How to catch Zebra Danios????

[jcmonkeygirl]

:confused:

I am trying to sell 5 zebra danios from my 55 gallon tank and i can't catch the little devils! I have tried bribing them with little amounts of food but i just can't catch them. Any ideas??? Please help!

[TKOS]

A really big net might help. Sounds silly but more net means a better chance. Of course you'll end up catching others as well probably.

[alexv1n]

I understand your pain :) Been there, done that!

Actually I used two nets. One bigger (about 15 x 10 cm) and one just a small one.

I had to remove a couple large plants. I have one tall piece of a driftwood in the middle, so I placed the net between it and the glass on one side. Then used the other net to steer the fish around the driftwood and they had nowhere to go but in the net. Of course they escaped many times and I spend over an hour until I caught all 13 of them in my 55 gal tank. So, try over and over again and you'll catch the suckers...

Oh, when I have several fish cought in the net, I raise them to the surface but do not remove them from the water completely. Then I use the smaller net to catch the individuals I want from the basin formed by the big net. This way you can eaily select what you want and release the others...

[jcmonkeygirl]

thanks alot! I will try two nets! Everytime i try with my one small net i end up catching my scissortails.

[alexv1n]

One small net? I wouldn't even bother! :D hehe. :p

[carpguy]

I'd try the two net method.

If you still find that frustrating, you could get a fish trap (http://www.aquatic-store.com/en-us/dept_35.html) here (scroll about halfway down).

You can find a DIY version (http://lists.thekrib.com/apisto/9809/msg00061.html) here, at the bottom of the page.

[thom336]

I had trouble when trying to move some Tiger Barbs - big net small net failed me (but it is a great method that usually works brilliantly). But thankfully Tiger Barbs are hungry litle buggers, so food in big net - in they go! Still took hours though...

[yashinfan]

I know exactly what you're going through. I have 8 zebra danios in my 20 gallon and I tried to get one specific male .... pfftt... I had only one net and I sat there for about 20 minutes with no luck. But what does work is I used a little bucket that holds about 1/3 of a gallon and I put it near the top. My fish just swam into it as they are very curious. It was just a matter of time before the right one swam in. :) I think they have net-phobia.

[KateA.]

Catching fish in a large tank is a skill! A larger net is a MUST HAVE. What works for me is to remove as many decorations as possible. Then use the net to scoot everyone over to one side, towards the front corner, then swoop up the net to the top of the water. Danios will frequently zoom to the top when you try to catch them, and usually this will capture a few at a time. 'Course they hide behind uplift tubes and everything else. I'm not coordinated enough to use 2 nets! LOL! I had 2 buenos airies tetras that I could not catch until I had drained the water from my 55 gal. (I was moving it across the room). When they were flopping on the gravel it was easy!

[Tempest]

One of those plastic tank dividers can be purty useful too. They are almost a necessity to try to remove fast fish out of planted tanks without destroying the tank. D)

[NJ Devils Fan]

A few months ago, I had just one long fin danio in my 72g because I had just moved him from the 10g. He was bothering my fish and I wanted to give him to my friend who had several in his tank. When he was over, he was looking at one side of the tank at some other fish. I had an idea, maybe if I put the littlest part of the corner of my net in, the danio would go over to it thinking it was food and I could scoop it right up. Well, I put the corner in and as anticipated, he went over to it and I scooped it up at like 2346546 mph. My friend was like, "HOLY CRAP!!!!" because he was just looking the other way and heard a splash and saw how was I moved. Try doing the same thing, putting the corner of the net in and then when they come over, scoop them up incredibly fast.

[kveeti]

Just about as hard as catching them is trying to count them when you're doing a fish inventory, they just zip around too fast. Or if you're looking for a specific one, all the others are zipping around you can't single it out.

[yashinfan]

Yesterday night I noticed my fish had successfully spawned and I had no trouble getting the male out. I just put a little container side ways and the fish swam right into it. The female, however, was a lot trickier!! She burried herself into the marbles and started breathing heavily, and once she even jumped out of the water on to the top of the heater to avoid the net!! When I finally caught her she was so tired that she didn't even squirm when she was in the net. When I finally got her into the 23 gallon she was back to normal and is still doing fine. I got SO MANY fry out of their spawn, it's so exciting!

[jcmonkeygirl]

well i caught 2. I used a container's corner but they didn't care. I caught 2 by the 2 net method. I caught all of my other fish though several times. I am going to try again tonight around when i normally feed them and see if it works. i moved the 2 i caught into a 20 gallon that i am cycling for my mom. These same danios have now cycled 2 tanks and are about to work on their 3rd. thanks everyone for helping me!

[RustyRay]

I've found catching fish works better after hours, so to speak.

I had a school of young Bueons Aires Tetras that I needed to remove from a 55 gal tank. I found the task impossible. So, I decided to wait until they had been in the dark for about an hour. I then suddenly turned the lights on again. The fish were hovering sluggishly near the bottom. I scooped them up with little resistance. They were all in a sleepy stupor.

Catch them when they are sleeping. It works.

[swinneyw]

if its not a planted tank drain most of the water out and you will have more control they will have less room to swim around

[excuzzzeme]

Put salt on their tail. The extra weight slows them down and you can snag them right out!

[bazil323]

How the heck do you put salt on a fish's tail? And wouldn't that be bad for the fish?

[Dave T]

Holy thread necromancy!

I'll bet the danios have already been caught...or they have gone to the aquarium in the sky. :Angel:

[jooranda]

lol good luck an remember patience !!!