Young Bristlenose Plecos

[A Payne]

We had no idea last February that our two Bristlenose were male and female. We've had around 20 babies survive, ranging in age from 5-6 months to 8 weeks old now, housed in our 75G community tank. Our LFS said they'd take some of the older ones in exchange for store credit. I tried to net them but they are soooo fast!! What is the best way to catch them? 

Edited January 2, 2021 by A Payne

[Struggle]

Lots of patience or tear the tank apart😀. You can try putting zucchini or some other type of food in that they like and leave a net positioned to where you just scoop them and the food up at the same time. I wish you luck!

[lefty o]

a very slow steady hand with the net. you have to sort of guide them to the glass with the net. also much easier to catch the smaller ones under 2", after that they seem to really get wary of the net.

[A Payne]

Thanks! I did buy a telescoping net so we don't have to drain the tank down too much. It's not 'heavily' planted on the bottom but there is a lot of water sprite growing on the top for all the other fry to hide in.

8 minutes ago, lefty o said:

a very slow steady hand with the net. you have to sort of guide them to the glass with the net. also much easier to catch the smaller ones under 2", after that they seem to really get wary of the net.

 

[A Payne]

28 minutes ago, Struggle said:

Lots of patience or tear the tank apart😀. You can try putting zucchini or some other type of food in that they like and leave a net positioned to where you just scoop them and the food up at the same time. I wish you luck!

Thank you! I didn't know they would eat zucchini but I will sure try that. 

[gardenman]

Mine love freeze-dried tubifex worms pressed against the front glass. Every afternoon around four o'clock I'll plop three or four cubes there and they swarm to them. They swim right around my hand as I'm pressing the cubes in place. Suffice to say they get so distracted by the worms that you can very easily catch them. You can also make a simple fish trap by putting something like an empty water bottle with some green beans or other food they love in the tank. They'll find their way into the bottle and the you can simply remove the bottle and fish together. You can condition them to eating in the bottle without removing them first, then remove them as you need to.

[A Payne]

1 hour ago, gardenman said:

Mine love freeze-dried tubifex worms pressed against the front glass. Every afternoon around four o'clock I'll plop three or four cubes there and they swarm to them. They swim right around my hand as I'm pressing the cubes in place. Suffice to say they get so distracted by the worms that you can very easily catch them. You can also make a simple fish trap by putting something like an empty water bottle with some green beans or other food they love in the tank. They'll find their way into the bottle and the you can simply remove the bottle and fish together. You can condition them to eating in the bottle without removing them first, then remove them as you need to.

My husband tried something similar, just to let some of the younger live bearers eat so we'll target the plecos next time. TY!!!