I can't bear to take any to lfs, I love having the mix of parents, adolescents and babies! I have 2 breeding pairs and about 20 various sized fry/juveniles, so I am going to move them to the 3 foot tank.
Trouble is it will have to go exactly where their tank is at the moment, so I am going to have to put them in buckets for an hour or so while I do the heavy moving and setting up.
Do you think that if I splash a bit as I take the shells out, even the bravest will retreat into a shell and I can move them in the shell from tank to bucket? I am going to try and use just 2 buckets so I can keep the 2 fish families separate and hopefully put the shells back in the right area in the new tank.
Any top tips?

I'd use a little tupperware box, submerged in tank, put shells in there then lift out to bucket, that way you don't risk the fish jumping from shell or dropping shell etc.

Excellent idea

We currently have a black algae problem atm in our multi tank and as such I regularly move shells to just below the surface and clean them while fish are inside.

Ive tried twisting the shell to face down, even when at the surface but they refuse to leave.

This is after my hands going in the tank, or even a sudden movement infront of it.

Hope it helps

Top advise their cathie, 'scare' the fish into hiding and try a stress free move.

Wish it could be that easy with synos!

It sounds dreadful when you put it like that!

How do you stop them puncturing bags and getting barbels caught in stuff?

With great skill and cunning.

No honestly its a mare particularly with the big ones.
Double bagging helps but its the spines and nets combo that cause the major prob. I had to cut my large decorus out of the net bless her.

The advise I had for fish that might get caught up and damaged in a net was "dont use a net". For smaller fish there are several alternatives like tupaware, or that perspex pipe thing but for the bigguns...

The shell idea sounds good though cathie.