# I must be a lousy fisherman!



## bma57 (Sep 16, 2007)

Why is the fish you need to net the hardest to catch? My smallest yellow lab is a mess. I noticed 3 nights ago that it's tail and one pectoral fin are very raggedy. I haven't seen it being picked on, and I'm unclear as to whether this is a case of fin rot or a beating. In either case, a little time in a hospital tank with some Melafix seems appropriate I, but can't get a net anywhere near this guy! For 3 nights I've dangled the net in while I feed them, hoping to get an opportunity to catch the sick/hurt one... no chance. The others are oblivious to the net. I can scoop them up at will, but the little guy is not having any of it. I even tried the flashlight trick, but the two times I tried, the little guy was nowhere to be seen after lights out.

I'll keep trying. FWIW, he's active, has a good appetite, and doesn't seem to have gotten any worse since I noticed the problem.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

You may have to remove all the rocks and decor to catch him. 

Or, you can treat the main tank and hope for the best.

Daily water changes and Melafix will do wonders for healing, but should you see any change in his behaviour for the worse such as refusing food or cottony growths around the deterioration, you may need antibiotics.

Kim


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## bma57 (Sep 16, 2007)

Thanks Kim. Tonight was night 4. Still no real shot at a catch and now there's a new development: She's holding! which means more skittish... less likely to be enticed by food... GREAT!

Activity still seems normal. Fins don't appear any worse. No signs of cottony growth. I'll keep a close eye for changes in this fish or problems with other fish. If things take a turn for the worse, I won't hesitate to do a tear down the rocks to make the catch. I hope I don't have to though. Partly because it's a pain, and partly because I have at least one fry trying to make a go of it in the big tank. Taking out all the cover would definitely spell the end for that little guy.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

How many Yellow labs do you have? If she's holding, it sounds like she may have taken the beating because it was close to spawning time. It may be that you need to work on your male/female ratios of your Yellow labs a bit. I know they aren't supposed to matter, but sometimes they do if the ratio is really off. 

IME, I've never had a female get that beaten up before a spawn, so you could still have something else going on in the tank. It would probably be best to remove her if you want to save her, she's got double jeopardy now in terms of defending herself...Wounded AND holding...

The older fish will be so confused when you take the rocks out that they probably won't even notice the little one swimming around. I've had to do it before...

Leaving her in the tank may spell the end for her, if she's as injured as you described. :wink:

Kim


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

I swear the fish knows that you are focusing in on it. Catching fish in my largger tanks almost always unds up as a complete removal of all the rocks.


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## bma57 (Sep 16, 2007)

I'll tear it down. She's not any worse, but she looks pretty ratty. I have 4 lab. I think it's 2 and 2 but I'm not 100% sure. Thanks for the help.


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## Guest (Apr 25, 2008)

Here's what I do. I use a piece of eggcrate to divide my tank into small sections. Then I remove and hiding places in the section of tank the fish is in and then net them.

Most of the time I've found that the fish I want (holding females for example) will, after I chase it around a bit, get confused and keep on trying to fit through the eggcrate completely ignoring the net going near it. So far that's the easiest method besides netting them at night that I have ever used.


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

I find using 2 nets works the best. They focus on the net behind them and often swim close enough to the second net to corner & catch them. I have often done this without having to remove ALL the rocks.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

Malawidolphin said:


> I find using 2 nets works the best. They focus on the net behind them and often swim close enough to the second net to corner & catch them. I have often done this without having to remove ALL the rocks.


thats what i usually do. also if you have time you could leave a ceramic flower pot in there to let her get used to it and then while shes hiding in there, just slip the net over the top and pull it out.


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