Netting Endler

So, I've been having to net endler a lot lately, to separate out the developing fry into male/female tanks. I think I have the method down--
1) Put the net in, near the surface,
2) Be patient and zone out, watching my fish,
3) wait for the one I want to swim into the net,
4) spend the next 10-20 minutes trying to get all the ones I DIDN'T want back out.

I recently added an extra step, where I put that scoop into a little 5 gallon tank, then weed through that handful before putting all the really tiny fry back into the main grow-out. Is there an easier way to do this, or am I always going to end up with 4 endler I don't want in the net for every one which I do? I have a pretty small net, btw--the fry tank is also my plant grow-out, so the larger net didn't work. Hence step 2 and the patience...

 

4) spend the next 10-20 minutes trying to get all the ones I DIDN'T want back out.

I run into this issue with guppies all the time. Zero survival instinct, these guys!

My trick is to grab the smallest net possible, slowly bring it under the fish I want to catch, and lift up quickly before anyone else can go "ooh, let's all have a net party!"

 

I picked up some endlers and endler fry at our clubs garage sale back in September.

Since then the population has almost tripled and the Fluval Flex 9 gallon tank is getting crowded (endler fry have decided the back chamber is a great place to hang out) so I need to net out fully coloured up males and move them to the tank above.

My plan is to use a shrimp net to hopefully make it easier to get just the ones I want to move.

 

I use Blue Ribbon soft mesh nets. I have 4", 5" and 8". They have smaller nets.

Here's a 3" net


My LFS has them for $1.50-3 ea.

 

Shrimp net was a bust. Only managed to catch one with it.

Managed to catch the other five males using a standard 3 inch net.
These guys can jump! Two of them jumped up and stuck the glass. Got them back in water quickly and netted them.