Reefs.org Forums

[Sea Turtle]

I threw up a post in the General Reef Keeping forum about a flame angel problem that I am having. I got a few responses about how to catch him, however, I thought that I would post one in this forum to see if anyone might have some briliant method of catching an angel fish in your tank. I have a large quantity of live rock that I do not want to remove. Any ideas that have worked would be much appreciated. I plan on working all day saturday to remove him. Just how is the qustion.

[seamaiden]

Barbless hook.

[Sea Turtle]

Barbless hook.

Will this really hurt him or even kill it? I have to return it to the fish store where I purchaed it from. I do like the idea though.

[jhemdal]

I've used tiny barbless hooks (size #26 for ice fishing) on 2 1/2" Anthias. Never tried it on a angelfish - but it might work. You need to keep tension on the line as you haul them up, or they throw the hook. It's imperative that you tie the hook on well - if the line comes off, the hook will be left in the fish's mouth. I need a magnifying glass and two hemostats to tie the line on a #26 hook - these come with a magnet to keep them in one place when you work with them. Try baiting the hook with 1/2 of a frozen mysid. You usually get one, maybe two tries at this, then the fish gets wise...

Believe it or not, there is a group of people on R/C that suggest quickly turning on all the tank lights at 3am or so, and then poking around in the rocks and netting up the stunned fish as it bumps around the tank in shock. Seems more stressfull that even using a hook and line to me, but they didn't think so.....I guess I'll never know, because I won't be doing that here at the public aquarium I work at - can you imagine the carnage? I don't even allow our night security to use flash lights because it stresses the fish. Besides, I'm not all that interested in driving in to work at 3am (grin).


Jay

[Louey]

Net in one hand, a stick (or something stick like) in the other. Put the net in the tank and chase the fish around with the stick until he eventually nets himself.

I did that with a skittish rabbitfish the other day.

Louey

[Sea Turtle]

I think that I'm going to try the 2 liter soda bottle trap. Does anyone have any experience with this method?

I like the fishing hook idea a lot, however, I have about 3 other fish in the tank that would hit that thing before it sunk 2 inches. It would be imposible to get him only to eat it.

[seamaiden]

Go ahead and take all of them out with it, for practice. I've never done the bottle thing. I've netted only. The barbless hook thing seems a lot easier to me.

[Sea Turtle]

You guys won't believe this. I put a wine craft similar to a hour glass in the tank this morning. I laid it on the bottom on the sand. I threw a mysis frozencube into it. It sat there for about 3 hours. All the crabs snails everything wanted in but could not get up high enough to enter. Anyway, I was just about to leave the house when one of the fish when into it and started stiring up all the food and eating his heart out. Then like a miracle, the flame swam into it too. They were so bussy eating that they didn;t even notice me stick my arm in and crab the craft. It was so easy. I still am amazed it happened. I was preperaed for a long weekend of fishing and possibly taking all the rock out. Thank God!! I took him to the store and got my money back.

[The Escaped Ape]

You were lucky to get your money back! Nipping is always a hazard with dwarf Angels (almost).

[Sea Turtle]

He had told me when I bought it that he would refund me because I was a little worried abuut it. He still claims that the Marshal Island Flame is fine in the reef tank and only 1 out of 50 will nip corals. I guess I got that one. I wish I could be that lucky with march madness.

[seamaiden]

Ha! Keep that carafe for future fishing! That rawx.

[Sea Turtle]

Ha! Keep that carafe for future fishing! That rawx.

Yeah, my wife wasn't too happy about the wine carafe being in the tank and all.

[The Escaped Ape]

One of the conditions of me having another tank is having a supply of "fish tank only" towels, containers etc. lol

[Sea Turtle]

This method is great. I have to add in, I caught my tang the other day with using this little trick. I need to put him in the QT to treat the ich problem. Basically took me about 30 seconds to catch him. Seeing he's a pig to begin with, as soon as I put it in the tank he was already barging into the carafe. Just put my hand over the end and picked it out. Best method ever!!!