The toughest decision

[Copingwithpods]

In short, drastic measures of fish removal.

We've all heard of the most common fish removal methods, most of us have used a few or all to remove a trouble maker.

The red light trick
Train to eat out of a net
Go fishing (literally)
Fish traps (commercial /diy)
Catch it while it sleeps
Chase it with a net (1st one to tire looses)
90% drain-n-catch
Baited acclimation box


And I'm sure there are tons more. But what happens when they all fail. What happens when the tank is too big to drain, the rockwork too dense too coral covered to move. What happens when the fish is just to smart to be caught, would you save your remaining fish from further harm or your expensive corals from predation by taking drastic actions?

I was recently shown a video where a guys tang was going ballistic on all the other fish causing stress and panic which caused a ton of coral damage as fish bulldozed it running from the tang. This was a 1500+ gallon system with an old school rockwall to boot. Ultimately the decision was made to spear the fish out. Apparently everything else had been tried and the damage was in the 4 digits quickly approaching 5 digits.

Not here to discuss to morality of it more the logistical side of catching an impossible fish as well as a worst case scenario and how far someone will go to save their fish, corals and ultimately a large monetary investment .

So my question is what would you do if all else fails?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fish trap. What I generally do is bait a trap the day before and let food run out of it slowly from the current and allowing targeted fish to get close. Then I place food again in the evening and let them feed from it. Following day, I await the targeted fish to get close and let him swim in and let the string go.
Yesterday I caught my zoa killer rabbitfish in 7 minutes !

Trapped and going back to LFS in the morning !

 

[Reeffraff]

+1 on the fish trap. Some species of shy/nervous fish can take longer but I've usually been able to get fish out within 48 hrs.

 

[Gablami]

Another tip is to leave the fish trap in place for days or weeks or months and feed into it. However long it takes. Eventually the fish become used to it and you can catch just about any fish.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Draining is the best way. No tank is too big to drain, lol

however if it’s big enough to dive in and spear the fish, ya what the issue?

Does fishing offend ppl that much?

somwtimes things get bloody, sometimes they don’t make it, that’s life

 

[Copingwithpods]

Another tip is to leave the fish trap in place for days or weeks or months and feed into it. However long it takes. Eventually the fish become used to it and you can catch just about any fish.

Playing devils advocate here, say a fish is tearing up all your expensive acros, might not have days or weeks let alone months.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Draining is the best way. No tank is too big to drain, lol

however if it’s big enough to dive in and spear the fish, ya what the issue?

Does fishing offend ppl that much?

somwtimes things get bloody, sometimes they don’t make it, that’s life

Nothing to do with commercial/recreational fishing, just the intentionally harming a pet type of fishing.

 

[Fishfinder]

Draining is the best way. No tank is too big to drain, lol

however if it’s big enough to dive in and spear the fish, ya what the issue?

Does fishing offend ppl that much?

somwtimes things get bloody, sometimes they don’t make it, that’s life

you eat that Sharpnose?

 

[Crustaceon]

Most of the trouble comes in the form of fish darting into the rockwork. I get around that with bubbles. Most of their hiding places have an exit route, so I cover that by setting a large enough net over it and making sure the net has enough slack to make a catch. I’ll then use a thin acrylic tube jammed into airline tubing that’s plugged into an air pump and attack the hole with a raging torrent of air bubbles. More often than not, that damselfish (lol) will launch itself straight into the net and get trapped. To fish, air bubbles coming out of a tube are like vacuum cleaners to cats.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Nothing to do with commercial/recreational fishing, just the intentionally harming a pet type of fishing.

Ya but harming /killing is just that. Makes no difference if a pet or wild animal. Laws are black and white and fortunately there is no such thing as morality police.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Worst thing I had to do is chase around a foot long emperor snapper in a 125, when I first got in the hobby and don’t know any better. It would run right into the rocks and got all cut and banged up but I got it out and off to the lfs it went, otherwise it would been in the trash. Better than it eating all my remaining fish and being stuck with it.

 

[tehmadreefer]

you eat that Sharpnose?

Lol no, both were released.

 

[35ppt]

Redacted

 

[Metsf4n]

In short, drastic measures of fish removal.

We've all heard of the most common fish removal methods, most of us have used a few or all to remove a trouble maker.

The red light trick
Train to eat out of a net
Go fishing (literally)
Fish traps (commercial /diy)
Catch it while it sleeps
Chase it with a net (1st one to tire looses)
90% drain-n-catch
Baited acclimation box


And I'm sure there are tons more. But what happens when they all fail. What happens when the tank is too big to drain, the rockwork too dense too coral covered to move. What happens when the fish is just to smart to be caught, would you save your remaining fish from further harm or your expensive corals from predation by taking drastic actions?

I was recently shown a video where a guys tang was going ballistic on all the other fish causing stress and panic which caused a ton of coral damage as fish bulldozed it running from the tang. This was a 1500+ gallon system with an old school rockwall to boot. Ultimately the decision was made to spear the fish out. Apparently everything else had been tried and the damage was in the 4 digits quickly approaching 5 digits.

Not here to discuss to morality of it more the logistical side of catching an impossible fish as well as a worst case scenario and how far someone will go to save their fish, corals and ultimately a large monetary investment .

So my question is what would you do if all else fails?

I’d like to see that video!

 

[vetteguy53081]

A method that's worked well for me in tanks ranging from 135 gallon down to 10 gallon is to make some eggcrate the right size to section off the tank and put it in part way, and clear out that side from any hides. I leave just enough room to fit my square colander in. Then scare the fish to the bare side and drop the divider down and slowly scoop the fish out. Always goes nice and smooth. Very low stress for the fish. You can add netting for smaller fish. Some tanks rockwork may prohibit this method but I've always been able to just move some stuff and make it work.

Then im screwed. Tank 10' long and 4 ft deep . . . . . . im a lucky fisherman. .. LOL

 

[Copingwithpods]

I’d like to see that video!

Unfortunately it was on a buddy's phone not anywhere online, besides its a tough watch.

 

[35ppt]

Redacted

 

[TheKylersFire]

Laser pointer will do the trick

 

[Copingwithpods]

Laser pointer will do the trick

Never heard of that one how does it work?

 

[bdehlin]

I've pulled almost all of the rock, drained most of the water, and still had trouble catching a multicolor angel that was eating my sps polyps. Then I discovered how well traps work...