"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
Koi wranglers use their nets to guide their fish into another container
(big bag or tub). After watching them, that is what I do with my koi and
goldfish, easier on them and me.... and in your case your net. ;o) Maybe it
would work for you? One word of warning, if using a tub, you do need to get
it covered if catfish are anything like koi and jump. ~ jan

Yes, I've seen in a couple of books how they do that. If I need to get the big
guy out, I will try it that way. But any way you look at it, he's going to be a
bear to catch.

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:34:45 -0400, " George" wrote:

The big guy is a little sick right now. Hopefully, he will come around in a
day or two.
The one time I got him out of the pond (last year when he was sick) his weight
(and thrashing)
badly damaged my fish net. I had to buy another one. He wasn't hurt by the
incident (except perhaps his pride). If I have to get him out this time, it
is
going to be a real chore, because he is twice the size that he was last year.

(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Yes. The day after the storm, when the fish were up gasping, everything
appeared normal except the pH. Of course, it was obvious that they were
oxygen-starved at the time, which is why I was so frantic to get the air pump
going. Once I did, they appeared to be ok. Even the catfish was moving around
and not gulping. I waited a day before I fed them, however (I didn't know how
long the electricity would be off, so I didn't want to foul the water up). On
the morning of the second day, the electricity came back on. I started to
slowly adjust the pH using sodium bicarbonate, and I fed them, but the catfish
refused to eat. I also slowly added a cup of pond salt to the water. He
wouldn't eat yesterday either. All of the other fish are eating like there is
no tomorrow (which is normal). As of this morning the pH is back up to 7.4 from
6.8 (before the storm, the pH was 7.8). The catfish is still not eating. It is
moving around pretty much like it always does, but isn't acting aggressive like
it usually does when it eats, and rarely comes to the top, as it always does
when I'm around, as if it is spooked (if I had been in that pond during that
storm, I might have gotten spooked as well, but I really don't know a lot about
catfish psychology). Finally, I've tried to examine it as closely as I can, and
I can find no lesions, red spots on it. NO parasites, of course. Whatever the
problem is, it is internal (most likely, in my opinion, inflamed gills, or - God
forbid - brain damage from oxygen starvation - I think it is the former rather
than the latter). Any ideas, anyone?