Learning about netting your new fish is important because you will have to net your fish several times over your fish’s lifetime.
Why do I need to net my fish?
Netting your new fish simply means having the ability to pick your fish up out of the water with a small fish net. Netting a pet fish is much different than netting a wild fish. First of all, you’re probably not going to catch your pet fish with a hook. Secondly, you’re not going to toss it into a huge net. Pet fish nets are much smaller than the nets you might take on a fishing excursion.
That being said, netting your new fish is something you can’t avoid. You’ll use the net to put your fish in its new environment, remove your fish when you need to clean the tank and remove your fish if it or any other fish gets sick.
What kind of nets are there?
Netting your new fish requires a net. Pet fish nets are usually made of mesh or nylon netting. The handle is usually made out of rubber, vinyl or metal. The handle on your fish net should be long enough that you can easily maneuver around the entire width and depth of your fish tank. Before you buy a net, figure out what size your tank is because this will determine how long your net should be. You also need to know what kind of fish you’re getting. Small fish need small nets and larger fish need large nets. A net that is too small for a fish is dangerous because the fish can easily flop out of it.
Some pointers
Be careful! When you’re netting your fish you need to pay close attention to what you’re doing. Compared to humans, fish are very small. But they’re also quick and it can be easy to accidentally smash their little bodies against the side of the tank. Error on the side of caution when you’re trying to catch your fish. If he gets away, be patient. It’s better to miss him a few times than smash him up against he side of the tank!
After netting your fish, you’re going to remove him from the tank. When you do this, make sure you have a safe container to transfer your fish to. This container should be close to the tank so you can quickly get the fish back in the water. This will also prevent your fish from hopping out of the net.
Do not transfer your net from aquarium to aquarium. If you have more than one aquarium, designate one net for each aquarium. If you don’t you risk contaminating the aquariums. The nets used for netting your new fish are not expensive and it’s worth the small expense to keep your fish from getting ill.
