How To Catch Them?!

[ellena]

I have a hengelis rasbora with what looks like fungus at the base of his tail. I have a quarantine/hospital tank all ready to put him in, but I can't catch him! The tank is planted and I've provided too many hiding places. I've got 2 nets, but it's not happening.
I'm terrified of any medication affecting my filter bacteria and I have shrimp too, so I'm doubly wary of adding stuff to the main tank.
Any tips very welcome, thanks

 

[malfunction]

Try lowering the water level and then sectioning off the tank with a divider of some sort. Also, waiting until nighttime, when they're less active can also help.

 

[ellena]

Thank you, good ideas, I'll try later. Might be fun with the light off!

 

[fluttermoth]

Are you making sure you're holding one net still, and using the other to 'herd' the fish in?

Try keeping the net under the fish and lifting up rather than chasing. You could also try leaving one net still and low in the tank, then feeding the fish to lure them out.

 

[ellena]

Yes, that was my plan, but it was more like herding cats! He just goes up and over or under the net every time I get close, and there weren't many! I've got the knack with gouramis and bettas (in fact the gourami swam into the net at one point) but these are far faster and more nimble.
I've got two pieces of wood which catch on the net all the time. I could strip everything out but the plants in the sand, but I think that'd still give him enough places to hide and the stress on all the rest of them would be considerable.

 

[ellena]

Got him! Hubby is a better herder than me. He's in a dose of antifungus now, hope it wasn't something contagious...

 

[Mark Z.]

Wow, that is a beautiful tank!

 

[ellena]

Thank you Looking much better since I got some amano shrimp in to sort out the algae. They poo a LOT, but it's not as ugly as the algae-lol!

Fish I was trying to catch died in the hospital tank He looked very stressed, repetitively swimming up and down the glass and easily startled. Obviously it's a species which prefers a group, but what can you do when one needs quarantining? There's plenty of cover in the hospital tank, a load of plastic plants.
Anyway, all cleaned out and now I've got 2 new gourami in quarantine in there. They're gorgeous, if a bit shy. Can't wait to get them into the main tank