Rounding up your ferocious pet fish
By shelagh77
@shelagh77 (3643)
February 2, 2007 11:02pm CST
If you fish is a biter, don't use a net to catch them when it is time to clean their pool. Simply place a large plastic bag into the tank, allow the fish to swim into it and catch up the bag. The water in the bag will be at ambient temperature, you can secure the top of the bag with an elastic band and there will be enough air to sustain the fish whilst you work. This method is less traumatic to the fishy, although he will probably be a cross little fishy because he has been foiled in his attempt to amputate your fingers with his teeth, but hey! He can't have it all lol.
Once the tank is ready for him to go home, simply put the bag back in, release the band and let fishy float back to inspect the changes to his environment.
2 responses
@shelagh77 (3643)
•
3 Feb 07
no, lol, is a cichlid but we have been told they are distant cousins of the pirranha. However, he could give a very nasty bite so he is best handled with extreme caution. He killed every fish that was placed in the tank with him when he was in the aquarium where we first saw him. He has a cancer on his side and they could not sell him but said if we wanted to give him a good home (we did and it cost us over £300 to get the tank and equipment!) we could have him. He was supposed to last about three months but we have had him over three years and he rules the roost!
Ignore him at your peril, he will launch his log at the side of the tank making an almighty row until he is noticed!
We have this technique now for capturing him safely, safe for him and for us, when his tank needs attention.
@shelagh77 (3643)
•
3 Feb 07
Certainly a fish such as Nemo (our cichlid) would not be child compatible. We have not been blessed with children or grandchildren so we are more able to keep this type of fish, and also we have a weighted lid to the tank to keep out inquisitive noses of visiting doggies. If we had children around we would have to invest in a totally child proof lock as Nemo really could take a finger off.
He is a lovely fish and usually very amenable, but he doesn't appreciate being evacuated from his tank, however nice we want to make it for him, so he has to be handled with care.
