How To Separate Veil Tails From Rasboras And Corys?

[glassgardener]

A month or so ago I divided most of the fish that were in a 30 gal between two 55 gals. What was left in the 30 gal were 6 rasboras and 3 corys. Maybe an oto or 2 but I have no hope of finding them at this point. I wanted to put them in a 20 gal but it was having problems and I wanted to wait until it was safer. My plan for the old 30 was to put it on the deck with gold fish and I went ahead and bought a couple of veil tails. Now it's time to put the 30 on the deck but the water is so green I can't even see the smaller fish to get them out. I hadn't realized just how messy the goldfish were. We'd had some commons in a fountain last year and they weren't nearly as productive. (Racoons got them from the fountain so we weren't going to do that again!) Anyway. My question is how much water can I take out and change (dilute the green water) so that I can safely find and capture the rasboras and corys? It's a planted tank and the goldfish are fertilizing the plants so well that I am constantly pinching them back. Would it help to just pull all the plants out? I want to put pond plants in it anyway when it's outside. I just am not sure the safest way to transition the little fellas from the green water tank to the other one. Help!

 

[black angel]

When i try to catch small fish from a tank i take the water slowly out as low as a couple of inches if needed and refill using temperature matched water.

It means switching off filters and heaters first....good luck

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

My question is how much water can I take out and change (dilute the green water) so that I can safely find and capture the rasboras and corys?

Anything up to a 60% water change with dechlorinator is usually very safe to do, although you may want to do water changes over a few days to help remove the greeness of the water to a better extent .

It's a planted tank and the goldfish are fertilizing the plants so well that I am constantly pinching them back. Would it help to just pull all the plants out? I want to put pond plants in it anyway when it's outside.

You are going to keep this aquarium outdoors? That might not be a good idea, since the tank will be very vulnerable to daily changes in temperature and the tank equipment won't be designed for outdoors use, plus if its in a sunny area it will get very bad algae problems etc. Where abouts do you live in the world/what is your climate/seasons like?

I just am not sure the safest way to transition the little fellas from the green water tank to the other one. Help!

If your lfs (local fish store) is good, you should be able to ask them for a few plastic fish transport bags which you can put your fish in and then acclimatise them in their bag/s to whatever tank you want to move them too .

 

[glassgardener]

you may want to do water changes over a few days to help remove the greeness of the water

Yes, that seems the only way. I did about 50% yesterday and it's still pretty murky.

You are going to keep this aquarium outdoors? That might not be a good idea, since the tank will be very vulnerable to daily changes in temperature and the tank equipment won't be designed for outdoors use, plus if its in a sunny area it will get very bad algae problems etc. Where abouts do you live in the world/what is your climate/seasons like?

I'm in southeast US, upper-middle Alabama. It gets hot in the summer, often in the 90's F, occassionally 100 or more. In Jan/Feb there are usually a few nights in the 20's F but generally winters are pretty mild. We have a greenhouse on the deck that goes up for the winter and down for the summer, with the roof of it permanent. There's a heater that keeps the temp in the mid-30s F. I keep plants that would need to brought in for the winter there and start seeds, root cuttings, etc for the spring. I was thinking the aquarium ought to be ok in the summer and I'd put it in the greenhouse in the winter. The power to the deck is wired for outside. I won't need the aquarium heater, just the filter. We can keep the connection dry. I was mostly concerned about the silicon joints freezing in the winter, therefore would put it in the greenhouse. But I didn't consider the heat would hurt it. Do you think so? And yes, I AM concerned about algae now that I see what the tank looks like since the goldfish moved in, but I have them now. What do people with ponds do? I was just considering the aquarium to be a small pond in mid-air!

Thanks, Tokis-Phoenix. Will be looking for your further thoughts on this.

When i try to catch small fish from a tank i take the water slowly out as low as a couple of inches

Thanks Black Angel. The goldfish are so much bigger than the rasboras that it seems I'd have to run them aground to get the bitsy ones! Will try to get it as low as possible, though.

 

[black angel]

If you get another tub the bigger goldies will be easy to catch and get out the way so you can get the smaller ones out.

Green water is actually good for fish short term but obviously the longer theyre in it the more toxic. Keep the tank out of the sun and it should be ok and more water changes.

Invest in nitrite and nitrate tests to keep an eye on the water quality. Lots of surface agitation will help keep the oxygen levels up too