catching babies

[flyer9]

I've been wondering if there's a reliable way to catch up with Mum before the fry are spat, or even catch them once they're swimming about.

I vaguely recall seeing something about a "fish trap" - has anyone had any experience with one of those?

Is it really just a case of stripping the tank down to get at the fry?

[twinbark]

I'm curious, what fish are you planning to breed that's close to dropping? From my research on breeding neptunes, I recall considering a breeding net - essentially a large, cube-shaped netted enclosure that goes in the tank with the mother. Once she spawns, you remove her to prevent her eating the fry. After that, you can either transfer the fry to a nursery tank or leave them in the net until they're big enough to fend for themselves.

[rocko]

I've been wondering if there's a reliable way to catch up with Mum before the fry are spat, or even catch them once they're swimming about.

I vaguely recall seeing something about a "fish trap" - has anyone had any experience with one of those?

Is it really just a case of stripping the tank down to get at the fry?

I'd recommend a birthing/breeding box, personally I think the net-covered ones are the way to go and they're pretty affordable on eBay. The idea is to put the mother in when you think she's about to drop, and the fry will safely fall into the bottom compartment. I picked one up for under a fiver, it's been a lifesaver.

[sharpfin12]

If you want to do it properly in my opinion, you should catch the female and place her in a separate tank - that way you can monitor everything closely. She'll drop the fry after a couple of weeks and they'll have a nice little space to grow up in. The breeding net is a good idea, but I'd separate them entirely, civhlids can be pretty rough and will bite at the net - they might even jump in and eat the babies, which is the last thing you want.

[flyer9]

I'm curious, what fish are you planning to breed that's close to dropping? From my research on breeding neptunes, I recall considering a breeding net - essentially a large, cube-shaped netted enclosure that goes in the tank with the mother. Once she spawns, you remove her to prevent her eating the fry. After that, you can either transfer the fry to a nursery tank or leave them in the net until they're big enough to fend for themselves.

I've been thinking ahead, anticipating a future problem with catching a sick Mbuna in my tank, what with all the rocks and hiding spots. I figured it'd be useful to know how people catch mums-to-be, as the same technique could be applied to a poorly fish. I didn't have any imminent births, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I needed to catch a tricky Mbuna.

To be honest, I should've just asked the direct question: how do you catch a sick Mbuna? But I was hesitant to post, thinking people would start asking what was wrong with my fish and offering advice. Thankfully, your responses have still been helpful, even if the question was slightly off-topic.

[sharpfin12]

To be honest with you, I just end up taking the tank apart to minimize the stress of chasing around with the net for ages.

[dorviko]

I've come across this method on a specialist forum, though I've not personally tried it. If you've got small fry in the tank that you want to catch, try using a dark glass bottle with a narrow neck - the fry seem to be drawn to the darkness and safety it provides. After a few hours, cover the opening with your hand, carefully remove the bottle from the tank, and slowly introduce it into a separate fry tank. You might need to repeat this process a few times to catch most of them.