Catching fish

[spoggy]

Hi,

Anyone have any good ideas on how to get a fish out of a tank w/o tearing the whole thing down? I've got a 200g reef that has a 10" Gold Spotted Rabbitfish in it that needs to come out.
It has to be the shyest fish I've ever owned. I've had it 2 years and it still shoots into the rock to hide if I get within 10' of the tank.
Any ideas are appreciated, and when it comes out, it will be up for adoption if anyone wants it. It's an algae eating machine.

Steve Sump

 

[Jim_Leyland]

After you turn out the lights for a few hours get your net ready and turn the lights on real quick in the room and the tank, the fish should be 'stunned' for a few seconds.. that's how i caught my tang in my old tank.. saved alot of work not having to take all the rock out! Good luck

 

[serpentman]

Rabbitfish tend to be aggressive eaters. You can try to trap him with a good sized fish trap baited with some nori. I trapped one before using this method. First, put the trap in with no food in it for a day so everyone gets "used" to it. Then bait it and leave the room. You may trap some others before you get the intended target. However, eventually you'll get him.

 

[cash03ins]

I have a fish trap in Strongsville if you want to try it.

 

[calypso1]

i need to some fish out of my tank to. the darn things are pushing there luck.lol ill have to check on the whole fish trap thing. hey cash where did you get yours?

 

[Brad Black]

If you're going to catch them in the dark, I always do it using a flashlite to stun them, doesn't work well though for me.
What I do is begin feeding the fish out of a catch net and eventually the fish I want either swims in or gets close enough to nail with the net. Can also hand feed with the same idea.

 

[Brad Black]

OH YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A CHEAP TRAP USING A 2-LITRE BOTTLE. cUT THE THE TOP OFF AND GLUE IT BACKWARDS INSIDE THE BOTTOM HALF (WITH THE SPOUT FACING TOWARDS THE BOTTOM. pUT LIVE BRINE IN IT AND DROP IT IN THE TANK.

 

[lokikegs]

Here is a sure fire way of getting a fish out of a reef tank without tearing it apart. This will only work though with fish that are aggressive eaters that come up to the top of the tank when they are thinking they are going to be fed. Leave your net in the tank next to where you feed them. At first they all will go and hide when you put the net in at first but leave it in the water where you feed them. After about a week of feeding the fish with the net in the water they will get so use to the net you actually will be able to put food into the net and the fish will swim into the net. I have had excelllent success getting all sorts of fish out of my reef over time. Sohal tangs, rabbitfish, clowns etc. Hopefully it will work for you.

 

[calypso1]

yea my butterfly keeps pecking at my favia i just got so its time for him to relocate. these are some great ideas! keep em comeing ill try anything!