Fish removal

[jlscrug]

I am trying to get a yellow watchman goby out of my tank and I may as well be trying to touch my nose with my elbow. Have any of you ever 'fished in your tank'? He will come out just long enough to grab a shrimp off the end of my pipet so I figured I would use one of those tiny trout fishing hooks, the kind with no barb, and just catch him. Any suggestions?

How many of you tried to touch your nose with your elbow

[mojo]

I've *heard* (but never actually tried) that you can come in at night, find the fish in the dark, and shine a flashlight in their eyes. It supposedly stuns the fish long enough so you can catch it.....

It'd be interesting if it actually works. Let us know...

[wildemon]

Maybe one of the scuba club [at the next meeting] can tell you where to get a slurp gun.

[SPANKYSREEF]

I spent a solid week trying to catch a yellow coris wrasse---what a PITA!---As soon as I went for him he would burrow in the sand a vanish. I finally broke down and purchased one of those clear tube fish traps from Marine-Depot. I baited the trap, set it in the tank, and waited--and waited---and waited---7 hours later I came back into the room from a bathroom braek and low and behold he was in there chowing on mysis!---I slowly walked over---released the door---BAM!---I got the SOB-----Just some advice from my end---Hope it helps----Good Luck!

[Stanfill Reef]

It depends on the fish:

1) For my yellow watchman goby, wait for it to die and scoop. Poor guy.

2) For my diamond back goby, put net in tank. Wait for inquisitive goby to swim into the net. Scoop.

3) All other fish. Dismantle tank, remove rock, chase around. PITA.

Sorry I am not much help, but I haven't found a good way either. But the diamond back will swim into the feeding cup when I get tank dilution water at night if I am not careful.

[jlscrug]

I've thought about rigging up an old hand crank telephone with electrodes, I've thought about dynamite, I've thought about using my spear gun, but have decided to 'go fishing' this afternoon.

BTW the flashlight at night would probably work but he sleeps in a very tiny crack between two rocks and I would need a crowbar to get him out.

[ljuhl]

Just curious why do you want to take the yellow watchman goby out?

[jlscrug]

He is in a 16 gal and I never get to see him until I start feeding. He eats lots of pods and never comes off the bottom. I wanted a 6 line wrasse who would eat pods but also spaghetti worms that seem to be showing up in this tank. A six line will travel all over the tank and entertain my kids more than the introverted watchman. I want him out to the decrease the bioload to offset the increase in bioload from adding the 6 line wrasse.

[awcamp]

I bought "the trap" from cba and have used it several times to successfully remove fish or to switch fish around in my aquariums. What I do is leave it in the tank for a day with no food in it to let the fish get used to it. Then, I add food to it and wait for the right fish to go in and slam! ... its that simple. the problem is... "the trap" is $50. it takes a few times of not having to dismantle a tank before it becomes worth it.

[jlscrug]

In the event that my fishing trip does not produce is anyone willing to rent out their trap?

[Melissa]

I'm trying to stab my peppermint shrimp with the razor blade pole. I know it sounds horrible, but that jerk keeps killing stuff of mine, so at least he can provide some food for the fish if I get him. I've been able to catch all of the other peppermint shrimp I had in the tank with the exception of this one. He's very quick. He should have just let me catch him - then it wouldn't come to this.

[georgiajams]

I know that if I used a trap, i would trap every other fish than the one I wanted.

[Twitterbait]

New guy to the group here, If your not worried about the fish living through the experience you can pull out the Shop Vac, clean the nozzle off. put it in the tank for a day to acclimate the fish to it. then tempt the goby with something tasty in front of the nozzle. when he comes close enough flip the vaccum on and your done. I used this to get a medium Mantis out of the tank. And he survived.

[jlscrug]

Eureka! One Goby gone. Gamerunr came over and the fun began. We sat on the bank, fished for a while, told stories, got a few bites from the 6 line, and then the big one hit! Too bad we did not set the hook at the right time...sounds like a weekend down by the river... Anyway, we filled up a bucket, unloaded rock and coral, chased him into a crack, then spooked him out into the net. Just got finished restacking my mini-reef. He brought me two really cool zoanthid frags and he took home the introverted watchman. My wife thought it was quite comical to see two grown men fishing in a 16 gallon aquarium I am happy to report that this time the big one did NOT get away...oh the thrill of victory...think I'll go have a fat glass of wine and celebrate! Thanks Bill!!!

[gamerunr]

I couldn't give a better account of our fish catching adventure. Are you sure that your tank is only 16 gallon it sure seemed bigger Where there is a will there is a way! Thanks for the Goby.