Another one...Fish Trap

[gnashty]

looking for a good method for catching a 7" Regal Tang in a reef tank. Ive seen the "reef gently" commercial traps and read all about the 2 liter traps but this guy too large for a 2 liter, is too smart and not especially hungry (ridden with ich) so I finally decided its time to try (again) get him out of there. It needs to happen TODAY!!

manually trying to catch him is just making him super stressed out but I have came to the realization he has to come out for QT treatment, food soaked in metro & focus is the current treatment. he is so miserable im surprised he has any flesh left at all from flashing constantly for 3-4 days.

Ive also tried a tupperware with his favorite food but he is not having it. thought of the 3am, kick the lights on and get after it but he rarely swims around the tank at night, anytime I get within 2 ft of the tank he goes into one of his several spots, no matter what time of day.

Any suggestions other than what ive already tried? or am i pulling the rock out tonight?

 

[whitmanb]

I have a Reef Gently ( actually have an extra for sale! $45) and it works great. I have a yellow tang and he would swim in and out of it constantly, making it easy to shut the trap on him when I was ready.

 

[gnashty]

With this model do you have to manually shut the trap? I am only concerned because when I get near the tank, he hides..

i may be interested - my office is off Windy Hill and may be able to meet you/come over today? where are you located? PM me

whitmanb;465266 wrote: I have a Reef Gently ( actually have an extra for sale! $45) and it works great. I have a yellow tang and he would swim in and out of it constantly, making it easy to shut the trap on him when I was ready.

 

[whitmanb]

You have to shut it manually, but you do so with a fishing line, so your not having to put your hands in the tank. The way I did it, is that I first put the trap in with fish pellets. I left it in there a day without doing anything, this way, the fish was acustomed to the new change in the tank. It was first leary of it, but once it saw nothing happened, it went in and out eating the food as he pleased. I then went down, and waited for him to go in to get more food, and pulled the string.. it closes quickly. I was able to trap my 6 line wrasses as well as tang with this method.

 

[glxtrix]

Bah, fish traps. Just turn on your lights at 3am or whenever the lights have been off for several hours..(must be completely dark though) fish should come out after a few minutes, it'll most likely be "stunned" takes a good 15 minutes for fish to adjust to a drastic light change. Should be able to scoop him up in a net or container. I've caught several fish with this method and takes only a few minutes.

 

[gnashty]

My wife already thinks ive gone way overboard with the hobby already. If she caught me at 3am with a net in hand scooping around in the tank like a sleep walking mad man I would be sleeping with those fishies...:lol2:

glxtrix;465387 wrote: Bah, fish traps. Just turn on your lights at 3am or whenever the lights have been off for several hours..(must be completely dark though) fish should come out after a few minutes, it'll most likely be "stunned" takes a good 15 minutes for fish to adjust to a drastic light change. Should be able to scoop him up in a net or container. I've caught several fish with this method and takes only a few minutes.

 

[glxtrix]

ok, so go spend money on a fish trap then

 

[mojo]

Yeah... what glxtrix said. You'll do far more damage to your reef ecosystme if you remove all your rocks.

 

[1percula]

I had the same problem, got a black net a caught the fish easily after the lights first went out. Fish are stunned when the light first goes out as well as when they first come on. I had a Purple and PB Tang that are impossible to catch. I went after the PB right after the light went out with a black net and it was easy. I could have got the Purple also if I needed to. They swam around without noticing the net. Leave the net in the Tank to get them use to seeing it. Turn off the lights and get 'em.

This might be a urban legend, but I hear that fish cannot detect red light. If all else fails, turn off the lights, go after him with a red light and nab him. If he can't see/detect the light he won't run away. He is not going to go to sleep right away, so your best time to catch him is when the lights first go out, in my opinion.