Why two are better than one aquarium fish net

Catching fish can be really tricky. Here’s a few pointers for using an aquarium fish net

Every pond and aquarium owner should have a net, as you never know when you might need to catch your fish. If fish are sick or injured, and need to be moved to a quarantine tank, you’ll need a catching net. If fish are fighting and you need to separate them, you’ll need an aquarium fish net then too.

If you’re moving fish, stripping down a tank, or even removing a dead fish, you’ll need a fish net then too. Aquarium fish nets can even be used without fish, like for removing plant leaves and debris from the water.

But fish are naturally difficult to catch. Speed and agility help them to avoid predators in the wild, and they are well equipped to avoid your fish catching net when in the aquarium. Especially if you have lots of decorations and plants. The answer? Do what the professionals do and use two aquarium nets.

Be doubly effective with aquarium fish nets 

Chase a fish with a catching net and both you and they can get stressed, so its best to do it as quickly and effectively as possible. 

With just one fish net you are slow, and can easily be out-manoevered by your agile, slippery pets. They swim ahead of the net and can turn quickly. You just end up chasing them up and down the tank, with limited results. Especially with lightning fast fish species like Wrasses or Danios.

But place one net behind the fish and one in front, and it’s a different chase entirely. The front net blocks the path of the fish, while the rear one can be used to scoop it up, quickly, effectively, and with the minimum of stress. Aquarium nets are the only way to catch baby fish.

It can take a bit of practice at first, and some hand-eye coordination, but once you get the hang of it its, much, much quicker. And that means less stress for the fish.

Pond fish nets

Due to their large size, pond catching nets move even more slowly through the water. Use two nets to coax and corner a pond fish, or even two nets and two people, and you’ll get the job done much faster. And remember for pond and aquarium nets, you’ll need one that is larger than the maximum size of your fish, to make capture easier and avoid any injury to the fish. Get a fish net with a long handle too so you can reach down and scoop fish from the depths. Choose a large pond fish catching net and you increase your chances of catching in the gloom too, especially if you can't see what you're trying to catch. 

Use fine mesh nets as pond skimmer nets. Soft mesh nets are the best fish safe nets because coarse nets can scrape the fish's skin.