# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Cyprinids >  Ways of catching clown loaches from a heavily planted tank

## hobbit6003

Hi guys,

Would anyone of you volunteer any ideas of how to catch 3 clown loaches out from my 4 ft arowana planted tank?

These clowns have been destroying 2 of my ech Orientals, biting away new leaves and now both plants are nearly botak, despite attempting to throw out one new leave in 1-2 days.

The problem is that the tank is quite heavily carpeted and there's a more than a ft long asian arowana swimming in there, and hence I cannot swing my net wildly to chase the clown loaches.

I thought of setting up a trap, like using those mineral water bottles and inverting the top 1/3 of the bottle after separating into 2 pcs, and putting some food in there. 

What do you guys think? Any better suggestions?

Cheers,

Kenny

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## Simon

perharps u can use a breeding net, put some food into it, lower the net just above the water line and wait for them to get into it

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## hwchoy

maybe chase them to the top of the water column so the arowana can eat them?

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## notebook

from personal experience, if i wanted to catch certain fish from a tank (SAE eg)

i will turn off the lights, make sure that its pitch black then using a torchlight, turn it on for a brief sec, then turn it off, then shift your net towards it, then turn it on again to check then off it and go for the catch. it works for me. [ :Grin: ]

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## pipsqueak

> ----------------
> On 1/13/2003 12:20:43 AM 
> 
> from personal experience, if i wanted to catch certain fish from a tank (SAE eg)
> 
> i will turn off the lights, make sure that its pitch black then using a torchlight, turn it on for a brief sec, then turn it off, then shift your net towards it, then turn it on again to check then off it and go for the catch. it works for me. [] 
> ----------------


What the? The clowns, or fishes in general are attracted to the light? How does it work?

Anyway, i remember reading somewhere that when doing maintainece on a tank,(in this case catching clown loaches) housing agressive fish, you can try using a plastic sheet, to seperate the arrowanna in to a corner, thus leaving the rest of the area free for you to slowly catch the clown loach. Although this dosen't say how you can catch the elusive clowns, its just a suggestion, since you can't be swinging your net wildy with the arrowanna in it.
How big are your clowns anyway? And what are you gonna do with them? Do they need a Foster Parent?[ :Grin: ]

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## hobbit6003

Hi guys,

These clowns are really damn cunning, I tried using nets to catch them, but the moment they see a shadow above them, they run into the thick tenellus cover!

With the arowana hovering above, I doubt the clown loaches dare to venture anywhere in open waters, let alone near the surface.

As for the arowana, it doesn't eat them. In fact, he doesn;t eat the 20 odd corys and the mollies in there! The mollies have since multiplied and corys are also breeding internittently and now I'm relying on the distichodus sexfasciatus to eat the molly frys and keep them population down. The only fishes I saw my arowana eats is the 10 small SAEs that I recently bought, and 9 have gone into his stomach, expensive feeders!!!


The clowns are about 4 inches, and yes, if I catch them, I'll give them away!

Thanks for the suggestions, come them coming!!!

Cheers,

Kenny

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## juggler

Yes, the Clown Loaches are very cunning and fast. I ever tried to catch them out but couldn't. Eventually when I tear down my tank to upgrade that I got the chance to catch the 4 of them -- after 2 years.  :Smile: 

Don't worry too much about the plants. If the Clowns are well-fed, they seem to nibble less on the Sword plants. Provide them with a place (eg. potted caves or driftwoods with holes) to hide so they spend more time there and not out to bash through your planted tank.

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## vinz

Something that works for me with most sneaky fishes including SAEs.

2 nets. One larger.

Hide the larger one, at one of the side walls behind heavy plant growth. Slide it in between the wall and the plants until bottom touches the gravel, and form a V like below.


```
+---------------- back wall
+
+
++ net
+  +
+
+---------------- front wall
```

Keep a hand on the larger net or get some one to help. Use the smaller net to gently herd the fish to the front wall, such that they will swim along the wall towards the side with the net. As long as your herding net stays between them and the middle of the tank, they will usually turn the corner and continue to swim along the side wall. On seeing the net, most will hesitate, but a quick feint with the herding net will usually make them do a panic dart right into the trap net. Quickly close against the wall or a quick upward scoop will finish the chase.

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## lorba

i used a piece of driftwood which has a narrow channel/hole. loaches, esp Clown loaches, love to squeeze into small holes. Once they are inside and get warm, simple take the wood out. Use a net to cover the entrance just in case.

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## vinz

* applause *

Lorba, I think that's the best answer to Kenny's problem.  :Smile: 

To extend the idea, if there isn't any other cave-like location for them to hide in, any opaque bottle or small mouth pot might work too. Clown loaches are fairly sociable, and I won't be surprised to find all 4 squeeze themselves into it at some point. I'm concerned that if you don;t get all 4 in one go, they may catch on by the second or third attempt and avoid the trap.

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## hobbit6003

Hi juggler,

Haha, I guess they're not too well fed, aren't they? They don't just nibble, but eats up 80% of the leaves and possibly just leaving the stalks behind!

However, with more snails due to the introduction of new plants 1 mth ago, I hope to get them to remember that snails should be their staple! :Smile:  

Hi Vinz,

Thanks for the tip, and it sure sounds good! I'll try but it is not easy, as I need to get the clowns to the right place at the right time, and that the aro is not interfering, as he can be quite a busy body at times. But the RTG had been a great help once, herding a group of tiger barbs to a corner for me to scoop them up. :Smile:  

Cheers,

Kenny

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## lorba

hobbit, if u r using the wood-hole method, i doubt you can do so quickly. Leave it in the water for about 2-3 days. Once you noticed the loaches going/staying in the hole for long period (very at home), then you proceed taking it out slowly. My two loaches usually stay in the hole for hours.

As Vinz mentioned, it will be quite difficult to get them in again once they recognise the risk.

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## juggler

Kenny: Yes. I had them destroying my E.Ozelot and Lotus plant when they are first planted. They seem to like the younger plants. They ignored my bigger E.bleheri, just leaving bite marks on the leaves.

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## pipsqueak

Doh, now my 4 clowns are eating my unidentified plant, they're nibbling on the leaves. I just saw one nibbling at the same one and there weren't any snails on it. And i also noticed.....my plants bubbling! yay! It's not constant, but still, yay!
ANyway, in topic, i also agree that vinz's idea is good, thats the method i use to catch the clown loaches at LFS. And the Cave thing was ingenius, exploting their normal behaviours, hehe.

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## notebook

What the? The clowns, or fishes in general are attracted to the light? How does it work?

Anyway, i remember reading somewhere that when doing maintainece on a tank,(in this case catching clown loaches) housing agressive fish, you can try using a plastic sheet, to seperate the arrowanna in to a corner, thus leaving the rest of the area free for you to slowly catch the clown loach. Although this dosen't say how you can catch the elusive clowns, its just a suggestion, since you can't be swinging your net wildy with the arrowanna in it.
How big are your clowns anyway? And what are you gonna do with them? Do they need a Foster Parent?[ :Grin: ] 
----------------
[/quote]
well the fishes are afraid of movement, and for my case, i turn off the lights (as in pitch black) then after 5 mins, i turn on my torch and locate the fish and then immediately turn the light off and move my net towards it. (this way they can't see the movement of the net and will stay where they are) then you move in for the catch.

 :Smile:  hope you understand[ :Grin: ]

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## pipsqueak

well the fishes are afraid of movement, and for my case, i turn off the lights (as in pitch black) then after 5 mins, i turn on my torch and locate the fish and then immediately turn the light off and move my net towards it. (this way they can't see the movement of the net and will stay where they are) then you move in for the catch.

 :Smile:  hope you understand[ :Grin: ] 
----------------
[/quote]

Ahhhh, okok, haha, what a sneaky way to catch a fish!

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## hobbit6003

Hi guys,

Just to update you guys, I've caught one of the 2 clown loaches! :Smile:  

Well, what I did was to use a small mineral water bottle, placed a food tablet inside it, and placed the bottle in the corner where they usually come for food.

I managed to get both of them to enter into the bottle and fed on the food tab. After I thought they were already engross in their meals, I proceeded to lift up the bottle. Unfortunately, the bigger one was alert enough to swim out before I could bring the bottle out.

I've repeated the method hours later, but it seemed that this clown remembers. 

I think either I try the same trick again days later, or I'll try the wood hole method. Maybe I'll just get a PVC pipe to get it to stay there, and scoop the whole thing up when he's settled.

Well, I hope to have earnt my plants some reprieve, till I get the last one!!!

Kenny

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## kalindab

I use 2 nets to catch mine and have no trouble. The big net i put width ways across the tank and use smaller net to "usher clowns towards larger net. Probably works so well because large net is large like whole tank large. The other methods sound cool similar to how clowns are caught in the wild isnt it?

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