Nibbly Sae -- So Sweet

[ShinySideUp]

I was putting some cumcumber into the tank this evening -- it is attached to a lettuce clamp -- and while I was attaching the sucker to the glass my Siamese Algae Eater came up and started to nibble at my hand and arm, also one of my Clown Loaches started nibbling at my fingertips. I suppose they carried on for about half a minute before noticing the cucmuber and nibbling that instead. I wonder what is on my skin that they found so attractive. Dead skin cells? Ugh, still each to their own.

 

[LyraGuppi]

I've had a shrimp clean my finger before...interesting.

 
But that sounds so cute! What did it feel like?

 

[Akasha72]

Hi Mr Shiny, are you sure your SAE is definitely an SAE and not a Garra Rufa? They do look almost identical and as we know the Garra Rufa fish likes to munch on skin. It's all I can think of I'm afraid 

 
Either way ... enjoy the fishy kisses ... they obviously trust you if they are happy to get that close. My lot just dart off if I put my hand in the tank!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Actually, we have fine hair on the backs or our hands and forearms. To an SAE this looks like hair algae. It was trying to eat that. Fortunately, they do not actually manage to eat it. It tickles and it feels like a tiny electric clippers the barber uses.
 
My guess is the clown smelled/tasted cuke on your fingers. I once had a larger clown dart in a snatch a live worm from my hand which I was feeding to a Discus. Freaked the heck out of all 3 of us- me, the discus and even the clown who dashed off with the worm and hid.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Definitely an SAE.
 
My Clown loaches will eat from my hand if I am holding frozen bloodwrom, wrapping my fingers around it under the water and letting it defrost from my palm. They will 'click' between my fingers at the food, which I can feel and if I put one finger down I can stroke the sides of their bodies occasionally. Their 'skin' feels very soft and velvety.

 

[Akasha72]

oh wow ... very jealous. I wish my lot trusted me in such a way

 

[NickAu]

 
My Clown loaches will eat from my hand if I am holding frozen bloodwrom,

Mine too. Even my snails come to the top of the tank around 4 pm begging for food. I give them blood worm brine shrimp or a pellet of some sort every time, They even make a little cup with their foot near their mouths to catch the treats.
Don't all snails do this?

 
 
And mollies platys and guppies can be a pain always swimming around your hand and fingers when you are trying to do something in the tank

 

[Tooombsy]

My mollies do it, especially the male. With my trigon 190 I found the easiest way to clean the inside of the glass is by hand. When I have my hand in the tank to start scrubbing he thinks it's dinner time, he pecks at my fingers for about 10 seconds before realising I don't have any treats for him