How do i catch a sixline?

[bct15]

I have a sixline wrasse that I need to remove from my display. For a long time I have wondered why people call them the devil, as mine always seemed to mind his own business not bothering anybody...well a neon dotty back, a royal gramma, and a goby have turned up missing as of the last four months or so and I had no idea why.

Well, it figured out why while acclimating some flame wrasses. He was intent on killing them for over six hours straight. The flame wrasses are instead sitting in a quarantine tank while I attempt to catch the sixline and get rid of him. Now he is constantly terrorizing my chromis, and even tried fighting my yellow tang and coral beauty angel that are five times his size. He thinks the whole tank is his.

I have a 140 gallon tall tank with around 230 lb of live rock or more. I would like to catch him without completely tearing down the tank, and was wondering if there was any good tricks. He is very smart and small (about 2 inch), netting is next to impossible he runs whenever I come near the tank. He does not come to the top when I feed the fish, and knows every nook and cranny of the rock work. When he eats, he shoots out from the stack, grabs some food, swallows, returns to the stack, and repeat. I have no idea where he sleeps, somewhere in the back I think. This is new behavior, I think he knows I'm after him.

I am in the process of remodeling my new house and will be moving in about a month or two, which will require a tank break down. If the only way to catch him is to break down the tank, I will do it when I move. I'm just hoping their is an easier method.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[Tabasco1]

I have not tried myself, but I have read that people have been successful with traps. Search for fish traps and you should find some good threads with diagrams. They usually employ some sort of plastic contaner/water bottle with the opening rigged so that something could swim in, but not swim out and then food as bait. Since he seems so smart I might introduce it into part of your rock work for a couple days so that he gets familiar with it. I might also not feed the tank if possible for a couple days so that he is nice and hungry. Is he your smallest fish?

 

[jski711]

Inverted the top of a coke bottle and put food inside it and wait. I caught my 6 line this way. Hth.

 

[spscrazy]

I tried every kind of trap possible to catch mine no luck finally had to take almost all the rock out freaked him out so much he sat on a powerhead & I just picked him up stupid creature!

 

[Electrobes]

I also used the inverted bottle trip. Cut the top off the plastic bottle, glue it inverted to the body of the bottle, and let dry. Once done... tie an anchor so the bottle is retrievable, and voila instant and effective trap. Caught my fish this way. You'll usually catch more than one fish at once!

 

[drainbamage]

if you had titled this "how do I catch a wrasse" my answer would be the same regardless of the type-you tear the tank down and then search the sand bed, cussing a lot.

 

[bct15]

I have an inverted 2 liter in there right now. My yellow tang keeps trying to go in it and is sitting in the entrance keeping everything else out. I don't think yellow tanga are the smartest fish in the world. Hopefully the sixline goes in a little later when the tang gives up.

@Tabasco, there is a royal gramma that is about the same size as him...and a couple chromis close to his size, but for the most part he is the smallest fish in the tank.

 

[florida reef]

You may or may not be able to do this, but I chased him into one of my smaller rocks, then pulled the rock out of the tank.

 

[CJO]

How about some bait, some fishing line and a really small hook? ;)

CJ

 

[Tabasco1]

Ahh, the reason I asked was for trap mouth size, so you may catch the other fish that you are not intending as well, but you can just let those guys go. :)