Catching Aquarium Fish with a Fish Net

If you own Guppies, Livebearers or any type of fishes, one day you will come across a reason to use an aquarium fish net to catch a fish in your aquarium tank. You might use the aquarium fish net because there is an injured, ill or a pregnant Guppy fish that needs to be put in isolation in a quarantine tank for treatment, recovery or breeding. It might be to remove an aggressor or a fish that is being bullied, to move fish between tanks, to sell or trade a fish, or other reasons.

When you first attempt to catch a fish with your aquarium fish net, you’ll realize that it actually requires a lot of skill and patience. The first time, I used a fish net, I ended up chasing the fish around the aquarium tank endlessly and took a long time before I was able to catch it. There’s a few tricks and technique to make this catching the fish an easier task.

Slower Movements for Success

One of the most important thing to remember when you are using the aquarium fish net is to try to move the net slowly. The more subtle the movement is, the faster you’ll be able to catch your fish. The moment you startle the fish, it causes them to find a place to hide. Chasing the fish endlessly will no doubt add unnecessary stress to your fish and yourself.

The best time to catch your fish is when you’re doing your water changes after when you have emptied some of the aquarium’s water. The less swimming area it has, then there’s less space for the fish to get away, so you’ll be able to catch the fish faster.

Using Two Nets Instead of One

In a heavily decorated aquarium tank, it’s harder to catch a timid fish since they will find spots to hide. Your decorations might also get in your way as your moving your fish net around the aquarium. If you notice that the fish you’re trying to catch has a particular favorite hiding spot then you can try blocking the entrance with a second fish net. Just simply start chasing the fish with one fish net and wait for the fish to enter into their favorite hiding spot and it will go straight into your second fish net!

Remove Decorations

To make it easier for you to catch your fish, sometimes it might be a good idea to remove some of your aquarium decorations beforehand. Sometimes the aquarium decorations might contain sharp edges, so it might not be a good idea to startle your fish in an aquarium filled with decorations that can cause injuries. The decorations might also get in your fish net’s way.

Closing the Fish Net

After you have successfully caught the fish into the fish net, it’s important to close the fish net otherwise your fish will quickly swim out of it and escape.

Steps to Close the Fish Net:

1. Catch the fish into your fish net.
2. Hold your fish net in a vertical position with the opening of the net facing up.
3. Slowly pull the handle of the net up, this will cause the fish to curl at the bottom of the net’s fabric material.
4. Excess water will drip out of the fish net, let majority of the water drip back into your aquarium tank.
5. You have now successfully caught your fish with your fish net!

Removing the Fish from the Fish Net

To let your fish out of the fish net and back into your aquarium, gently lower your fish net into the aquarium tank’s water and the net’s fabric material will relax to allow the fish to swim out.