[Ericj]

So I have a tank which I'm planning to put some nice shrimp into. However, currently in this tank are several Apistogramma cacatuoides "Double Red". They're only 2-3 months old, so still quite young/small:

They seem to be super non-aggressive dwarf cichlids with a ton of personality, however, I don't trust them with shrimp at all, and especially when those shrimp hopefully have babies.

I've tried to go in with a net several times to catch them, and haven't even gotten close. The big problem is that the tank is fully planted and hardscaped so there are a TON of places they can hide that I absolutely can not get to. I also don't want to break anything chasing after them!

Any ideas?

 

[PlantedRich]

Sounds like a good time for a DIY fish trap.
Take a soda bottle, cut it around the area where the top really expands to make the sides, turn the cutoff top into the rest of the bottle. Wedge it in which is pretty easy if you cut it right. Make a lot of holes in the main portion of the bottle so that water will flow through. Otherwise you may kill the fish! Drop food that they know inside the bottle and put it in the tank. Many fish will find the small opening of the bottle and go for the food. Trick is they can't find the small opening to get out.
Familiar with the old wire mesh minnow traps fishermen use? A string tied on and hung over the side makes it easy to pull out.
WARNING: May take several days/ may not.

 

[Kate6790]

I use two nets. One in front and one in back. You have to be a little fast. I have some bala sharks that are insanely fast and they love to jump. So I chase them into a corner and trap them with the nets. Hope this helps.

 

[devilduck]

You can also lower the water level to a few inches to make catching them easier.

 

[Lab_Man]

As Kate said, 2 nets are a must. Also, don't buy the small nets. I have a 3" and a 6" net.

 

[monkey4life]

2 nets and push them to the surface slowly. If found most fish can't see the net coming up from underneath while they focus on the first net. I've also used a huge homemade screen mesh net with plants in it so they hide. I sit it on its side on the bottom, chase the fish in there with a net or a stick and scoop the whole thing up, and transfer to a bucket or smaller bare tank where I can safely nab them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

[burr740]

lay an appropriate net in the tank for a day or two so they'll get used to it

 

[Raymond S.]

I sneek in there at night while they sleep. I got lucky and myheadlight has one red bulb which doesn't effect them AS much that I spot them/w and then turn the light away from them till I'm set up. Just gets one each day but works.
The two net thing also has worked for me.

 

[Duck5003]

Use the force, you must :hihi:

 

[Italionstallion888]

Build one of these

Put food in it and place it where they hang out.

 

[svkr2k]

I used two nets and caught a fast Puntius chalakkudiensis today .. works like a charm.
fish trap seems to be interesting, might try that some day to catch the fish that goes and hides deep inside the plants/decors.