Catching fish with a net? (Moved from VE forum)

[wrassefan]

so when did using a net to catch a fish become so bad?? I'm a bit confused...I bought a watchman goby from AG and it was taken out of the tank with a net....it's been fine...in fact, every store I've been to still uses nets...someone please enlighten me

as for the popeye...I would use a ten gallon quarantine tank and use saltwater maracyn or maracyn 2. Have plenty of hiding places (like pvc elbows) and no substrate or rock. Follow directions carefully on the meds. Keep lights off, aerate and feed well... I've cured popeye this way a few times in the distant past.

 

[Snidgetless]

IME using nets is generally looked down upon for two reasons. One, it stresses the fish out more which can lead to problems (such as pop-eye) but secondly and just as important often times there are snags with the fishes fins on the fine mesh of the net.

 

[stingythingy45]

Personally,I've never.........and I mean NEVER....seen anybody catch a fish with anything but a net.And I think it would be pretty funny to see someone chase a fish around with a plastic box.LMAO

 

[RayD]

A skilled LFS employee can do quite well with plastic box. It works great. Catching the fish with ANYTHING stresses them out. So I don't totally buy into the net is the cause of all evil theory.

I use a net and/or the plastic box. Depends on the fish. Tangs and other spiny dorsal fish will get caught up in the mesh.

 

[Kevin McG]

I have always been against the using a net to reduce the fishes stress level as well as the netting can cause damage so some fish's gills.

 

[deuceb]

depends on fish

i saw a magnifent foxface(big) caught with a clear box a net would of been better i think they chased it around for around 3 minutes (venomous) a net i would have caught in 10 secs wat is more stressful?

 

[RayD]

i saw a magnifent foxface(big) caught with a clear box a net would of been better i think they chased it around for around 3 minutes (venomous) a net i would have caught in 10 secs wat is more stressful?

And IIRC it stung me! My arm was hurting for 3 hours after that!

 

[ReeferMedic]

i saw a magnifent foxface(big) caught with a clear box a net would of been better i think they chased it around for around 3 minutes (venomous) a net i would have caught in 10 secs wat is more stressful?

What WOULD be more stressful is when the fish gets it's fins stuck in the netting and freaks out for next minute or two while you freak out trying to free it from the net without getting stung. That really $ucks when that happens. Some times smaller fish are easier to grab with a net, but I think it's much less stressful to catch them in a clear container. Not to mention that the net or anything else that directly touches the fish can damage/reduce it's slime coat, possible exposing it to infection/disease.

With that being said, if I can grab an unwanted fish out of my tank (that I can't get with a container) with a net, avoiding tearing the tank down to catch it, that's the way I'll go.

How's the arm doing today Ray?

 

[Cardiak]

I like Johns way of catching the fish with his hands. Its like watching a master at work.

 

[clamm]

Whent I helped at AG and -b- was the mgr, we were not allowed to use nets. If we couldn't get it with the container, we would try again the next day. It was actually quite a fun challenge, but I feel strongly that its much better then using a net.

 

[RockSalt]

I am absolutely amazed when I see that some of you have always seen stores use nets. I'm not making any judgements on whether they are good or bad, but I've been keeping saltwater fish for over 12 years and have never seen any one of them use a net. In fact I stopped using them years ago because I felt like I was doing something wrong. I figured the professionals new better. Again, I'm not judging right or wrong here. I just thought that all stores use the plastic boxes so there was less chance of damage to the fish.

I recently had to move some fish from one of my tanks and I used a plastic container and it worked great. I seem to always get them stuck in a net and they seemed to take it better and stay more relaxed with the container. At least I was a lot more relaxed.

 

[JeremyR]

Some fish it makes sense to catch with a box.. large angels, puffers(absolute must), and super spiny fish. Other fish it makes sense to catch with a net because as mentioned, chasing a very fast small fish for 3 minutes with a box is going to stress it out more. In any event, it's much ado about nothing.. like Myk, I have caught/seen caught many many thousands of fish, and it's been exceptionally rare that anything has gone wrong, and the whole net causes slime erosion & disease is more urban legend than anything.. fish go thru nets all the way thru the whole chain of custody, and if a net was going to kill the fish it would never make it to your LFS. ALL of your fish have been in nets. I leave it up to the individual catching the fish, and think it's a silly thing to pass judgement over. If you don't think so.. buy a hundred fish, setup 100 tanks. Catch the fish in 50 tanks once a week with the net and put them back in, and don't catch the other 50 and document for us the resulting mortality difference. There won't be any unless you choose something like a puffer and let it suck air in while netted.

 

[RayD]

Chasing a very fast small fish for 3 minutes with three impatient customers waiting for your
attention on a busy Saturday afternoon puts more stress on the associate than it does the fish.

 

[rjdudek]

There are a number of factors in the choice of nets or cups for catching a tanked fish. Skill is a big one... I have seen people who can use a clear plastic box like a wizard and seem to catch anything and I have had to ask people to stop using them because they were killing a fish in the attempt. I don't think nets are evil, but some LFS that use them have no procedure to clean or disinfect them and I think it is wrong to use them on fish with pronounced eyes or spines.

Also a bit hollow to say because the fish has been netted before we should keep doing it at each stage of the transfer. Unfortunately the fish might have been caught with cyanide or electric shock at some time in it’s collection, I’m not sure that is a noble argument for using cyanide in the store to make it easier or faster on the staff.

That fish is no longer .90 on the beach in Bali, 2.50 at the Transhipper, or 8.95 at the LA wholesaler it is 60.00 at a LFS in New England. I would rather stay away from dragging a crusty old net that has never seen a cleaning across the cornea of a pet I will spend years tending. Are you sure that net was not the one that was used 2 min ago to pull out the dead ick infected fish from tank A3?

EDIT:
I have seen stores that use good procedures for nets, they date and code them for cleaning/replacement and store them between uses in a net dip. Each section has it's own nets to prevent cross contamination and so forth. For example look at how TFP in PA uses nets, well thought out and clearly posted. Gives you a sense of quality control in action.

 

[SteveDola]

I personally havent seen a LFS catch a fish with a net in a long time. It takes 2 minutes to get a fish with a plastic container and theres no risk of snagging on the netting. I know if I saw a LFS employee with a net in hand to catch my newly purchased fish Id be weary of that establishment.

 

[ReeferMedic]

While I understand both methods have their place and that most fish go through a net or 2 at some point, it is an absolutely fact that if you touch a fish with your hand, a net, or anything else, it will remove some of their slime coat. It probably doesn't bother 99% of healthy fish, but it absolutely is a concern. For a good example, look at most game fish that are caught. Their lower lip usually has some kind of fungus or infection right where you grab it. If you see tham under water, it is much more pronounced. You usually wind up with slime on your hands as well.

 

[deuceb]

thanks jeremyr i think? chasing a fish around tank as fish is crashing into whatever doesnt remove slimecoat? i think(still bit of a newbie ) both methods are reasonable depending on fish

 

[zemuron114]

from a wholesalers perspective:

nets are used to collect the fish in the beginning which is the most stressful part of a fish's captive life. i use regular green nets you can buy at any LFS, specially made monofilament nets, or these red ones from walmart - all soft material when i collect. Using a net on most fish is not harmful at all as long as you are gentile. I only use nets to collect fish and to catch them to ship out.

IMO the fish didn't get pop eye from being netted. It was on the verge previously and no matter the collection method (cup or net) it would have came down with pop eye anyway. It most likely scratched its eye or water quality wasn't as good as it was suppose to be (or even a rushed acclimation could cause it)

obviously some fish should be taken out of the water due to swim bladder problems (anglers, puffers) or they are venemous (scorpions/lions). but the vast majority of aquarium fish can be caught with a net without any ill effects.

 

[FinzAquatics]

Some fish it makes sense to catch with a box.. large angels, puffers(absolute must), and super spiny fish. Other fish it makes sense to catch with a net because as mentioned, chasing a very fast small fish for 3 minutes with a box is going to stress it out more. In any event, it's much ado about nothing.. like Myk, I have caught/seen caught many many thousands of fish, and it's been exceptionally rare that anything has gone wrong, and the whole net causes slime erosion & disease is more urban legend than anything.. fish go thru nets all the way thru the whole chain of custody, and if a net was going to kill the fish it would never make it to your LFS. ALL of your fish have been in nets. I leave it up to the individual catching the fish, and think it's a silly thing to pass judgement over. If you don't think so.. buy a hundred fish, setup 100 tanks. Catch the fish in 50 tanks once a week with the net and put them back in, and don't catch the other 50 and document for us the resulting mortality difference. There won't be any unless you choose something like a puffer and let it suck air in while netted.

I 100% agree with Jeremy!

 

[Lil Shark]

Down in GA they were absolutely ASTOUNDED that I was able to catch with a cup. I normally place a cup in a corner and coral them into it with hand wiggles. I was teaching my bf this technique when two customers walked in and were just amazed that fish could be caught so quickly with minimal stress.

From what they were telling me they had never seen an LFS use this method and it just seems so second nature to me that I wouldn't even use nets to catch the freshwater fish when I worked at a pet supply store.

With either method, the most important factor is the human one. I've seen people net fish with the grace and style that the fish had nothing to worry about and I've seen gungho employees smash fish because they didn't take the time to observe them.