Fish in or our for major rescaping? - Aquarium Advice

David14259 · 02-21-2007, 01:39 AM

I've been wondering if its less stressful on my fish to catch them and transfer them to a bucket while I'm doing a major reaquascaping of their tank, or leave them in there for probably 20-30mins of terror and pretty cloudy water for a while after?

Does anyone have opinions or methods they use?

Oh, how do I keep from squashing my shrimp?

Thanks!

zenkatydid · 02-21-2007, 03:20 AM

what do you eman by major rescaping? if you're just uprooting and moving plants around, i would leave them there. if you're taking everything - plants and hardscape - out of the tank, and re-starting, i would put them in a dark bucket. 20-30 minutes doesn't sound like a very major rescape

Jchillin · 02-21-2007, 07:46 AM

As zenkatydid mentions, it is dependent on how much rescaping is being done. Moving around a lot of small stem plants is completely different than moving say, one large Amazon sword coupled with a huge piece of driftwood.

What I've found to be pretty workable is to plan rescaping around a PWC. Move the plants, then do the PWC. Another method is to do a little bit at a time.

plecoperson · 02-21-2007, 09:08 AM

I would move them out while you work if it's a big re-do. They can panic with all the activity and hurt themselves bashing around if it's a tornado. I lost a fish last time I did it with them in the tank.

**Purrbox** · 02-21-2007, 11:08 AM

If the rescape is just a matter of pulling plants, trimming, and (re)planting I'd leave the inhabitants where they are. The one exception is if you have more skittish fish that seem to get overly stressed by this sort of thing. Now if you adding in a change in substrate it's definately time to remove the fish to prevent them from being injured.

As to avoiding squashing the shrimp, just make sure that you slow your movements down enough to allow them to get out of the way and they will.

CaysE · 02-21-2007, 11:12 AM

Shrimp are surprisingly quick when they sense something moving very close to them. Still, like purrbox said, just move a bit slower to make sure they get out of the way.

David14259 · 02-22-2007, 12:57 AM

Thanks for all your input. I'm going to be moving most of the plants are moving the driftwood and burying it partially in the gravel.

I think I'll take the gourami and the shrimp out, he seems to like to nip at my hand while its in there, gets a bit annoying.

Thanks all, I'll post pics of the new design as soon as I get my "slight" algae problem under control.

02-21-2007, 01:39 AM	#1
David14259 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Illinois - Champaign/Chicago Posts: 254 Images: 9	Fish in or our for major rescaping? I've been wondering if its less stressful on my fish to catch them and transfer them to a bucket while I'm doing a major reaquascaping of their tank, or leave them in there for probably 20-30mins of terror and pretty cloudy water for a while after? Does anyone have opinions or methods they use? Oh, how do I keep from squashing my shrimp? Thanks! __________________ David14259 My Tank: 20 Gallon Freshwater High Tech Planted My Plants: Dwarf Sagittaria, Riccia, Crypt Lutea, Rotala Macandra, Corkscrew Val, Blyxa Japonica, Ambulia, Anubias Nana, Flame Moss, Christmas Moss, Echinodorus Parviflorus. My Fish: 1 German Gold Ram, 3 Praecox Rainbows, 1 Otocinclus Catfish, 1 Siamese Algae Eater, 1 Rummynose Tetra, 4 Cherry Barbs My Inverts: Ramshorn Snails, Apple Snails.

02-21-2007, 03:20 AM	#2
zenkatydid Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 765 Images: 3	what do you eman by major rescaping? if you're just uprooting and moving plants around, i would leave them there. if you're taking everything - plants and hardscape - out of the tank, and re-starting, i would put them in a dark bucket. 20-30 minutes doesn't sound like a very major rescape __________________ 50gal planted - yoyo loaches, BNs, SAE, odessa barbs 28gal planted - sparkling gouramis, dwarf cories (hastatus, habrosus, pygmaeus) 5gal planted - betta, otos 5gal planted - glass shrimp, CRS

02-21-2007, 07:46 AM	#3
Jchillin Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New York, NY (The Big Apple) Posts: 12,970 Images: 47	As zenkatydid mentions, it is dependent on how much rescaping is being done. Moving around a lot of small stem plants is completely different than moving say, one large Amazon sword coupled with a huge piece of driftwood. What I've found to be pretty workable is to plan rescaping around a PWC. Move the plants, then do the PWC. Another method is to do a little bit at a time. __________________ _________________________________

02-21-2007, 09:08 AM	#4
plecoperson Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Evanston, Illinois Posts: 1,164 Images: 3	I would move them out while you work if it's a big re-do. They can panic with all the activity and hurt themselves bashing around if it's a tornado. I lost a fish last time I did it with them in the tank. __________________ -Lisa Remember that Darwin was mostly right!

02-21-2007, 11:08 AM	#5
Purrbox Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa USA Posts: 5,393	If the rescape is just a matter of pulling plants, trimming, and (re)planting I'd leave the inhabitants where they are. The one exception is if you have more skittish fish that seem to get overly stressed by this sort of thing. Now if you adding in a change in substrate it's definately time to remove the fish to prevent them from being injured. As to avoiding squashing the shrimp, just make sure that you slow your movements down enough to allow them to get out of the way and they will. __________________ ~Joy 10 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 5.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 2.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - Pico Planted Photo Log

02-21-2007, 11:12 AM	#6
CaysE Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bloomfield, NJ Posts: 238	Shrimp are surprisingly quick when they sense something moving very close to them. Still, like purrbox said, just move a bit slower to make sure they get out of the way. __________________ 20g tall - planted FW with furcata rainbows, albino BN, crystal red shrimp, and a cute neon blue Endler. 5g hex - planted FW for "Butters" the male betta.

02-22-2007, 12:57 AM	#7
David14259 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Illinois - Champaign/Chicago Posts: 254 Images: 9	Thanks for all your input. I'm going to be moving most of the plants are moving the driftwood and burying it partially in the gravel. I think I'll take the gourami and the shrimp out, he seems to like to nip at my hand while its in there, gets a bit annoying. Thanks all, I'll post pics of the new design as soon as I get my "slight" algae problem under control. __________________ David14259 My Tank: 20 Gallon Freshwater High Tech Planted My Plants: Dwarf Sagittaria, Riccia, Crypt Lutea, Rotala Macandra, Corkscrew Val, Blyxa Japonica, Ambulia, Anubias Nana, Flame Moss, Christmas Moss, Echinodorus Parviflorus. My Fish: 1 German Gold Ram, 3 Praecox Rainbows, 1 Otocinclus Catfish, 1 Siamese Algae Eater, 1 Rummynose Tetra, 4 Cherry Barbs My Inverts: Ramshorn Snails, Apple Snails.

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