Catch a fish the last stand

juanmanuelsanchez · May 3, 2019

Hi all!

So ich hit the tank despite the quarantine. I have managed to take all the fish out with several methods, its being a month and a half since I started. But one firefish is resisting all my tricks. I have tried all the tricks in the book, traps, lights, etc. No matter what it won't work.

So I'm desperate now. And I need a way to take it away. So far my last resource it's to drug it so it can be taken out.

Is there a way to do that? It's there method to numb the fish?

Thanks in advance for the help.

NYAquatic · May 3, 2019

worst case
toss a grouper in the tank
no more firefish
easy to catch the grouper

WVNed · May 3, 2019

drain the water down to 1 inch and remove what rocks you have to to catch it

evolved · May 3, 2019

Have you tried a trap with a mirror at the back?

juanmanuelsanchez · May 3, 2019

I can't drain the water. I don't have a way to store it or produce fast enough so the corals won't die.

I have tried also mirrors, bottles, everything.

lilchris_357 · May 3, 2019

Buy a couple cheap brute cans or Rubbermaid totes and drain. Once caught put the water and rocks back in. Or you can turn off all lights but the reds and Scooop him up .

juanmanuelsanchez · May 3, 2019

It's 150 gallons. It's not that easy. And it's not just a couple haha

KrisReef · May 3, 2019

Get a liter bottle or two of club soda. Turn off water circulation in the tank. Shake the club soda bottle vigirously for 1 minute, put the bottle in the tank and crack open the lid allowing the CO2 to escape into the tank. Watch the fish, it should start to swim with difficulty and hopefully pass out. If it’s remains lively, repeat with the second bottle until the fish is narced. Net and remove.

If you have a Calc reactor with a CO2 canister you can bubble that CO2 directly into the tank slowly until the fish can be captured.

As air and circulation to remove the CO2 afterwards.

And have a recover bucket with clean tank water for the fish to catch its breath in after you net it. You may want to hand swim the fish in the bucket to force water and O 2 over the gills
Gl

Mariette · May 3, 2019

Can you pull the rocks? Don’t know if you have corals? I’ve always had success catching fish in a relatively empty tank. But I’ve never had corals soooo...

jgraz · May 3, 2019

For a firefish, you are likely going to have to pull the rock.
If you can narrow down the rock that it hides in, and you are fast enough you may be able to get the rock out before he bolts to the next one.

juanmanuelsanchez · May 3, 2019

KrisReef said:
Get a liter bottle or two of club soda. Turn off water circulation in the tank. Shake the club soda bottle vigirously for 1 minute, put the bottle in the tank and crack open the lid allowing the CO2 to escape into the tank. Watch the fish, it should start to swim with difficulty and hopefully pass out. If it’s remains lively, repeat with the second bottle until the fish is narced. Net and remove.

If you have a Calc reactor with a CO2 canister you can bubble that CO2 directly into the tank slowly until the fish can be captured.

As air and circulation to remove the CO2 afterwards.

And have a recover bucket with clean tank water for the fish to catch its breath in after you net it. You may want to hand swim the fish in the bucket to force water and O 2 over the gills
Gl

Could this kill corals?

ScooterV · May 3, 2019

How skittish is it? When I had to trap all of mine it was also one of the most irritating, but ours is on the brazen side. It refused to go into any traps on it's own. If I moved fast it would go right to its bolt hole. I finally managed to "slowly" urge it away from the bolt hole, put a net in front of it, then scared it good on purpose. It dove right into the net trying to follow the path it was used to and I had a split second to pull it out.

Webslinger · May 3, 2019

micro hooks work great

KrisReef · May 3, 2019

juanmanuelsanchez said:
Could this kill corals?

If you drop o2 for an extended period of time it would be a problem. If you drop it long. Enough to catch the fish, say 2 minutes or less, it should not be a problem. The key is to catch the fish and then kick the circulation back in and get the O2 back up you should be ok with living organisms, fish, coral, bacteria, plants will enjoy the extra C02.

Method is used for field anesthesia for fish tagging.

juanmanuelsanchez · May 3, 2019

Well I have been dosing CO2 for more than a hour, nothing happens. I'm using the co2 from the reactor and the dosing bubbles from it.

Is there a drug I could use?