Catching Uaru

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
DaveB

DaveB

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2008
1,244
14
68
Miami
Boy are they feisty!

I'm soaked from head to toe, and I probably have 5 gallons of water splashed all over my walls, floor, and ceiling.

I put my 7 Uaru in the Discus tank today to see how their size/shape looked in there... they are NOT very happy with me now. And they're all dinged up too from bashing the tank lid and thrashing about. Time for some Melafix.

Anyone have any tricks to keep the splashing and damage to a minimum?
 
Yeah. First remove all the large decor, then drain your tank down the the height of the tallest fish. Use two nets and do it really quickly, the fish have no chance against that. You can even catch giant danios that way. :D
 
30" tall tanks + Uaru = FAIL.. :screwy: Mine are horrible to catch too have to drain the tank. My big female gold severum is just as bad, she is a TANK.

I went to a koi store and got a larger net with an "extendable" (<spelling?) handle. Makes all the difference in the world. :D I often wonder how all those cichla guys catch thier pbass..? That would suck.
 
Uaru do not like nets or siphon hoses. Mine always freak out. My severums are bad, too.

I don't think you need Melafix. Just keep their water clean and they will heal on their own in a couple days. People are too quick to dump meds into a tank when they aren't necessary.

They will settle down eventually. Watch them -- sometimes Uaru can be pushy with discus, especially at feeding time. I kept mine together but eventually had to move the Uaru when they hit about 6" and started being bullies.
 
ryansmith83;4534342; said:
Uaru do not like nets or siphon hoses. Mine always freak out. My severums are bad, too.

I don't think you need Melafix. Just keep their water clean and they will heal on their own in a couple days. People are too quick to dump meds into a tank when they aren't necessary.

They will settle down eventually. Watch them -- sometimes Uaru can be pushy with discus, especially at feeding time. I kept mine together but eventually had to move the Uaru when they hit about 6" and started being bullies.
Click to expand...

Are they doing any better today Dave? Ryan makes a good point on feeding, I don't keep angels for the same reason. Does anyone else's Uaru lose their slimecoat right away when moved? Mine have done it both times they were moved. It's only after they move.
 
I have always used Melafix as a miracle healer, maybe it's not necessary but it's herbal so I don't feel like I'm overmedicating. Herbals are a-OK. I'm a hippie like that. (OK not really.)

I actually surprised myself with how quickly I caught them in an un-drained tank. The last time I had to catch them was in a super drained tank and they beat the crap out of themselves just banging into walls, jumping out, and grinding into the sand. But yeah, back when it was drained, there was much less splash damage. Less water to splash.

I guess it's just their shape. Good for splashing water straight up.

It only took them about two hours to be OK in the new tank (which is not their permanent home, which sucks). These guys are troopers. They've never had any issues with anything, including when a mystery plague wiped out most of my eartheaters.

I don't look forward to moving them again. I'll definitely be draining the tank for that adventure. As much as they'll hate the process, they'll be way better off, as it'll be their big bad permanent home...
 
JK47;4536524;4536524 said:
Are they doing any better today Dave? Ryan makes a good point on feeding, I don't keep angels for the same reason. Does anyone else's Uaru lose their slimecoat right away when moved? Mine have done it both times they were moved. It's only after they move.
Click to expand...
Yep. Pigged their way through way too much brine shrimp, easing my fears about overfeeding.

I moved them because there was too much waste in the other tank, between them, the geos, and the Aro, and I wanted to thin things out and improve water quality everywhere. (I also wanted to see how seven 5-6 inch rounder fish looked in this tank, since I plan to stock adult discus in it but have no idea what number to aim for.) This seems to be working quite well, as the Abalios are happier already... but my feeding doses are thrown way off now in both tanks. Gotta get used to it.
 
When I need to move fish I lower the water and take everything out of the tank. Then I go fishing and I have that down. My buffalo head cichlid is the hardest fish to catch even in an empty tank.

Clean water is all they need. IME MelaFix is junk and Not at all Herbal. It has a warning
"WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm."

I'm sure with clean water they will be fine. but I find that Uaru do not like change mine took 3 weeks to fully adjust to thier new home.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom