How to catch a firefish?

[m0jjen]

So i got a velvet outbreak about 6 weeks ago and figured id just let it harvest its victims since i didnt have a filter not equipment to QT all the fish. Today i have 6 fish remaining and have caught all but one. A purple firefish. And in all honesty at this point i dont care if i get him out dead or alive since he's prolonged the fallow period for way longer than i want. I've tried pretty much everything:

* Fishtrap
* Bottle trap
* Stun with flashlight at night (not to succsessfull seeing how he dont show at night no mather what.
* Blocking all of his burrows
* Feed in

Emptying the tank / rescaping is a big no go. Its all cemted up in a reefer 625, once again id rather spear fish the little bugger.

One thing thats good is that he's somewhat interested in food. As long as its floating in the water colum. Food in traps / bottles and / nets isnt even remotely interesting and as soon as i put my hands / net or whatever in the tank he darts into whatever place he can find thats not blocked.

Any ideas? dead or alive. Preferably alive

 

[deedubz]

The only two suggestions I'd have are bottle trap and removing rock. I know all too well how hit or miss the trap can be.

If removing the rock truly isn't an option you could try a small fish hook. I have zero experience with this method and don't even know where to start as far as suggestions. Maybe Google it. I have seen it brought up a few times

 

[m0jjen]

Rock is out of the question, have about 30 SPS mainly acro on it so it would be a huge blow to them and the tank as a whole. Guess ill just starv him and go with the bottle trap and wait to see what come first. death or trapped

 

[Big G]

Fly fishing technique. Get a very small fish hook and very thin fishing line, like fly fishing leader material. Flatten the barb. Place a bit of food on the hook. Whamo!

 

[deedubz]

Fly fishing technique. Get a very small fish hook and very thin fishing line, like fly fishing leader material. Flatten the barb. Place a bit of food on the hook. Whamo!

FYI... waders, a flannel shirt, and a bucket hat are mandatory

 

[Big G]

FYI... waders, a flannel shirt, and a bucket hat are mandatory

. . . what? No flask of 10 yr. scotch?

 

[deedubz]

. . . what? No flask of 10 yr. scotch?

Man.. I knew I forgot something. Maybe this is why always sucked at fly fishing.

 

[deedubz]

I'm good with rattle traps and bombers for striped bass (rockfish) though!

 

[Big G]

 

[deedubz]

Haha I thought I deleted that pic..

 

[m0jjen]

Any more good tips? Im really at a loss, tried the flyfishing thing, no luck, bottle and normal trap, no luck

 

[deedubz]

Unfortunately that's all I could come up with. I had a similar situation with a Wheeler's goby.. I ultimately had to break the entire tank down to catch him

 

[mahindra.dev]

So can you startle him and see if he jumps or food in a net?

 

[Jesterrace]

The only way you will get a firefish or any dartfish out of your tank is if it's dead or near death. I had a Purple Firefish in my tank and a scissortail and it took bullying from other fish and a run in with an aiptasia to do them in. I tried traps and everything short of draining the tank and moving the rock I don't know what else you can do. Are there any other fish in the tank that you want to keep at this point? If not then you could try removing the lid and scaring the crap out of it and it might jump out. It's a long shot but since there are no other options it couldn't hurt to try it. Either way, this is one of several reasons I will never own another dartfish again.

 

[rockstarta78]

I caught my purple firefish and I couldn't believe my luck. Every time he saw the blue net, he'd go hiding in this one particular cave. Luckily that rock was not glued to anything. And I didn't know that the cave had only one entry point. So I figured, I'd pull the rock out and see where exactly he's hiding and I'll come up with Plan B after I figure out his hiding location. I went ahead and pulled the rock out. I turned all powerhead all circulation off. I am leaning over my tank with the rock I just pulled out in one hand and looking through the tank lid trying to figure out where he went. The rock was getting heavy, I went to set it in a bucket and guess who jumps out scaring the crap out of me and lands in the bucket. The firefish. I think I spent more time trying to catch him out of the 10g QT tank than catching him from the main DT with rocks and corals.

Catching firefish is never easy and it's almost impossible. If he is eating, I say set the fish trap they sell at Marine Depot and let it sit there for about a week. he will eventually associate that trap with food. Once he is used to the trap, you can "try" to catch it. Even then it's hit or miss since they are so freaking fast. But you gotta get him used to a trap before trying to catch him.

 

[m0jjen]

I caught my purple firefish and I couldn't believe my luck. Every time he saw the blue net, he'd go hiding in this one particular cave. Luckily that rock was not glued to anything. And I didn't know that the cave had only one entry point. So I figured, I'd pull the rock out and see where exactly he's hiding and I'll come up with Plan B after I figure out his hiding location. I went ahead and pulled the rock out. I turned all powerhead all circulation off. I am leaning over my tank with the rock I just pulled out in one hand and looking through the tank lid trying to figure out where he went. The rock was getting heavy, I went to set it in a bucket and guess who jumps out scaring the crap out of me and lands in the bucket. The firefish. I think I spent more time trying to catch him out of the 10g QT tank than catching him from the main DT with rocks and corals.

Catching firefish is never easy and it's almost impossible. If he is eating, I say set the fish trap they sell at Marine Depot and let it sit there for about a week. he will eventually associate that trap with food. Once he is used to the trap, you can "try" to catch it. Even then it's hit or miss since they are so freaking fast. But you gotta get him used to a trap before trying to catch him.

Ye, went back to the trap and will starv him for two days starting today then feed twice, very little inside the trap and hope i can get him. I had him in the trap TWICE but he's so freaking fast.

 

[Kevinkmk]

Ye, went back to the trap and will starv him for two days starting today then feed twice, very little inside the trap and hope i can get him. I had him in the trap TWICE but he's so freaking fast.

Same thing here. Velvet in tank and trying to catch a yellow wrass and fire fish. I bought aquatic med fish trap. I guess only way is wait

 

[m0jjen]

Okay plan T (pretty much gone through A to S by now), how long would it take to starv the fish to death? Would invertebrates survive during this period? Nutrients isnt an issue since i have aminos / coral food / kno3 / kh2po4 and so on. I just want the fish out dead or alive so i can start a fallow period.