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How do N. pulcher clear a tank?

1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Samadhikash 
#1 ·
I put seven N. pulcher in the 55g. A few days later, one of the fish had clearly been ostracized. All of the other fish in the tank were chasing it and harassing it into a top corner. I removed the fish. Now, a couple days later, another fish is being chased and harassed into a top corner by all of the other fish. It has taken damage to its dorsal and caudal and I'm still working on catching it. I was kind of expecting the dominant pair to go after all other fish equally and kind of clear the tank all at once. Instead, it seems to be happening one fish at a time with all other fish contributing in the aggression. Is there any point in allowing these five to work together as a group as long as possible to ostracize the sixth (perhaps strengthening a group bond), or is it going to go like this one fish at a time until there are only two no matter what? Just wondering what others have experienced.
 
#4 ·
Thanks.

I'm beginning to question just how attached I am to all of my rock work. An overturned flowerpot or two on the bottom of the tank may not win any aquascaping contests, but I can see where that and a 50% water change sure would make netting these fish much easier.
 
#5 ·
If all your aquarium decor is holey, you can string monofilament fishing line through each piece loosely, like a pearl necklace with too much string. The pieces will go where you want them without obvious connection but when you catch fish you pull out one piece and the rest all follow. Hang it on a ceiling hook above the tank and drips and fish will fall back in. I learned this from someone else and it works great.
 
#6 ·
Mcdaphnia said:
If all your aquarium decor is holey, you can string monofilament fishing line through each piece loosely, like a pearl necklace with too much string. The pieces will go where you want them without obvious connection but when you catch fish you pull out one piece and the rest all follow. Hang it on a ceiling hook above the tank and drips and fish will fall back in. I learned this from someone else and it works great.
That's an ingenious idea. I ended up removing 80% of the rock in the tank (none of which is holey). Then I reduced the water level by about a third. I grabbed the piece of heavy plastic mesh (about 12" x 13") that I use as a tank divider for my 20long and used it to corral the target fish into a corner of the tank. In went the net, out came the fish, and I did a bit of a happy dance. I put in a clay flowerpot with a hole in the side. Before I finished filling the tank, the dominant female (I think) was already in the pot with just her face peeking out. It's a bit more than 12 hours later and they'd already chosen the next fish for banishment. Without all the rock filling the tank, I got that fish out on the second try just using the net.
 
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