How to remove a fish?

[BigHildy53]

I have a two spot candy hogfish I want to remove. I know it won't be easy. Any tricks out there?

 

[Big G]

Wait until the room and tank have been dark for a couple of hours. Using a small flashlight, find the fish and shine the light into its eyes. The light will mesmerize the fish making it pretty easy to net.

 

[Murica]

Wait until the room and tank have been dark for a couple of hours. Using a small flashlight, find the fish and shine the light into its eyes. The light will mesmerize the fish making it pretty easy to net.

if you have a strobing light it works even better

 

[Jesterrace]

Fish Trap is the best method IMHO. You can either make one out of something like an Aquafina or Dasani Water Bottle and place a small dollar store mirror at the back of it or you can invest in something like this from Amazon or BRS:

 

[Saveafish]

Krill a small hook and go fishing.

 

[Waters]

I always try fish traps first.....if I can't get it that way I resort to the lights on method. Wait until the tank has been in total blackness for a couple of hours and turn the tank lights on. Fish are stunned to the point where you can reach in and pick them up. As stated previously, you have to know where the fish "sleep" though.

 

[BigHildy53]

Thank you for the ideas. I've ordered a fish trap. In the mean time, I will see if I can figure out where the fish sleeps. The fish may go to bed later than I do...

 

[aruns]

Just posted this on another thread : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-fish-trap.679465/

 

[BigHildy53]

I purchased the Sea Side Aquatics large trap. It was easy to assemble. If I was quick enough I would have caught the hogfish almost immediately. I put it in without the door trap initially, in the corner the hogfish visits most often. Almost immediately the fish checked it out. Then I missed him another, and hope I didn't scare him away from the trap. If I wanted to catch my magnificent rabbitfish or one of the tangs, it would be easy. They go after the mysis shrimp first.

 

[Jesterrace]

I purchased the Sea Side Aquatics large trap. It was easy to assemble. If I was quick enough I would have caught the hogfish almost immediately. I put it in without the door trap initially, in the corner the hogfish visits most often. Almost immediately the fish checked it out. Then I missed him another, and hope I didn't scare him away from the trap. If I wanted to catch my magnificent rabbitfish or one of the tangs, it would be easy. They go after the mysis shrimp first.

Usually takes a few days for them to get comfortable feeding from it, then it's a case of just waiting for the desired fish to be in there. Nice choice on the fish trap BTW, I have the smaller model (seen in the vid above) but still used it to catch a Yellow Tang about 4 inches in size. One word of caution though, the bands that hold it together can snap fairly easily so once you get it assembled leave it assembled. I broke a few putting mine together but haven't had a problem since leaving it assembled.

 

[mmorriso]

All of the aforementioned methods are great if you have time on your hands.

In case there's some urgency, I've had to resort to draining 80% of my display tank water into tubs with a pump, catching the fish and then pumping the water back in. It's a pain and I'm sure it's not the best for your other, non-fish, livestock but it's the quickest way to catch anything and/or everything.

With an appropriately sized pump, I was able to perform this operation on my Reefer 525 in about 20 minutes, including netting 9 fish.

 

[ReefRondo]

Fish trap. I’ve caught every fish I’ve ever had to with one. Takes a week or so for everybody to trust it and then it’s just a waiting game while feeding inside the trap. Just takes time.

 

[CuzzA]

I made a trap door box in the past where you pull fishing line to close it. It works. But sometimes they escape before the door closes.

This time around I picked up a small fish bowl, I zip tied a piece of pool noodle around it for buoyancy, I then zip tied a round side view mirror I had laying around inside the bowl and on to an old Mag Float. I drilled a hole in the top to insert a turkey baster for bait. Fish go in and I pull the exterior magnet and in less than a second they are trapped in the bowl on the surface.

There is a commercial model available called Tank Matez, which is the same thing, might be only slightly more expensive if you don't have all the parts laying around.

 

[TankMatez]

I made a trap door box in the past where you pull fishing line to close it. It works. But sometimes they escape before the door closes.

This time around I picked up a small fish bowl, I zip tied a piece of pool noodle around it for buoyancy, I then zip tied a round side view mirror I had laying around inside the bowl and on to an old Mag Float. I drilled a hole in the top to insert a turkey baster for bait. Fish go in and I pull the exterior magnet and in less than a second they are trapped in the bowl on the surface.

There is a commercial model available called Tank Matez, which is the same thing, might be only slightly more expensive if you don't have all the parts laying around.

Interesting!