed them and I've been doing it for years.
 
As long as your hands are cleaned before you do, I see no problem. My giraffe cat eats out of my hand, and lets me pet him in the process. No slimecoat problems, and he seems to not mind. Just be gentle and not like you would a dog.
 
ive read someplaces because tsnXrtc's have no scales just a slime coat if you constantly rub your fingers along them the salt on your hands will wear off onto the fish and take the slime coat off. thats just what ive read, my tsnXrtc always rubs on my arm when i clean the tank.
 
the plec L095 is supposed to be very tame and lets its owners pet it... so it doesnt seem to show any adverse side affects.
 
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