how do i humanely kill or remove fish?

[scubanoah24]

Hello, I have a 300 gallon reef thats been running for around 8 years. My girlfriend added a blue damsel to the tank without me knowing, long story short, all my other fish died within 4 weeks. All fish have been in this tank since the beginning, no change whatsoever in water parameters. Everything is the same for the last 8 years other than the blue devil being added. Fast forward 2 months, I havent fed the tank one time, damsel still swimming happily. I have tried trapping him with both store bought and home made traps. I have tried hours to net him (large tank, lotsa corals, aint happening). I have tried actually fishing him out with bait and a hook. This guy has to go, any ideas??? I will buy a lion fish if i have to but im afraid the damsel will kill it lol. Thanks!

 

[webslinger]

How big was the hook? I use a micro hood with brine shrimp and can catch any fish in a few minutes

 

[Sk8r]

Wine carafe, bait (raw shrimp) and patience. Set neck tilted a bit up on the rocks. wait with net. Fish goes for bait, put net over neck, caught. Over in Fish Diseases there is an extensive how-to on fish-catching up in the stickies. Wish I could take him. I run a damsel tank and lost my blue devil during an 8 day power out in the cold. Been hard to find another.

 

[NySharkBait]

How the heck did a damsel cause that much chaos in a 300 G tank?

 

[Highweigh]

I have had great luck removing fish using a clear plastic box, just like the little breeder boxes from petco, feed the tank and try to get a lot in the box, while holding it, and just be patient and wait for him to swim in.

Once they're in the box they really have a hard time getting out usually. Typically they swim down to the bottom of the box and you can just lift it out.

I usually can catch fish in 5-10 mins using this method

 

[pinnatus]

Drop a stick of dynamite in there and wait for him to float up.

 

[flooddc]

If all options failed. Last resort is to drain the tank. That's a lot of water to drain though!

 

[Nina51]

all my other fish died within 4 weeks.

did the damsel bring in a disease or did it just kill the other fish??

 

[heathlindner25]

If it's a damsel there's a Surefire method to catch them, I place a large mirror up against the side of the tank. A damsel will always go into fighting mode, and be preoccupied. .... net him. But don't let him see you coming with the net ,hold it behind your back.
Only works on damsels

 

[KafudaFish]

Sheet of egg crate cut in 2 pieces and zip tied together to form a L. Put it in on one front side and leave it for a day or 2. Feed the beast near it a few times until the fish is comfortable. Then one time it is near the glass trap the fish and swing it to close the space.

Or try at night after blinding it with a net.

 

[undbulsu]

Sabiki Rig. Watch out though, very very sharp hooks.

Sabiki Rig. Watch out though, very very sharp hooks.

Used to catch baitfish.

 

[billdogg]

After trying and failing to catch a green coris wrasse that went rogue on me, I resorted to a #10 flyfishing hook (barbless) with a small bit of rod's original on the hook. Had him in under 1 minute.

 

[dkeller_nc]

If it's a damsel there's a Surefire method to catch them, I place a large mirror up against the side of the tank. A damsel will always go into fighting mode, and be preoccupied. .... net him. But don't let him see you coming with the net ,hold it behind your back.
Only works on damsels

^^ This. Way easier than finding tiny hooks, ordering the tiny hook for $3, paying $20 for shipping tiny hooks, and baiting tiny hooks.

I've yet to encounter a damsel that won't get it's hackles raised by seeing itself in a mirror.

 

[moondoggy4]

Rented lionfish.

 

[scubanoah24]

The mirror thing is interesting, ill try that. thanks all

 

[scubanoah24]

and im pretty sure not a parasite, the thing is just mean and angry

 

[Dmorty217]

How the heck did a damsel cause that much chaos in a 300 G tank?

Brought in disease that wiped out everything else. Get some Tricaine-S from Pentairaes.com and dose the tank with it if no other fish are in there? He will get very sleepy and you can catch him no problem. I would research some on what effects it will have on corals assuming you have some in there or other inverts. Otherwise you need to tear the tank apart or wait for him to be sleeping at night and net him then

 

[scubanoah24]

the mirror didnt work, he wont go near it. It is an established reef so lots of corals. Is there anything I can soak food in to feed it that wont wipe out the corals? there are no other fish left so im not worried about that

 

[solitude127]

The mirror thing is interesting, ill try that. thanks all

Mirror work for catching my SOB 6 line wrasse. He was too busy trying to attack himself in the trap to notice the door closing on him

 

[heathlindner25]

the mirror didnt work, he wont go near it. It is an established reef so lots of corals. Is there anything I can soak food in to feed it that wont wipe out the corals? there are no other fish left so im not worried about that

You have to tape it on to this glass and leave it there. He'll start to notice it.