PlanetCatfish.com

I was moving some fish around in my tanks, ad i forgot about the spiny barbs on a pictus catfish. I caught it ith a neet, like an idiot, and now its stuck. I have it dipped is a buccket of water just covering its gills, and it is very panicked. WHen i took it out to try and get it unstuck it even started vibrating and making noise. please help! Is there any way to get it unstuck without harming it?

I'd sacrifice the net... if you're super careful, you may be able to cut the net off the fish. Another option is to read up on ways to sedate the fish so that you can carefully and gently remove the net -- or keep the fish still while you try to cut it free. I don't know much about particulars for sedating, though. I'd also put more water in the container in the meantime. Perhaps he'll relax a bit and make things less difficult. While you're trying to find an answer, just try to keep that fish calm. If I were you, I'd try to keep any net-removal efforts under water to avoid stressing the fish and/or suffocating him.

Sorry for the telegramm style:
- fish above water
- cut the net (scissors) as short as possible around the spine
- don't cut the spine (it's not the barbels, but a pectoral spine that's stuck)
- release the fish
- the fish will eventually get rid of the remaining piece of net
- don't get stung by the fish!
Good luck

Well, I spent a good 10 minutes cutting the net around the fish as close as possible, and I did a pretty good job of it, but there was still about an inch and a half of net stuck to the fish. It was flailing and pulling to get free as hard as it could, splashing water and everything. I went to finish my aquascaping, and when i came bac there was blood all around the net and the part that was stuck was laying limp. he was just ssitting there on the bottom of the bucket breathing really fast. I think he tore something while struggling tp get free. I ended up feeling so sorry for him that i euthanized him

Thanks for your help, im just angry at myself for catching him in a net.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

My deepest sympathies, truly.

--D'lyse

This happens so often that I think there should be a sticky specifically for Pimelodus pictus warning you not to catch them with nets. What do you think, moderators?

I've added a note to the "General Remarks" section of the Cat-eLog.

--
Mats

Good thing, that will help pther people to not make the same mistake I did.

Thank you all for your sympathy, as well