Help with removing unwanter Kribensis from a planted tank

[me2]

I have a 260 gallon planted tank. Thought it would be cool to add a couple Kribensis a couple years ago. Now they are over running the tank, Excellent at hiding fry. So far I have tried netting and built a fish trap out of a liter soda bottle. They learn so fast that both only worked for a few days. Forget about netting the breeding pairs.. I am thinking about introducing some fish that would target the fry but Kribs are ferocious at defending the young. Not sure what fish could work. Any ideas?

 

[Attenbruh]

Tiger barbs will eat eggs and are mildly aggressive but I hear Great White Sharks will thrash the eggs to Death. (Tiger Barb may be the worse option though)

 

[itiwhetu]

Make your fish hungry. Don't feed them for a fortnight then put a tiny bit of food in one corner. Net them out. What else is in this tank.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I had a recent and similar dilemma recently, when my Cockatoo apistos decided to lay eggs.
I had two possible plans, both involving my 'spare' tank...

• One was to moving the filter box, complete with eggs, into the second tank and then try to put the Cockatoos in with it.
• Two was to remove a bunch of the resident fish into the second tank, to create much more room.

Both options would've involved trying to catch fish in a relatively heavily planted tank.
Fortunately, when setting up the tank, I planned for this activity and most of the wood and rocks are easily removeable.
Whilst they may not help you now, for the future...

 

[mbsqw1d]

I gave up trying to catch them. I thought barbs were quick, kribs are ridiculous.

 

[me2]

The tank contains a mix of loachs, large Tiger barbs, large Gold Barbs and gaint danios. Probable only about a dozen fish other than the Kribs. I have a 8 inch Oscar that could certainly end the problem. Lol (in another tank of course.) If I could ID a predator that would target the Kribs that are up to a inch I think I could manage the population of Kribs. Tonight I left the net in the tank with some food pellets in it. The Kribs wouldn't go near it. Maybe I will try different color net?? This is frustrating cause I set the tank up years ago so that it would never have to be touched in any major way. Guess this winter I will pull everything out and catch the Kribs.

 

[anewbie]

I had the same problem in a 40B; then moved them to a 120 but managed to get rid of all the males so no more frys. I noticed in my 120 they will go into one exit cave so you could place a few of those and then just cover the exit and viola you got a trapped fish. I'd like to get rid of the 5 females in my 120 but the effort ... just ain't worth it (wait didn't i say cave - well i forgot to mention kribs are smart).... good luck Oh and if i were to put a krib against a barb - i think i would be down one barb those suckers are mean.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Consider getting a large rectangle of glass/acrylic, that allows you to separate the tank...perhaps to even cut a corner off from the rest of the tank.
Fish quickly identify a net as a predator's mouth and so are adept at avoiding it. Not so much a clear barrier.
I'm sure you can work out the rest.

 

[Attenbruh]

You could try to take the parents out and let the other fish eat them.

 

[Stan510]

That's EXACTLY why I resisted a beautiful pair for sale months ago. Kribs come from streams and my aquarium is full of stream type fish. But the idea of catching hundreds of them with the thick plant and driftwood in a 240 gallon?
I think your best bet is to buy a 300 gallon folding kiddie pool for $30 bucks or so ,and then pump (pond or sump pumps) all your tank water into it. When your aquarium is down to once inch,even the small ones can be caught. Might as well remove wood and rocks to make it much more easy and faster.
I will never add fish that protect their young in a heavily planted big aquarium.

 

[anewbie]

once the kids are a few weeks old they are prefectly capable of surviving without their parents this i know first hand. They are amazing to watch and the perfect fish for a highschool science class.

have i told you the story of my pygmy cory and kribs? The kribs I had dug a nice little cave near the front under a piece of driftwood. After a while the pygmy cory realized that this space was always bare of other fishes and would settle in front of the kribs home. The kribs at first didn't like this but after a week or so came to the conclusion that the pygmy cory were harmless and left them alone (they were a group of 10 or 12 at the time). Over time the kribs were so comfortable with the pygmy they actually allowed them to mingle with their frys and sometime the pygmy would follow them around the tank because the kribs always lead them to food.
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Having said this the path to reach the final state was not without er issues so i'm not necessarily recommending you try mixing pygmy cory with kribs but i do wonder if this was a one off or if it could be repeated; certainly i preferred the pygmy to be infront in the open where i could watch them over their previous hiding spot in the back.