Temporarily stunning fish in pond....

[Anita in NC]

My dad has a large ornamental fish pond. He needs to find a way to catch the fish that he would like to relocate. He doesn't want to harm the fish and some fish are very valuable.

He seemed to think that he could build some kind of device that would temporarily stun the fish while he rounded up the stock he wanted to relocate.

Can anyone point me in the right direction of web sites with directions on how to build one of these? Or what the correct name for such a device is?

[nathan104]

You are talking about electroshocking the fish. You can find plenty of info just searching with a search website with "electroshocking fish". This is the technique used mainly for survey and fish studies. The forums at Pondboss.com are very helpful on anything to do with ponds.

[Shinsan]

When working on the N.Z. Navy's research ship 'Tui', we once stunned fish using "R.E.B." [Rapidly Expanding Bait] - (AKA hand grenade) - though I wouldn't recommend it for a small pond .... unless you want it emptied too. LOL

Seriously though, if you contact an aquarium supply house they might be able to give you the name of the chemical that divers use to temporarily 'stun' fish long enough to be netted or caught in a 'slurp' gun.

[Ernie]

None of those methods are going to work on fish you intend to relocate, unless you're relocating them all around the yard and in the trees, or to a frying pan.

It's an ornamental pond. How big can it be? Get a net.

[paul]

Finquel is a comercial fish anesthetic. I know it works, but I don't know if it would be cost effective in a pond. Draining (or partially draining) the pond and netting would probably be better.

The use electroshocking for sampling lakes, but the die-off is pretty high.

homesteadpaul

[paul]

I just noticed you are in NC. You might want to try talking to your county agent. NC has a pretty active aquaculture program as part of its extention service. I know they know a lot about rainbow trout, but I don't know if they do fancy fish or not.

homesteadpaul

[Metagirrl]

It's hard to predict how electrofishing will affect the fish... some species are more tolerant than others, and it would all depend on how the equipment was set up. Even then, I wouldn't suggest using it for fish that were worth $$.... I've participated in fish surveys using electrofishing, and we lose quite a few.

[fishhead]

You may be able to find a pond management company with an electro-shocker to come and collect your fish. My first thing to try would be a rod and reel with some barbless hooks but I'm used to dealing with 1/2 acre ponds. Otherwise find someone with a seine you could borrow or hire.

[NewlandNubians]

My husband works at a fish hatchery for the state. He knows of many methods to knock out fish. some are no longer in practice. They have used chemicals and also they have in the past used clove oil. The dosages are quite critical on any of the above. I do know the knock out drug they use on brood fish works well but they use controlled amounts (in a large tub) when they use it, would be hard to do in a pond I'd imagine and I'm not sure you can just go out and buy that stuff. too much will kill the heck out of them. The biologists in our state use electoshocking to knock out fish in streams. I'm not sure which is the best, safest, or most available method to use in your case but at any rate there are several alternatives. Not very helpful, I know, I'm sorry. At any rate, if there is a state fish hatchery near you, call them up and pick their brain.

[Gideon]

I would consider lowering the water level and seineing. If you electrically shock them you may need to place a wire grid/screen in the bottom if it is not graveled. Electric shocking only works well on scaless fish(catfish).
On another note, we are having our first '08 gathering 4-5-6 April about 50 miles South East of Charlotte at Griffin Family Hunting Lodge. It is about 5 miles north of #9 near Mt Crogan. Way out in the country with a nice pond just brimming with fish. If interested just PM me for details asap, wc

[radiofish]

Ok - electroshocking is used primarily on juvenile fishes. In electroshocking adults, you run the risk of causing severe physical harm (think of you being electrocuted)!! Adult fish would tend to have spinal damage from being shocked, and they could have burns from being too close to the anode or cathode rods while electroshocking. In sampling numerous streams in my career, I have seen it happen many times!!!

When I worked in several fish hatcheries, we used a seine to gather the fish, in order to grade, sample, and move the fish in the large concrete or earthen raceways. A seine has a long handle at either end with a large mesh net attached. There is a leadline on the bottom of the net to keep it on the bottom of the surface, and a float line at the top. Make sure that the seine is able to cover the depth of the pond. Does the pond have a uniform bottom (constructed), or is it rough and undulating such as a dammed creekbed?? Lots of things to consider first!! fishhead is correct about using a seine, but he workes with ponds, where I worked with rivers, streams, and fish hatchery raceways collecting fish.

There is a chemical MS-222 (methane tricaine sulfanate) which inhibits the fishes ability to uptake oxygen through their gills. We would not use MS-222 in a pond - cost prohibited and the exchange of water would be too slow which would probally kill off most of the fish from Over Dosing on the drug. We used MS-222 in a small dual sided tank. One side with MS-222 and other having running water in order to not OD the adult salmon and trout before spawning. We would switch between the two, while working up the fish.

Now many fish hatcheries use a diffuser (air stone) in order to use CO (carbon monoxide) introduced into the water under pressure, to "knock out" the fish. Plus it is safe to eat fish with the CO method, compared to using MS-222 which required a 21 day waiting period in order for the fish to be considered safe for human consumption. Either method will cause the fish to "belly up" so you can work with them by inhibiting their ability to use the dissolved oxygen in the water, without permanent physical damage occuring. Like when folks become unconscious/ die from CO (carbon monoxide) poisioning, from using charcoal BBQ inside an enclosed space. Why are there carbon monoxide detectors marketed for your home, so you won't be accidentially killed?????

Which ever method you use, be sure to not "stress" the fish in the pond. They may die while you are moving them!! If there is a fish hatchery near you or a state fisheries department near by, consult them if possible. Better to be over careful, than to loose your fish to carelessness!!

If you need more info, or want to be pointed in the right direction, feel free to PM me.... I might as well put my education and experience in fisheries/ aquaculture to use.

[sewsilly]

I have a larger ornamental pond, loaded with gold fish and guppies. When I need to 'share' or remove some for any reason, a net works famously. For total removal, when I switched liners/materials for the liner, a seine worked just fine. Found a couple of bream in there as well and have no clue where they came from, unless from a wading bird.

On no day would I electroshock my fish.

[Terri]

If he feeds them at the same spot every day, wouldn't they come to that spot when they see him?

Then, he could net them. There are long-handles nets at LLBean and any sporting shop.

[poorboy]

Rotenone has been used to deplete oxygen and bring fish to top, they have to be removed and placed in fresh water. Also I think if I remember right it takes two weeks or more before the pond can be safely restocked. As for the death rate from this it will kill most all fish in a pond, not sure on the survival rate when relocating them..:-)

[Quint]

If it is a large ornamental fish pond he might be better off just carefully and repeatedly seining it. I've helped to clean out several fairly decent sized ponds by seining and it was pretty successful. Two of them were drained after and there were only a couple of very small fish left.

[jenofthewoods]

cant you just drain it and then net up the fish as the water gets less and less?
Just a thought.

[bull]

crushed green black walnut hulls will stun fish but good luck binding them this time of year.

[Highground]

We always used "Dupont Deep Divers" but the DNR got pretty upset when they caught us.

[fishhead]

Originally Posted by Terri

If he feeds them at the same spot every day, wouldn't they come to that spot when they see him?

Then, he could net them. There are long-handles nets at LLBean and any sporting shop.

If these ornamental fish are koi or goldfish feeding them in the same spot over a lift net should work if you move slowly. Koi are the hardest fish to seine once you spook them. I once seined a puddle 20'x20' over a dozen times and couldn't catch the last koi. It kept lying on it's side and slipping under the lead line. I left about dark and came back within 1/2 hour of sunrise the next morning but a heron had already killed it.