Help, I can't catch 'em!!!

[shayfish]

I am trying to move 2 rams into a breeding tank that I've set up and cycled for them. I wanted to move them in last night, I took the ammonia source out of the breeding tank, did a huge pwc and got the temps matched. But I couldn't catch the fish! Eventually I had to give up and go out because I was late for something already!

Now, today I still can't catch them. The tank is moderately planted and they are just too fast for me! I am afraid I will lose my cycle in the breeding tank. It has been about 16 hours already since the ammonia source came out.

Any advice?? I am starting to think I should put any fish I can catch in the breeding tank just so I don't lose the cycle...

 

[MyCatsDrool]

I advise waiting until after lights out. GBRs are sleepers at night. Makes it easy to sneak up on them.

 

[shayfish]

The light was still out this morning when I started trying. My lights come on a little late in the day and stay on a little later in the evening.

What about my cycle? How long can I expect it to live without an ammonia source?

 

[MyCatsDrool]

Not long. Stick a dead raw shrimp in there, or toss in some fish food. That should give your bacteria a feeding source.

 

[shayfish]

Okay, I put in a pinch of flake food. Hopefully that does it.

I'm going to leave the cover off the tank and net out in ready position and keep my eyes peeled for an opportunity to sneak up on them! How the heck do you catch any fish in a planted tank anyway?

 

[MyCatsDrool]

I use my Jedi skills, and ninja them.

 

[shayfish]

Darn it. I guess I'm screwed.

Well, since I apparently have some time, I may as well ask a question to all the ram people out there...

I have this situation in my 55 gal where there are 2 females and one male. The male and one of the females have spawned 3 times now, so they are the ones getting ready to move (the boxes are packed and stacked in a corner). The tank is clearly divided in 2 by the females. The side where the eggs were laid every time is closely defended by the corresponding female and the other one is curious and tries to check things out but gets chased off all the time. It seemed like the male was just roaming around the tank randomly when there weren't eggs to guard, but now that I have spend so much time watching them trying to catch them I have noticed that the male seems to be hanging around "the other female" quite a bit. Definitely more so than with the slightly aggressive female on the Egg-side of the tank. Is this normal?

 

[theotheragentm]

I normally end up tiring the fish out, which probably isn't best, and then they are easier to catch. I don't purposely try to tire them out, but I can't catch them most of the time either.

 

[shayfish]

Well, I reached a point where I had traumatized everyone in the tank so badly that I just couldn't take it anymore. Big slow mollie took one for the team to hold the cycle... I feel so bad! I will not try to move the rams again for a few days and I will have to be stealthy...

 

[Michael]

I use two nets, both large and dark. I set one up in a stragic spot and use the other to chase them into the net. I sometimes catch extra fish I don't want to catch, for that I use a small net and scoop them out of the big net and back into the tank.

HTH

 

[tropicfishman]

you can turn the light sout, or trick them!! what ya do is get an old butter tub or ice cream tub, anything plastic with a lid thats big enough for your fish. then cut a hole near the top and place it in the tank. Add some tasty treat that the rams love and wait for one or both of them to swim in and lift it out of the water. An old ice crema bucket works great becuase it has a handle and it holds plenty of water. HTH