Trick to catching fry?

Toam

Large Fish
Jul 27, 2005
548
0
0
44
Grove, Oklahoma
#1
I was just wondering, a few of my female cichlids have obviously had babies in my 75 gallon (there's a bunch of unsupervised fry swimming under my logs and stuff). I would like to try and save these guys and move them to my 20 gallon to grow out a bit, but bugger me, I can't catch the little boogers. I've tried to wait in ambush and net them, and I've tried scooping up the log they hide under and netting them, but neither of which has been succesful. I don't feel like tearing down my whole tank to get them, but is there some method that might make it simple to catch them?
 

Toam

Large Fish
Jul 27, 2005
548
0
0
44
Grove, Oklahoma
#3
FishGeek said:
Use two nets. Keep one stationary and use the other to chase them into it. Works for me all the time. Good Luck!! :p
Well, I've tried that, the problem is, as soon as the nets go in, they go underneath the log and don't come out, and if I pick up the log, they go into the deep caves in back. I was more thinking along the lines of a trap or lure that works on fry?
 

Fuzz16

Superstar Fish
Oct 20, 2006
1,918
3
0
Wellsville, KS
#4
ive heard or raising the co2...if you have it.
but a lot of people say thats cruel
use a siphon...thats how i caught my convict fry.
or another trick is lowering the water level reall low then cornering them with a "blockade" of some sort.
personally id leave 'em. the strong will survive. i did this with my convicts often and many lived through 2 other broods
 

Toam

Large Fish
Jul 27, 2005
548
0
0
44
Grove, Oklahoma
#6
honestlly not too sure, my female kenyi has been mouthbrooding lately, but I'm unsure who she mated with. My yellow labs have been at it, but again I still can't tell, the fry look like mini versions of my violet peacock, and she has been mating with my electric blue, so most likely, hybrid babies, I haven't seen my venustus mating yet, just hanging out lot's lately.
 

Jul 9, 2003
8,866
14
38
37
Columbia, SC
www.youtube.com
#8
Haha i feel you on that one man. Its tough...especially with a 75.

The only thing i would try before tearing down the tank is take a cup with some sinking pellets in it and sink it right near their hang out spot. And hope they go in to check it out. Try and place it where the big ones can't get in there. And if they go in scoop them out.

Its a streach i know but possibly worth trying. Otherwise...break the deco down >.<. And even then its hard because the larger fish my nab them in the open or they might blend very well with the substrate.
 

SANND

Large Fish
Jul 20, 2005
627
4
0
55
Washington, DC
#10
Big Vine said:
Turkey-baster.
Worked like a charm with my krib fry. ;)

BV
LOL!

Whenever I know I'll be needing to catch danios, I put a few nets in the tank and just let them float around for a day or two until the danios forget to be afraid. Then with lights off, I so so slowly use two nets to scoop them up. You can't make a splash or the others will hear and will warn the rest!
 

Big Vine

Elite Fish
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
9
0
47
Florida
#14
Not sure why no one else has yet to suggest/recommend the turkey baster idea? (no, I didn't post it as a joke :cool: ) It works along the same lines as sucking/siphoning them up through a tube, but using the baster makes it easier in several ways:

-can be used with one hand
-slender, tapered tube fits in tiny nooks/corners easily
-especially hard-to-catch fry can be 'fanned' off of objects by gently squirting water at them (you can then suck them up into the baster once they've been dispersed into an area that is more accessible)

Just have a cup or small bucket with tankwater on hand for when you suck up some of the fry into the baster. Simply turn the baster so that the open end faces upward as you lift it up and out of the tank, then gradually let it down and gently squeeze the rubber part until the fry end up in the cup/bucket. Repeat until all fry have been removed.

Give it a shot; it works! You'll wonder why you've never tried it before now.

BV
 

Big Vine

Elite Fish
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
9
0
47
Florida
#15
Toam,

Did you ever manage to nab up the fry?
Must be tough in a 75 gal. tank? (probably an understatement, I know :eek: )

I just caught 5 krib fry that were too large for my turkey-baster method. This was done (albeit in a much smaller tank) using a method that C-Man suggested earlier. I used sinking cichlid pellets as bait. Caught 3 kribs at once, then the 2 remaining kribs one at a time.


Hope this helps someone at some point. :)
BV
 

Toam

Large Fish
Jul 27, 2005
548
0
0
44
Grove, Oklahoma
#18
Honestly, no luck as of yet, just way too many hiding places in the tank. I believe they do get eaten by the other fish, because I never see them bigger than around 3-4mm. but everytime one disappears, shortly after, a new one appears, not the same fry because they'll be different sizes. I'll keep trying though, lol.

edit: It's just a son of a gun to do in a 75 gallon full of cichlid caves.
 

Apr 8, 2017
1
0
1
#19
Not sure why no one else has yet to suggest/recommend the turkey baster idea? (no, I didn't post it as a joke :cool: ) It works along the same lines as sucking/siphoning them up through a tube, but using the baster makes it easier in several ways:

-can be used with one hand
-slender, tapered tube fits in tiny nooks/corners easily
-especially hard-to-catch fry can be 'fanned' off of objects by gently squirting water at them (you can then suck them up into the baster once they've been dispersed into an area that is more accessible)

Just have a cup or small bucket with tankwater on hand for when you suck up some of the fry into the baster. Simply turn the baster so that the open end faces upward as you lift it up and out of the tank, then gradually let it down and gently squeeze the rubber part until the fry end up in the cup/bucket. Repeat until all fry have been removed.

Give it a shot; it works! You'll wonder why you've never tried it before now.

BV
Big Vine - trying to think of a way to get my fry out of my 90 gallon - want to give your idea a try, but not exactly sure how to yet - what do I do squeeze the baster when they are near it? And it sucks them in.