to catch a fish

Bigdaddy · Feb 6, 2011

Ok i am down to catching my damsel i have a fish trap but my problem is that when i put food in it my rabbit fish jumps in and makes a mess of everything all the food floats out of the trap , I was using mysid shrimp is there something that i can use that will stick to the trap ? I dont want to have to remove my rabbit fish if i dont have too . also if i catch him and throw him in my sump will he eat all my pods in there ?

aalvarado87 · Feb 6, 2011

Yeah you can do that toss him in the sump. I threw some pellets in mine and they tended to work. What trap are you using the bottle one or an actual trap? I have also hear of people using barbless hooks threading some mysis and tossing a hook in their. As long as the hook is barbless it won't hurt the fish. just food for thought. good luck fishing.

Bigdaddy · Feb 6, 2011

Im using a reg trap

MimicOcto8 · Feb 6, 2011

honestly dude I tried the same thing and it did not work. I am very sorry to say this but its the only thing that worked for me besides ripping the tank down. Get a long rod and duct tape a sharp razzor blade to it and try to stick that guy. its super cruel but better than having a damsel harm and kill other fish. good luck and tell me the out come

BlazinNano · Feb 6, 2011

Fly fishing hook. They are super small. Just bend the barb down or cut it off with a pair of side cutters. Put a piece of mysis on the hook and go fishing. If you catch the rabbit fish the hook will slide right out of his lip. Just don't let him swallow it.

btkrausen · Feb 6, 2011

MimicOcto8 said:
honestly dude I tried the same thing and it did not work. I am very sorry to say this but its the only thing that worked for me besides ripping the tank down. Get a long rod and duct tape a sharp razzor blade to it and try to stick that guy. its super cruel but better than having a damsel harm and kill other fish. good luck and tell me the out come

Wow...really? Thats just plain cruel. There are other ways to get fish out without stabbing them with a razor blade. I'm glad I don't live in your tank.

To the OP, I've had a lot of luck with trying to cut the tank in half. For example, if you have a spot in the middle of you tank without rock. use some acrylic sheet to block off half of the tank. I tap on the glass on mine to get the fish to the easy side, block it off, and I have the fish in a net or rubbermaid tub in a matter of minutes. Good luck, damels are tricky to catch.

m and m · Feb 6, 2011

Yea when i tried to catch mine traps didnt work so i was forced to take the rock work out and even doing this it was still annoying trying to catch him. I would just bite the bullet and take the rock out.

MimicOcto8 · Feb 6, 2011

btkrausen said:
Wow...really? Thats just plain cruel. There are other ways to get fish out without stabbing them with a razor blade. I'm glad I don't live in your tank.

To the OP, I've had a lot of luck with trying to cut the tank in half. For example, if you have a spot in the middle of you tank without rock. use some acrylic sheet to block off half of the tank. I tap on the glass on mine to get the fish to the easy side, block it off, and I have the fish in a net or rubbermaid tub in a matter of minutes. Good luck, damels are tricky to catch.

didnt mean to offend you but if you have such little rock to where you can put a divider in the middle of the tank than I would be sad to live your tank. Go scuba diving partner and see in real life how it is....there isnt a lack of rock

Michael7979 · Feb 7, 2011

Is it possible to put some eggcrate in the tank to keep all but the damsel on one side?
Then put the trap in that side and see if it works.

Bigdaddy · Feb 7, 2011

THanks for the advice i dont want to kill him :( ill try the trap a few more times if that dosent work i think ill move some rock so i can divide the tank and then try to catch him that way

btkrausen · Feb 7, 2011

MimicOcto8 said:
didnt mean to offend you but if you have such little rock to where you can put a divider in the middle of the tank than I would be sad to live your tank. Go scuba diving partner and see in real life how it is....there isnt a lack of rock

Oh..so sorry. I wasn't meaning that with a bad tone :) Should have put in a smiley or something, haha. I have a bunch of rock, but kinda like SunnyX had in his other tank, I have two islands per say, so I can split it with some acrylic.

MimicOcto8 · Feb 7, 2011

btkrausen said:
Oh..so sorry. I wasn't meaning that with a bad tone :) Should have put in a smiley or something, haha. I have a bunch of rock, but kinda like SunnyX had in his other tank, I have two islands per say, so I can split it with some acrylic.

Thanks for clarifying that dude! :)

J Rog · Feb 7, 2011

Im having the same issue.. Trying to get my mystery wrasse out of my 120 gallon with alot of rock work. Im going to try the fish trap first.. If the doesnt work it looks like im going fishin..

Bigdaddy · Feb 7, 2011

Woot I got him , I put food in the trap and my rabbit fish went in and begain to be a pig so when he got close to the door i kept hiting him with it so he would stay out and after the damsel went in about 5 times but only about 1/2 inch i almost gave up and then he darted for the food and i got him now he is a sump fish till i can find someone that wants him , do you guys think he will eat my pods in there ??
and thanks for the replies