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There was a time the earth was pretty much rock and water.
Somewhere, probably around volcanic deep sea vents, in the pores of the rocks, life got started, chains of amino acids, dna, rna, etc---and we got, yes, slime.
We got algae.
We got cyanobacteria which happily took up carbon and water and spat out oxygen after absorbing energy from the sun (photosynthesis)---this was a bad thing for things that didn't like oxygen, but it was good for, well, everybody who wasn't a microbe...

Slime coats and you...yes, they matter.
Fish have an insulation, a slime/moisture that coats their bodies and protects them from both iffy water acidity and chance encounters with parasites; it also may limit bleeding in injury and promote healing of minor scrapes.

Things that diminish the slime coat: the alkalinity of your water being out of bounds (the range should be 7.9-9.0 on the dkh scale, and if you aren't testing your alkalinity weekly, you should be. Daily, when just...

Do NOT buy coral while your tank is still having problems like massive algae, excessive cyano (most tanks get a little now and again).

Do not buy corals until you have 1) proper lighting 2) test kits to be sure your water is ok. And supplements to KEEP your water ok. 3) dips and in the case of softies (and stonies you don't trust) an observation tank with proper lighting.

First, the lighting. If you do not have light it hurts your eyes to look toward, no sps (colored...