# Tips for catching my baby convicts?



## Redsnake (Jul 28, 2004)

OK... so the fry have grown up a bit and are in the 55gal w/the parents and I'm having a REALLY hard time catching them. I'm quite the novice and could use some tips/help.

I've only been able to catch about 2-3 out of around 20+ that are still alive and well. I'd like to be able to give them away or sell... but at this rate in the next few months they'll be nearly as large as the parents... lol.

My male is about 3.5" and female about 2"+... the 'fry' are around 1" +/- and are literally eating up all my food. :fish:

I've got two 'plastic' rock formations and a huge piece of drift wood... but those guys are hard to catch w/my large dip-net. What do you guys/gals use to catch the fry when you're ready to move them?

Thanks for the tips.


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## MacFish (Jan 4, 2006)

Build yourself a fish trap. Take a 2L pop bottle and cut the top off. Turn it around and stick it inside the pop bottle so it makes a cone going into the bottle.

Secure it in place by using zip ties and weigh it down with a rock. Put some food inside the bottle. I usually use a sinking algae wafer.

Drop it in the tank. The babies should fit through the hole and have a hard time finding their way back out again.

Works like a charm!

EDIT: Just found this document which explains it a little better.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fish_trap.php

or this link has a video

http://www.tricklife.com/view.php?id=1148


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## Vincent (May 7, 2004)

If you take out all the decor, it shouldn't be too difficult to catch them. You can also stay up late and catch them after the tank has been completely dark for a few hours.


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## macclellan (Nov 30, 2006)

I always use 2 nets.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Sometimes if you just put a small piece of pipe out in the open they'll swim to it for cover then you can put a net over either end  Other than that I've had great luck with fish traps


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Depending on size.......turkey baster in the fry cloud can grab a lot of em


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

When I have fry from my Salvini I leave them with the parents as long as possible so that they become catchable size. If you catch them too soon as they become free swimming they can fit through the net. Also the parents get parenting practice, the fry grow bigger faster with the parents, and also its neat watching the parental care. I would say wait a few weeks after they have become free swimming and then take out all the decor and net them out! It's actually not as hard or long as it may seem. When I do this it takes me maybe 15 min to 30 min.


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