Please...some advice on moving decor and plants...

[NorCalAl]

Hi all. I've come to rely on your expertise and experience and would like a little help here.
I've got to the point where I want to move some fish out of my 65 and into the 29 which is done cycling. I'd like to move my rams and my synodontis, leaving just the discus, clown loaches and plecos in the 65. I'd like to move some plants now, too, as I've finally got (in my head) where I want everything.
I've tried catching the rams - no easy task given the plants and driftwood. So I was thinking of pulling the wood, then catching the guys I want moved, then putting everything back in. But what concerns me is stressing everyone out.
When ya'all get to doing a major renovation, do you just do that? I mean, just move everything? Or do you pull out a bunch of the fish for a temp solution or what?
Am I worried too much about the stress? I was thinking it would probably take an hour, tops. Should I just go ahead, then let everyone calm down?
TIA!

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

In my experience, it's best to just do it and get everything (and everyone) settled back into their tanks.

 

[joannde]

I just changed out everything (except the substrate - I don't have one LOL) in my 29G when I added some live plants. No causualties but did get an ick spot on one of the fish a couple of days later which may have been stress related (no way to tell, really). The fish didn't freak out while I was doing it, they just pretty much stuck to the other side of the tank except for a few adventurous peeks over to where I was working.

As for catching fish in a planted tank, I recently read a post that said to try and use a larger net and pretty much herd the fish into the net. Another suggestion was to lure them into a clear container or baggy with some food (just make sure the container / baggy haven't ever had any contaminants <like soap> in them)

Good luck and let us know how it goes

 

[rich311k]

I rearrange and remove and replace objects frequently, the fish will be fine. Do a good water change afterwards as you will stir up a good deal of muck.

 

[chotie]

big white/bright colored net stationary.
green net to lure/push fish into larger white/bright net.

OR

catch them in the morning when they are still sleeping. guaranteed they wont move an inch.

 

[Cinder]

I agree with chotie on the net usage but disagree on which net to use in which spot. Fish feel safer in the green nets (someone did an experiment) so I would suggest using the green net as the stationary net and the white one to gently/slowly herd them to it. They seem to feel safer going into a green net.
Another ingenious capture tool that someone shared is to take a 2 liter pop bottle (really cleaned up not with soap though), cut off the top and invert it into the bottom of the bottle. Put some food in the bottle and sink it. The fish can swim into the bottle but have a hard time getting back out. Of course this only works if your fish are small enough to fit in the neck.

 

[NorCalAl]

Thanks all.
I did the deed this morning - including moving the fish. The rams were NOT cooperative!
I also rearranged stuff to hopefully reduce the friction between the discus, which I did not introduce all together. They are all schooling together right now, so it seems to have worked.
I also got the chance to redo the plants into something that looks like it was planned, rather than helter-skelter. Much better, imho!
I'm sure I was the most stressed out when it was done, but both tanks look much better.
Again, thanks for the advice!

 

[joannde]

photos ?