Petting fish...

[stormomi]

I hear so much about people's Oscar or Flowerhorn letting them pet them or touching their horn/hump. How do you train fish to let you do that? Isn't it harmful for the fish to be touched? My flowerhorn just tries to eat my fingers when I'm trying to clean the tank. (not fully grown so not afraid of him yet lol)

 

[Lupin]

My sevs, tire track eel, silver dollars and loaches like me.:hearts: If your hands are contaminated with chemicals, obviously that is very harmful to the fish so make sure to wash your hands thoroughly.

 

[AquatiCreations]

My angels and Blood parrot love contact. I wash my hands then hand feed them but i dont "pet" them per say they nuzzle and nudge my fingers with their fins. but i dont purposely touch their bodies as you may rub off the protective mucas. which may harm the fish.

 

[Malefic23]

Patience, slow movements, clean hands, and more patience.

 

[Digital]

I'd personally only do it with stress coat on my hands.

 

[lolliemck]

Who ever says fish have a 3 second memory is silly

 

[jwddboy]

Absolutely... Almost all the fish in my tanks pet ME when I put my hand in...

Have to keep a wary eye out though, have recieved a good few nips too.

Give it time, practice and patience. Feed food from clean hands and don't ever chase them around a tank to try and touch them.

 

[Carla G]

I had a betta that would swim up to the top front of the tank to be petted when I came near the tank.

I went diving with some guys in Hawaii who had tamed a wild eel and it would come out of its hole when they came by for its snack and a stroke on the head.

 

[Fishy_Fun]

i have heard of this also.i think if you wash your hands really well and you use moderation you should be fine

 

[ITHURTZ]

My red cap oranda is pretty much the only fish I can touch in the tank, sometimes the oranga oranda as well. The tin foils BOOK, as do the others. I wish they all liked me! Atleast when I look at them they all want to show off and come up to my face and say "look at me!!!"