Suggested Fish Trap

[Severum]

Hey all,

I have two firefish in my tank and one is getting emaciated due to bullying. I see him eating but he's not plump like the other. Its only a matter of time before he becomes hermit food.

I'd like to get him out of the tank and to a home where he can eat carefree and grow nice and fat. Whats the best way to get him out?

• Most of my rock is epoxied so taking it out is not an option.
• I don't want to run around the tank with an net cuz I'll end up with 1000 coral frags.
• The inverted pop bottle works on crabs but will it work on fish?
• I can make an acrylic trap with a sliding door but suspect that I'll catch a my blue tang and clowns 100 times instead.

Any ideas or words of encouragement?

[HappyGuppy]

I am sooo watching this thread.  I remember when I got ick in the tank with my firefish it took me 2 weeks to catch him.  Tried the bottle trap too, but never got him that way.  I would still try the bottle trap, just in case it works.  In the end I finally got lucky - saw him swim into a cave with no back door and I trapped him there with a net.  Then I lifted the rock out with the net over the hole.

Firefish are no doubt the most difficult fish I've ever tried to net.  I wish you luck.

Hopefully someone has some genius method and will post it here for you.

[robt18]

The pop bottle trap should work well since you've trying to catch a smaller torpedo shaped fish. Just keep the mouth away from the bottom to hopefully keep the hermits out. Even if some get in there its not a big deal, just wait until the firefish head in, the close up the end, take it out, cut the top off, return what you want back into the tank and separate the firefish!

[HomerJ]

I have had luck catching fish at night when it's dark.  I shine a flashlight close to the tank (not directly at the fish), and it seems to get their attention.  They still look half asleep (if there is such a thing).  I then am able to scoop them from behind with a net without them realizing too much what is happening.  I know you want to avoid a net, but I haven't had to chase the fish per say, just scoop them out from the spot where they chill for the night.

Of course, this is not likely to work if your fish is hiding in a cave at night, but worth a try.

[gvv]

OK, firefish (normal one) is very shy fish and it will not go into the trap when other more active fish are swimming around the trap. It will rather hide in the live rock. But this is your best bet...
At night it is also difficult to catch it, as mine for example, are sleeping deep inside the LR and getting out only when the lights are on.

Good luck, but this is very difficult job to do.

[Severum]

Thanks guys. I'll give the pop bottle a shot tonight. The bullying has relagated him to the back corner of the tank where the other fish don't venture much. Hopefully he'll be comfortable enough to go in for some mysis.