How to catch the little blighters!

[beastie]

I've tried the stealth approach. I've tried the "tempting them with food" approach. I've tried the "oh, that thing...my hand...that net...don't you worry about them they're not really there" approach. I've tried the swoop approach. My finger tips look like crinkle chips and I am so BLOODY frustrated!

I want to catch my two rainbows to transfer them to a new tank. They are so cunning they know every trick...it's like they're laughing at me everytime I go near the tank. I can hear them lauging as they hide in the plants...a giggling noise...aaahhhhhh

They are with 2 platys, 4 danios, 2 big silver sharks, 3 gouramis and a catfish. Trouble is those sharks get really upset when I'm thrashing around trying to catch the rainbows....I'm gonna leave everything alone for a while and get some advice form you guys before i try again.

What tricks do you use to net the fish?

 

[bulldog188]

get a really big net just short of the depth [front to back] of your tank then chase em in with your smaller net.. easy and works every time.

 

[EddieW]

I had this exact problem at the weekend trying to catch some yo-yo loaches. The buggers would hide round, inside or even under rock formations and not come out until I was a long way away from the tank. In order to be able to net them I would have had to destroy the planting in the tank.

I eventually gave up on netting them and have now set up my trap-eeze in there. I will leave it for a week so they get used to it and bait it with food every day. I will then be able to trap them next weekend - they started going into the trap by the end of yesterday so I shouldn't have any problems.

If you don't want to shell out on a purpose made trap you could try and find some form of long box or tube that is only open at one end. Put some food into it at the closed end and then when the fish you want to catch goes inside stick the net over the open end.

HTH, Eddie

 

[Annastasia]

get a really big net just short of the depth [front to back] of your tank then chase em in with your smaller net.. easy and works every time.

Yep, that's what I do. Most of my fish are easy to catch, but my tetras are HORRORS!

 

[beastie]

Thanks everyone. Bought the BIG net and it worked a treat!

 

[daydreams_uk]

Annastasia is the fish in that pic yours? it is absolutely gorgeous!!!

 

[Stryker]

I started a thread called "catch that pigeon" a while back. There were tonnes of good ideas in that thread.