When you know...

Today I was doing some tank maintenance and usually my tiger barbs would watch my arm from a distance. Not today. Apparently they no longer fear me or are comfortable enough and think my arm is something to nibble on. I can honestly say that today was the first time I’ve had 12 tiger barbs nipping at my arm.

It made me feel good in a way, like they’re getting comfortable - but on another note paranoid they were gonna be in the way of me moving rocks... since they no longer stay on the other side of the tank. Not to mention I have that constant “this feels weird, I’m not sure I like this” dialogue playing out in my head. In the past with some fish species they too would investigate my arm, but not like tiger barbs. None of my other fish species were as inquisitive/constant pecking.

Anyone else have fish that are so comfortable they have no qualms trying to nip at you? Do you do anything about it or just ignore it?

It used to happen all the time in the shop. Female Bettas, barbs, goldfish and some loaches are a pain when it comes to cleaning tanks because they see the sediment circulating in the gravel cleaner and go in for a close look. Then it's a matter of kinking the hose so you don't suck them out.

Tiger barbs and other barbs would come over and pull the hairs on your arm and you would flinch and go "what the hell".

It's a good sign though, it means you can work in the tank and clean it and the fish don't care and won't be stressed out by it. That means the fish will be healthier and happier because they are less stressed.

Some of the tanks I didn't like cleaning had big cichlids in. We had a big Oscar that would come and watch your fingers as you were gravel cleaning the tank. He would sit an inch away from your fingers and wait for them to move, then bite them. It scared the crap out of me and everyone else.

Then you get the big cichlids that are breeding and they just go ape and attack the gravel cleaner and bite fingers, hands and arms as soon as you put them in the tank.

Sting rays are cool when they tame down. You put your hand in the tank and they slide over it and suck your hand looking for food.

That's cool about the tiger barbs. I like that. And what Colin said, that's cool too. I had a Jack Dempsey nip me once. Didn't hurt, just startles you. Oscars scare me. But the little tiger barbs pecking you, that's nice. Nice like Pigeons coming to you.

My Goldie’s will nibble at you and drag their long tails over your arm.

Oscar would freak me out too. I used to work for someone that had a huge Oscar in her 200 gallon bar tank. He was like a dog aways coming over to greet anyone... I imagine he would have been all about her arm and hand when she cleaned.

The tiger barbs not being stressed about me being in their tank is a huge plus. I didn’t think about it so much in regards to health, just that they were more comfortable with me being in the tank.

When I’ve had mollies, swordtails, or Bettas they have checked out my arm once or twice while I was in their tanks , no other fish I’ve had have been so curious. The tiger barbs were constant today which was why I was a bit surprised when I went to clean and add some rocks. Reminded me of being in cenotes in Mexico. All sorts of fish always pecking at you. At least today I could see and know what fish we’re doing it. Ha ha!

I’ve never had goldfish, but the long fin dragging on your skin sounds cool like they are petting you. My mom had a bunch of full grown koi out in a large pond in our backyard when I was younger and whenever I’d help her with maintenance they’d occasionally nip at our legs which made us walk like we had to pee because we were both afraid of hurting them. Forgot about that.

Kritastrophe said:

. Reminded me of being in cenotes in Mexico. All sorts of fish always pecking at you. At least today I could see and know what fish we’re doing it. Ha ha!

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As long as there were no Sharks "pecking" at you...that wouldn't be good.

Fish are cool.

Fishmanic said:

As long as there were no Sharks "pecking" at you...that wouldn't be good.

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Cenotes are like ponds. The ones I went to look like the picture above. That’s not a picture I took but looks like the cenotes I was swimming in and jumping into with the unknown nippy fish. No sharks as far as I know. However when I was in Kawaii I was snorkeling off the coast and saw a huge black shadow swimming near me on a cloudy water day, which we were told previously is when you should keep a lookout for sharks or avoid the water. My husband said he’d never seen anyone swim so fast to shore in his life. Needless to say, I didn’t go back in the water that day.