How to catch these fish?

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
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Pittsburgh, PA
My 75 gallon (48" x 18" x 20") is currently a mix of fish from all over the world including 6 giant danios, 1 striped raphael cat, 1 gibbiceps pleco, 1 yellow bullhead, and 2 cutteri cichlids. I haven't decided yet but it'll soon either be an all catfish tank (except the danios for midwater action) or an all native tank (except for the pleco for algae control). I'm going to have to catch a few fish and get them out either way.

If I do the catfish tank I'll have to catch the 2 cutteri cichlids (currently 1"). If I do the native tank I'll have to catch the 2 cutteri cichlids, the raphael cat (currently 3.75"), and the giant danios (currently 3").

To catch the raph I'm going to drain the tank down 50% and push him into a net out of his cave. To get the danios I'm going to drain 50% (or more if needed) and have three nets to ouch them into since they're so fast.

Either option means I need to get the cichlids out though.

The problem I face is catching the cichlids, I've already tried three times for an hour each time and I've only caught 1 of the original 3 so far. They're so small that they can get into places my nets won't reach so I have to try to get them with my hands and they're so fast that they can run and hide in places I can't find them. I even left in a minnow trap with food in the tank all day and they didn't care at all! I'd take all the decorations out but my catfish would flip out,especially my raph who's cave they always run away from me into.

So does anyone have any ideas on how I can get them out of the tank ASAP?
 

xraycer

Arapaima
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2013
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Easiest way is to net them during a water change: discard what you usually discard for w/c, then remove (and set aside) enough water that there is only a few inches of water left in the tank. After you netted the targeted fish returned the saved water and top off with new water.
 

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
4,795
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Pittsburgh, PA
Easiest way is to net them during a water change: discard what you usually discard for w/c, then remove (and set aside) enough water that there is only a few inches of water left in the tank. After you netted the targeted fish returned the saved water and top off with new water.
Good idea and it works for most people but for me two things.

1) they hide in every cave they can squeeze into no matter how much water there is.
2) don't have enough buckets :).
 

Crazy mike

Fire Eel
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Sep 22, 2012
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Take out all decor, the cats will have there freak out but they will be fine. Taking out all decor is the only way I've ever caught my cichlid lfs any sized. Beside without decor there is less of a chance of them ramming themselves to pieces

Sent from my VS840 4G
 

jag123

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 16, 2008
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Ohio
Remove all decor. Lower water level. Use 2 nets. Less stress and less water on the floor.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 

Chub_by

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jan 30, 2012
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Place a non-see through bucket or cup in the lowered water, take out the other decor, chase them until they enter the cup/bucket, pick up.

By the way, your tank is 60 gal, not 75. It has the same dimensions as my 60 :)
 

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
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Midwest
Yeah, this is definitely a problem that get worse with tank size. I had to catch to goldfish.. I built a trap with a filter bag net w/drawstring and used some wire to shape it into a box and just waited with bait that was hanging in the opening... the first one swam in pretty quickly.

But after seeing his buddy get caught, the second one avoided the trap for months. I eventually had to hook him.

Since then I have bought and build one of my own galvanized collapsible fish traps. I never had a chance to use them yet... but was thinking setting some one a floating contraption so the top of the trap is at water level for certain top water fish and leave the other for the floor for the other types of fish.

Short of this, you're looking at a full tank breakdown in some cases.
 

poppalina

Gambusia
MFK Member
Sep 26, 2010
669
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Boston
I love the cichlid rocks, they run in there to hide and I grad the big net and just scoop it up.
 
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