Moving Bigger Fish

liserini · Apr 22, 2009

Due to a recent tank leak I had to move my fish into another tank temporarily. Catching them was easy enough as I just put a bucket in the tank and chased them into it! Unfortunately the temp tank is not big enough to put my bucket in when I move them back and I wondered if anyone has any techniques for catching larger fish. My oscar managed to give herself a right bump on the head when I was moving her with the bucket so I'm thinking it's going to be even worse from such a smaller tank.

saz326 · Apr 22, 2009

Get yourself a good strong plastic bag from the supermarket and put it in the temp tank so that it reaches well into corners. Use a small fish net to encourage the large fish into the plastic bag. Grip the bag handles and pull the bag towards the tail of the big fish once its inside the bag far enough.

you can then lift the bag so that only the handles are above the surface, and slowly raise the bag so that water can return back into the tank through the holes in the bag. (put there to prevent kids suffocating when they put shopping bags on their heads.

You can then carry the fish quickly and easily in a slung bed up to the bigger tank.

If you do this - you have to match both tanks (temp of water etc) before the move.

england · Apr 22, 2009

have you not got a big enough net to catch the fish?if no i suggest you go and get one :good:

There's no real easy way, unless you drip the tank to equal temps then empty nearly all water in small tank, uptip it into the other tank slowly and with another pair of hands :good:

but if your tank has a lip, do not try that.....even if you go to a cheap shop like the 1pound shop you should find some type of net cheap....
if you cant do that, then get a wire coat hanger and form it into a circle, get some tight's and cut of one leg then open in over the coat hanger and try that way if you understand what i mean

liserini · May 2, 2009

I moved my fish today. I used to have a big net but the fish broke it struggling to escape! Today my oscar broke several carrier bags before I was succesful moving her. I easily caught my plec and RTS as they were in a big vase type thing together. And I just scopped my featherfin cat up in a jug! All the fish are looking much happier now they are back in their big tank

My oscar just stayed in one place in the temp tank

Now she's swimming all over the tank again

aquila · May 2, 2009

For my largest fish I prefer to use a (clean!) pair of hands to move them. Nets can damage fins and scales and if they struggle most will bend or simply snap with a fish of that kind of weight. As long as you are confident and use both hands there should be no problems.

Intelligent fish such as oscars and large goldfish can even be taught to be handled peacefully by hand feeding and gentle practice. It's a good thing to teach a large fish in case you ever have to handle them to be medicated or similar.