catching a 6 line, suggestions???

[JohnK]

Anybody have any good suggestions for catching a 6 line wrasse in a tank full of SPS?

I managed to intorduce a new fish without proper quarentine (yes I did know better, it's a long story) and it came with a nice ick infection that I hadn't been able to spot. Anyway I'm trying to remove all my fish from my 120 for treatment. Caught the purple tang surprisingly easily, percula will swim right into my hand, 6 line is the only problem.

At this point I'm keeping a net in the tank 24-7 and I stick my hand in and wiggle and move it as often as possible to get the fish used to the net and hand. I'm not feeding at all except for a cracked clam in the net for an hour or so daily (so that hopefully the wrasse will get used to feeding out of the net making it easier to scoop up). So far the wrasse is very cautious of the net, only picking at the calm once or twice today.

Anybody have any other ideas?

thanks
jk

 

[Chris L]

try using a specimen container. just place at bottom of tank in sandbed in one of his swimming pattern areas( someplace he likes to be) and when you enter the tank you can simply steer him into it. it has worked for me on a few different fish, including a green coris wrasse
hope this helps, good luck and happy hunting

chris

 

[JohnK]

Thanks,

how does that work, just wait til he swims into the container and then yank it out fast?

 

[clamm]

wow, good luck... do you know where he sleeps? They usually burrow under the sand. So if you know where he rests you might be able to get him at night... look for little raises in the sand bed and use a specimen container...trick is not creating a sand storm..there are probably better ways but its just an idea.

 

[Chris L]

thats it pretty much, once he heads into it cover it up with your hand and take it out. ussaully it wont try to swim out because your hand will be in there way and want to stay away from you.
they also sell fish traps which are nothing more then a specimen container with a swivel door on the front. which you could probably make yourself relatively cheap. just drill 2 holes in the top of a container put a small rod through till it somes out the other side and you can use any kind of plastic or rubber lid for the door , just cut it down to just fit in the opening.then just glue or attach the lid to the rod and you have a instant fish trap to close once he enters

chris

 

[agent6473]

I once caught a sunrise dottyback by feeding and the putting some food in a net. Then when he went to get the food in the net, pulled him up. That was one mean fish! He went back to the store.

 

[JohnK]

So far I'm making progress with the net plan, as of last night he started picking at the clam in the net quite a bit but he swims away when I get close to the tank.

Thanks for the input all

 

[JohnK]

GOT HIM!!!

used a trap after spending two weeks getting him to eat out of strange objects.