Discus trap?

[ApacheDan]

I got this tall (42") 300 gal tank almost cycled and ready to be stocked. Some of the stock, juvie size; will be Wayne Ng's (thanks Dan!) and some nice German Blues, Red Passions, etc. I might end up with a mix of over 30-40 discus, all juvies and would like to see them grow and develop, then retrieve a few selected to put them in separate tanks for breeding. Problem is that my show tank looks like a one-way-street:o short of emptying the tank, it will be very difficult to net anything, especially since I have some plants on manzanitas in the middle. Have anybody used or invented a fish/discus trap to retrieve them safely and uninjured? :confused::confused: thanks. Dan

[Don Trinko]

I use 2 large nets. I have never had a problem catching discus but when I need to catch cory's I remove everything! Don T.

[William Palumbo]

300 gallons?...Probally just have to take off your shoes and jump in and grab them with your hands! I have seen in larger tanks, where the owner starts to feed a bit, and when the Discus are at the top in a small area waiting to get fed, is when they get netted. I would recommend letting the Discus pair up naturally, and when they formed a bond..THEN seperate them...Bill

[brewmaster15]

Dan,
You could get a long handled net and catch them like they do in the wild... At night when the lights are out and they are sleeping.:)

-al

[DiscusKeeper403]

As others said, try a large net. You might be able to find one at your local angling store, though just make sure the net will not harm the fishes scales or anything like that.

I used to live in the Caribbean, and people would catch fish by using a big wooden box with mesh around it. Not 100% sure how it was made but there was one opening in the front pointing in (so the fish could not get back out) and there was bait inside. They were mainly used for lobster but I would always see fish in them too.

[ApacheDan]

I used to live in the Caribbean, and people would catch fish by using a big wooden box with mesh around it. Not 100% sure how it was made but there was one opening in the front pointing in (so the fish could not get back out) and there was bait inside. They were mainly used for lobster but I would always see fish in them too.

That brings back a lot of memories....I used to fish with a commercial lobster fisherman in the Florida Keys and would go along for the ride & for the heck of it....those traps would pull anything, even eels! I used to bring containers to keep the reef fish and would sell it to LFS...that was fun..

Thank you guys. Even using 2 large nets, while balancing yourself on a ladder, dealing with a planted 7 feet long /tall tank might be quite a challenge. Meanwhile I just found this nice collapsible crayfish trap made of net material, with 5 1/2" holes, it might do the trick...hummm starve them for a while & bait it with frozen beefheart:D:D

[KDodds]

What I do in my 450 reef when I need to get a fish...

Feed exclusively out of a net for a week or two. Makes things SOOOOO easy. ;)

[Don Trinko]

It is ammazing how soon they forget what a net is for. Unless you net them often you will probably have little trouble. 9with the 1st fish, the 2nd will figure it out!) They get to where they trust you. When I'm cleaning the tank I can touch the fish, In fack they get in the way and I have to move them by hand so I can clean the tank. Don T.

[ApacheDan]

What I do in my 450 reef when I need to get a fish...

Feed exclusively out of a net for a week or two. Makes things SOOOOO easy. ;)

That's interesting...can you please give details of your technique??:confused:
so you feed them with the net under the fish? or you simply put the food in the net?

[AquatiCreations]

When I used to transfer Koi I'd use the same method, I'd feed them from inside the net a week prior to moving them, so when it was time to go, they hopped right in.

[Eddie]

I'd DIY a fishing net, the largest one with a long handle. Use super tough clear trash bags attached to the opening instead of the netting thats on the net. Just an idea.

Eddie

[AquatiCreations]

Also, try your Local Fish store, Python Makes a series of Large nets. i just bought one recently. The mesh is pretty non-abrasive.

[KDodds]

Just put a cube of their favorite frozen food(s) in the net to feed. Feed exclusively in this manner and they should be swimming right in after a few days. The longest it took me was a week and a half for a very smart Odonus niger (niger trigger) in a 180. Most fish you can nab in a few days to a week.

[Patr1ck]

I posted this on another thread but I copied it here for you.

I built a fish trap out of one of those cheap plactic ziploc rectangle food containers. I cut a 1.5" by 1.5" hole in the lid on one of the short sides. I put a couple dinner spoons in it to hold it down on the bottom. Then put it in the tank and put some shrimp pellets in it for bait. The corys love going in there, so do loaches and algae eaters, tetras, etc. I had a small discus some how make his way in there too. As soon as which ever fish that I was trying to catch entered I would open the lid on my tank and cover the hole (I used a soup ladel) to keep the fish inside. Then lifted the trap out of the tank.

I got tired of chasing fish around and tearing up my plants in the process, So I decided to let them catch themselves. Ive used this numerous times. Be quick though if you are trying to catch a loach. They're smart little ********. Most of the time it took and hour or two for the fish to get used to it, sometimes less. The yoyo loach took a couple days the second time. Like I said, smart little ******** You could just use a larger tupperware container with a larger opening cut in the top of it for the discus to fit inside.

Pat

[mareshow]

a really great method that i used when i was a kid to catch baby fish in lakes was a Chinese fishing net, it basically is a net that rests on the bottom with a wire frame connected to the four corners of the net with a handle at the top :) all you have to do is put the net in and wait a couple minutes, if the fish aren't already over the net just "convince" them with your hand and pull up and voila the fish are trapped and all you have to do is put them in a scoop net or just scoop them up with a bucket or bag, works brilliantly or at least it did in the vast expanses of the lakes i used mine in

[Ryan]

I do all of my netting at night when the fish are asleep. I've found this the quickest way to remove fish from the tank without having to drain it or tear up my aquascaping.