Do you pet your fish?

[Mflores888]

I am curious if anyone else pets their fishies?

I have a fox face that allows me to pet him and scratch his belly. Heck even my mom likes to press him against the glass and he just chills there for a while and when he's done he just swims away.

I've heard some people say its bad for the fish as it can lower the immunity and I can understand that point, but personally I feel that it shows that the fish trusts you enough to allow you to hold them. I was able to transfer him from the display to the QT tank a few months ago by using my hands instead of a net and he was fine.

P.S. I have gotten stung before by the fish and it was itchy, but my brother got in on his wrist and he described it as a bee sting.

 

[Mflores888]

Video of me petting my foxface

October 28, 2021

youtube.com

 

[Mflores888]

Video of me petting my foxface

October 28, 2021

youtube.com

 

[Dcal]

brave

 

[Gtinnel]

It looks to me that it isn't a trust thing. He is trying to eat you.
To answer the question though no I dont even try to pet my fish. I keep my hands out of the tank as much as possible. It is cool that he doesn't swim away from you.

 

[Miami Reef]

Video of me petting my foxface

I literally squealed from fear when I read this. Do you realize those spines are venomous?

 

[ReefGuy1234]

B

Video of me petting my foxface

October 28, 2021

youtube.com

Lol at my job in my lfs if any rabbit fish comes near me I freak out lol but you for real got to be careful with those spine lol.

 

[Miami Reef]

B

Lol at my job in my lfs if any rabbit fish comes near me I freak out lol but you for real got to be careful with those spine lol.

When I purchased my foxface, the LFS employee asked if I knew that these fish were venomous.

I wouldn’t dare touch this foxface. Not even fish will attack them because they know that the foxface is venomous.

For your own safety, do not touch this foxface anymore. If it makes you feel any better, this fish is pretending you are nori. I think he’s just hungry.

 

[Gtinnel]

OP has already stated that he and his brother have both been stung and it wasnt that bad.
I've always heard it like a bee sting, unless you're unlucky enough to be allergic to the venom.

 

[Mflores888]

When I purchased my foxface, the LFS employee asked if I knew that these fish were venomous.

I wouldn’t dare touch this foxface. Not even fish will attack them because they know that the foxface is venomous.

For your own safety, do not touch this foxface anymore. If it makes you feel any better, this fish is pretending you are nori. I think he’s just hungry.

I have another video where he is swimming between my fingers. I think it might be on my other phone. He does like biting my hand, this video was taken after they had already eaten. He eats way too much.

 

[Mflores888]

I literally squealed from fear when I read this. Do you realize those spines are venomous?

Yes, I've gotten stung before and my brother has gotten it as well. For me it was like itchy like a mosquito and my brother got a rash from it but that was on his wrist. He described it like a bee sting.

The guy at the fish store once got hit by a 7inch fox and he said it got swollen but at the ER they told him to use hot water and it would go down

 

[Miami Reef]

OP has already stated that he and his brother have both been stung and it wasnt that bad.
I've always heard it like a bee sting, unless you're unlucky enough to be allergic to the venom.

To each to their own. If OP wants to pet their fish I don’t mind. I’m personally really afraid of doing it though (to a venomous fish), but my opinion doesn’t matter - as long as OP is happy.

 

[Miami Reef]

When my fish are in QT I sometimes pet them. I think it’s fun.

That being said, I have an XL yellow tang, and it’s surgeon spines really stabbed my hand, so I’m not touching that one again!

 

[Gtinnel]

When my fish are in QT I sometimes pet them. I think it’s fun.

That being said, I have an XL yellow tang, and it’s surgeon spines really stabbed my hand, so I’m not touching it again!

My fish must hate me because I only have one that doesn't swim away from my hand. My Midas blenny comes up to my hand over the water. If I stick my finger in the water to put food in the tank he will nip at my fingers to get the food. Not only do I not like him doing it, I really wish he would stop.

 

[Miami Reef]

My fish must hate me because I only have one that doesn't swim away from my hand. My Midas blenny comes up to my hand over the water. If I stick my finger in the water to put food in the tank he will nip at my fingers to get the food. Not only do I not like him doing it, I really wish he would stop.

They don’t hate you. They are prey animals and their instincts are to hide when they feel threatened.

I don’t think fish have the mental capacity to love/hate their owners. I could be wrong though.

 

[Mflores888]

When my fish are in QT I sometimes pet them. I think it’s fun.

That being said, I have an XL yellow tang, and it’s surgeon spines really stabbed my hand, so I’m not touching that one again!

Honestly I'm more afraid of tangs slicing me than I am of the fox. I was helping a friend move and he had a massive orange shoulder tang and that thing cut my wrist pretty good, I still have the scar from it

 

[Miami Reef]

Honestly I'm more afraid of tangs slicing me than I am of the fox. I was helping a friend move and he had a massive orange shoulder tang and that thing cut my wrist pretty good, I still have the scar from it

I need a picture of that.

 

[Mflores888]

I need a picture of that.

It extends a little more down but he got me pretty good when I was helping him move the rocks out of the tank and he got spooked and swam by with his pocket knife and got me. I dropped the rock down from shock of what happened. I did bleed inside the water but we syphoned it out and it wasn't much

 

[dhanking]

I really like it when my midas blenny nips my finger. I think it shows trust as well

 

[blaxsun]

I answered yes, but this is more of a casual occurrence when the fish will occasionally bump into me when I'm doing tank maintenance. I think it's more curiosity than anything else (neither of us seem to mind).

I'm fairly certain if I dipped my hand in mysis I could get them nibbling and caressing, but they already associate me with food enough as it is and I don't really need them harassing me looking for a free meal every time I stick my hands in the tank. Nature, not nurture...