HELP - Need assistance catching a sailfin tang SoCal area

[revenant]

All, I have a 5 foot 100G tank with a lot of LR and softies, five fish, A sailfin, foxface, coral beauty, flame hawk, and six line wrasse.. I have a couple cleaner shrimp too. They have all been mates since I started the tank in September 2020. So my Sailfin tang has been growing and had been a bully to my foxface on and off in 2021 but they seemed to sort themselves out when the FF started standing up for itself and not taking crap from the SF.. things were ok for months and months but now things have changed in the last couple weeks.. the SF is being a real bully to the FF now (only that fish) and acting really nuerotic in general, darting around like it's fearing for it's life.. The FF is hiding in the corner constantly, sometimes wearing it's camo outfit, also hiding in a cave it likes but not swimming around at all really.. still eating a bit but not as much as it used to.

So today the FF didn't even eat really during the first feed.. I feed the tank a LOT, like six or seven cubes of frozen daily, a whole sheet of nori split between two clips on opposite ends of the tank, and some pellets too.. I spread feedings out over three or four times per day.. the food disappears very quickly. I recently did a reconfig of some rock work (what I could) balancing the swimming and hiding places out much better... it seems to have helped a little.. this was on Saturday past..

So the SF is now getting quite large (it's fat too, eats like a pig) and I really want to get her out - I feel like any new additions will get harassed so I am really scared to add anything new and the poor FF is being terrorized now... taking the rock out to catch it with a net is not an option - I could take some out but even that will be pretty difficult after I did move some easy rocks around this last weekend but the main hiding areas for the SF are under the middle large structure... I need some help with this, I was looking at this trap:

TankMatez 8 Inch Pro Bubble Fish Trap For Larger Fish With Bait Chum Pump & Hand Piece.

TankMatez 8 Inch Pro Bubble Trap For Larger Fish With Bait Chum Pump & Dry Reset Post. Free domestic shipping. Worth every penny.

www.tankmatez.com

but I think I would need the 10 inch one to catch the SF (it's around six inches tall with it's fins fully flexed)..

Anyone have experience with these?

A couple more questions, is there anyone local who is good at netting fish like this with the lights off and a red flashlight?

Who wants a SF tang lol. I think with a larger tank, more fish, she would be fine - but she's just queen of the castle here and outgrowing her space.


TL;DR - I need help catching a sailfin tang with either net or trap - taking rock out is not an option - location Thousand Oaks CA - who wants a SF tang? She's beautiful - just needs a larger and more fish diverse environment I think. HALP please. ty!

Here's the tank:

 

[blaxsun]

Fish trap. Sometimes you can rent these from your LFS, but Nyos also makes a really neat one.

 

[Eric Cohen]

My suggestion is to figure out which cave/tunnel the fish most likes to swim through when scared.....chase the fish away from that cave and then block that entrance with your net. Keeping the net in place, wait for the fish to come back towards that cave, and when pretty close, smack the tank with the palm of your hand and hope he goes into the net. Good luck I caught a gem tang recently in a tank similar to yours.....I went for the back corner of the right side and got him first try. BOOM!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

If u can't take the rock out. Take the water out.
Good luck with your catch.
D

 

[prcardinal91]

I used a very small fly fishing hook with a mysis on it. Worked to catch my powder blue in roughly 15 seconds. Pinch or eliminate the barb and drop it right in front of the fish. Has worked very well for me anytime I need to catch a fish in my 150

 

[revenant]

These are some very good suggestions... Thanks everyone. I am worried about the FF... She looks so stressed and is now not eating.

re: the hook idea might be the first thing I try - I did some amazon searches and it's overwhelming. Could you link me to the correct hook to get? Well, hooks... gonna have to buy a kit but that's fine. Yes I know I am needy. Thanks so much.

 

[revenant]

My suggestion is to figure out which cave/tunnel the fish most likes to swim through when scared.....chase the fish away from that cave and then block that entrance with your net. Keeping the net in place, wait for the fish to come back towards that cave, and when pretty close, smack the tank with the palm of your hand and hope he goes into the net. Good luck I caught a gem tang recently in a tank similar to yours.....I went for the back corner of the right side and got him first try. BOOM!

I hear you on this. I have so many caves though.. I might be able to pull out the rocks on the side of my tank by the overflow and have a nice empty area there down to the sand, pull the pump out, nothing to get hung up on.. and shush the SF to that side and maybe get her a little worn out... I just realized my net situation needed an upgrade to have a 10" coming tom...

while seriously contemplating traps - the size I would need is LARGE which are 10x8x8 and just getting that in my tank - looking at it - will be a total chore.

then there's the water out method.. which I forgot about... I need a couple more rubbermaid tubs for that but in the end I might need to do that rather that taking the rock out.. I just hope I don't have a cave-in.. I don't think I will but it's a concern - just on one area but I can pull the one rock out I am thinking about without too much destruction..

At any rate, thanks again for all of the suggestions here.. going to have a glass or three of whiskey and contemplate this some more.

 

[jassermd]

I just caught a hawkfish and a harlequin tusk, 2 very fast and very agile fish, with this trap... In a 280g DT with 300# of rock and caves that I don't even know exist...
Works like a charm every time! Patience is the key... place in tank, grab a seat (and a drink if you'd like), bait it, and wait... won't take long with a sailfin tang. Like you said, she eats like a hog, so it should be easy peasy.

Fish Trap

Get that troublemaker out of your aquarium! IceCap Fish Traps are by far the easiest solution to catching fish or even invertebrates out of your aquarium while minimizing stress and potential physical damage. Just place the trap against your tanks glass or acrylic pane and dispense some food...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[revenant]

I just caught a hawkfish and a harlequin tusk, 2 very fast and very agile fish, with this trap... In a 280g DT with 300# of rock and caves that I don't even know exist...
Works like a charm every time! Patience is the key... place in tank, grab a seat (and a drink if you'd like), bait it, and wait... won't take long with a sailfin tang. Like you said, she eats like a hog, so it should be easy peasy.

Fish Trap

Get that troublemaker out of your aquarium! IceCap Fish Traps are by far the easiest solution to catching fish or even invertebrates out of your aquarium while minimizing stress and potential physical damage. Just place the trap against your tanks glass or acrylic pane and dispense some food...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I was looking at those.. the 10x8x8 one and man it's gonna be a tough fit.. I don't think the 8x6x6 will be large enough.. maybe? hmmm.. anyways thanks much for the suggestion on type of trap!

 

[jassermd]

I was looking at those.. the 10x8x8 one and man it's gonna be a tough fit.. I don't think the 8x6x6 will be large enough.. maybe? hmmm.. anyways thanks much for the suggestion on type of trap!

You'd be surprised. I have the medium (which ever size that is) and it can fit 2 tangs easily. I've caught 2 tangs together before. Yeah, it's tight, but it will work.

 

[revenant]

You'd be surprised. I have the medium (which ever size that is) and it can fit 2 tangs easily. I've caught 2 tangs together before. Yeah, it's tight, but it will work.

Thanks. That’s the one I have in my cart.

 

[Brian_68]

Sometimes what works for me is waiting until the tank is pitch black at night and using a dim red flashlight. You can often sneak up to them, but usually only have one chance to try.

 

[revenant]

Sometimes what works for me is waiting until the tank is pitch black at night and using a dim red flashlight. You can often sneak up to them, but usually only have one chance to try.

I read about that… I have a red flashlight for night viewing.. might give that a go once my 10” net comes. Thanks !!

 

[revenant]

Just wanted to send an update on this. I got the trap and was all ready to catch both fish to get them out … but life intervened and I put that on a back burner… the foxface hid a lot but came out to eat.. well.. fast forward to 3 months ago.. I had to change my frozen food brand to San Francisco Bay Brand… I was feeding Hikari. Anyways I got like six different types of food and I mix usually three cubes together and like magic the sailfin stopped harassing the foxface… 90% better.. maybe 95. There is the occasional shush but it never escalates and the foxface holds it’s ground. I feed two or three times daily.. it’s a lot but I have so many mouths in there.. the snails crabs shrimp and pods get any uneaten food that doesn’t end up in the filter sock.

I’m very glad because I love my fish family and sometime in a year or so im planning on upgrading to a 180 or maybe 220. I wanna keep them all together and give the sailfin a larger habitat.. anyways just wanted to send this update.