Wrasse woes

Seanislav · Mar 23, 2018

After 32 years in the hobby (fresh until 2000, salt/reef since), I royally botched up the latest build.

I will update the build thread, but long story short, we moved back in June, and I sold the old 300gal system, and have since built another. I used dry rock for the first time, with the desire to limit allowing undesirables into the system. I don't typically quarantine (I know--preach away), and after 32 years, I've finally met my match: Brooklynella.

It wiped out half of my tank's inhabitants. Lesson learned--the old biocube is set up, and the fish I was able to save were dipped in formalin, and are now in said Biocube.

My question is about how to catch the cleaner wrasse and Melanurus wrasse that are still in the 300gal system, so it can go fallow for 4-6 weeks. I have an AccliMate trap/acclimation box that I used for the other fish, but using it is disruptive, and the wrasses immediately go into hiding. Anyone out there know another way of getting them out of the tank that doesn't involve removing all rock? I am not looking forward to nearly 2 months of no activity in the main system, but I'll take my lumps.

4FordFamily · Mar 23, 2018

Seanislav said:
After 32 years in the hobby (fresh until 2000, salt/reef since), I royally botched up the latest build.

I will update the build thread, but long story short, we moved back in June, and I sold the old 300gal system, and have since built another. I used dry rock for the first time, with the desire to limit allowing undesirables into the system. I don't typically quarantine (I know--preach away), and after 32 years, I've finally met my match: Brooklynella.

It wiped out half of my tank's inhabitants. Lesson learned--the old biocube is set up, and the fish I was able to save were dipped in formalin, and are now in said Biocube.

My question is about how to catch the cleaner wrasse and Melanurus wrasse that are still in the 300gal system, so it can go fallow for 4-6 weeks. I have an AccliMate trap/acclimation box that I used for the other fish, but using it is disruptive, and the wrasses immediately go into hiding. Anyone out there know another way of getting them out of the tank that doesn't involve removing all rock? I am not looking forward to nearly 2 months of no activity in the main system, but I'll take my lumps.

You’re not going to want to hear this, but I take the entire system apart removing coral rock etc and get them out that way... sorry for the woes!

Maritimer · Mar 24, 2018

Agreed - recently did the same thing, (dismantle the 220, pull all rock & fish) and at that I wasn't able to winkle my midas blenny out of his rock!

~Bruce

Seanislav · Mar 24, 2018

Maritimer said:
Agreed - recently did the same thing, (dismantle the 220, pull all rock & fish) and at that I wasn't able to winkle my midas blenny out of his rock!

~Bruce

Ended up pulling nearly an all-nighter, removing rock, netting elusive fish, dipping them and dropping into qt, and finally putting the rock back in and rearranging the reef. Corals were put into the sump until the lights come up...then I'll get them arranged again...sigh.