What is the best way to catch BN fry in planted tank?

[AquariumRox]

I have a very active group of breeding Bristlenose in my main tank and their young are going to take over if I don't get them out of there soon. I have a 36 Gal corner tank that I'm 2 or 3 days from having ready for them. I'm wondering, though, how the heck I'm going to catch them. I've had to get in the tank to manage my plants and remove snails and such, and I've noticed that the little guys are lightning quick. Anyone have any ideas or experiences for me on the best way to catch them?

Have some cool pictures of them here:

http://aquariumrox.blogspot.com/2010/10 ... enose.html

Thanks in advance for any help! You have all been very helpful and supportive to me in my brief time on the forum so far and I appreciate it immensely!

[andywoolloo]

i have plants in my tanks but by no means is it a "planted tank" but i've found the easiest way is to have a bunch of medium sized driftwood in there leaning over and on caves and such and then you get a big fine net and gently lift up the driftwood so they stay on it, haveing the next under before the wood is above surface, then as the driftwood exits water and the net right under with it the fall right in. replace driftwood and repeat after a few minutes.

fine net tho and when you put them into the transport container let them get out of the net themselves. I transport, or did when i bred them , in a large cooler, so i just set the net in there and they scampered out.

You can also get a big tupperware container if you're worried about them getting stuck in the net and do the same thing. I ve never had one get stuck , i use very fine big net tho.

just what i used to do, but granted i didnt have a fully planted tank, mostly caves and driftwood and sand and some plants.

i was trying to put "tupperware" container and it keeps coming up with a blue guy with his thumb up motie> weird.

[Mod edit: I have turned off smilies in this post, that way tupperware comes out right --Mats]

edited for typos :oops:

p.s. someone on this forum taught me the driftwood thing I thnk.

[TwoTankAmin]

I have always used a syphon to get mthem out. You may suck up some gravel, but its easy enough to return when done.

[MatsP]

Both of these methods are good. But if you need to get all/most of your babies out of a relatively well-planted tank, I'm sorry, but i don't think there is any good solution - the method I've used in the past in a lightly planted tank is to pull all plants, decorations, etc out of the tank, and then drain half the water to make it less volume for the fry to "escape" in.

But if you are OK with catching a majority of them, then using any of the above methods will work. Siphon works best for capturing fry BEFORE they leave the dad's cave.

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Mats

[huffmagx]

Depending on what type of pleco they are and what other fish you have in there you can bait them. Put some of their favorite nosh into a container with a lid small enough to fit your hand over ( like a short cup or larger cup turned on its side or clear acrylic breeder trap) leave it for a little while put your hand over the top and remove the babies into a breeder box, repeat...repeat..repeat.

You will get quite a few this way if they are hungry!

[AquariumRox]

Both of these methods are good. But if you need to get all/most of your babies out of a relatively well-planted tank, I'm sorry, but i don't think there is any good solution - the method I've used in the past in a lightly planted tank is to pull all plants, decorations, etc out of the tank, and then drain half the water to make it less volume for the fry to "escape" in.

But if you are OK with catching a majority of them, then using any of the above methods will work. Siphon works best for capturing fry BEFORE they leave the dad's cave.

--
Mats

Thanks for the suggestions. I thought about a siphon, but I was afraid they would hang on to the inside of the tube and I wouldn't be able to get them out. Has this ever happened to you and if so, how did you get them out?

[MatsP]

If you have a reasonable drop from the tank to the collecting vessel (bucket, etc), the fry won't be able to stick to the hose. But if there is just a single fry in each place, it's going to be hard to chase them around with a hose, just as it will be hard to catch them with a net or such. I'm only using siphon to get fry out of a tank where they will be eaten, by siphoning them out before they leave dad's cave.

For intentional breeding, you need a tank that can be "cleared out"...

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Mats