# Mass Fish removal.



## roadmaster (26 Feb 2018)

I have a 300 litre heavily planted low tech that I am wanting to move fishes from  without tearing out plant's to do so,(bottle trap fish traps take too long but could be doable)
Am considering small version of Ulrasonic Inverter,Electro  Fish stunner.
Has anyone experience with such ?
Have also considered CO2, but seems to me to be bout as harmful as the electrical method.
Have tried neither in the past,but once recall Tom Barr mentioning the electrical approach when client of tank he maintained ,introduced non plant friendly fish in to very large .lushly planted tank.
I asked him how he was going to catch them in such a large tank (many many litres/gallon's.)
The fishes will be moved to another tank.They are not expensive fishes,but I have had them a long time and euthanasia may be unpleasant option.
I understand/accept differing view's/opinion's.


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## tam (26 Feb 2018)

What type of fish are they? 

For mid water swimmers, I wait for feeding time, use a large/deep net, put the food in the bottom and wait very still and patient (not chasing). Then when they are in the net a quick scoop. Wait until they resettle and repeat.

I'd rather take extra time than use something that may harm them.


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## GHNelson (26 Feb 2018)

Hi
Best try and make a area where there is no plants or substrate, then drain the tank to a few inches.
The fish will tend to swim towards the deeper water as the water level drops!
You can net these fish easily!
Spray the plants occasionally to stop them from drying out!
hoggie


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## Fisher2007 (26 Feb 2018)

Could try a fish trap - Aqua medic do one. 

These are used in the marine hobby more, as the rock in a reef tank makes it much, much harder to remove fish.  Works well.  Some fish can be cautious and may take a few days to build up the courage to go into it


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## roadmaster (26 Feb 2018)

hogan53 said:


> Hi
> Best try and make a area where there is no plants or substrate, then drain the tank to a few inches.
> The fish will tend to swim towards the deeper water as the water level drops!
> You can net these fish easily!
> ...



I like this idea.


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## alto (26 Feb 2018)

Electric stunning - a significant number of fish "drown", I suspect this is more difficult to calibrate when used against small ornamental in a small system 
CO2 - likely safer, monitor & remove fish as they begin to appear lethargic - expect species differences in reaction, again you may have some losses 

Trapping - I use a 2litre rectangular (orange) juice bottle, I don't feed for a couple days, then add small amount to the trap & tiny taste to the tank to get fish really looking, I trap & release every 10-15 minutes (some fish begin to panic in the trap so I don't wait long after the first group enters) 
I mostly use this method for removing specific fish from a tank
Not sure how long you think is "too long"  - depending on tank & fish, everyone's out in a couple hours ... though I had one female Dicrossus filamentosus that just would not enter the trap (she was an overnight capture)

It's always easy to scoop the majority of tetras/rasboras from the top as they swarm up to feed, again if you don't feed for a day or two, it's that much more efficient


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## rebel (27 Feb 2018)

Drain to 95% and just pick them out.


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## alto (27 Feb 2018)

Really  
yours don't hide under every rock & wood & plant - even diving into the substrate 

I'm obviously a _really_ BAD fish trainer


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## Maple (27 Feb 2018)

I find draining a tank to a few inches and chasing fish with my hand, towards a big net placed in the tank's corner, quite an easy way of catching fish quickly.

This is a good tutorial


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## Maple (27 Feb 2018)

And any fish hiding in your plants at the back of the tank will be afraid of your hand, so you can herd them out into the open space.


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## roadmaster (27 Feb 2018)

Thanks all,I think I have a plan now.
Will pull plant's from one corner near the front, and try catching fishes when tank is near empty.
Tall crypt balansae, Crypt blassi,Larger Echinodorus,prevent me from any chasing around with nets or hands.
foreground covered with crypt parva,Buce.
Want as little disturbance as possible with Safe-T-sorb over dirt substrate that's been unmolested for nearly two year's now..
mostly swordtails,rainbow's,cory's,


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