How do you catch small, quick fish in a reef tank?!

ToTaLCHaoS13 · 05/18/2006, 12:47 PM

I have a 2" chromis damsel that I need to treat for ich but the litle guy is too quick to catch with a net!

He keeps darting and hiding in the rocks everytime I go after him. Does anyone have a trick for catching small, quick fish in a reef tank?

Andrew · 05/18/2006, 12:57 PM

Take some of the rock out and put some food at the top of the tank and have the nets or containers ready. In my 75, when I had a damsel, after chasing him with nets for awhile, he just gave up and went to the corner of the tank and I got him then.

leebca · 05/18/2006, 02:29 PM

There are a few threads on this topic. You might want to search for them. Here are a couple:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=586506
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=707656

Good luck!

If you need help with the Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) treatment, remember there's a Fish Disease Treatment Forum here on RC.

v8maro · 05/18/2006, 03:09 PM

My damsel was affraid of the net, so I caught him by hand...seriously.

andiruleu · 05/18/2006, 04:04 PM

when its feeding time... catch them when they get close

BigWaveDave2 · 05/18/2006, 05:33 PM

I've seen fish traps on marine depot that you put food in, then pull on a string and it traps the fish inside. I hear they work pretty well without all the hassle of chasing it around.

Lost_N_Space · 05/18/2006, 09:53 PM

They sell a fish Corral that you can set in the tank. when the fish goes in there (I use brien shrimp in side the box), you just pull the string and close the door traping the fish. Then you lift it out of the tank and do what ever you need to do with it. I can catch any fish within minutes. Awesome product. Here's the link:

Click Here

Lpabsolute · 05/18/2006, 10:02 PM

If you find out let me know....

myusername · 05/18/2006, 10:06 PM

TAKE IT ALL OUT.
Rocks and all.
It's going to be a pain in the a**
GOOD LUCK, YOU WILL NEED IT!

vest0830 · 05/19/2006, 04:15 PM

i cought a fish with the lights out the other night with my hands. i wasn't even trying. they didnt even know what happened. lol.

turn out the lights, have your hands ready to go into the tank, and then have someone else flip on a house light, and grab them.

reefshadow · 05/19/2006, 11:50 PM

Hi, Total-

Sorry about your prob. My concern is that if you have other fish in the display, taking out only the one with visible cysts and then treating it will not help if you plan on reintroducing it to the tank. The ich will still be present and probably reinfect the fish. I would just hate to see you struggle to catch one little fish and have it reinfected anyway.

You may have to make the choice to tear down and treat all fish, leaving the system fallow, or you can somehow catch and treat the one, or just let the ich run its course. Sometimes their natural immunity can overcome the infestation, if tank params are ideal and not contributing to stress, or if there are no other stressors present. If the fish is behaving normally and eating well this could be the case.

Good luck!

reefshadow · 05/19/2006, 11:52 PM

Oh yeah, the lights off trick is a good one. My fish all sleep in the same spot every night, once it is a few hours into the dark cycle it is usually very easy to catch them when they are sleepy.

boxfishpooalot · 05/20/2006, 12:50 AM

I feed my fish with a fish net. They are not scared of the net, because they know there is food in it. They swim around and in the net. I can scoop out any one at any time no problem.

That is the way to go. Couple weeks of fish net food training, and you wont have to move any rocks around!

05/18/2006, 12:47 PM	#1
ToTaLCHaoS13 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cartersville, GA Posts: 379	How do you catch small, quick fish in a reef tank?! I have a 2" chromis damsel that I need to treat for ich but the litle guy is too quick to catch with a net! He keeps darting and hiding in the rocks everytime I go after him. Does anyone have a trick for catching small, quick fish in a reef tank?

05/18/2006, 09:53 PM	#7
Lost_N_Space Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Mexico - USA Posts: 22	They sell a fish Corral that you can set in the tank. when the fish goes in there (I use brien shrimp in side the box), you just pull the string and close the door traping the fish. Then you lift it out of the tank and do what ever you need to do with it. I can catch any fish within minutes. Awesome product. Here's the link: Click Here __________________ The more I learn the more I realize I don't know.... Current Tank Info: 115 Gal Reef Tank

05/18/2006, 10:02 PM	#8
Lpabsolute Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Johns Island, SC Posts: 2,021	If you find out let me know.... __________________ "Do not float above me when I'm drowning in the abyss......float away from me.........float away" Current Tank Info: 54g Corner Reef Tank......and......5.5g Nano Reef Tank......and......20g Long Reef Tank.......and......27g Cube

05/19/2006, 04:15 PM	#10
vest0830 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Okinawa, Japan Posts: 1,299	i cought a fish with the lights out the other night with my hands. i wasn't even trying. they didnt even know what happened. lol. turn out the lights, have your hands ready to go into the tank, and then have someone else flip on a house light, and grab them. __________________ 55g::Tunze::Lifereef::Ice Cap::Euroreef Current Tank Info: 100% all Okinawan life

05/19/2006, 11:50 PM	#11
reefshadow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Washington Posts: 1,786	Hi, Total- Sorry about your prob. My concern is that if you have other fish in the display, taking out only the one with visible cysts and then treating it will not help if you plan on reintroducing it to the tank. The ich will still be present and probably reinfect the fish. I would just hate to see you struggle to catch one little fish and have it reinfected anyway. You may have to make the choice to tear down and treat all fish, leaving the system fallow, or you can somehow catch and treat the one, or just let the ich run its course. Sometimes their natural immunity can overcome the infestation, if tank params are ideal and not contributing to stress, or if there are no other stressors present. If the fish is behaving normally and eating well this could be the case. Good luck! __________________ All Your Coral Are Belong To Us Current Tank Info: 30 Deep Blue shallow mixed rimless, MP10, Ecoxotic LED's, SCA 301 skimmer.

05/18/2006, 12:57 PM	#2
Andrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 13,640	Take some of the rock out and put some food at the top of the tank and have the nets or containers ready. In my 75, when I had a damsel, after chasing him with nets for awhile, he just gave up and went to the corner of the tank and I got him then.

05/18/2006, 02:29 PM	#3
leebca Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: So. CA Posts: 2,902	There are a few threads on this topic. You might want to search for them. Here are a couple: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=586506 http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=707656 Good luck! If you need help with the Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) treatment, remember there's a Fish Disease Treatment Forum here on RC.

05/18/2006, 03:09 PM	#4
v8maro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: West Bloomfield, MI Posts: 386	My damsel was affraid of the net, so I caught him by hand...seriously.

05/18/2006, 04:04 PM	#5
andiruleu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 631	when its feeding time... catch them when they get close

05/18/2006, 05:33 PM	#6
BigWaveDave2 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Walnut Creek, CA Posts: 50	I've seen fish traps on marine depot that you put food in, then pull on a string and it traps the fish inside. I hear they work pretty well without all the hassle of chasing it around.

05/18/2006, 10:06 PM	#9
myusername Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: pomona CA Posts: 484	TAKE IT ALL OUT. Rocks and all. It's going to be a pain in the a** GOOD LUCK, YOU WILL NEED IT!

05/19/2006, 11:52 PM	#12
reefshadow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Washington Posts: 1,786	Oh yeah, the lights off trick is a good one. My fish all sleep in the same spot every night, once it is a few hours into the dark cycle it is usually very easy to catch them when they are sleepy. __________________ All Your Coral Are Belong To Us Current Tank Info: 30 Deep Blue shallow mixed rimless, MP10, Ecoxotic LED's, SCA 301 skimmer.

05/20/2006, 12:50 AM	#13
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	I feed my fish with a fish net. They are not scared of the net, because they know there is food in it. They swim around and in the net. I can scoop out any one at any time no problem. That is the way to go. Couple weeks of fish net food training, and you wont have to move any rocks around! __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.