Best Way To Catch And Transfer A 12" Plec

[methodmza_uk]

Any ideas people?

I want to catch him from a tank, transfer him about 40mins drive to another tank?

Thanks a lot.

 

[noshybabs]

wow, hes quite big.... A spear and a scubba mask

 

[andywg]

If you can corner him the best way I know of to carry pleces is to place a thumb on his head behind the eyes (but in front of the dorsal fin) and your fingers on the belly.

By doing this they lock the body rigid with all fins out and you can place the plec where you want him. Ideally in a polystyrene box of water as plecs are pretty good at piercing bags.

 

[KathyM]

I wouldn't pick him up with your hands to be honest, unless you really have to. It's incredibly stressful for them. Someone recommended using a plastic container to transfer them on another thread. I used a large net very quickly because I had no chance of getting them to get in a container and I didn't want to be cruel and use my hands. It worked very well, but you have to be careful with the net method in case they lock their fin spines in.

 

[Kairi]

we caught ours with our hands, and put him in a 5 gallon plastic critter keeper. he didn't like being caught, but cornering him was way too hard.

 

[Teelie]

I would say the plastic container if possible, if not use your hands. I wouldn't even think of trying with a net or anything else of that sort.

 

[smithrc]

Plecs dont have a slime coat (unless there is something wrong) so using your hands wont damage it.

If you do try to catch it by hand be careful... I tried in vain to catch ours when we moved, but in the end i cornered him into a bag... that lasted one flick of his tail, I managed to grab him as he escaped and the blichter stabbed me, trapped the web between my thumb and forefinger between his body and pectoral fin - blood and everything uch:

I managed to keep hold of him and put him in the large tupperware container.

 

[Tolak]

Plecs tend to get tangled in nets, you may get lucky the first few times, once one really gets hung you will never go through that hassle again. I learned my lesson with a bristlenose, 10 minutes of underwater wrestling to untangle it, and a couple of stabbed fingers.

I recently redid my fishroom, and had to move a few plecs, 8", a couple of 12", and a 15". They have been moved a couple of times before, the jar with zuccini trick really doesn't work unless you have a lot of time. Drain the tank down to a few inches, and invest in a pair of leather palmed work gloves. Then use the technique andywg suggested, grabbing them forward of the muscular tail. If you grab a little too far back you get muscle, which is stronger than you think.

BTW, a 15" common grunts like a pig when it's out of the water. Don't be alarmed if there are any unusual sounds.

 

[Lynden]

Catching foot-long Plecs with my bare hands - now that's what I call a blast. YEE - HAW!

Plecostomus do not have a slime coat, and their armour is far too strong for them to be injured by being caught and hauled out of the water. In fact, I can honestly say that catching Plecs by hand is not only the easiest way for us, it's the least stressful way for them (if done properly).

Now, I myself have only tried to do it by hand and with a net, but I hypothesis on the results of other methods below. I may be wrong; probably am, in fact.

Net; threads get caught in gills, on armour, and on spines = not good.
Plastic bag; may succeed in capture but the Plec will surely puncture it, leaving the Plec standed either out of water or in a vacuum = even worse.
Plastic container; probably the best of these three, but will be incredibly difficult to manouver because it is not hydrodynamic.
"Jar trap"; very clever but presents a critical problem, because the Plec will not have access to air = deadly.

A Plec's face shield is strong enough to withstand, completely unharmed, a full-on charge into a wall of glass. To catch a Plec, you simpy corner it; their last defense will be to "lock up", at which point you drag them out of the water and into the transport container. Do Not try to grab them while still swimming or uncornered; their caudal pundicle is tremedously powerful, and their thrashing motions may cause them stress, as they smash into rocks and walls, damaging their fins and possibly their eyes, or if out of the water, throwing their weight around excessively.

-Lynden

 

[PrettyDiscus]

My plec "locks up" when he is frightened usually when i open the lid to feed him. He just stays there for a few seconds and darts off into his cave.

 

[paulthegreat]

Try putting a dark plastic tube in the tank and when the plec dicovers a new hiding place it goes in and you can cap both ends at the same time and then move it to a travel container. It may take a little time but would be alot easier then getting stuck or having to cut a net to pieces to get the plec back out. I lost a good net that way!