Catching a fish in a large tank

[joefitz]

So, I decided that I want to get rid of the coral beauty in my tank. It was forced upon me last year by someone breaking down his tank -- the guy who was supposed to pick it up bailed last minute and I was taking everything else...so I had to take him. And now the little dude is picking at my clams.

Ugh.

How the heck am I supposed to catch him? He's one of the least social fish in my tank, I'd say the only two he has beat are my watchman goby and my orchid dottyback.

I do have a slight urge to re-aquascape...but I'm not particularly interested in taking out ALL, or even most, of the rock... 330g tank...it isn't fun.

Anyone have any special magic pointers? What about a really large clear plastic bag...maybe I could secure the edges inside the tank and leave the mouth of the bag open and then if he goes in, I can just close the bag? Sounds like a pipe dream but I don't know, maybe it would work, no?

Joe

 

[Ray]

I finally got a yellow tang out of my tank that was impossible to catch by turning on the lights in the middle of the night and he was a little blinded by it for a couple secs and a scooped him up with the net

 

[gordonzoo]

I battled a round of ich 6 months back that was introduced from a flame angel. I spent 3 hrs trying to catch with a net. I then took out 100 of the 140 lbs of rock just to spend another hr. I put him in a 30 gal and treated with copper. He didn't make it. Could have been the stress of the 4 hr battle or copper. Not sure.
2 weeks went by and my butterfly now had it. I bought me an acrylic Fish trap. Baited it with shrimp and caught him in 2 mins. I hear a plain hook without the sharp end works well also. Good Luck
Rich

 

[wrassefan]

Joe, the lights on in the middle of the night does work great if you know where it sleeps. I did the same thing with a flash light fishing out a yellow tang and a pearl jawfish. They were so stunned that they refused to move. I actually guided the yellow tang out of a corner with a small brine shrimp net and then used the big net to remove it. Also the fish trap that David P. and Paul and Doug were loaning worked great. I removed a rabbit fish and a six line wrasse with that.

 

[PRTA79]

trap

buy a trap ,it may take days or a week but it should eventuly go in

 

[Reef55]

I just caught a yellow tang with one of those traps. Works like a champ.

 

[NateHanson]

Joe, I gave a big acrylic trap to David Perry (JustDavidP) last meeting. I think he's offering it around as a BRS fish trap. Give him a holler if you want it.

Nate