Do You Pet Your Betta?

Why?

Do you ever think your betta wants to be pet? When are the times that you feel compelled to touch your betta? Do you think it’s ok to touch a betta? I touch my betta on his fins when he seem To be trolling for attention in a positive way. I don’t want to mess up his slime coat-so I really avoid touching him on his body. But I let my hand graze the tips of his fins.

 

I do sometimes to get his attention to eat.

 

Make sure your hand is wet before touching your fish, dry hands are more of a danger to fish even on the fins there is a danger of damaging them.
If they touch you it is an entirely different matter because they chose to, but you touching them should not happen much.

 

I don't pet my fish... they're really meant to be look don't touch pets (aka love them from a distance). Especially Bettas, their fins are bodies are super delicate, even if they are hardy.

 

Some of my bettas love it, but I make sure to add some StressCoat to each tank, and they all get dosed with low doses of meds regularly, as well as going through a vigourous qt. I do use my hands instead of a net, but that's because the net can't reach where I want it to, and I've had three too many ripped fins. Then there's the practice of cosmetic surgery for fins, which just baffles me.

 

I rarely reach for munfish, but three of them will come to me. My goldfish in particular likes attention as does my dojo loach. The others I never do unless need be.

 

I pet my guppies! They love swimming between my fingers whenever I put my hands in the tank, or trying to eat the tiny bubbles on my arm

 

I usually just curve my hand in the water and they swim into your hand like their cuddling you.

 

I don't ever try to intentionally pet my fish but as soon as I put my hand in my 70gal to do maintenance my gourami swims up to me and swims around my hand trying to suck my fingers.

 

No. For me the risk of damage to the slime coat is not worth taking.

My hands are only in the aquariums for maintance and for as short a time as possible.

 

I've tried curving my hand and he isn't interested. He never seems stressed or concerned just "meh"...I will reach out occasionally but he doesn't seem to care if I touch his fins. I have a really low key guy

 

I've tried curving my hand and he isn't interested. He never seems stressed or concerned just "meh"...I will reach out occasionally but he doesn't seem to care if I touch his fins. I have a really low key guy

Out of my 9 bettas only my 1 female betta lets me hold her.

 

I personally don't touch any of my fish unless I have to. Trust me, I would love to! But too much risk of them getting sick or getting hurt just so I can satisfy my selfish needs. I know if I started doing that, there will be times where I'll forget to wash my hands thoroughly and end up contaminating the water with whatever chemicals I have on my hands/arms....and end up either killing them or getting them sick. However, if I'm doing maintenance and they come and peck or nibble my hands/arms, I won't swat them away. But I wouldn't go out of my way to touch them just for the sake of touching them.

I found my betta is pretty interactive. I found other ways to interact with him without having to touch him.

 

I personally don't touch any of my fish unless I have to. Trust me, I would love to! But too much risk of them getting sick or getting hurt just so I can satisfy my selfish needs. I know if I started doing that, there will be times where I'll forget to wash my hands thoroughly and end up contaminating the water with whatever chemicals I have on my hands/arms....and end up either killing them or getting them sick. However, if I'm doing maintenance and they come and peck or nibble my hands/arms, I won't swat them away. But I wouldn't go out of my way to touch them just for the sake of touching them.

I found my betta is pretty interactive. I found other ways to interact with him without having to touch him.

I never force my betta to be held but if they want to I let them swim against the hand. My gouramis on the other hand like to bite me...

 

I don't pet my bettas much - though one will swim into my hand. I can 'pet' my pearl gouramis however.

 

Only 1 out of my 4 bettas like to be pet. I swear he did! Even in between feedings he would always come to the top and hang out with me and want me to nip at my fingers lol None of my other bettas since then have never even nipped at my fingers. They just run away lol which is sad because I really miss that little guy