Masha du Toit

I have a new obsession — I’ve upgraded to a larger aquarium.  Today was the day I had to move my three cory catfish from the quarantine tank to the larger tank, to join the two corys I’ve already got in there.  Apparently corys like being in a group, and the two I had were not too happy all by themselves.

Corys are difficult to net without hurting their spiny little fins so I made a fish-trap.  A water-bottle cut in half with one side jammed in wrong way round, and a pellet of food for bait:

For a while it looked as though I was going to get lucky and trap a snail…

I thought it would take time, and was preparing myself to be patient but once I buried the open side a bit in the gravel, it was a matter of seconds before – one! Two! Three! In they went.

Couldn’t really get a good picture because these little things wriggle and swim around so fast!

Once they were in the big tank, the two resident corys who are usually so shy I might not see them for days, came out immediately to inspect the newcomers.  At the moment, all of them are rooting around the bottom of the tank in a happy little group.  So far, so good!

Next time, I’ll use a bottle that’s not pinched in the middle (less chance of escape once they are in) and use less bait, too.  A whole pellet was far too much.