When I purchased my latest fish, Reba, I commented to the girl catching her that when they're big, I normally just scoop them up with my hand (much easier) and I mentioned that nets can harm gills and scales. She popped right back, surprisingly, and said that humans have oils and acids on their hands that damage the scales even worse. I think she meant slime coat, not scales. I stuttered back with, "Well, that's why I wash my hands."

I remember there was a thread aways back and someone (possibly Daryl?) said that they scoop their goldies up with their hands regularly, to treat a wound or get a better look at a blemish.

So my question is twofold: do the oils on your hands really damage the slimecoat all that bad, and if so, would using a net be better in such a case? Of course, I will always prefer getting a cup or dish to scoop instead of a net, but for theoretical reasons I ask about the net.

Opinions appreciated!

Well I personally pick mine up by hand. I make sure my hands are clean by washing them. I wont touch them if I been cleaning the house cause you dont know what kind of chems you might still have in your skin. You can get gloves if you have finger nail polish or fake nails on to keep that stuff out of the tank water and off the fish.

I dont like nets they can hurt them and rip there fins

I use my hands as well Joy ...I hate using a net.. my fish trust my hands more than a net ...and I have a fish that goes in hysterics when he sees it ..I'm not sure if our hands are that harmful..you only do it when you need too.

Oooh say no to nets I use hands sometimes but usually I use a small plastic bowl with a handle. Looks like a large soup ladle(sp?)

Haha, a soup ladle!!! Roxanne would NEVER fit in one of those things... She'd need a soup bowl!

EeeeWWW. Don't take a sip by mistake

Oh but Fish Slime soup is good

Nets are terrible, when I was getting some feeders (not for feeding to anything) they netted one and its whole dorsal fin was shredded. poo to nets

I'm all for using my hand too. When we needed to lift out our tiny oranda, I brought her up in my hand, and she was very docile. My comet likes to jump, so when I moved him from one tank to another room, I first lifted him out in a small bowl, carried it with my hand over it, then lifted him out into the new tank by hand.

The only thing I use my net for is scooping broccoli out of the tank after my daughters have dropped a whole flowerette in.

yep ,I only use the net for skimming

i chase mine around with a large coffee mug then scoop them to a 5 gal bowl (containing original tank water) while i do significant water changes. I'd never use a net plus my way makes it so they never have to leave the water.

I have been known to use my hand, but mostly I use jugs to catch them.

When I first got flash (may he rest in peace) I tried geting him out of the bag with a net and its fin got caught on the net. I never used them again.

Thanks for all your replies! I also never use nets because Koko's cautioned me way-back-when. When I had small fish I conditioned them to look for their food in a big water bottle I put in the tank. Every time I needed them out of the tank, I lured them in and pulled them out! Now I use my hand or a big jug.

in the smaller tanks i just use my hand, in the big tanks where its hard to catch them i trap them in a big net then take tem out with my hand but i always have my brother holding the bucket for me right by the tank cuz i've had a few jump out of my hand onto the floor

My smaller fish I can get them with a zip lock back and scoop them up but as for Mongo and Princess its a different story. They are way to big and I have to pick them up if I need to move them

Oh yum slime Soup

yup I catch Jade with my hands too. I only use the net for skimming and of course to chase the cory cats. They are too fast for me to catch with my hand. Jade lets me pick her up even though she is young. and oohhh Lavina I wan't that kitty kat

Thats my kitty Rosie. She is pretty isnt she

Hands, especially with Mars. He'll freak out if I put anything in the tank, whether is be a jug or something and he'll try and cram himslef behind the filter intake. He's lost some serious scales doing that before. My hand though he completely trusts, so all my babies are now used to being picked up by hand.

i use my hands to catch my fishies

but at work i have to catch the fish with nets... but all i do is get the fish in the net, keep the net in the water (so they can still swim around in the net) then scoop them out of the net with my hands and put them into the bag. which isn't so bad, i suppose!!

Ohh how i wish i could get my fish out of the tank by hand, but i'm left with no real choice but to use a large net.
worse thing is i can feel them peeling of it as i plop them into a bucket, the netting seems to stick to thier scales.
luckily i don't need to take them out very often.

Wow, so it seems like almost everyone uses their hand or a bowl!

I'm guessing that the oil on our hands IS harmful to the slime coat, but if you wash your hands and rinse them really well before sticking your hands in the tank, and don't handle them very often, they should be okay.

So I was right. Silly LFS workers.

I use a net and immediately transfer to a small container filled with tank water which I have ready right next to it. The second or so that they are in the net, they actually lie motionless because it is a fish's natural survival reaction to stay in contact with moisture when there is lack of water. I always later treat the tank water with stress coat anytime a fish is handled.

Picked this up a while ago at my LFS for around $5. It's made by Lee's and they call it a Specimen Container or Convalescent Home. Comes in a few sizes, this is a medium one, roughly 6" X 3". Works great to transport the fish to the QT or holding tank, hangs inside or outside the tank itself, and it's quite manuverable so you can scoop your fish up with it no net needed. We use them where I work and I find it so much easier than a cup or bowl purely for the fact that if you need to put it down in an emergency you can just hung it from your tank as opposed to having to find a flat surface.

Wow, that's a great idea!! I'm going to look for one.

what about brine shrimp nets? their usually softer and more clothlike than mesh, would those be any eaiser on fish?
http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=790015...rccode=FSHNXTAG

they also have a scoop like alternative at pets***t but i cant post the link