Advice - Moving Fish between tanks in the same Room

[Larry Aquanoob]

I'm looking to get advice on the following scenario:

 

I have a heavily planted 20 gallon that my own dim-wittery allowed to be completed infested with bladder snails.  The tank currently has 14 Neon tetras, 3 Amano's, a plethora of cherry shrimp, 3 Otto's and a couple of Ghost Shrimp.

I have a 29 gallon that's cycled (with very close parameters), new planted (relatively speaking, still have some growing to do) that I want to transition the 20 gallon livestock around to.

Do i get a rubber maid tote (medium-ish sized, filled as needed with conditioned water) and remove the plants from the 20 gallon to then remove the water to a low point to catch out the live stock?  If so, what is the best methodology for a container to transition (I realize catching out the tetras and Otto's will be not a great time)?  Do I "re-catch" of that container to place into the 29 gallon?

Appreciate any info.

[Mr. Ed's Aquatics]

I would drain 1/2 the water from the 20 gallon into a tote (I like the tuff totes) and remove the plants and put them in the tote. Then get a container you can acclimate your fish in (bowl, bucket, etc.) and fill it 1/2 way with the remaining water. 

Now that the tanks almost empty, catch the fish and place them in your container. At this point, if the parameters were basically the same I would transfer the fish to the new tank. If you're concerned about the tanks having different water, you would want to drip acclimate them before adding them.

Remember to take the light from the 20 and put it on the tote and you should have several days to fix the 20, or replant the plants elsewhere. 

[ChefConfit]

If the tanks are within a few feet of each other I wouldn't even bother with a container. I if you don't need to acclimate them to different water parameters I'd imagine being caught and pulled out of the water twice would be more stressful than spending a couple of extra seconds out of water and going straight in to their new tank

[Aquatic Journal]

Unless you see the water perimeters are different in regards to temp or ph then I would just net them out and plop them into the new tank. You typically acclimate your get used to your water and temperature so if those are already the same no need to acclimate. 
 

However, for future reference if you keep all the bags you get fish in you can net them into a bag and float the bag in the new tank just like you’re bringing fish home from the store! Good luck catching them all!