Easiest way to catch a fish

[joro]

Easiest ..... Drain the tank down and pick it up off the sand LOL. Maybe not the best way. I've had the most luck with waiting until they're sleeping at night, blast them with a flashlight and net them while confused.

Unfortunately in my 400G tank this has proven on multiple occasions to be the "easiest" way, especially with a lot of rock work. The bigger fish I usually can net with no issues, it's the small to medium sized ones who hit the rocks the first sign of a net in the tank.

 

[Deinonych]

I've had good results with the Aqua Medic Fish Trap.

 

[Swoody]

I want to add some more fish to the DT and I have 2 yellows and a kole tang that will need to be temp removed so the new fish can settle in. Thanks for these tips!

Wouldn't using an acclimation box for new additions be easier than trying to catch those fish....certainly less stressful (for you and the fish! lol). I'm trying to figure out the best way to catch my Valentini Puffer without totally stressing him out...

 

[Rjramos]

hahaha that's great idea :p
I got similar idea but I use the cut plastic soda bottle, it's work wonderful for small aggressive fish eater (damsel, wrasses, Diamond goby, shrimps) but seem not working for shy, skittish fishes.

The shyness and skittishness fades away after a couple days of, "this is all you get to eat", I've had many fish I don't want to trap in and out of the box days before trapping the one I want. Just gotta place the box according to where the fish spends most of his time, (bottom or free swimming), and be patient. The 1st couple of days after I place the box, I don't sit there and wait, I let them get comfortable with it. The key is in the live brine shrimp container's slow release, they get desperate![emoji4]

 

[Chin_FITC Verified Sponsor]

Used the lights-off, sudden-light-on trick plenty of times — it works, but you've got maybe a few seconds to get a clean net shot before the fish recovers, and solo that's not always doable.

Full disclosure — catching problematic fish is part of why I built the AquaCove (founder of FITC Aquatics here). It's a dark cave you corral the fish into, so you're not depending on cumbersome nets or playing the waiting game with conventional baited traps. Worth including in your arsenal when the next fish removal need comes around.