# How the %$#! do I catch my zebra danios?



## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Use a very large net. Or try feeding so they swim to the top and then use a big net to scoop them up.


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## Superedwin (Jan 19, 2009)

Ebichua said:


> Use a very large net. Or try feeding so they swim to the top and then use a big net to scoop them up.


 Ebichua way is a good one!

You can also scoop them up when the lights are off and when they are sleeping. Another way is lure the fish with small net to a big net then catch him/her. Or you can drain the water like half or a quarter way and see if you can catch them like that.

Well i hoped that helped:fish:


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## thingamarob (Jan 16, 2009)

Thanks, guys! I am constructing a multi-net Rube Goldberg device that can't go wrong.


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## DiscusIt'sWhats4DinneR (Apr 25, 2008)

dont waste the time. just catch them at night while they are still and all you have to do is scoop them out.


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## thingamarob (Jan 16, 2009)

Can I switch on the light for a second before I scoop them up or will that startle them into action?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

use 2 nets. One net to herd them into the other.


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## sp33drhno (Jan 8, 2009)

it helps if you have a small net and large net when using the 2 net method. use the small net to herd them, and the large to catch.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Another thing is how fast these are. It took me 2 hours just to catch four in a 1/3 filled 10 gallon aquarium one time. There was a bunch of hardscape and they were IMPOSSIBLE to catch.


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## markopolo (Jun 2, 2008)

i used my clear plastic vacuum tube in combination with my net to catch my SAE. they cant see the clear plastic so they go right in when you chase them with the net and then u slam your hand on top of the tube and they are caught in the tube!


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

Two nets worked for me


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

I catch these guys at work all the time, and surprising them works best for me. Just wait until they're at the top of the water and BAM! A quick net swipe usually gets them for me, just be aware that you'll probably splash water everywhere doing it this way.


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## mgamer20o0 (Mar 8, 2007)

lower the water.


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## jackpot21n (Jan 5, 2009)

Scare them into jumping right out of the tank and then pick them up off the floor! LOL!!:icon_bigg No, just kidding dont really do that!


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## Walking_Target (Jul 16, 2008)

lots of patience and a big net. I work in an LFS and that's the way to go.


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## DarioDario (Nov 8, 2008)

Walking_Target said:


> lots of patience and a big net. I work in an LFS and that's the way to go.



Quick hands and experience. How often do you get the person that says I want that specific guppy in the tank with 100 fish.


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## Walking_Target (Jul 16, 2008)

at least a dozen times, just today.

Then again, if they want that specific guppy than they can bloody well wait for me to catch it too. Even worse though is the idiots with bowls who want that one specific feeder goldfish from the tank of 300 or so. I'm so glad that the second they mention a bowl, I get to tell them to sod off. 

Worst fish to catch?

Has to be a toss up between Khulis and CAEs. Either one can be lighting fast and both are capable of hiding behind the smallest obstacle in the tank.


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## DarioDario (Nov 8, 2008)

Walking_Target said:


> at least a dozen times, just today.
> 
> Then again, if they want that specific guppy than they can bloody well wait for me to catch it too. Even worse though is the idiots with bowls who want that one specific feeder goldfish from the tank of 300 or so. I'm so glad that the second they mention a bowl, I get to tell them to sod off.
> 
> ...



Haha ya I remember working at petco and having that fat tank of feeder goldfish. Eventually got skilled enough I would just ask what goldfish they wanted. (Hey u get paid crappy might as well entertain yourself)

Ugg CAE were PIA to catch. We had a 30 gallon long 55" filled with rocks and decor that had small cichlids, pretty much half my day right there.


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## Walking_Target (Jul 16, 2008)

Yep. I don't even bother leaving the decor in. We have glass-top tanks in a tiered bank system. It looks like a staircase 3 tanks high and 4-9 long depending on the 'bank'. 

I just remove all the decor and break out the biggest net I can find. 

Gotta love the customers that wonder why you take the time to dip the net in the solution before you scoop their fish too.... I swear, one day i'm just gonna snap on someone.


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## DarioDario (Nov 8, 2008)

Haha I look for ya on the news. 

No kidding I can deal with cleaning tanks all day, getting paid a pittance, dead fish whatever but just one A-hole comes through aquatics....I'd black out and dead bodies everywhere. Needless to say I quit


How do you like working at your LFS?


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## thingamarob (Jan 16, 2009)

Just so folks know, I finally caught them by submerging a large, clear pitcher and scaring them into it.


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## amphirion (Nov 13, 2008)

i know this is kinda late. but would clove oil work?


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## jaidexl (Sep 18, 2006)

The double net-herding trick works for me, but I found a much more fun way to do it. Danios (and most fish for that matter) will chase the red dot of a laser pointer... you can guide them right into a bottle trap that way. :icon_mrgr


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## MarkH (Apr 8, 2021)

I will begin by saying that while I kept these fish as a child and adored them, I now absolutely despise them. Adding them to a tank changes the entire dynamic as they chase each other and other fish incessantly to the point that watching my tank was no longer relaxing. I wanted them out and tried the two nets and late night approaches and nothing worked. Here is how I caught them all in five minutes or less.
I baited a large net with food (in the morning when they were hungry), and placed it into the tank slightly sideways so that they can swim in and catch the food that was floating around. Trick was to keep the food in the water above the net and that was accomplished by staying far away from the filter flow. These buggers took the bait and one by one I nabbed them.


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