Any equipment/method to catch SAE?

[ladygaga]

I have too much SAE (15 PCS) in the 4ft tank----too boring. And they regarded the taiwan and java moss as hair algae and almost finished them all...

I want to please them out of my tank and after half day hard working, I got only 4 of them. It's really really backache. I even want to submerge myself to catch them if I can.

Any brothers here have any special equipment or smart way to release them form the tank? Thanks.

[limz_777]

can use a diy bottle trap , take some time to lure them in thou

[BFG]

A net is an ideal equipment to use. Method to employ is to lower the water level and scoop them out. Why so many sae in the 1st place?

[ladygaga]

can use a diy bottle trap , take some time to lure them in thou

Thanks...I will hunt them at this long weekend.

A net is an ideal equipment to use. Method to employ is to lower the water level and scoop them out. Why so many sae in the 1st place?

It's a story of human's nature: Greed.
1st I bought 5. Later I saw the promotion buy 5 get 5 free....That's it.

I found SAE behavior change when they are grouped in 10 and above. They will school and be less territorial aggression. Just like army ants, they will swallow up everything available on the way to endless.

[Shadow]

catch it at night when they are sleep maybe 2am. They become sluggish and easy to catch. They will alert after a while though so do it quickly or to be continue the next day

[vinz]

Throw in a mini dynamite and pick the fish after they are stunned.

I use two nets, usually one big and one small. Never chase them... you will almost never win. Use both nets to herd one of them to the front of the tank. They dash less when they have to watch two "predators".

Once it is in near the glass, but before it gets desperate enough to make a dash, place one edge of the bigger net against the front glass and it's bottom along the gravel. Angel it about 45 degrees towards the fish. With other net, slowly herd the target towards the larger net. It will soon try to make a dash away from your herding net and most times will dash along the front glass wall into the big net. Be ready to just snap the big net against the glass and trap it. If you lower the water so that it is lower then the bigger net is tall, even better.

The lower the water, the better, as suggested BFG. Don't forget to save the water to put back. A large water change will screw up the tank balance and cause you other problems.

[limz_777]

i notice when lights out , their dark lateral line will be a fainted colour , guess is thats when they are sluggish , buy 5 = 5 free or 1 free ?

[ladygaga]

Hi, all you "bad" guys, thanks each of your awesome ideas!
Now I caught 8 more of them and have 5 lucky ones left in the tank.

Done by your ways:

can use a diy bottle trap , take some time to lure them in thou

It works! I used my spare prefilter do one, like this:





Totally I hunted 6 of them. Thanks triple 7!

catch it at night when they are sleep maybe 2am. They become sluggish and easy to catch. They will alert after a while though so do it quickly or to be continue the next day

Oh,, 2am....Good idea, I will do that before i have way without awakening my first lady.

Throw in a mini dynamite and pick the fish after they are stunned.

I use two nets, usually one big and one small. Never chase them... you will almost never win. Use both nets to herd one of them to the front of the tank. They dash less when they have to watch two "predators".

Once it is in near the glass, but before it gets desperate enough to make a dash, place one edge of the bigger net against the front glass and it's bottom along the gravel. Angel it about 45 degrees towards the fish. With other net, slowly herd the target towards the larger net. It will soon try to make a dash away from your herding net and most times will dash along the front glass wall into the big net. Be ready to just snap the big net against the glass and trap it. If you lower the water so that it is lower then the bigger net is tall, even better.

The lower the water, the better, as suggested BFG. Don't forget to save the water to put back. A large water change will screw up the tank balance and cause you other problems.

Really a challenge...finally I caught 2 by a big and small net.

i notice when lights out , their dark lateral line will be a fainted colour , guess is thats when they are sluggish , buy 5 = 5 free or 1 free ?

Actually first 5 I bought at $1/Pcs. Later I found one another LFS sold at 50 cents/Pcs and I bought 10pcs afterward.

Thanks

[sungod666]

Have SAE too. keep them together with shrimp but i have 5 only. realise they grow real big quite fast. so what are you going to do with your SAE, i hope you dont flush them down the toilet ok

[ladygaga]

Have SAE too. keep them together with shrimp but i have 5 only. realise they grow real big quite fast. so what are you going to do with your SAE, i hope you dont flush them down the toilet ok

No no, they are my precious enemy... I promoted them to my company tank

[apisto31]

The number of SAE i can tolerate in my tank is... ONE !
I always catch 'unwanted' fish in my 422 heavily planted at Night. No stress at all.

[ladygaga]

The number of SAE i can tolerate in my tank is... ONE !
I always catch 'unwanted' fish in my 422 heavily planted at Night. No stress at all.

Thanks for your sharing..

After I move 11 of them out of the tank, I can diffinately see the changes of their behavior. The remaining 4 are belong to good citizens in the community, there are now self-discipline and in good manners.

They are no more the No.1 in the tank....pitty fellows.