Fish scales are the bits of skin that fish lose during their swims. Scales are always present on the body of a fish, starting from hatching and continuing until the end of their life cycle. While most people think of fish scales when cleaning fish, they are also present inside fish tanks used for keeping fish as pets. Since scales are such a common sight in the natural world as well as inside fish tanks, it is important to know their proper decomposition process.
Decomposing fish scales is not a complicated process, but it is an ever changing one, making it difficult to know exactly how long it will take. There are usually four stages to the decomposition of fish scales.
Table of Contents
Skinning
The first stage in the decomposition of fish scales is called skinning. This stage starts once the fish has been cleaned, and is mostly complete within 30 minutes to an hour. During this time, the fish is resting, and the tension on the skin is easing. As the fish comes to rest, the skin becomes taut and can be easily removed, similar to the process of removing mammal skin, such as sheeps’ or goats’ tails. Most often, skinning is done on a table or an island in the kitchen due to the ease of access and the space itoccupies.
Walking
Once the fish has been skinned, the next stage is to remove the head, feet, and entrails. Next, the skin is washed and dried, and then the fish is ready to walk. However, before the fish can walk, they must become accustomed to moving around freely. So, while you are waiting for the fish to become mobile, it is advisable to put them in a bowl with some gravel to make it easier for them to move around when cleaning their tanks. This process takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour for most fish. During this time, the fish may become overactive and agitated.
Sleeping
After the fish have had time to walk around and become acclimated to their new tank environment, they are ready for a good night’s sleep. This stage starts once the fish have finished eating and is usually complete by the time the sun comes up in the morning. During this time, the fish are resting and digesting food, and any waste material is either eliminated through their excretory system or stored in their large white adipose tissues. The sleeping period lasts for about 12 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the fish and the temperature of their tank.
Eating
When the sleeping period is over, the fish wake up, and feeding begins. This stage starts when the fish have filled their stomachs with pellets and ends once the animals have consumed all the food given to them. During this stage, the fish continue to grow and develop, and any waste material is eliminated through their digestive system. This process usually takes between 1 and 5 days, depending on the type of food and the water temperature. When going through this process, the fish gain weight and finally reach their mature size.
While the decomposition of fish scales is an easy and common process to observe, it is always better to know the exact amount of time it will take to break down food. This is especially useful if you are feeding your fish a diet of frozen fish food, since it is impossible to know how long it will take for the food to thaw before the fish can eat it.
Thawing
When feeding frozen food to fish, it is important to remember that the thawing process takes time, and it is thus recommended to feed the fish gradually. To do this, you must add a small amount of food at a time, wait for about five minutes before adding the next batch, and repeat the process until all the food is gone. This process of adding food gradually ensures that the fish do not become agitated and spoil the meat before it is completely thawed and digested. Thawing frozen food takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the fish and the ambient temperature of their tank.
Eggs And Milker
When a female fish lays eggs, another small group of skin scales form around the area where the eggs are deposited. These new scales are easily detached and can be observed after the eggs have hatched. The newly hatched fish are then ready to be fed. This process is called milking, and it is an easy way to determine how much offspring you have spawned. Simply count the number of eggs and the amount of newborn fish, and you will know the exact amount of time has passed since the last milking session. In most cases, milking happens once a week, on Tuesday afternoon.
The decomposition of fish scales is an easy and common process to observe, but it is always better to know the exact amount of time it will take to break down food. This is especially useful if you are feeding your fish a diet of frozen food, since it is impossible to know how long it will take for the food to thaw before the fish can eat it.