How to catch a fish in a reef tank??

[ameno]

I have a coral beauty that I've had for over two years and I noticed it nipping at the corals. I have a new large button polyp that I've had for almost three weeks and all of a sudden it starting looking bad, some skelton showing and not coming out, I tried moving it to different flow areas with no luck, then I noticed the coral beauty would not leave it alone and keep nipping it, I moved it over to the fuge, which does not have the lighting it needs but it's looking a lot better away from the fish. so the problem now is getting it out. I have a 125 with about 200lbs of live rock, we tried nets but there was no way to trap it. I have tried a plastic bottle with the end cut off and turned around but the fish would not go near it, and the CB is to big to go in the end now. anybody have any good ideas, I have to get this fish out before it starts on the other corals.

 

[emm0909]

You have to leave traps in for a while so they can get used to it. Make a

[hr]
out of a straw and rubberband and say goodbye to him. That or have fun removing all your live rock. Best of luck to you!

 

[abethedog]

I always get stuck having to set up rubbermaids and yank all of the rock out. It sounds worse than it actually is.
On the bright side: you can relandscape your tank. Honestly, I've had to do the yank the rock thing twice. Both times and found a new species of coral that I didn't know I had. Call it a scavenger hunt.

 

[ameno]

I think I'll try some type of fish trap again first, just got all the rock set up about six weeks ago, not ready to yank it all out and start over if there's is any way around it. With all the rock and corals it would be a big pain. hopefully I can catch the sucker some other way.

 

[ci11337]

in my tank i can usually catch trouble makers with the net, ( but i hav a 55) If this fails, i case the fish til it hides behind the big rock on the lest end of my tank. Then i isolate the rock with window screen and take out the rock/ Leaving the fish in a small space with no cover.

 

[jmick]

I'd use a very small barbless hook or if the hook has barbs simply file them off or remove some other way. I have used this in the past and it is very effective and much easier then other methods and it's not to stressful on the fish.

 

[ameno]

Originally Posted by Jmick
I'd use a very small barbless hook or if the hook has barbs simply file them off or remove some other way. I have used this in the past and it is very effective and much easier then other methods and it's not to stressful on the fish.
that might be kinda fun to do a little fishing in the tank

but I have quite a few other fish in there to, I would hate to hook one of them. but I might have to give it a try and see what happens.