Loaches Online Forum

I brought my tank home from the fair. I am reacclimating the fish to the quiet life at the house out of the starlight, and I had a slight problem. Most of my catfish I handle by hand, not daring to use a net for fear they will get something caught. Unfortunately, the ghost catfish would not allow me to handle him, so he went into the net, and got stuck. His pectoral fin was stuck to the net. I left him in the tank to extricate himself, and he didn't manage to do it. SO I carefully cut the net, but still didn't manage to free him from the small piece of material that is left. The net is a brine shrimp netting -- white. His fin is clear. Very hard to see where one starts and the other ends. The piece is about as big as his fin.

This was 5 days ago and he is schooling with his buddies and acts like everything is fine, swims fine, . . . any ideas what I should do? I don't want to cause him anymore stress.

that is a toughie
I guess I would leave him alone. How else would you extract the piece of net, unless you caught and sedated him (quite stressful, unless you sedated which can be dicey) . I would maybe take a "watch and wait" approach t osee if he can get rid or it himself, like a splinter. Of course, you will have to bite the bullet if he seems red or swollen (infected ) at the site of the foreign body over time.

Let him be. I have had some cats carry the bit of net around for a few weeks before it came off.

From now on, it is cups or whatever, never a net for cats! Even if I have to drain the tank to catch them.

I had forgotten about using a cup. I always catch them by hand. My fish are so used to being handled it is generally not a problem, but this guy was having none of it.

Yesterday I was looking for him in a planted tank, and thought he met his demise, but I finally found him this morning, and it looks like most of the net is gone. He had it about a week. He's schooling with his homies -- trying to blend in.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.