My koi got some kinda barb

[BennyLava]

Some of my koi have some kind of barb on the fins on their backs. I think its the... dorsal fin? Anyway, I don't really like this cause they get caught in the net and they might stab me when I have to move them around for whatever reason. Is this a common occurrence? Are they supposed to grow these barbs?

 

[fishin4cars]

That barb is usually the first ray in the dorsal and pectorial fins of most fish. In Koi the smaller the fish the more sharper they are, as the fish get larger they get thicker and more dull. Some types of fish even have poison that can be released through these rays such as catfish and Rays. What concerns me most with your post is that they are getting caught in your net. This can cause damage to the fin and actually can get so imbedded that the fin would need to be cut to remove it. What kind of net are you using? I Good koi net should be made with a soft meshing very wide opening and be capable of lifting a good bit of weight with out injury to the fish, Aquarium nets are not designed for Koi, as well as fishing nets. These types of nets can harm a Koi. It is wise to invest in a GOOD koi net.

 

[BennyLava]

Can you recommend a good, large koi net that can be used for swooping down through the pond to catch the fish?

 

[HARO]

Is it really necessary to swoop down and catch them? Very stressful for the poor fish! John

 

[fishin4cars]

How large are your fish? and are you willing to spend the money for a GOOD net. I good sock net for large koi, Which if your going to be moving them this is the best route to go and least stressful for the fish can cost between $100 and $150. Now it you have smaller Koi and you need to move them say Under 15" size range Home Depot sells a good net for about $25 that has a retractable long handle. Good net for the money but is usually used on smaller fish and removing foreign objects from the pond, Also you really don't want to swoop up a Goldfish or Koi, You want to gently maneuver the koi where it will swim into the net. Two nets work best, one far smaller than the other, leave the big one still and guide the fish into the net with the smaller one, For large Koi the one from Home depot makes a good night to guide with and the sock net is better for removing the fish from the pond. Sock nets work really good because you have two open ends, you grab one end with your hand and the other is open by the handle, the fish will swim in head first and you simply lift it up carefully, when you get the fish where he needs to go you let go of the other end that you hand is holding and the fish continues to move head first out of the net so it doesn't damage fins or scales.

 

[BennyLava]

Aint no other way to get em outa there.

 

[koiguy1969]

you should also never lift the fish out of the water with just the net. bring it to the surface and use your hands. you dont want to over extend the bending of a kois back. you can hurt the fish or it may injure itself flapping around. and old dark colored pillow case is great for making a "koi sock" of sorts.. especially if your or someone you know can cut open and sew in a zipper at the opposite end from the opening. on the open end you can put a slice in the hemmed area and put a tube frame inside the hem. the pillow cases from large pillows or those body pillows are a good choice. the darkness from the pillow case will ease their stress when caught. and when you get them where their going and open the zipper so they can swim out themselves.