How to catch fish?

Jskinn27 · Apr 12, 2019

whats the best way or most effective way to catch fish you need to quarantine? I’m trying to minimize stress on the fish. Thanks I’m advance.

Scotty Buttons · Apr 12, 2019

Get a fish trap. As long as the fish is still eating Most people are successful with them just need some patience.

Bob Weigant · Apr 12, 2019

Fish trap is the best way but can also take awhile. Sometimes they go right in and sometimes they just stay away

Miami Reef · Apr 12, 2019

How big is your tank? You can try lowering the water level to about an inch or two then scoop them off.

Jskinn27 · Apr 12, 2019

Miami Reef said:
How big is your tank? You can try lowering the water level to about an inch or two then scoop them off.

It’s a 75 gal

Peace River · Apr 12, 2019

Jskinn27 said:
whats the best way or most effective way to catch fish you need to quarantine? I’m trying to minimize stress on the fish. Thanks I’m advance.

The short answer is it depends! What type of fish are you trying to catch? What else is in the tank (e.g., other fish, live rock, corals, etc.)? As others have mentioned a fish trap can be effective. In another type of approach, one of the things that I have used effectively is a DIY divider made of lighting "egg crate" that lets me limit a fish to a small part of the tank and lets me catch the fish much easier with a net, by hand, or in another container. Obviously this is dependent on your aquascaping, being able to coax the fish over to one side of the tank while you carefully slide the divider in (usually at an angle, bottom first), and as with any method - patience. One side note - a scared fish is usually the hardest to catch! Good luck!

Blackice615 · Apr 12, 2019

Depending on the fish, I wait until the fish are sleep and scoop them off the sandbed. Boom, they wake up in a new tank!

Jskinn27 · Apr 12, 2019

I’m trying to get one more clown, a long nose hawk, Midas blenny and flame angel. I can get the clown at night. Others I’m gonna have to catch. My flame angel sleeps in a cave with my fire shrimp. I’m heading to Lowe’s to get stuff for my qt and I’ll get some egg crate. Also my lfs is going to let me borrow a fish trap

Jesterrace · Apr 13, 2019

Glad to hear they are letting you borrow the fish trap. It is by far the least stressful method IMHO for both the fish and the owner. I've used homemade traps twice and a pre-fab twice and with patience I am 4 for 4 removing fish with a trap.

cracker · Apr 13, 2019

Are You reproving all the fish? If so, drain the water down & remove the rock it can always be put back in . If just a fish or two You want then a trap is best. The bigger the better even if You have to move some rock. Least stressful on both the fish & fish keeper !

Txag96 · Apr 16, 2019

I used a $10 Critter Keeper from Petco, a big magnet, and some fishing line. Put a few small rocks in there and leave the lid open with the line attached to the lid and then run to my coach. Turn off the flow, feed the trap only and watch TV until the fish goes in. Took almost no time for some of the fish and 3 weeks for others, but it worked.