[mcaquatic]

how do you catch a bristle nose pleco in a heavily planted tank?

 

[jonathan]

I never had planted aquariums , but densely hardscaped. I used to chase mine with a chopstick into glass jars. Its time consuming, but it worked for me.

 

[Knotyoureality]

I generally just take it as a good excuse to re-scape.

Really depends on your tank. Mine's got a favorite driftwood hideout that leans up against the back wall. I angle my biggest net into place on one side and then chase with a smaller net on the other. Only two ways to go and about 50% of the time she'll end up in the big net. The other 50 she sails away to places unknown and I end up pulling everything out and re-scaping to catch the little beast.

 

[KingPlakat]

Easiest way to catch a BN without tearing up your plants is setting a trap. Just like you would catch a mouse. Find a bottle with a big enough opening to allow the BN in, stick food in the bottle that BN likes. Then you just wait until he goes in. Cover the hole and presto!

Poking small holes in the bottle helps diffuse the smell of the food inside of the bottle as well.

 

[mcaquatic]

Easiest way to catch a BN without tearing up your plants is setting a trap. Just like you would catch a mouse. Find a bottle with a big enough opening to allow the BN in, stick food in the bottle that BN likes. Then you just wait until he goes in. Cover the hole and presto!

Poking small holes in the bottle helps diffuse the smell of the food inside of the bottle as well.

might be my best bet. Will have to try it. The sucker is ruining my planted tank. (well i think it is him)

 

[kwheeler91]

Well you can always reach in and grab him. Be careful not to get stuck though. My lfs guy always grabs plecos with his barehands. He is like 70 and way more hardcore than myself lol. I tried to grab a common pleco and got cuts all over my hands. I took the fish to him and he reached into the buclet and grabbed it no problems. Bushynose arent spiky like commons but they do have some nasty spikes that come from their gill area.

If you have a hollow piece of wood or tubing in general would probably work, they love caves and will hang there all the time when they find out where it is, especially when you try to catch them. simply pick the tube up, capping both ends with your hands if neccessary. I had a bn that always hung in a hollow stump. Even when I took the wood out of water he would stay wedged in the wood for quite a while because they can breath air, so if he dont come out right away give him a minute, just keep the tube over a bucket of water.

 

[OrangeSoda]

Take a clear 1lt soda bottle and cut the bottom off. Smooth over the cut edge and submerge. Herd him in with a small net or your hand. Then simply lift him out.