Anyone have any tips or tricks they recommend or any devices/ gizmos you use to catch fish? Trying to catch a dwarf flame angel that I put in my tank about a month ago. I was hopeful that he wouldn’t nip at corals after observing him for a while in a tank that had coral in it. Unfortunately for me that has not been my experience and he is constantly nipping at my SPS which is causing no polyp extension of said SPS. The corals themselves outside of the lack of PE seem to be doing just fine as they are continuing to grow at the base and shooting out new branches.
Tips or tricks to catch a Flame Angel?
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I've had good luck with fish traps generally in nonurgent situations. I think that's going to be your best option. Some fish are more amenable then others to swimming into the trap. Sometimes it helps not to feed the tank for a short period of time to get them a bit hungry. Some foods may work better for some fish.
I had a gem and yellow tang that started battling after a year together peacefully and need more urgent removal. Here is what I did to remove. It took a friend, but I was able to remove the tang from the 330 gallon reef in 30 minutes.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sdreefs-330g-cda-acropora-dominant-mixed-reef.778823/post-9716464
I had a gem and yellow tang that started battling after a year together peacefully and need more urgent removal. Here is what I did to remove. It took a friend, but I was able to remove the tang from the 330 gallon reef in 30 minutes.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sdreefs-330g-cda-acropora-dominant-mixed-reef.778823/post-9716464
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I used a bubble magus / seaside aquatics fish trap. Overpriced and not constructed for durability, but got the job done. They have different sizes.
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/m...01WVCShiZlEBvs1dACYm0QGJB9d5oi60aAoxkEALw_wcB
How did this work out , I have a flame angel picker....
Haha nice!
MtnDewMan
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I think I'm going to leave mine im just going to put allot of coral in there, he doesn't touch anything but the acros it appears, im still in denial I was hoping it was the cleaner shrimp messing with them but I've seen the angel nipping :crying-face: they are so pretty but so nippy...
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I'm wondering how much longer it will add to grow out coral, I dont believe they will kill the coral, atleast not right away with the actual nip. Maybe with stress over time it could not survive. I've had this flame in here for over a month and while day time P.E is not much night time is full and im seeing it encrusted on the rock in New places. All the birds nest are unaffected and the montipora dont seem to mind either, its just the acros that seem more irritated.
Has anyone had them in a SPS tank with slowed growth or any success?
Has anyone had them in a SPS tank with slowed growth or any success?
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jtf74
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build a cheap trap w/ the plastic mesh you use for crossstich in craft section and nylon fishing string and build a box with flip lid. Put Feed inside it and wait with string. Caught tangs easy this way but angels will be tougher. May take a few days to a week for it to get comfortable with the box. Wait till it has no fear and boom
jimmypencil
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On day 2 of unsuccessfully catching my flame angel. Using a fish trap with a string. He barely goes near it when I feed. Mainly sticks to the rock work and caves.
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A few options. None are perfect.
1. Persist with the fish trap, can change the level and direction of the opening of the trap. I have had fish unwilling to swim into the trap when it was near the top of the water column, but willing to swim in with the trap on the bottom of the tank.
Some ways to encourage the fish to swim in the trap can include avoiding feeding the system for a few days and then feeding inside the trap to encourage fish to enter. May need to do this without the door to help fish become more comfortable entering the trap and associating the trap with food. Can also try placing a nori clip or alternative foods such as clams that a particular fish is more drawn to in order to encourage them to enter the trap.
2. Depending on the volume of the system, you can lower the level of water in the system effectively reducing the volume of the water the fish can swim in. Some limitations with this method. It isn't practical with a larger system. Also, if the fish dives into the rocks, may also not be effective.
3. I've used the linked technique to quickly catch fish out of my 330 gallon reef if a fish trap has not worked for whatever reason or for trap shy fish in time sensitive circumstances.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...h-out-of-a-large-reef-tank-with-a-net.907991/
Good luck!
jimmypencil
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Thanks for the in depth response. That’s an awesome idea with the grocery bags, I may need to try that. For now I am just going to stop feeding for a few days and then feed directly to trap to see if angel fish will go in there. I also put the trap lower and added some rock in there.
jimmypencil
Well-Known Member
I finally caught him. I ended up draining the tank until there was only a couple inches of water level. He still managed to go deep into the most inconvenient cave possible. I eventually got him but it was an absolute nightmare and I had to reglue like half my corals.
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