203g w/Ich, Can't catch fish

[Tmoriarty]

I have a 55g tank up and running (was my old tank I never removed the water and have always kept it running). It has been fallow for over 2 months so if the fish left ich in it from before it is now dead. The 55g is barebottom and ready to start hypo.

Now the problem....

My display is 203g.... I can only catch my two clowns (cause they let me) but as for the other 8 fish there isn't a chance in hell to catch them. Dismantling the tank is not an option because the rock work is to elaborate. Draining the tank fast would work..... If I had somewhere to put 200+g of water (bathtub???). I just have not thought of a good way to do the drain and get water back in fast enough to not disturb my corals and nems.

What are my other options, I have seen some fish traps, but most seem like a crap shoot. Is there an actual good trap that I could either build (I have decent DIY know-how) or that would be worth buying.

The fish are otherwise healthy, the outbreak didn't really show up until the addition of a new Powder blue (was in QT for two weeks, apparently not enough). As soon as the new Powder blue went into the display, two days later I noticed he and my blue hippo both had the classic salt spots. Both fish were flashing and breathing heavy. My yellow tang lacks the spots but is breathing heavy. All fish are eating fine and are otherwise healthy.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated, and again the chosen course is Hypo, I have read how to do it and have everything prepped, just need a way to get all fish out of the display.

Tyler

 

[Birdee]

As far as draining quickly and getting the water back in... have your considered a 300gal Rubbermaid stock tank? And then just run a pond pump to put the water back in.

That would certainly get all that water out and back in fast. Of course you'd have to have a place to keep that tank afterward. But it might just come in handy in an emergency one day, or for future breakdown and maintenance stuff.

 

[Tmoriarty]

Yah I thought about a bigger rubbermaid... just really didnt want to fork out the money for something that pricey. Is there a reliable fish trap out there I could use that anyone knows of?

 

[jayinh]

i feel your pain, i am trying to catch fish so i can treat them for ich as well. i have " the trap" and it does work, just need to place it in the tank ahead of time so they get used to it. i only feed in the trap, if they get hungry enough they will go in. i caught my kole and naso tang the other day and wrasse is always going in there. if i had to buy another i would buy the other bran, sorry i cant recall the name. G.L to us both

 

[hvacman250]

I am not advocating this, but...

I know alot of people who would buy the said Rubbermaid tub from somewhere like Tractor Supply, use it, then take it back for a return.

I was in your position exactly 3 1/2 weeks ago with a 220 gallon. I bit the bullet, pulled the rock and corals, rearranged the rockwork and corals, and am now happy I did. Man it does suck, though.

After that, I now have TWO quarantine tanks and nothing will be quarantined for less than 8 weeks.