Bursting at the seams with Hillstream loaches!

[Lifeisgood]

My three Hillstream loaches have been busy and don’t seem to be slowing down in producing fry.

They are in a 125 with 15 Dwarf Neon Rainbow fish, six Rosy barbs, three Panda Garras, three Amano Shrimp and one Denison Barb who seems to be playing nursemaid to the Hillstream fry.  He (or she) swims back and forth over the fry when they come out in the open spaces to feed and chases other fish away??

Does anyone have ideas as to how to catch the young adults out of the tank without emptying the water and destroying the plants and hard scape?  I am trying to come up with some way to trap them and hoped someone might know of a contraption that might work for that.

They are great to have and fun to watch but the population keeps growing!!

[Griznatch]

Very cool, you must be keeping those guys happy and healthy!

 

[Lifeisgood]

I love them—but worry because more little ones keep appearing!!😅. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Do you have a floating breeder? What about sinking it and putting food inside, when enough are in there put the lid on it and pull them up? I mean time consuming but less invasive, a chance you have that on hand. 

[Lifeisgood]

On 11/6/2021 at 12:23 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Do you have a floating breeder? What about sinking it and putting food inside, when enough are in there put the lid on it and pull them up? I mean time consuming but less invasive, a chance you have that on hand. 

That is a great idea if I can figure out how to put a lid on it without scaring them away.  They are quick swimmers and dart for cover.  I am trying to figure out how to make a clear trap door that I can close with fishing line or something.

I have wondered if a smaller version of a fish trap would work.  But having never seen a small one ready made—I am faced with trying to come up with making one.  Daunting task.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Agreed. I can't imagine catching them. My Otos are hard too. Recently having aquired a Hillstream I can see where they are going to be a PIA to catch. 

[dorsalfin]

A blessing and a curse only when trying to catch the slippery ones!

Very cool though great job breeding these. 🙂

[Patrick_G]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:06 PM, Lifeisgood said:

have wondered if a smaller version of a fish trap would work.  But having never seen a small one ready made—I am faced with trying to come up with making one.  Daunting task.

I have several sizes of fish traps made from plastic drink bottles. I cut the top off then turn it around and put it in the body of the bottle. Friction keeps it in place. 
 

[gardenman]

On 11/6/2021 at 2:29 AM, Patrick_G said:

I have several sizes of fish traps made from plastic drink bottles. I cut the top off then turn it around and put it in the body of the bottle. Friction keeps it in place. 
 

That is exactly what I was going to say. Bottles with the top cut off and inverted make great fish traps. 

[Lifeisgood]

On 11/6/2021 at 2:29 AM, Patrick_G said:

I have several sizes of fish traps made from plastic drink bottles. I cut the top off then turn it around and put it in the body of the bottle. Friction keeps it in place. 
 

I will give this idea a try and show you the process of trying it out.  Thanks!😊

[Odd Duck]

Here’s a trap made from a Sunkist soda bottle.  You MUST check it frequently and don’t leave the fry in it long.  I fell asleep with one in my tank and found 4 dead fish inside in the morning - an adult dory, a cory fry (which was the only thing I thought would fit), an ember tetra, and my most beloved blue-eyed yellow bristlenose pleco that was just reaching breeding age.  I never dreamed the adult cory or the pleco would even fit into the trap!

It does work very well for multiple species.  When I was using it for ember tetras I laid it on top of my sword plants to hold it up higher.  For pea puffers or cories I laid it on the bottom.

The plastic wrap keeps them from finding their way back out.  Some very tiny cory fry (only 2weeks old) were far too clever until I added that.  I would find tiny little cory poops and no cories.

Edited November 9, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Lifeisgood]

On 11/9/2021 at 12:22 PM, Odd Duck said:

Here’s a trap made from a Sunkist soda bottle.  You MUST check it frequently and don’t leave the fry in it long.  I fell asleep with one in my tank and found 4 dead fish inside in the morning - an adult dory, a cory fry (which was the only thing I thought would fit), an ember tetra, and my most beloved blue-eyed yellow bristlenose pleco that was just reaching breeding age.  I never dreamed the adult cory or the pleco would even fit into the trap!

It does work very well for multiple species.  When I was using it for ember tetras I laid it on top of my sword plants to hold it up higher.  For pea puffers or cories I laid it on the bottom.

The plastic wrap keeps them from finding their way back out.  Some very tiny cory fry (only 2weeks old) were far too clever until I added that.  I would find tiny little cory poops and no cories.

It looks like you drilled holes in it for water circulation  (or else it is a reflection?).  Why do you suppose they died?

I was thinking about leaving it overnight but maybe that is not a good idea.  Thanks for the caution.

[Odd Duck]

On 11/9/2021 at 9:06 PM, Lifeisgood said:

It looks like you drilled holes in it for water circulation  (or else it is a reflection?).  Why do you suppose they died?

I was thinking about leaving it overnight but maybe that is not a good idea.  Thanks for the caution.

There’s no holes, I think that may be some residual adhesive pattern from the label.

I suspect the adult cory (or maybe both cories) may have panicked and released a stress induced toxin that was confined enough inside the trap that it killed everybody that was in it.  I never leave the trap more than an hour without checking it now.  If there are fish in it, I put them in something where they can stay (a breeder box or bucket if I’ll be bagging them) or transfer directly to their destination tank like I did with pea puffers today.

[Colu]

If the bottle trap doesn't work you can get premade hobby genius fish trap it has a line attached to a door that drops when the fish is inside

[timQ]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:06 PM, Lifeisgood said:

That is a great idea if I can figure out how to put a lid on it without scaring them away.  They are quick swimmers and dart for cover.  I am trying to figure out how to make a clear trap door that I can close with fishing line or something.

I have wondered if a smaller version of a fish trap would work.  But having never seen a small one ready made—I am faced with trying to come up with making one.  Daunting task.

maybe a minnow type trap. Conicle circle with a inverted entrance? Like a sodbottle lid inverted. Toss some food in there and see if that works.