Kuhli loach trap?

[Cheesyclop]

I’ve got a couple of kuhli loach in a 120 gallon that I’m trying to move to another tank. They will be impossible to catch unless I take out all the the decor and drain all the water, which I want to avoid. I know where they hide and they only come out for food. Anyone have any suggestions to catch or “trap” them?

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I've moved my kuhlis several times and I can tell you that the best method I have found is to mostly drain the tank and remove the decor, as much as you may not want to do it. Any traps I've used have been ineffective.

 

[Cheesyclop]

I've moved my kuhlis several times and I can tell you that the best method I have found is to mostly drain the tank and remove the decor, as much as you may not want to do it. Any traps I've used have been ineffective.

This was my fear. I knew I shouldn’t have put them in the tank but I had no other choice at the time

 

[jjohnwm]

You can make a simple fish trap by cutting off the top 2 or 3 inches of a water bottle, turning it around so the tapered portion is inside the body of the bottle and then jamming it in place. If you stick a piece of food in there, they will eventually follow the scent to it, and once inside they won't be able to find the exit easily. Works pretty well on leeches too.

This works surprisingly well, and best if you don't feed the tank for a couple days ahead of time. Depending upon what other fish you have, you may get unwanted fish in there also, but no harm done to them.

And like many things, it requires patience. It might take days to get them; might require moving the trap around a couple times to find the sweet spot. If you need them captured right now this instant...time to get the buckets out and start removing all your decor.

 

[Midwater]

This works surprisingly well ...

... with many (but not all) fish.

 

[jjohnwm]

... with many (but not all) fish.

Kuhlis, cats and other bottom feeders are some of the easiest ones to fool this way...)

Cichlids...not so much...

 

[Joshuakahan]

This was my fear. I knew I shouldn’t have put them in the tank but I had no other choice at the time

Personally I would leave them and just buy new ones for the other tank. It’s not worth the effort to catch them in my opinion

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

Personally I would leave them and just buy new ones for the other tank. It’s not worth the effort to catch them in my opinion

Lol ? this made me laugh because i had to tear down a sanded 20gL QT to get the last two out and was so tempted to write them off but liked the noodles too much to abandon them