How to Catch Fish in a Planted Aquarium Without Destroying It

The Problem with Catching Fish in Planted Tanks
Preparation Before You Start
Technique 1: The Bottle Fish Trap
Technique 2: The Two-Net Method
Technique 3: Luring with Food
Technique 4: Catching at Feeding Time
Technique 5: Draining the Water Down
Technique 6: Netting with Care
When to Call a Professional
Frequently Asked Questions

Every aquarist eventually faces the same dreaded task: catching a specific fish from a fully aquascaped tank. Perhaps you need to rehome an aggressive individual, treat a sick fish in a hospital tank or simply rearrange your stock. In a bare tank, this is a minor inconvenience. In a densely planted aquascape with driftwood, rocks and delicate stem plants, it can feel like an impossible mission.

The standard advice — “just use a net” — ignores the reality that chasing a panicked fish through a planted tank can uproot plants, dislodge hardscape, stress every other inhabitant and leave you frustrated and empty-handed. After twenty years of maintaining planted aquariums at our shop in 5 Everton Park, we have refined several techniques that get the job done with minimal collateral damage.

The Problem with Catching Fish in Planted Tanks

Planted aquariums present unique challenges when catching fish. Dense foliage provides infinite hiding spots. Rooted stem plants uproot easily when disturbed. Epiphytes attached to driftwood can be knocked loose. Hardscape arrangements that took hours to position can shift. And the fish you are targeting quickly learns to hide in the one spot your net cannot reach.

The key principle across all techniques below is the same: work with the fish’s behaviour, not against it. Chasing rarely works. Patience and strategy do.

Preparation Before You Start

Before attempting any capture method, take a few minutes to prepare:

Identify the target fish clearly. In a school of similar-looking tetras, make sure you know exactly which individual you need.
Prepare the destination — fill a bucket or hospital tank with water from the main aquarium so the fish can be transferred immediately.
Dim the lights — reducing aquarium lighting calms fish and slows their reaction time. If you can work under ambient room light only, even better.
Remove any equipment that might get in the way — heaters (not usually an issue in Singapore), surface skimmers or decorations near the edges that could trap your net.
Have your tools ready — nets, containers, food. You do not want to pause mid-attempt to find a cup.

Technique 1: The Bottle Fish Trap

This is the gentlest and most reliable method for small to medium fish. It requires no chasing and causes zero disturbance to the aquascape.

How to make it

Take a clean plastic bottle (500ml or 1.5L depending on fish size). Remove the label.
Cut off the top third of the bottle (the neck and funnel portion).
Invert the top piece and insert it into the bottom piece, creating a funnel entrance. Secure with cable ties or aquarium-safe tape.
Poke small holes in the body for water flow.
Place food (a piece of blanched courgette, a sinking pellet or whatever the target fish loves) inside the trap.
Submerge the trap in the aquarium, positioning it near the fish’s usual territory.
Wait. Most fish will swim in within an hour or two but cannot easily find the exit.

This method works best for greedy fish — corydoras, loaches, small catfish and most community fish that are food-motivated. It is less effective for shy species that avoid unfamiliar objects.

Tips for success

Leave the trap overnight if needed. Check it in the morning.
If non-target fish keep entering the trap, try using food that only the target species prefers.
For very small fish, use a smaller bottle or a purpose-built acrylic fish trap (available at most aquarium shops).

Technique 2: The Two-Net Method

When netting is necessary, using two nets is dramatically more effective than one.

How it works

Hold one large net stationary in the water, positioned where you want to catch the fish (near a corner or against the glass).
Use a second, smaller net to gently guide the fish toward the stationary net.
The fish, focused on evading the moving net, swims into the stationary one.

The two-net method works because fish instinctively flee from movement. They focus on the visible threat (the moving net) and swim into the less obvious stationary net. One person can do this alone, but having a helper hold the stationary net makes it easier.

Choosing the right nets

Use fine, soft mesh — coarse mesh can snag on fins and scales.
Choose a net size appropriate for the fish. A net too large for the tank is unwieldy; too small and the fish simply swims around it.
Black or dark green nets are less visible to fish than white ones.

Technique 3: Luring with Food

The simplest approach, and one that often works without any netting at all.

Do not feed the tank for 24 hours.
Hold a net or small container just below the water surface in one corner of the tank.
Drop food directly above the net or container.
When the target fish comes to eat, scoop upward smoothly and swiftly.

This works best when you are targeting a bold feeder in a community tank. It is less effective for shy bottom-dwellers or nocturnal species. The key is a single, confident scoop — hesitation gives the fish time to react.

Technique 4: Catching at Feeding Time

A variation of the food lure, but without the fasting period. Simply observe your regular feeding routine and note where the target fish positions itself during meals. Over several days, you will learn its feeding spot. On the day of capture, position your net below that spot before adding food. The fish’s routine brings it to you.

This technique requires patience and observation but is extremely low-stress for the fish and the tank. It is particularly effective for territorial fish that always feed in the same location.

Technique 5: Draining the Water Down

When gentler methods fail, reducing the water level is a reliable fallback.

Remove 50 to 70 per cent of the water into clean buckets (save the water for refilling).
With less water, the fish has far less room to manoeuvre. Hiding spots behind hardscape and among plants become less effective.
Use a net or container to catch the fish in the shallower water.
Refill the tank immediately with the saved water.

This method is more disruptive than traps or food luring, but it works when nothing else does. The key is to save the original tank water so you are not introducing a large volume of fresh water (and the associated parameter shift) when you refill. In Singapore’s warm climate, work efficiently — exposed substrate and plants can overheat quickly under strong aquarium lights.

Technique 6: Netting with Care

Sometimes a single net is your only option. Minimise damage with these practices:

Move slowly — sudden movements panic all fish, not just the target. Slow, deliberate movements cause less disturbance.
Work from one end — guide the fish toward a corner or the front glass, where it has fewer escape routes.
Lift plants gently — if a fish hides under a plant, use your free hand to gently lift the foliage rather than dragging the net through it.
Avoid scraping hardscape — nets snagged on driftwood or rocks are frustrating and can tear the mesh. Navigate around, not over, hardscape elements.
Accept that it might take multiple attempts — if the fish is too stressed and you are starting to damage the aquascape, stop, let everything settle for 30 minutes and try again.

When to Call a Professional

For large, complex aquascapes — particularly those with significant hardscape arrangements, rare plants or high-value fish — sometimes the wisest option is to call in professional help. Our aquarium maintenance service includes fish relocation for clients with intricate setups. We have the tools, experience and patience to catch specific fish without dismantling your carefully designed aquascape.

Consider professional help when:

The tank is larger than 200 litres with dense planting.
The target fish is fast, intelligent and has learned to evade your attempts (common with cichlids and larger fish).
The aquascape is competition-grade or contains rare, expensive plants.
You have already tried multiple methods and risk damaging the tank on further attempts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will chasing fish with a net harm them?

Extended chasing causes significant stress. Prolonged stress suppresses the immune system, making fish vulnerable to disease in the days following capture. Short, targeted capture attempts are far less harmful than prolonged chasing. If you cannot catch the fish within five minutes of active netting, stop and switch to a passive method like a trap.

Can I use my hands to catch fish?

It is possible with practice, but not recommended for most situations. Human hands are warm and covered in oils that can damage a fish’s protective slime coat. If you must handle a fish directly, wet your hands thoroughly with tank water first and keep the contact time as short as possible. Nets and containers are preferable.

How do I catch shrimp in a planted tank?

Shrimp are especially difficult because they are small, fast and hide in plant thickets. A glass or acrylic shrimp trap baited with food is the most effective method. Alternatively, remove decorations and plants one by one into a bucket of tank water — the shrimp will often cling to the plants and come out with them. For large-scale shrimp removal, draining the water down is usually the most efficient approach.

My fish keeps hiding behind hardscape I cannot move. What do I do?

If the hardscape is glued or too heavy to move, try the bottle trap positioned at the entrance to the hiding spot, baited with the fish’s favourite food. Alternatively, wait until the fish emerges naturally (usually at feeding time or when lights are dimmed) and have your net ready. Patience is almost always more effective than force.

Need Help Catching a Tricky Fish?

If you have a fish that needs relocating from a complex planted tank and the DIY methods are not working, we can help. Visit our shop at 5 Everton Park or contact us about our maintenance and fish relocation services. With over twenty years of experience managing planted aquascapes, we know how to get the job done without undoing your hard work.

Get in touch — we have caught trickier fish in tighter spaces than you might imagine.

Your Cart