What fish can you pet?

[KevinM]

Blond Naso Tang. He couldn't get enough! Even go near the tank and there he was, front and center, begging for some pets.
He wasn't always like that, though. It took about 9 months before he was that tame. But you could tell from the beginning that he was going to be very docile. From day one, he wasn't 'spooky' at all.
He moved away to a bigger home (gave to friend with bigger tank), but I still get to pet him sometimes.

K

 

[fraggin]

i had a batfish that was really tame, hand feed and would lay in my hand

 

[2crazyreefers]

We had a yellow tang that would come right to our hand to be pet. Just switched tanks and took him out swapped him for a cbb

 

[Anemonebuff]

My yellow tang and both clowns will let me touch them, but I wouldn't call it petting.

Years back I had an Oscar that liked being pet. He would swim to the top and lay on his side and allow me to stroke his side about 5-6 times. Then I would hold a food pellet out of the water and he would jump out and take it out of my hand.

 

[Angels]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6733706#post6733706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JimR
Oscars are well known as the "Puppy" of aquariums.

Definately oscars!! my oscars would only let me pet them though, they recognize the hand that feeds them..

 

[Lev F.]

Third the oscars. Lysmata shrimps, but they clean you I used to have a Sally Lightfoot Crab that I could pet.

 

[stewie24]

I have a clownfish that will come to the top of the tank when it sees me. It will take food out of my hand and let me pet the top of its head. Its a great fish with a great personality.
Stewie

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

yeah my oscar would only let me pet him anyone else came near the tank, he would run behind the plants

 

[Anemonebuff]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6735092#post6735092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dragonet_Dude
Third the oscars. Lysmata shrimps, but they clean you I used to have a Sally Lightfoot Crab that I could pet.

I had Lysamata that would clean me as well. They do not live long enough for me to get them again. Plus they are known to pick at clams as well(now that I have clams).

 

[NorthernCF]

LMB

 

[REV]

I like the idea of trying to recreate as natural a marine environment as possible... Get a dog to pet. Let your fish swim.

 

[TANGBOY5000]

I've seen at least one example of all of the higher order fish that seem to enjoy petting. (Triggers, puffers, etc...) I normally pet the Arowanna at work. I put my hand in the water with my thumb and index finger about 3 inches apart and he swims back and forth through them rubbing one side and then the other.

 

[johnb0184]

vlamingi tang we had at a pet store would let me pet him. He would eat out of my hand as well.

 

[NorthernCF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6739422#post6739422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REV
I like the idea of trying to recreate as natural a marine environment as possible... Get a dog to pet. Let your fish swim.

Because petting a fish may be harmful for fish it could be a bad idea. But the natural thing...
dogs, elephants, tigers, birds... and well any thing you can think of that is pet at home or the zoo, were wild once too...

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6735380#post6735380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anemonebuff
I had Lysamata that would clean me as well. They do not live long enough for me to get them again.

But I've seen ones that lived for 5 years or more... is that that bad a lifespan?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6735380#post6735380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REV
I like the idea of trying to recreate as natural a marine environment as possible... Get a dog to pet. Let your fish swim.

Kind of agree with this.

 

[Rcarruth]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6732751#post6732751 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DC321
Puffers.

Heh, sometimes. My girlfriend was cleaning the glass on our 55 gallon and along comes one of our female green spotted puffers. The puffer is swimming right at her and in my mind it's clear she's going to be bitten. I figure she'll move her hand but she doesn't and then:

"OUCH!"

Even small puffers have a pretty good bite on them. I couldn't stop laughing.

Ironically, the same fish got me about three days later. So the GF got the last laugh.

-Clark

 

[davocean]

I've had a maroon clown, cowfish, and a blond naso that all liked
to be cupped or pet or hand fed.
It is cool to gain such trust, but as pandora said it's not really healthy for the fish.

 

[brettandlyndi]

My yellow tang allows me to pet it. Very cool party trick!

 

[Worm]

my gold stripe maroons will come up to be petted.
years ago, before i moved and had to get rid of it, i had a large purple tang that would swim in between my fingers and let me pick it up out of the water for a good 30 seconds or so without trying to even budge. it was the strangest thing. i still miss that fish.

 

[jpslickorocks]

my scooter blennie will not leave me alone when my hand is in the tank. He is a cool little fish.