home made traps

[twotone12valve]

I'm trying to catch some CAE that I bought over a year ago, not knowing what they really are. I have tried making traps with a water bottle. Basically cutting the top off and flipping it back inside. But they are to smart for that they smim in and out with no problem. Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm sure anyone that has kept these guys knows how fast they are and netting is kind of out of the question.

[Diana]

Larger bottle, longer neck, smaller hole.

There is a soda company called Jaritos that uses a sort of 'long neck' 2 liter bottle, maybe that would work?

Next idea:
Lower the water. Move slowly. Always make sure where the fish are between moves. The goal here is to trap the fish in a very restricted area at the front for the easiest capture. Put a few moveable plants in that area, hoping the fish will go in there to hide.
Use sheets of acrylic to section off the tank, always reducing the area the CAEs are in. Try to get most of the other fish outside the sectioned off areas. By using 2 sheets you can divide the tank in half, then, not moving the first sheet, put the second one, further restricting where the fish can go, then move the first one...
Caution: I have had some fish jump over the barrier and end up in the larger part of the tank. Go slow so they are not stirred up or scared into jumping.

Next idea: Make your own net which will have a moderately large opening, and has a LONG trailing part. Not the little scoop nets commonly sold. Fabric stores have tule or other netting that is OK. Get the tightest weave that is still a net, not closed in. Get black. A coat hanger will work to make the frame, it does not need a big handle.
Positioning this net at the front, with the long trailing part stretched out. Maybe someone will have to help hold it open. Chase the fish with hand, other nets or other things until the fish swim into the net. Large opening might be partially buried in the substrate just enough to hide the bottom of the coat hanger/frame. They do not know it is a long trailing net, and will get pretty deep into it. Close it off before you scoop them up.

Last (desperate) idea.
Drain the tank. Have enough buckets available that as you catch the other fish they go into the other buckets.
Have other storage containers ready to hold rocks, plants and so on.
Worst case scenario: I even had to take the substrate out to catch 3 fish species: Yoyo Loach, Banjo Cat and Dwarf Loach.

[J.B.]

Get one of the plastic cereal containers, like this one...



Poke a small pin hole in the hinged-lid and tie a piece of fishing line, or string of some sort to it. Use an algae magnet to affix the container to a wall of your tank. Or, you can poke some appropriate sized holes in the bottom of the container and press some suction cups into them and then attach it to your tank wall that way.

Now, hang the string from the lid outside the tank, and then put some food in the container...sit back and watch. When the CAE goes in, you pull the string, up comes the lid and it's trapped!

I've successfully used this method a couple times. Good luck!

[twotone12valve]

Great idea J.B I'll have to try that. Diana I never thought about sectioning off part of the tank I think I will be able to do that maybe a combo I can section off the CAE's and set a trap. I'll let you know how it goes.

[twotone12valve]

One down with the coke bottle trap, two more to go.

[Crazygar]

Fish herding, that requires patience sir.

Gary

[twotone12valve]

Patience is deffenitly key with these guys I cought one more yesterday.

[Crazygar]

Yeah, try hunting fish down in a deeply planted Aquarium, the words I use (and quite creatively I might add) to show my dismay are well, interesting. It can be done, I usually two nets. Learn the ways of the Fish Ninja...

Gary

[twotone12valve]

Haha, I know these words very well. My tanks are always full of drift wood and to get hung up in that with a net while on the hunt is never good. Or when I'm trying to untangle my net and the fish I'm hunting swims into it!! O well, sometimes you just can't help it.

[Crazygar]

If anything else, patience, usually I feed and catch at the same time. If you really want to be devious, don't feed for a couple of days, they just can't resist and that's when you catch them.

Gary