How to catch pleco in a planted tank?

[ccs]

Have a dwarf bristlenose pleco in my tank. suspect that it is feasting on the leave of my echinodorus. Any idea on how to catch it? Can use the method commonly used to catch SAE? Thanks

[doppelbanddwarf]

I think the fish trap commonly used would be good. Try putting algae wafers or cucumbers inside.

[valice]

Cs, depends on how greedy and smart your pleco is.
For mine, it doesn't work.

They are too smart. They know it is a trap. So they never enter it.
I had to remove all the hardscape to get them out.

Did yours enter the trap?

[ccs]

Valice,
Haven't tried the trap yet. But will give it a try first before removing all the hardscape to catch it.

[iwishweallcouldwin]

i just waited for my royal to stick himself unto a piece of driftwood before lifting the driftwood up slowly. your pleco will probably stay put on the driftwood. once the driftwood is high enough, use a net to wait below the driftwood, and then continue lifting the driftwood out of the water, with the net waiting close behind. once the wood is out of the water, your pleco will probably swim straight downwards and into the net!

[benny]

Clint,

That's a very good tip for those keeping certain species such as Panaque spp. and bristle nose. For other species such as the L24, L128, L14 etc, this trick will not work though. Also, it works only for smaller fishes. Anything larger than 10 cm will prove challenging as the fish does not have enough strength to 'suck' on the wood when you lift it up.

Cheers,

[elmike]

Valice,
Haven't tried the trap yet. But will give it a try first before removing all the hardscape to catch it.

Forget the trap and net method. All my other fishes - cardinals, rummynose, SAEs, flying fox, corydoras, and yes, Gold Nuggets, etc- had gone into the bottle trap to feast, except that 1-$-1 sucker catfish that I've been trying to catch for the past 2 weeks. I don't know, though, if it ever went in after I've switched off all the lights and gone to bed. I won't be surprised because this is one fish with high IQ.

If your pleco is of the same species as mine, then I think it would take much more to catch it.
Good luck.