Do fish like to be petted?

Sablah · Apr 27, 2021

MamaP said:
My clowns like to eat the food right out of my fingers as I'm putting it into the water. They occasionally bump my fingers with their heads like they want to be petted, but I haven't actually tried to pet them. Recently, I've had some of the other fish start coming to eat the food from my fingers. I guess they've been watching the clowns do it and trust the "food fingers" now!

Beauregard, my cleaner shrimp always wants to clean me, but it freaks me out, so I try to avoid him, lol. ;Chicken

Let the shrimp clean you! It's a really neat experience, from the way it tickles to the pain from it ripping scabs off (I don't recommend letting it clean any scabs or wounds, but it was a significantly unique experience). My cleaner shrimp goes nuts trying to get to my hand to clean it anytime I have to reach into the tank.

swee10 · Apr 27, 2021

I had an 18 inch panther grouper that would come to the top of the tank and lay on his side so I could pet him. I would hand feed him, a Tierra batfish, a nurse shark and a lion fish.
20 years later I have a flame angel that does circles around a power head

HumuhumuFan · Apr 27, 2021

steakncheese said:
My freshwater Oscar enjoyed being petted. It also did tricks. I taught it to spend in circles when he was hungry. He also knew how to get the attention of the kids. This Oscar fought for attention from the kids. He always wanted them to play with him. I have had many a great relationships with Oscars.

I miss owning Oscars. So much personality. I had a pair for a long time, one of them seemed to really enjoy being petted as he would seek it out. The other one, not so much.

Mhart032 · Apr 27, 2021

My Vlamingii tang like to be petted and hand fed, if I’m working on the tank and don’t pet him/her first it will come and rub on my hand. It likes to be hand fed nori and frozen foods. It’s odd but it’s like one of the dogs we have named Santos. So my wife named him Santos Fish.

Rmckoy · Apr 27, 2021

Every time I put my hands in the dt .
the mata tang will swim around my hand to be pet .

the clowns pick at my fingers .I think it might be a little aggression .

foxface tries to swim for me to pet him .
but I’m a little scared of their venom after the first time years ago .

Freenow54 · Apr 27, 2021

My Chic lids will eat out of my hand but just because they are hungry. But my 2 and a half year old grandson pets them all the time. They think they are being fed but soon realize not, and just play with him.
My clown is completely paranoid, and will only look at me through the glass from the back of the tank, where is sanctuary is. He only stays close to there, even though he his the only fish in the tank. He is a big boy for a clown

Jase4224 · Apr 27, 2021

I used to have a pair of maroon clowns that would take food from my fingers. I miss those clowns.

I have a harlequin Tuskfish that attacked a large trochus snail I introduced to the tank today, I placed it back on the rock and when the Tuskfish (Mr T) went for a second go I pointed to him and shook my head and he turned to look at me and didn’t touch it since. So strange but it was as if he knew what I meant but surely that can’t be the case.

1stNoel · Apr 27, 2021

I pet my blue-ringed octopus...

Will59031 · Apr 27, 2021

I have a pair of clowns and a square anthia that eat right from my hand every day. the latest addition to hand feeding is my spiny star and banded stars that come out as soon as I put my hand in for their pieces of shrimp and will grab it from my fingers while wrapping their arms on my hand...it’s pretty cool

Screwgunner · Apr 27, 2021

swee10 said:
I had an 18 inch panther grouper that would come to the top of the tank and lay on his side so I could pet him. I would hand feed him, a Tierra batfish, a nurse shark and a lion fish.
20 years later I have a flame angel that does circles around a power head

My wrasse does that

shanzfish · Apr 27, 2021

Screwgunner said:
I had a sailfin tang that liked me to sweral him around with my tongs. He was so cool the clown fish I had would attack me every time I put my hand in the water. Scared the crap out of me the first time. .

Mine used to do that when I would wear shiny rings on my fingers it also scared the crap out of me because I wouldn’t expect it

Rmckoy · Apr 27, 2021

Every day the mata tang is a little more friendly .
he will swim around and through my hand as I put seaweed on the veggie clip .
not sure if he’s friendly or just wants food .

the barb on their tail makes me a little nervous .

islandgirl1976 · Apr 28, 2021

chandavi said:
My smaller male clown also likes to take a turn in the power head current in the morning when the lights come up. Strange, his female partner has no interest.

My cleaner shrimp was totally fascinated by the power head last week and it cut her pretty whiskers right off doubt she will attempt that again and I’m glad she didn’t harm herself. She looks so different wo her pretty whiskers and her name is/was whiskers so gotta rename her now lol. Silly shrimp.

Rmckoy · Apr 28, 2021

islandgirl1976 said:
My cleaner shrimp was totally fascinated by the power head last week and it cut her pretty whiskers right off doubt she will attempt that again and I’m glad she didn’t harm herself. She looks so different wo her pretty whiskers and her name is/was whiskers so gotta rename her now lol. Silly shrimp.

When they molt the skeleton left behind always includes whiskers .
maybe whiskers will come back

zalick · Apr 28, 2021

I had on old porcupine puffer long ago that would swim to the surface for head rubs whenever I was near the tank. I miss that fish...

Fish Think Pink · Apr 28, 2021

Screwgunner said:
My wrasse does that

my 6 line wrasse does circles around power heads, food clips, fish, ... everything but rockwork. Sometimes he changes up the circles into figure eights which elongates the circles though he doesn't often go whole 6' length of tank. He's a mellow fish, and weirdly almost all the time the other fish put up with being circled whenever they become the 'object to circle' My sailfin likes to chase him, knowing the 6 line will circle back for another chase

drblank1 · Apr 29, 2021

Not a saltwater fish, but when my son's pleco (about 3 years old and 6 inches) sees us walk up to the tank will swim up and float upside-down on top of the water and likes to be stroked on his belly. He will stay there as long as you keep petting his underside. Coolest pleco we've ever had.

Ef4life · May 30, 2021

I’m trying to train my ycg to swim into a cup to remove him from the tank when I do invasive maintenance in my pico tank. He is pretty chill about it, the tail spot blenny is not as trusting though.