Bully Tomato Clown fish

Young@Heart · Apr 28, 2020

I need some suggestions or advice:

I have a 180 Gallon tank with a Tomato Clown Fish. I also have a Ocellirus (sp) Clown fish. (There are other fish in the tank as well as corals -but I don't see them as relevant to my current situation.

Simply put my tomato clown fish is bullying my Ocelarius (sp). I want to remove the tomato cf, but her is very VERY hard to catch. I have drained approx 90 gallons of my tank and have not been able to catch the guy. he bullied and nipped another clown fish pair that I had added a few months ago. I have had it with this guy. Any ideas for trapping this guy. If I can get him he will go into quarantine (no pun intended) or to my LFS with full disclosure.

Webslinger · Apr 28, 2020

don't mix clowns. Tomato's as a holes

mann1139 · Apr 29, 2020

There are DIY fish traps out there on the Internet. Not sure how well they work.

If you can, try to 'separate' your tank into 2.

I have also had luck with placing fish baggers 'around the corner' so when the fish zoom away from my net, they end up in the bagger. Requires some timing, and the fish will catch on after a couple tries.

Oh, and don't be afraid to go after them right after the lights turn on (the brighter the better).

Dom · Apr 29, 2020

I had a Tomato Clown that killed a Damselfish. I replaced the Damsel fish with a Tomato Clown that was twice his size. Problem solved with the behavior.

I would use a big piece of plexiglass to isolate the Tomato to one side of the tank, and then begin moving it to one end of the tank. Once it is in a small enough space, stick a net in there and scoop him out.

Webslinger · Apr 29, 2020

micro fishing hooks and mysis work great and fun. You don't even have to leave your house to go fishing. Actually have done it many times.

TriggersAmuck · Apr 30, 2020

Or get lighting egg crate from Home Depot and use it to partition your tank into a smaller portion (with the clown in that portion). Temporarily move the rock from that portion out and you will catch it. But this won't be as fun as baiting a small fish hook like webslinger indicated.