Fish Slime Coat Is A Marvelous Protective Barrier That Helps Maintain Good Health In Fish

Fish sludge coat is a wonderful protective barrier that helps to maintain good health in fish. Losing a large portion of their mucous coat would be like damaging a large part of our skin. Any break in the coat can, and will, affect the protective coating of the fish. Handling, hooking or even netting a fish causes a significant disturbance of the sludge coating. Fish can’t put bandages on their sticky coating to protect the skin. That leaves the fish open to disease and parasites. A fish that has lost its mucous coating has side effects similar to a human who has been badly burned. Freshwater fish will get water through the damaged skin. They can get over hydrated and bloated. Poor water quality is one of the leading causes of fish stress. In turn, it damages the protective layer. There are aquarium products available at your fish store. They promote a healthy sludge layer and also provide a relief. Fish & Aquariums is a division of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D. C. The museum is home to more than 1,000 species of fish and other marine life. . . .