any suggestions on getting it out?

[king_nothing_]

I have 2 grouper in my 75G tank. They have always left my harlequin tusk and my angel alone. But a couple days ago I got a dragon wrasse, and my argus grouper wont stop picking on it. The dragon is almost as big as the argus (about 4.5 inches) so its not like the grouper is trying to EAT him, but every 15-20 minutes or so he'll chase the wrasse around the tank once, then go back to his rock. I want to stop this, and move the groupers into my other tank. I used hook with some shrimp on it to catch one grouper and move it without incident, but now the argus (who is the main one i wanted to catch in the first place) is wise to my procedure I guess cause he won't bite. Are there any other ways to catch a fish? netting is physicaly impossible. if it were an EMPTY tank with nothig but water and the grouper, it would be impossibly, let alone with all the rockwork. I honesty don't even care if the grouper lives...if I could

[hr]
it somehow I would. I just want it out. Its a 15 dollar grouper harrassing my 50 dollar dragon wrasse. big surprise which one I'de rather have in my tank alive....

 

[itom37]

Surely it would not be impossible to catch if the tank was empty... which is exactly what I suggest.

 

[srfisher17]

Try fishing again, using a live feeder for bait. Use a small barbless hook and you won't hurt him. Use a wet cloth to hold him when taking out the hook, to protect his slime coat. (Your harlequin tusk was probably caught this way on the reef's edge, most Australian tusks are) Give him a couple of the live feeders first, then "bait & switch". Very few large carnivores can resist a live fish.

 

[king_nothing_]

good advice. thats what i was planning on doing. I'll get some little goldfish tomorrow. he should hit those.

 

[lucky?]

Try creating a barrier and trap it. You can use plexyglass or eggcrate and cut it to the width/ depth/ height and put it in the tank. If you can just mov e a few rocks so you can trap the grouper in say maybe a 1/4 of the tank then net him.

 

[whitey]

2 Groupers. a Tusk, an Angel and a Dragon Wrasse all in a 75 gallon tank?
I'm surprised they're not sticking out the top, and you can't just pick em up by the tails.

 

[lesleybird]

You have too many large fish for a 75 gallon tank. Crampted fish will fight. They need a large territory and a much larger tank than a 75. Groupers get way too big for a small tank, same for th tusk and the dragon wrasse. It really bothers me when people torture fish by putting them into a tank that is way too small and think that the fish have a problem when they fight when it is really an irresponsible fish keeper that is not giving them what they need to live a good life. Lesley

 

[srfisher17]

I never really looked at anything except the problem with the grouper, I should have. Do you also have an emperor angel in there, as your profile says? I sure agree with the previous posts, I don't think I've ever heard of a tank so grossly overstocked. To say nothing of putting a tusk & dragon wrasse in with inverts. How about posting your current stock list and getting some serious advice? IMO, you're well on your way to a wipe-out. Don't take these posts personaly, its easy to get carried away stocking ; especially if a lfs is your main source of info.

 

[srfisher17]

Ever notice how some folks seem to disappear when something is said that they may not want to hear? I'll be starting an update thtread on the Eco-Aqualizer again soon and expect to be thrown to the wolves..but I can take the heat!

 

[hammerhed7]

I would like to know where you got an argus grouper for $15, they run about $60 by me. Very cool fish, but like most groupers they get big and mean very quick.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by Hammerhed7
http:///forum/post/2464307
I would like to know where you got an argus grouper for $15, they run about $60 by me. Very cool fish, but like most groupers they get big and mean very quick.
Groupers are like a lot of people; real cute when they're little. If you could breed panther groupers to max out at about 3-4"; you'd have a great fish. Groupers don't get the attention that some other fish do (like moorish idols); but, IMO, they seldom don't belong in the home aquarium.

 

[king_nothing_]

actually, I didn't dissapear because i heard somethign i didn't like, i dissapeared because I don't check the site every 12 hours like some people on here....
the angel is a 3-4 inch juvinile that im letting a friend keep in my tank until he gets his 240G in. No need to panick. The tuskfish died of ich like a week ago....Nothign else has ich. He was the only one that got it. Been a week and I'm still clear.
I ended up taking ALL my rocks out last night and catching the damn grouper with a net. So he's out. I put him in my other tank with the other grouper and my toadfish.
oh, and also there are no inverts in my reef. so chill. the dragon doesnt bother anything. i planned ahead for this. there are way too many fish that aren't "reef safe" because of the crabs/shrimp thing, but are perfectly fine with coral....so I figured I'de just NOT go burn 40 bucks on 2 cleaner shrimp and then have 3 times the options when it comes to fish.
So here's my current stocklist:
dwarf lion
juvi. emp. angel (just visiting for a month or so)
porcipine puffer (he doesn't touch my corals, only eats live ghost shrimp)
Dragon wrasse (changing from juvi to adult right now...about 4 inches)
and a banded snake eel. he's super cool....about 2.5 feet long and also only eats live ghost shrimp. He's really really slender though and has a tiny tiny head, so he couldn't even eat a small damsel if he WANTED to, let alone messing with my current fish. First eel I've ever had that actually swam around the tank...my snowflakes would just sit there and beg for food all day. This thing hunts.
so anyway....I guess this thread is useless now. my problem is solved. grouper is gone...the dragon wrasse is beaten and battered (shredded fins, bruises all over his scales) but recovering. I thought he was gonna die, he just laid on the sand for like 2 days after i put him in QT, but now hes swimming around again like nothign ever happened. Tough fish...he was damn near eaten alive like 50 times a day

 

[rad]

I will be the first to apologize for the words of others on here. it has a tendency to turn others off, even if they have the idea of doing something out side of the box, but thats what happens when keyboard courage is involved. On that note, I understand what your trying to do in your tank with large aggressive fish, but thats alot of fish for your size of tank. It may not seem like many fish in numbers but all those fish are fattie nitrate inducing fish (especially the eel and groupers) I would bet lots of money on the fact that you have nitrates over 30ppm. Ultimately it is your decision on what you want to keep in your tank, but I would recommend just leaving your stocklist alone for now and waiting and watching your tank to see how your filtration handles it. I understand the groupers are gone, but even when I would start adding fish I would recommend maybe medium maroon clowns or something of that nature. good luck, and less is more.

 

[hammerhed7]

how did you get him out?