How to catch a fish....

[austinfish]

I have a reef tank and a really mean BICOLOR/ROYAL PSEUDOCHROMIS. I have trying to catch him for days with no luck at all. He's small and fast.
Any suggestions would be great. I do have a good bit of live rock in my tank, which is making the task that much harder.
Any input is welcome.

 

[p fish]

I really hope you have better luck then I've been having trying the catch a flamehawk in my reef. I posted this same question last week and you will not like the answers. Most said the best way is to take the tank apart, thats the sure way, not a option for me. Good luck, if you find a way could you please help me

 

[brenner_jeff]

Its not easy, first I would suggest removing any unnecisary items, IE LR with no corals on them to remove a few hiding places. Then let the tank settle for a few min. Then drop in some of the favorite food and get ready, be quick. That is how I get mine.

 

[nicenakago]

Try sectioning the tank off with a piece of plexiglass...
Make a tank depth square... when the fish swims to a front corner... lower the plexi...
assuming you can get the fish over there.... lower net... force fish to surface.. then net - or pick up the jumper off your rug .... ehehehe

 

[iechy]

This may not work with this fish because I think that type of fish probably would spend it's night in the caves but you can try doing it in the morning before your light come on if you can the fish will be alot less energetic. But if you're like me you'll be a lot less energetic in the morning too so all things may remain equal

 

[austinfish]

Thanks for the good advice.
I may go to home depot and get a piece of plexiglass cut to act as a divider and try that way. I'll move my rock from one side to the other until there's not much left for him to hide under.
This sure sounds easy, yeah right!!!!
I'm going to need luck, this guy is an amazing fish and sooo small!
Wish me luck, I think I'll need more than that to actually get this guy out. Anyone want him???
I'm going to put him in a tank with a DOMINO and my Mantis shrimp.. He's a fighter and maybe he'll eat the mantis...

 

[nicenakago]

I'll take him if you are close by...
I could use a hardy fish to keep my hospital tank running.
And may the force be with you...

 

[richard rendos]

A really little

[hr]
gun.

 

[lurch694u]

Boy, you should have seen me trying to catch a lunare wrasse out of my 85 gallon reef... I think that wrasse are about the smartest fish in the aquarium trade. I tried the gatorade bottle trap he was too smart for that... My giant yellow tang wasn't tho. He is dumb trying to fit thru a hole the half of size as him! Anyway it took me taking all of my live rock out and two nets two catch him.

Stupid wrasse!

 

[polka]

I rented a fish trap from lfs. Bait it and it should work fairly well.
good luck!!!!

 

[smalltimer]

My best luck is to get up before ANY light has entered the room, completly dark, use a small maglight, tight light pattern, focus in on him and NET..... he may move some but he will be confused and slow. Give it a try, worked for me

 

[nicenakago]

smalltimer,
That was the best darn advice I have heard yet on the subject!
I had to get a pair of clowns out tonight for treatment and tried your suggestion... man let me tell you... I have tried getting them out before and needed to rip the tank apart and still spent 2 hrs chasing with the net!
You made it so easy I laughed out loud like a madman... I found myself taunting the poor fish in it's transport receptacle, <B>"What?!? That's all you got?!? - Yea... thought so, there's more where that came from!"</B> - Yes we're talking about my ego inflating over a slaughtering victory between me and... a fish, no... fishes.
Anyways here's how it went:
30 mins after zero light was established in the tank, flashlight on... <B>blip!</B> One fish out.... 15 mins more of pitch blackness... flashlight on... <B>blip!</B> 2nd fish out! easy as that..... I couldn't believe it... (well... more or less - point is... it was easy).
Now as Iechy mentioned... this isn't easy when your fish are hiders at night. If they are... well, this is still the way to go... I found that by flashing the light on and off every 10 secs or so I could "confuse" the fish and he would stagger out... Down side to this is, too many tries to get the fish out... and you will have to go lights out again for 30 mins or so....
If you need to get a fish out GIVE THIS A TRY! If it doesn't work, don't worry... you can still rip your tank apart...

 

[austinfish]

I got the fish...
It was just pure luck. I'm removing all but 1/4 inch of my cc and have to really clean my tank out daily for a while...
I also have an algea and phosphate issue that just will not go away. I was doing my daily cleaning and he trapped himself betten the class and a live rock and bingo, I was quick with the net. I really hope I don't need to do that again...
I'm located in Austin Texas Just incase anyone was considering taking this little meany. I put him with my mantis, could prove interesting...
Thanks everyone for you input. This was not easy and just pure luck that I was able to get him out.
Now I can get some good cleaners and not worry about them being eaten.

 

[deuceb]

to catch a fish, you need to corral it into a corner and have nets ready for the fish to swim into. it may take a couple of tries, but this is the technique i've used to catch several fish including those damn damsels. patience is the key!

 

[j21kickster]

Well that is assuming you can keep it out in the open- if it goes into the rock , well.....

 

[sistrmary]

I had a royal gramma that was giving everything in my tank that moved beef. My god, he was even picking on a yellow clown goby!!! A more docile species you couldn't find if you *tried*! Anyways, I just scared the crap out of the gramma until it dove into a rock (as it *always* does when I tried to net it) took the rock out and shook the fish into a ziplock bag. *shrugs*
Whoever said that the lunare wrasse is the hardest fish to catch I wholeheartedly agree! They're fast, agile and just plain *evil* to catch.