[Ruthiebaby88]

Got myself a little plastic floating breeder box yesterday and added a holding elongatus to it -

Man that was a job!

Ended up tearing apart all the rock work of the tank to catch her!

Does anyone have an easier method for doing this?

 

[dielikemoviestars]

Nope. Tear out all the rockwork before you even start trying.

 

[love all ciclids]

i try to be patient with them let the net sit in the tank a couple days,move it around a bit when feed but not really at the fish just around,soon enough they will feel a bit more secure ,
and if you are lucky she will give you the opportunity to nab her during one of the feeding sessions,
my females if been holding long enough to release (with a nice size net) put a bit of gravel in the bottom a maybe an old piece of fake plant , when she feels the other fish cant get in she will slowly let them out and tell them to go to the gravel when she is empty i put a jar in the water and scoop up the net so i dont stress babies and move them to a tank drained from mother tank

sorry so long hope it helps or works for you

 

[DJRansome]

You can remove just one section if your aquascape is done so you can shoo the fish to one end and insert a divider to isolate the last rock pile. Then you can remove just that pile. Also helps to net during a water change...half the water to narrow down escaping space.

 

[RRasco]

You can remove just one section if your aquascape is done so you can shoo the fish to one end and insert a divider to isolate the last rock pile. Then you can remove just that pile. Also helps to net during a water change...half the water to narrow down escaping space.

That's where I have had the most success. Once that net goes in the water, they go into panic mode. If I can corner my target from the get-go I can normally get them, but once they get around and into the deco. It's tear it down or wait until another day. During a water change, my fish seem to be swimming around trying to figure out whats going on more than worried about me catching them.

You can also try a fish trap, but you will more than likely end up catching the wrong fish, if any. This worked in my 110g tall, but the Rusty was the only one in there cycling the tank at the time.

 

[Glaneon]

I found keeping the larger net in there - not moving

Then chase them into it with another net.

But yeah, taken out half my rock-work at times to get to a fish.

 

[gliebig]

Yikes! I hope I don't have to do that. Some of my rocks are easily 70+#'s. They are there for good.

 

[RRasco]

Good lord. How big is this tank?

You could always try the 'get them while they're sleeping method'. Doesn't always work, but they are not so quick to run away after the lights come on.