Touching your fish

[tbrown7552]

How bad is this? According the all of the experts on facebook The claim is "They dont like it" and "The slime layer gets rubbed off and can lead to disease and infection. It is also stressful as the touching action does not occur in nature for fish"

I dont ask or take advice from anyone on facebook. This is why im asking here to clear the air.

 

[Unamed]

From what I know you can do if you don't touch them to much and you are careful.

 

[kno4te]

There's always a chance of too much handling can rub off the slime coat. But petting really doesn't lead to it unless done vigorously.

Fish come into contact with each other as well the environment. It acts almost like oil where it allows the fish to move without too much friction with other fish. I'm not saying it's like oil at all by the way just an example.

Healthy fish will regenerate with proper water conditions. Matter of opinion.

 

[PYRU]

I mean if you pet it like a dog all the time yeah its bad, but the occasional touch no. If your chasing it around the tank to pet it then yeah don't do that.

Don't anthropomorphize your fish.

 

[ShanerBock888]

What they said. Fish are designed to be able to rub on things and other fish. Think about when they're resting on the bottom of a tank/river/lake/ocean, or catfish constantly skimming along the substrate, or during certain mating rituals, or swimming through vegetation or bogwood. It wouldn't make sense for fish to not be able to touch things, they would've been extinct a long time ago. So pet away, but also remember they're not dogs so don't go too crazy. and good call ignoring facebook advice lol

 

[Deadliestviper7]

I used to pet some of my fish, it is fine as long as they like it

 

[tbrown7552]

Ill post the same picture i posted on facebook. This isnt a hand in tank rubbing it on the side like a catfish. This is a index finger touching it on the head and petting it with the end of the index finger. Sometimes i can pet the dorsal fin on the side(not on the tips) with the end of my finger. Thats it. Sometimes they dont mind and they let me know pretty quick with actions(moving away from finger, biting). Sometimes they are cool and show me with actions(Stay there). The male seems to be the coolest and the female is less cool about it but i think its cause shes territorial.

 

[BrookKeeper]

The argument that petting is okay because fish touch other fish and rub against rocks nature is a little sketchy... Fish do indeed rub against objects and other fish in the water, but just about anything they would rub against in their natural environment has a biofilm of its own. Also, it's not like a catfish is just constantly plowing the bottom all the time, and for the most part, they do avoid touching things.

Regularly petting fish for pleasure sounds a bit absurd even to me, but to the extent that you described, I don't think you are going to do any harm. Opening an exhibit at a children's museum allowing kids to pet the same fish this way all day long would be a different story.

Heathy fish will recover from slime coat damage, and healthy people will recover from even major sunburns. In general, you should protect yourself from sunburns, and you should protect your fish from slime damage. That doesn't mean you can go to the beach or touch your fish every now and then... but then again, you might get skin cancer and die.

Don't anthropomorphize your fish.

Because it would be normal to pet people? I think this is more canineomorphizing your fish.

 

[LBDave]

I am sort of bumping this thread because I now and then touch my oscars as I have heard many people do this.
I just nudge'm some time when they are getting hissy with each other. Usually just looking em in the eye works best.
I agree with BrookKeeper that regular petting is over the top. Some people say their oscar likes this but I find it hard to believe. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems more a response linked with food. I could probably grab one of mine and they would still come to the top to see me.
These guys jump out at my fingers when I feed. Up to about 3 - 4" up.
I would never touch my bass. They would freak!

Anyway, some types of fish are Wet Pets but I still think, hey these are fish. Don't try to make a fish a dog.

 

[xraycer]

Wow, old thread!
........but, here ya go