Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I need some help/advice please.
My Tilapia fish have a slime coating on the scales, the whole fish really.
It is clear and is easily scrapped off.
Is this an illness or some bio-slime out of control?
Anything that I can do; should do?

Thank you.

probably natural, goldfish have slime coats too, but if it's excessive it could be some kind of immunological response to something. For any kind of useful diagnosis you should post up a pic and describe your water parameters, feed and system in general

Thank you.

I do not know how to judge "excessive" though.
No fish losses, ever; seem lively, like giving me a shower whenever I feed them. LOL

I just cleaned 16 of my tilapia on Saturday... they do seem a little more slimey than bluegills or bass that I've caught in the wild, but not terribly slimey. Part of that could be because when I normally go fishing by the time I get home and clean the fish they are already dead, vs. fresh caught tilapia going straight to cleaning them so they haven't had any time for the slime to clear off... normally if I have fish on a stringer when fishing I'm pulling them out of the water when I move the boat then tossing them back in the water several times throughout the day. I just kept an old hand towel nearby if I got too slimey I wiped my hands on the towel (vs. wiping them on my pants like I normally would after spending a day fishing... I didn't have old fishing pants on, had nice shorts on, so I used the towel instead lol).

_________________
Rob
My greenhouse / aquaponics adventure
My DIY PVC Hoop House

Rob, thank you for that story.
I am not a fisher-person. Never had an aquarium even and did not of slimy fish. My bad I guess.
And I'll go with the towel, I think.

Thanks. Greg