Creature Trapping Ideas?

[dmweise]

I have a spotted hawkfish that has become rather mean. I would like to catch him. I tried netting him this morning but that was unsuccessful.

Does anyone know of a good way to catch a fish without taking the entire tank down?

[txav8r]

There are lots of ways. They make fish traps that you can put food in then close a door when the fish of choice is in the trap.
Ace is known for chasing them around with his hand until they give up.

I'm sure others will chime in with thier ideas.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[profntbtr]

get a tiny barbless hook and go microangling

[ErikH]

Egg crate. Half your tank if you can.

[Kyle46N]

get a tiny barbless hook and go microangling

This works depending on the kind of fish. I think it might work for a spotted hawk though.

[dmweise]

I am considering doing the egg crate thing tonight while I am feeding. If I can catch him he'll get tossed in my sump until I can take him to the LFS.

[lt1z28]

Google coke bottle fish trap

[JimD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gKizvpGKPk

[d3rryc]

The coke bottle trap works even better if you drill a few 1/4" holes in the bottom so that water can flow through and carry the bait sent into the tank.

[dmweise]

I used this technique today and caught the Spotted Hawkfish. He was the first one to go into the trap. He faked us out a few times. He'd stick his head in through the opening then turn around and swim off. I was thinking the chromis or pseudochromis would have been the first one to get caught.

[Europhyllia]

Yay! Congrats on catching him

[dmweise]

Thanks. He'll be getting dropped off at the LFS tomorrow. He's a beautiful fish but he likes to terrorize others. He'd be more at home in a predator tank instead of a reef tank.

[dmweise]

I decided to get rid of a Devil Damsel. The little bugger was mean. The bottle trick did not work. It worked catching my Flame Hawkfish, but I want to keep him. I decided on going low tech. I turned off my pump, put a block of frozen brine shrimp in the top left corner of my tank and floated a plate of egg crate in the tank from top to bottom.

When the fish swam between the glass and the egg crate I slowly moved the egg crate against both the front panel and side panel making a triangle with the crate being the hypotenuse. The fish was trapped in there so I just scooped him out with the net. One tip, don't push the net towards the crate, the fish can swim through if he squeezes. Scoop towards the glass and you're golden. :D

[Europhyllia]

One tip, don't push the net towards the crate, the fish can swim through if he squeezes. Scoop towards the glass and you're golden. :D

Sounds like you tried it both ways :)

[dmweise]

Haha, yeah, I did. Missed him once. Learned from it and got him the second time.

[txav8r]

Glad you caught your fish!

[snfkotara]

Academy also sell a minnow trap for 2.95 or 3.95 I bought 3 or 4 because we also like to take them to port a and put out just to see what comes in. But we have caught aquarium fish that way also.

[jlh81]

i like that coke bottle one. im gonig to have to try that