Catfish Someone Gave Me?

This isn't really freshwater beginners, but there isn't a thread this belongs in, but please help me! Some gave my family a bucket of fish they caught from a lake, (I'm assuming it's mine, as the two species are both found in my lake, but I'm not completely sure) and there was a catfish that was still alive. I'm not sure they were even legally allowed to take it, because it's pretty small, and even if they could, there isn't much worth eating. I'd like to rescue it, and put it back in the lake, but I don't really know what to do. For now, I put it in my sink (there isn't a bigger place for it anywhere on short notice) and added some Seachem Prime, but I can't match the temperature, pH, or really anything else that you're usually supposed to do. Is there anything else I can do to help this fish until my parents get home and drive me to the lake?

 

Put an airstone in the sink to create water movement. What is the temp of the water? Can you give us a picture of the fish so someone can ID it?

 

Like above, just add an airstone and wait it out, if it is strong enough it should make it. Do not use any of your tank equipment around it or in the water it is in to the best of your ability, if the water is chill enough (or you can refresh the water couple time to avoid introducing germs from your tank to it) it likely will be okay without an airstone.

 

Sorry, it keeps moving so the picture isn't really that great. I'll be able to bring it back to the lake within an hour though! The temp is probably around 70-75°F right now. Unfortunately, I don't have any extra supplies, but will it be ok for the hour? I can add in a little extra water and disturb the water every few minutes until we bring it back.

 

Aww looks like a little bullhead but I have no idea what kind of fish you catch in your area.

 

Looks like a bullhead. Those fish are tough and it looks ready for release. They are capable of living for hours out of water.

 

Ok, thanks!

 

Keep us updated!

 

Thanks for the help, everyone! I released the catfish back into the lake!

 

That's great! Thanks for doing a good deed

 

LOL My kids caught one of these about 10" and we tossed it on ice with the trout.

6 hours later I was cleaning half frozen trout in the sink, and this dead bullhead starts thrashing in the melted ice water.

I gave it a few more gallons of untreated sink water, and put the ice chest out on the back porch.

The next day my wife and kids took it out and let it go in a big irrigation ditch somewhere near our house.

After being hooked and unhooked, frozen solid and thawed back out again, kept all night and dumped in a ditch, that fish survived to swim away.

I've kept catfish for years and they have been my some of my longest lived fish.