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I have a 130g tank & in ignorance was brought 2 tilapia butokeferi (sp?) the are now 6 inches long & one is a rigt bully.

I have now been given a 55g tank which is set up with water from the first tank & I want to get bullyboy in there on his own....

I've spent 2 hours chasing him around the tank with nets, he knows just where to hide & even though the other fish are trying to help me (the keep pushing him out of the caves etc) I'm knackered & miffed & he's feeling really clever.

How do I catch him?

HEEEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPP MMMMEEEEEEE

Thanks

The best thing would be to remove all the rocks, caves, wood etc. Then just try and corner the "bullyfish" using a net or two.

Well, best of luck.

When I have a problem catching a fish like that, I just put some food in the net and put the net in the water. I give the fish some time to get used to the net and feel secure around it (meaning, I don't try to catch it the first time it swims around there, but rather wait for the second or third time, unless, of course, it swims right into the net) and then I get it.

Doesn't work 100% of the time, but I think it's worthwhile trying before ripping the tank apart.

Personally, i get a clear fish-bag like the LFS give, put it in the tank, empty the air, then lie it on the substrate between two obstacles.

Put some substrate inside to keep it down and then to the fish it looks like there's nothing there. Hold the bag open and then move your hand after him slowly. Eventually he'll just swim into the bag and you can lift it out.

Last edited by bigchris at 01-May-2005 08:09

I do more like untitled does...

Place the net in the tank, holding it till your arm is numb from lack of blood flow, eventually he is going to feel perfectly safe and swim into it. If not he is going to swim close enough to the glass that you can force him into the net, cause he can't go through the glass:%) The idea is to be patient, move slowly and not cause a lot of disruptions other wise he will note your upsetness (word?) and scram to the other end of the tank...

Worst comes to worst, get either a huge net that doesn't allow him too much room around and go at it that way Or do it the way I did my pleco the day I sold him back...Get one of those big plastic soda cups mcd's and everyone is always using on jumbo sizes and catch him with that, for some reason they don't see the cup coming:%)

Best of luck, heidi michelle

_____________________________________________
So it was no surprise the day she learned
That her Texas man would not return

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Hey Justice

A few days ago there was a thread on this page called "fish catching skills 101", there are plenty of fish catching top tips on offer.



Last edited by fishymama at 01-May-2005 21:19

You can use 2 nets & limit the hiding places that you have in your tank. The more hiding places you have, the more difficult to catch him.


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having given up (2 people 4 hours 2 nets, 1 cup, 1 bucket, 1 stepladder all decorations removed)

We moved all the small fish out so he had nothing to eat & felt that having more space in the tank with a few big fish they'd feel less teratorial...

then my brother in law came over this morning & caught it in about 3 minuites !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I've just finished scooping all the little ones up again to put back .....

Knackered.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Anita.

get a nice fishing rod, some good line and some worms. LOL just kidding. would never do this with my pets.

but i had that problem trying to get chinese algae eaters out of a 29g tank a while back. after a few hours, i what i did was emptied 1/2 the tank into buckets then used a tank divider to pin them in corners.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

I do most of my fish catching when I'm doing water changes. If the tank is half empty they've only got half the escape opportunities.

Mike