any catching techniques?

[cocoa_pleco]

does anybody know any good catching techniques for a skunk botia, flying fox, and banded loach? im trying to move them to my 55g and they WILL NOT cooperate even if i use 2 nets. any ideas on catching?. ive lured them, cornered them, everything, yet off they go escaping. i dont want to get really rough with them and hurt them. and traps or something?

if i dont catch them soon, i'll have the same face as this guy

[rollie]

go slow and think like the fish.

that works for me.lol

[tropfish]

when i moved the tank i used two nets and cornered the fish and they usually just swam into it or i would just get a couple at a time, Did you take all the decor out of the tank?

[Drumachine09]

Two tricks.


1. Come up from under them and scoop directly out of the tank. They cant see it coming, and they are utterly defenseless.

2. When you get them by the glass, put the net behind them, towards the back of the tank. Then give the glass a quick sharp tap, and they should swim right into the net.

[cocoa_pleco]

all decors out. my spidey senses got the flying fox, now just the botia and loach need to cooperate

[RobbieG]

I find that if I put in a large, hungry Oscar the rest of the fish voluntarily jump into the net (Just Kidding)

Get a (plastic) colander and chase them into that with the net - pull the colander up so that its edge is out of the water and you should have a sitting duck

[cocoa_pleco]

THANK YOU robbieg! finally got them all out thanks to your trick. no more evil owned face now.

[gm72]

Love that colander trick.

Another good trick is to put in a separator and just keep moving it over until the fish have very little room to move. But I guess that doesn't matter since you got them!

[RobbieG]

THANK YOU robbieg! finally got them all out thanks to your trick. no more evil owned face now.


Glad to hear it - where did you get the large hungry oscar?

Seriously I got the trick from someone else here for catching danios- sorry for not giving credit properly but that brain cell died (I think it was maybe Lady Hobbs or Rue)

[gm72]

I think you're right. I think Lady Hobbs had that idea, but apologies to whomever else should I be wrong!

[kimmers318]

I use basically the same technique as the colander, only with a large net and small net. I have a net that is HUGE so it just sits calmly in the tank while I corral the hardheaded fish towards it and scoop.
Gotta ask...how are those skunk loaches of yours with other fish? I recently purchased 3 and they are becoming tank terrors! The tetras have learned how to stay away, but my poor cories may be getting moved to another tank. I love loaches, and these feisty guys are becoming my favorites so I think I am going to slowly transform this tank to suit them and then end up with tankmates that can take their bullying.....any suggestions?

[Lady Hobbs]

does anybody know any good catching techniques for a skunk botia, flying fox, and banded loach? im trying to move them to my 55g and they WILL NOT cooperate even if i use 2 nets. any ideas on catching?. ive lured them, cornered them, everything, yet off they go escaping. i dont want to get really rough with them and hurt them. and traps or something?

if i dont catch them soon, i'll have the same face as this guy

I moved 6 loaches a month ago and still haven't caught the last one in the other tank. I think I need a shrimp net to get him. I'm thinking of getting a tank divider just for that reason so he hasn't go so far to travel.

[cocoa_pleco]

kimmers, i bought one skunk botia at a lfs since i wasnt interested in other fish. when i got home i researched and it said that its best with 1 per tank since they fight. i never saw mine for a month in the tank and thought he was dead. he pops out now and then when the lights are off, and minds his own business. apparently if you have more than one in a tank they fight among themselves and may gang up on other fish

[Incredulous_Ed]

When I have really fast fish like that and I don't want to mess up the decor, I take a 20 fl oz soda bottle and cut 2 or 3 inches from the top, so it looks like a funnel. Then I put the funnel in rim first back into the bottle, so it looks like a soda bottle with the top reversed. then Put some fish food insode and wait until the fish swims inside. They have no trouble getting inside but they cant seem to get out.

[Bill M.]

hrm..... good idea!!! King Crab pots work on the same principle; "They have no trouble getting inside but they cant seem to get out."

[Nick_Pavlovski]

I usually try to get them while they are eating, so a pinch of food, give 'em 10 seconds, then in go the nets.

Hats off to RobbieG for his colander trick - never heard that one in all my years of fishkeeping, yet so beautifully simple!