Catching fish in a planted tank

[Joshaeus]

Well...how do you go about catching fish in a planted tank without uprooting the plants? I am planning on setting up one or more planted tanks in the near future, but after struggling to catch some fish this morning in a tank of plastic plants (in spite of being able to remove all the plastic plants first) I am wondering how I would catch fish in a planted tank if I had to for whatever reason (illness, moving the tank, breeding, etc). Thanks

 

[Mudminnow]

Here's what I do:

1. Fill bucket(s) with the tank's water.
2. Dig a little depression in substrate near the front glass. The substrate should gently slope into this depression from all directions.
3. Slowly drain the water from the tank.
4. When the depression is the last place with water, it should be easy to catch all the fish out.
5. Place the fishes in the bucket(s) of tank water.

 

[coralbandit]

Sometimes it is just the size of tank regardless of plantings.
I have struggled with a 6'x2'x2' [180g] tank for years.
Partitioning a section of the tank can be very helpful along removing a lot of the water as mentioned above.

 

[cdr63corv]

I've had huge trouble with that lol. Sometimes I just have to walk away and try at a later time, or have my wife with a net chase them to me or try to keep them Corraled for me. It can definitely be difficult.

 

[A201]

I use two nets. One to maneuver the fish from the back of the tank to the waiting net at the front. The front net is bigger.

If you can find a net with red mesh, you're points ahead. Most fish seem not to see red very well.

 

[TClare]

The trouble with the method suggested by Mudminnow in a planted tank is that the plants all flop over as you remove the water making it quite difficult to use the net, without plants it works very well. I have had success using fish traps made from plastic drink bottles - just cut of the top of the bottle and put it inside the bottle the other way round making a funnel, make a small hole in the bottle so it sinks easily, put some attractive food in the trap (preferably but not necessarily live food). You can place the trap on the substrate or lodge it among plants higher up depending on the fish you want to catch. You have to watch the trap or keep checking at it frequently as eventually the fish will find the way out if you leave them the trap too long. This method doesn’t disturb the plants or stress the fish too much.

I’ve often used the two net method as suggested by A201, but again in a planted tank it’s not so easy, the plants tend to get caught up in the nets and you can’t move them quickly enough.

 

[chromedome52]

Rather than a second net for chasing, I've used a stick, one of the long-handled algae scrapers with a "planting fork" on the other end. It can be maneuvered even in fairly thick plantings without disturbing them as even a small net can do.

 

[kallililly1973]

90% water change and scoop them out when the water is low and refill with your declorinator

 

[kansas]

I never tried this, but I always thot maybe you could get the jump on them by leaving the lights off in their room, then suddenly turning them on. You will have just come from a lit room but they won't be able to see well.

If anyone trie this, let me know if it works.

 

[TClare]

I never tried this, but I always thot maybe you could get the jump on them by leaving the lights off in their room, then suddenly turning them on. You will have just come from a lit room but they won't be able to see well.

If anyone trie this, let me know if it works.

I have thought of that, never tried it yet though...

90% water change and scoop them out when the water is low and refill with your declorinator

The plants cover everything as the water level drops so its not that easy in a planted tank...
too,

 

[Fishfur]

A trick I have used is to deploy a sheet or two of plastic canvas - which is still relative cheap, widely available and used for stitchery originally.

Very flexible - comes in at least 2 & sometimes 3 mesh sizes - most common is 7 count - seven holes per inch. 10 count is usually available and occasionally 14 count.

For all fish except small fry, 7 count is good enough. Sheets are commonly 8x11” but there is a much larger one - 16 or 18 x 11 or 12, I think

I usually remove most or all of the wood, rock & plants because they really do make it tough.

Then I use the sheet or sheets of mesh to push/herd/encourage fish to move in a general direction I want and a sheet can be quickly curved to corral them in a corner or anywhere against a pane of glass.

Otos easy to hold the curve with one hand and pushing its bottom edge into the substrate fixes things so they can’t swim underneath.

When I’ve had to catch all the fish in a given tank, I have some large nets, about as wide as the tanks are. I prop one on a slant at one end with the net spread open to its full depth behind its opening & I use the mesh sheet to herd the fish into the net.

I hold the mesh sheet over the net opening and then lift out the net, usually with a lot of fish in it.

The last few fish are always the hardest to catch - they know something is after them! It’s especially tough with long skinny ones like kuhli loaches or very fast or tiny ones and to get the last of the fish I usually have to remove most of the water as a last step.

 

[ruud]

Mature plants are usually firmly rooted. Stem plants from marsh species are often less secure, hence catching fish with your hand works well as it allows you to feel the plants and move carefully around them.

• Position the net against the front glass.
• Place your free hand in the water and gently guide the fish toward a front corner.
• Once the fish is between your hand and the net, guide it upward. When it is close to the surface, scoop it into the net.

The real challenge is not a planted tank but a complex scape. Catching gourami's in my blackwater tank would force me to take out all wood (and leaf litter) first.

 

[bgarthe]

90% WC would do……or……90% water removal with same water going back in after netting would work keeping the water parameters fairly stable after having gone through the netting ordeal. The plastic sheets thing would also do the trick.

Imho, I would not elect to turn on the lights and immediately start catching, chasing, cornering, and netting fish. This could really really stress out the fish and could even shock them. Being chased or caught by a net a fish can see is stressful enough. Add to that the fish being almost blinded and it could be potentially tragic……just too much for the fish to deal with. A regular panic may cause general elusive action on the part of the fish. A total light shock in addition might cause more dangerous or ‘crazy’ action on the part of the fish which could make it do super risky things it might not normally do from crashing into objects to wedging itself into a spot that would never happen otherwise. Just my thoughts……

 

[kallililly1973]

Maybe with a big enough hose and a big enough container you may be able to vacuum them up with the hose then it’s just a matter of dumping the water into a net to catch the fish. Could be a possibility

 

[KribensisLover1]

I have Acrylic so it’s very hard to put the nets up to the sides and pull up so honestly I just don’t catch them. I would rather be so cautious about what to get than have to catch them all (I have caught one before for a hospital tank but I mean I am not catching 7 emerald cories on a tank that’s 24” deep).

 

[coralbandit]

I have Acrylic so it’s very hard to put the nets up to the sides and pull up so honestly I just don’t catch them. I would rather be so cautious about what to get than have to catch them all (I have caught one before for a hospital tank but I mean I am not catching 7 emerald cories on a tank that’s 24” deep).

After the first couple years with the 6 foot tank I settled down and just bought fish that were going to live their whole life in this tank.
Still do.
Can not even imagine catching my Roseline sharks or clown loaches with partitioning off part of the tank.
And a good amount of time.

 

[kansas]

I almost had to get into the tank to catch an adolescent angle fish.