How Long?
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It would probably take a couple hours for it to "drown" which is basically what a fish out of water does just as we do in water. I would hope it wouldn't take that long for you to take a pic. It really isn't a good idea to handle fish though as it will remove the slime coat that they need.
Netting is EXTREMELY stressful on fish and can even cause injury especially on sucker mouth fish that are hard to detach from what ever they are sucking on. You would be much better off to try to photography him in the tank.
morgan
Fish Herder
Hi, do Plecos have a slime coat? I have to catch mine tomorrow to go into his new tank. I am dreading it. I have been given lots of advice in other threads on how to do it. I am extremely jealous of that person in the photo who is holding the pleco. I would never be that cool and confident! 
To the best of my knowledge, all fish have a slime coat. I have found that it is easier to net a fish with 2 nets. Kind of hold one down (the larger one) and herd them to it with another net. Plecos may not be as difficult since the spend most of their time attached to the tank walls. You may be able to just lift him out with your hand and net and not actually have to chase him around the tank like with most fish.
They do but it doesn't really hurt them unless you do it often and I'll have to move my pleco to my 55g in a few weeks and all I'm going to do to catch him is to take a net and chase him to the front of the tank and gently take my hand and pick him up and put him in ziplock bag to acclimate him to new tank.
morgan
Fish Herder
Hi, thanks. I wondered about the slime coat as Plecos are scaless. Durbkat, aren't you worried about the spikes? I suppose not as you have moved him before, haven't you? I have never moved mine apart from bringing him home. He was 2 -3" then. Now he is 11. I will be so glad when it is Wednesday!
Yea, that's what I do to catch my corys if I need to transfer them. Boy are those things quick.
No because it has never hurt me before and I was grabbing him from under his body where his stomach is and only his small fins on his sides touched me and it didn't poke me at all. But I guess once it gets bigger it will get sharper spikes.Hi, thanks. I wondered about the slime coat as Plecos are scaless. Durbkat, aren't you worried about the spikes? I suppose not as you have moved him before, haven't you? I have never moved mine apart from bringing him home. He was 2 -3" then. Now he is 11. I will be so glad when it is Wednesday!
andywg
Bored into leaving
You shouldn't really net the vast majority of plecs as they have a great habit of getting spines stuck in nets. The same goes for a lot of catfish.
Far better is your hands or a plastic collander.
Taking the fish out purely for a photograph could be considered a little cruel, but I doubt it would kill the fish just for 5 minutes.
Far better is your hands or a plastic collander.
Taking the fish out purely for a photograph could be considered a little cruel, but I doubt it would kill the fish just for 5 minutes.
Bloo
~ I learn something new ~ ~~~~ every day ~~~~
If I need a good pic of a plec (generally for identification purposes or to get a really good close up of an ailment etc.), I catch with as above with a glass dish or collander. Then transfer over to clear glass dish for photography and back in tank. All over in a few minutes and very little stress for the fish.
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