I need to catch this dottyback, please help

maleks.reef · Jun 19, 2021

Hi everyone. i mistakenly got a dottyback, thinking it was a royal gramma.

Now, im afraid of adding any shrimp or fish because chances are it will attack them.

I tried the DIY bottle method, no luck. I tried using a fish trap, the clown keeps getting in there and eating all the food. And of course, i cant use a net because as soon as i approach it, it disappears under the rocks. So what do i do? Im sick of this fish and i need it gone ASAP. (Ive only used flake with the diy bottle method, ill try to use frozen tomorrow)

Thanks.

Ghost25 · Jun 19, 2021

What I did was feed near the top of the tank. I just sat the net in the water at the top during feeding so he got used to the net being there during feeding. Then one he got used to it I need him during a feeding.

maleks.reef · Jun 19, 2021

Ghost25 said:
What I did was feed near the top of the tank. I just sat the net in the water at the top during feeding so he got used to the net being there during feeding. Then one he got used to it I need him during a feeding.

interesting. Problem is, my dotty never ever comes to the top. He barely leaves his rock. Whenever i feed, he just gets whatever sinks to the bottom.

zalick · Jun 19, 2021

Tiny hook. Seriously. Just keep other fish away.

KC's CNC Creations · Jun 19, 2021

As zalic said, a single hook off a small Sabiki rig works wonders.

maleks.reef · Jun 20, 2021

KC's CNC Creations said:
As zalic said, a single hook off a small Sabiki rig works wonders.

zalick said:
Tiny hook. Seriously. Just keep other fish away.

A hook? Dang. Do i just put some frozen mysis on the hook?

KC's CNC Creations · Jun 20, 2021

maleks.reef said:
A hook? Dang. Do i just put some frozen mysis on the hook?

as i mentioned a Sabiki rig (just use a single hook from it, not the whole rig), it has artificial bait on it that most fish will easily accept.

ZoWhat · Jun 20, 2021

Those Sabiki hooks are no joke. Razor sharp. Careful when handling the hook. Super easy to hook your finger before you know it

maleks.reef · Jun 20, 2021

KC's CNC Creations said:
as i mentioned a Sabiki rig (just use a single hook from it, not the whole rig), it has artificial bait on it that most fish will easily accept.

Im not sure if ill be able to find a "sabiki rig" where i live, so can i just buy the smallest hook i can find and use it? Also, what if one of my 2 clowns swallow the hook? My dottyback is very shy and scared all the time, unlike my big clown.

ZoWhat · Jun 20, 2021

maleks.reef said:
Im not sure if ill be able to find a "sabiki rig" where i live, so can i just buy the smallest hook i can find and use it? Also, what if one of my 2 clowns swallow the hook? My dottyback is very shy and scared all the time, unlike my big clown.

You live near a Walmart?

This time of year practically every Walmart has them in their fishing isle

KrisReef · Jun 20, 2021

maleks.reef said:
Hi everyone. i mistakenly got a dottyback, thinking it was a royal gramma.

Now, im afraid of adding any shrimp or fish because chances are it will attack them.

I tried the DIY bottle method, no luck. I tried using a fish trap, the clown keeps getting in there and eating all the food. And of course, i cant use a net because as soon as i approach it, it disappears under the rocks. So what do i do? Im sick of this fish and i need it gone ASAP. (Ive only used flake with the diy bottle method, ill try to use frozen tomorrow)

Thanks.

Drain the tank:
If you have sand, dig a pit in the sand near the front of the tank.
Use Rubbermaid tubs or similar to drain the tank.
Collect Dottyback from the pit near the front of the tank.
Refill.

its handy to do a small water change to remove dirt that you may have sucked out during the draining step.

Does this really work?

Pictures from a Pygmy angel removal last week. Yes, it works with only lowtide stresses.

maleks.reef · Jun 20, 2021

zoa what said:
You live near a Walmart?

This time of year practically every Walmart has them in their fishing isle

nope lol i dont live in the us

maleks.reef · Jun 20, 2021

KrisReef said:
Drain the tank:
If you have sand, dig a pit in the sand near the front of the tank.
Use Rubbermaid tubs or similar to drain the tank.
Collect Dottyback from the pit near the front of the tank.
Refill.

its handy to do a small water change to remove dirt that you may have sucked out during the draining step.

Does this really work?

Pictures from a Pygmy angel removal last week. Yes, it works with only lowtide stresses.

Ive thought about using this, however, the dottys home is underneath a rock, a massive rock that i can't remove. So draining the tank is useless in my case. If i remove that rock ill have to remove everything else.

Lost in the Sauce · Jun 20, 2021

I've had a neon dottyback living with all kinds of inverts. It's not an end of the world, you've got time to get it out.

KrisReef · Jun 20, 2021

maleks.reef said:
Ive thought about using this, however, the dottys home is underneath a rock, a massive rock that i can't remove. So draining the tank is useless in my case. If i remove that rock ill have to remove everything else.

When the water gets shallow fish panic and swim around trying to find the lowest spot in the tank where there is going to be water. Have a net ready and net or hand grab the dottyback as he "looks for the exit." Same thing happens to fish in tide pools when the water is leaving. They seem to like to stay in deeper water just to be safe.

Jedi1199 · Jun 20, 2021

What Dottyback do you have? I have a Magenta and have no problem at all with him.. He is just part of the crowd. Ignores his tankmates, never bothered a coral, shrimp, or fish in any way. Why do you feel it necessary to remove him?

KC's CNC Creations · Jun 20, 2021

maleks.reef said:
Im not sure if ill be able to find a "sabiki rig" where i live, so can i just buy the smallest hook i can find and use it? Also, what if one of my 2 clowns swallow the hook? My dottyback is very shy and scared all the time, unlike my big clown.

most sabiki are barbless, if you hook the wrong one, just gently release and continue fishing. or you can just get the smallest hook available in your location, file the barb off.

maleks.reef · Jun 21, 2021

Jedi1199 said:
What Dottyback do you have? I have a Magenta and have no problem at all with him.. He is just part of the crowd. Ignores his tankmates, never bothered a coral, shrimp, or fish in any way. Why do you feel it necessary to remove him?

Lost in the Sauce said:
I've had a neon dottyback living with all kinds of inverts. It's not an end of the world, you've got time to get it out.

Well, you got lucky with your dottyback, doesn't mean I will too. I have a royal dotty back, not sure what the exact name is but it is half purple and half yellow. I can't risk adding fish or shrimp only to lose them. Some get lucky with dottybacks, most don't. In addition, many factors come into play: the size of tankmates, size of the tank, aquascape, etc.

I got this fish because i mistook it for a royal gramma. I read many, many threads and even watched videos about people losing livestock to this fish.

Lost in the Sauce · Jun 21, 2021

maleks.reef said:
Well, you got lucky with your dottyback, doesn't mean I will too. I have a royal dotty back, not sure what the exact name is but it is half purple and half yellow. I can't risk adding fish or shrimp only to lose them. Some get lucky with dottybacks, most don't. In addition, many factors come into play: the size of tankmates, size of the tank, aquascape, etc.

I got this fish because i mistook it for a royal gramma. I read many, many threads and even watched videos about people losing livestock to this fish.

To each their own.

My point was that its not an emergency and you have some time. Many dotty backs live years before eventually becoming aggressive when they get large.