Catching fish for quarantine

[PJFISH]

Hi AA,
I've got a few fish I need to catch in a 30 gal planted tank. They're proving very difficult to net, almost impossible! What's the best way to catch a small fish that won't stress out the whole tank?


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[BBradbury]

Quarantining Fish

Hi AA,
I've got a few fish I need to catch in a 30 gal planted tank. They're proving very difficult to net, almost impossible! What's the best way to catch a small fish that won't stress out the whole tank?


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Hello P...

If you're sure your fish are infected with a parasite, you should be treating the whole tank. Removing only the fish that are showing an infection isn't going to solve the problem. The entire tank must be treated or the parasite will return and the problem will continue.

B

 

[PJFISH]

Hello P...



If you're sure your fish are infected with a parasite, you should be treating the whole tank. Removing only the fish that are showing an infection isn't going to solve the problem. The entire tank must be treated or the parasite will return and the problem will continue.



B

The fish I need to catch are injured, not parasites. I am going to move to a tank that's more appropriate for them, other tetras.


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[PJFISH]

Given up for today, really want to catch them to move them and avoid any further damage to them. I'm not doing a water change until Monday, afraid it may be too late, I think that may be the only way to get them. Although the water level is lower, the plants really get in the way


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[Khuligirl93]

Try waiting until night to catch them. If the room has been completely dark for a couple hours, the fish become sort of in a daze and cannot see very well. This works great for tetras, but not so well for nocturnal fish like some loaches and algae eaters.
After the room with the tank has been completely dark for a couple hours, turn on the room light or a lamp, not the tank light so you don't freak them out.


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[PJFISH]

Try waiting until night to catch them. If the room has been completely dark for a couple hours, the fish become sort of in a daze and cannot see very well. This works great for tetras, but not so well for nocturnal fish like some loaches and algae eaters.


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Good idea, I'll try that as well. I'll also try to avoid the strange looks from the wife


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[dandries]

I recently had to catch very fast Endlers and this is trick.

Clean out a corner of your tank and put a small "tank". I have mini square holding tanks that I used. Then use two nets to guide them toward the mini tank. Don't rush. The minute they get in, slam 1 net over the top and drop the other one to scoop up the mini tank.

Repeat as necessary. This worked perfectly with little stress.

It helps if you have several buckets where you put fish that you captured but don't need. Then you can put them back when done.

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[PJFISH]

I recently had to catch very fast Endlers and this is trick.

Clean out a corner of your tank and put a small "tank". I have mini square holding tanks that I used. Then use two nets to guide them toward the mini tank. Don't rush. The minute they get in, slam 1 net over the top and drop the other one to scoop up the mini tank.

Repeat as necessary. This worked perfectly with little stress.

It helps if you have several buckets where you put fish that you captured but don't need. Then you can put them back when done.

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Great idea!


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[BBradbury]

Treating Your Injured Fish

Given up for today, really want to catch them to move them and avoid any further damage to them. I'm not doing a water change until Monday, afraid it may be too late, I think that may be the only way to get them. Although the water level is lower, the plants really get in the way


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Hello again P...

You could treat the fish in the tank they're in. Do a water change and add a little standard aquarium salt to the new, treated tap water. Salt is very good for any fish injured or not. A teaspoon or two in every 5 gallons of new, treated tap water will help heal the wounds and jump start the fishes' immune system.

The stress of netting can be a bit harmful and possibly injure the fish further.

Just a thought, you're the head tank keeper.

B

 

[wildroseofky]

Make a fish trap. Take a water bottle and cut the mouth part off. Leave a few inches of the plastic to make a funnel. Put the top back on the bottle with the opening towards the inside. I used a little packing tape to hold them together. Put some food inside and sink the bottle. Fish swim in but cannot figure out how to get out. Lift bottle out and empty fish into another tank. Replace and catch more. You may have to wait a day between catching them. My mollies get smart after the first catch and I have to wait a day so they forget and will swim in again. Do not feed them for a day and they will go into the bottle quicker. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the tank decor.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Make a fish trap. Take a water bottle and cut the mouth part off. Leave a few inches of the plastic to make a funnel. Put the top back on the bottle with the opening towards the inside. I used a little packing tape to hold them together. Put some food inside and sink the bottle. Fish swim in but cannot figure out how to get out. Lift bottle out and empty fish into another tank. Replace and catch more. You may have to wait a day between catching them. My mollies get smart after the first catch and I have to wait a day so they forget and will swim in again. Do not feed them for a day and they will go into the bottle quicker. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the tank decor.

I've done this before as well. I agree it works great if you're wanting to catch all the fish in your tank, but for picking out only a few of them, I would not consider this ideal because you end up catching a lot of fish you don't want, and if you wait too long the trapped fish will figure out how to escape.
For me, waiting until they're "asleep" at night works perfectly for picking out just a couple fish, and you don't even need any extra supplies.

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[PJFISH]

Make a fish trap. Take a water bottle and cut the mouth part off. Leave a few inches of the plastic to make a funnel. Put the top back on the bottle with the opening towards the inside. I used a little packing tape to hold them together. Put some food inside and sink the bottle. Fish swim in but cannot figure out how to get out. Lift bottle out and empty fish into another tank. Replace and catch more. You may have to wait a day between catching them. My mollies get smart after the first catch and I have to wait a day so they forget and will swim in again. Do not feed them for a day and they will go into the bottle quicker. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the tank decor.

That's a super idea, I've never heard of it but I'm definitely trying it. Just a few questions: how do the fish know the food is in there? Do I need to put a lot of food in it? Is a normal sized bottle ok, like the ones in a vending machine?


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[Khuligirl93]

That's a super idea, I've never heard of it but I'm definitely trying it. Just a few questions: how do the fish know the food is in there? Do I need to put a lot of food in it? Is a normal sized bottle ok, like the ones in a vending machine?


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The fish smell the food.
You only need to put in a tiny amount.
Any sized bottle will work as long as the fish you want to catch can fit through the hole.

Did you not have any luck with catching them at night?


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[PJFISH]

The fish smell the food.
You only need to put in a tiny amount.
Any sized bottle will work as long as the fish you want to catch can fit through the hole.

Did you not have any luck with catching them at night?


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Ok, I'll keep a close eye on it to be sure I don't have too many get in that I don't want


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[wildroseofky]

I use it to catch baby mollies. I just use a bottle with a small opening so the big ones cannot get in. I have caught shrimp like that too. And snails. No you cannot catch specific fish as easy. My neons sometimes get caught with the baby mollies. Easy to put the ones you don't want back in. I have never had any luck with the waiting for them to sleep way. My mollies are black and I cannot find them without turning on the light which wakes them up. LOL

 

[Pandicorn]

Hello again P...



You could treat the fish in the tank they're in. Do a water change and add a little standard aquarium salt to the new, treated tap water. Salt is very good for any fish injured or not. A teaspoon or two in every 5 gallons of new, treated tap water will help heal the wounds and jump start the fishes' immune system.



The stress of netting can be a bit harmful and possibly injure the fish further.



Just a thought, you're the head tank keeper.



B

Salt is not necessarily "good" for the fish. It irritates the fish thus causing 2 things - stress and slime. Slime is good, stress is not. Also, loaches -I believe- cories and other fish cannot tolerate salt so decide accordingly