How to Catch Fish and Critters in Displays

[rdmpe]

Great thread btw. I am going to make one of those plexi box traps with the feeding pipe which also serves as a nice handle. One mod that I plan to make is - instead of having a door that slides down, I was considering a door with a stainless steel hinge at the bottom and the door just lays down in front. The string would go from the door back toward the trap, through some sort of loop or hole at the trap, then up to my hand. So a quick pull of the string would close the door quickly.

One problem with this mod though is that there would have to be space for the door to lay down in front of the trap. This would limit where the trap can be placed. Well, some things to think about but the general idea of that trap is fantastic! I've been trying to catch a sally lighfoot crab with the glass / silverside method but the sally will not let go of the rock and take the slide down the sloped glass... I get hermits and emeralds, but no sally.

 

[rdmpe]

I finally caught one of the sally lightfoots crabs! I think there is another one in there though, will have to watch for it...

I just used a big zip lock bag. I turned the opening edge inside-out so that it would stay open. I tied a string to the edge that would be against the sand, and the string went through a hole in the upper edge. So when I pulled the string it would pull the bag up vertical and close it at the same time. Then I rubberbanded some silverside chunks to a small rock and sat it just inside the bag. After about an hour the sally finally decided to go have a bite. I pulled the string and that was that!

I found that when I put the baited rock in the back of the bag, it didn't seem quite tempting enough for the crab, but when it was closer to the opening, he just couldn't resist.

 

[jtreath]

Hi all .. I read all the posts.. but I have a Yellow Watchman Goby paired with a Pistol Shrimp.. I should be able to get the Goby.. but the Pistol won't move more than 3" from the burrow opening. Any Ideas? I am planning an upgrade from a 75 to a 220G soon and I want to move the livestock slowly from 75 to QT and then back to 220 after my set up and cycle is done.

 

[Gooli]

question about the drain method...wont the fish still hide where the rocks are even when the water level is so low? i want to try thois method but im worried that the fish will just hide in the rocks...am i missing something?

 

[Sparkss]

I believe that they will. I base this on our last upgrade. We moved the rock over and as many of the fish as we could capture. We had thought we lost a fish or two in all of the ruckus (after the rocks starting coming out some larger ones fell and rolled around and in general the last bit of water became very cloudly (from the sand bed being stirred up). We figured any left either were crushed, or suffocated, even though we did our best to trap them out before during and after the move. Long story short the "missing" fish reappeared in the new tank a day later, and I know that I did not add them back from the fish holding tank we had set up, so they had to have hitchhiked on the rock when we moved it over. If they can travel distances hiding in the rock, then I am sure that they can hide when it is just in place and above the water line. But that is just my thoughts on the topic

 

[Early Kyler]

Where the capture of fishes are concerned, try Saran Wrap. Simply drape a large sheet over the opening in your rockwork that the offending fish(es) will be chased through. Provided they are the type that darts through rocks when frightened (and lets face it, most of them are, fresh or salt) and voila! Ensnared in plastic sheeting. Easy, and effective.

 

[dime079]

BUMPITH!!!

im pretty sure i have a crab in my tank that is killing my gobies, its only a 10 gallon and i plan on using the jar method. what size jar should i use to set this up?

 

[dime079]

night one: nothing. half of the krill floated out of the jar 2 min after i put it in there, then 1 min later both of my nassarious were hanging out in there. how do i keep the snails out and the trap baited?

 

[Amador]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7461812#post7461812 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gooliver
question about the drain method...wont the fish still hide where the rocks are even when the water level is so low? i want to try thois method but im worried that the fish will just hide in the rocks...am i missing something?

I am preparing to do the drain method and have the same concern. I REALLY don't want to tear down my rocks .. anyone have experience doing this? Do you just drain it down and wait for the fish to come out?

Also, once I get him out .. what's the best way to transport a fish to the LFS (about a 20 min drive)? I don't have any pure oxygen to inflate a baggie with so ... what's the best method?

 

[ColinPopcorn]

Can someone please suggest a good method for capturing pods in my sump to feed to my Mandarins.

 

[Galilean]

A mandarin will not need feeding in a 125. I kept one very fat in a 20 gal with no food for over two years. How many do you have?

However, pods can be harvested by simply placing something they will hide in (like a sponge) in the refugium/sump. Then you can just remove the sponge after giving them a day to move in. For best results put a pellet type food in the sponge (very little food is needed). Place the sponge over a small container of water and let it dry. The pods will all drop into the water. This can be done with liverock too, but the water takes forever to drain and the pods will hide in the rock until they run out of water.

 

[ColinPopcorn]

I've only got a mated pair. Good to know I have nothing to worry about.

 

[northbay-reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6200425#post6200425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anthony Calfo
teamwork

Anthony, after I saw your post, I went home and built one of these, and within 2 days, I caugh all of the pesky damsels from my reef tank .... thanks for the idea.

 

[surfjeepzx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6236847#post6236847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jadran
if I may add that "teamwork" trap works like charm and not only for fishes

it might be really helpful if you trying to catch shy fishes that run for cover as soon as you approach the tank.. In pipe you can throw frozen cube which is going to melt slowly and start to fall down to trap as it melts.. Its attractive to fish and they'll come to investigate.. Nice trick is to place the trap into the tank for day or two for fishes to get use to it and than start fishing.. Ive been able to catch all kinda fishes with this tool...

simple to make and highly effective

happy fishing

I just made one of these traps this morning. Just have to connect the tube. I'll have to get a bulkhead fitting and a piece of tubing to complete the project.

 

[Jadran]

hope it works well for you.. after posting these pics I got many pm's about this trap, all of them positive, mostly folks thanking me for bringing it up.. As I said very handy tool, must have for people with big tanks where's not easy to catch fish as in small displays...

 

[barjam]

I recently caught all of the fish in my display (minor ich) using a very dim red light. They were pretty easy to catch actually.

Yellow tang
2 x false percs (yea I know, easy to catch)
1 x neon goby

 

[jacob30]

Hook, Six line and Sinker!!

Hook, Six line and Sinker!!

Well no sinker but just caught my sixline wrasse out of my 350 gallon display after a week of trying other techniques.

The tools:

#28 dry fly hook ($13 for box of 100)
2.5# fly fishing tippet (3.99)
1 medium size mysis ($10 for a flat)


Fishing in your Tank........

Priceless!!

To quarintine for you....:smokin:

 

[b.branscombe]

Thumbs up for late night kidnapping! Just captured a rabbitfish I've been trying to get for the last couple days. Turned the nightlights out in the tank, and came down at 1:30am to check. Luckily enough he was sleeping in the corner, away from any rocks. Was able to slide the net next to him without him noticing, then blasted him with a flashlight. Very nice 'deer in the headlights effect'.


All in all it was way easier and less stressful (for both me and the fish) than I thought it would be. Before finding this thread I thought that he'd be in my reef forever!

Thanks guys.

 

[bdub]

Can someone please suggest a good method for capturing pods in my sump to feed to my Mandarins.


__________________
Did I say that, or just think ?

Hobby Experience: 2 years
Current Tanks: 125 gal + 90 gal sump





Try using your old crab and snail shells, place these shells in your sump with the opening facing up. After awhile your pods will establish these as homes. Then all you have to do is pick up your shell and dump them in your tank.

 

[nottheone]

Read the post by galilean up a few posts for your answer - it's a good one.