# Anyone know a good cichlid fry trap?



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I filled a 55 up with river rock, PVC pipe and hornwort. Now it is filling up with Mbuna fry. I'm not looking forward to breaking in down to get out the babies. Anyone got a better way? I'm thinking of putting food in a water bottle and see if any are really stupid.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

I think I would make a coke-bottle fish trap.
You can use anything from a tiny 12oz spring water bottle to a 2 liter soda bottle for this:
Basically - take a plastic bottle, and carefully (!) cut the top off. I usually make the cut about half an inch below where the sloped "funnel" shape joins the bottle column.
Then take the "top", flip it upside down, and put it back into the bottom - so that fish can get in easily, but not out.
I then drill a few small holes in the bottom (to allow water flow in/out) -- this can be done with a small drill bit and power-drill, or a sharp nail, awl, etc.
I also put a few small holes in the sides of the bottle, so that when I lay it flat on the bottom any excess air bubbles escape.
Here's a quick pic of what I'm describing:








Normally I put in some fish food to attract the fish I'm after - but in this case, you might want to place the trap in a cave in the area the fry are hiding - I suspect that they'll sneak right in, and without fish food in the trap, the adult fish won't enter it.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Thanks, I'll try it.


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