Any Ideas on catching a fish that hides in rocks?

Nikita6711 · 03/07/2014, 01:14 PM

So this morning I woke up and saw my royal gramma covered in ich. It is fairly new and just came out of quarantine. Having just lost thousands of dollars of fish to ich, I am now freaking out and need to get him out of my nano ASAP. I have tried a DIY trap, the flashlight method, and even tried "smoking him out" by inserting a tube into the rock and blowing air while waiting with a net, no success. I do not have time to order a fish trap online and wait for it, and as luck would have it, the rock he calls home happens to be the rock at the base of my tank underneath all the other rocks. I really don't want to tear the tank apart but if I don't find another way to catch him than that's what I am going to do. On the bright side, at least this is happening in my 29 gallon nano and not one of my larger tanks, but still it is going to be a pain, and stress out all my fish... Any Ideas anyone?? HELP! Here is my tank setup and where the fish hides...

The structure is held together with plastic rods that run through holes I drilled in the rocks, which I thought would make it easier for things like this however it is impossible to fit them back together once they are taken apart...

scuzy · 03/07/2014, 01:52 PM

Use ac fish trap I use the one from aqua medics

ca1ore · 03/07/2014, 02:11 PM

I think it is the usual litany of options, sorry to say. By 'flashlight method' I assume you mean trying to grab it at night when presumably groggy? Trying to catch a particular fish is like trying to get a newborn to sleep at night: different things work in different cases!

Deinonych · 03/07/2014, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca1ore

I think it is the usual litany of options, sorry to say. By 'flashlight method' I assume you mean trying to grab it at night when presumably groggy? Trying to catch a particular fish is like trying to get a newborn to sleep at night: different things work in different cases!

+1

Unforunately, there is no easy way. I've had good success with my Aqua Medic fish trap, but like ca1ore said, it depends on the fish. You may have to take apart your rockwork to get him out...

webslinger · 04/15/2014, 01:17 PM

Use a #24 fish hook w/ a tiny piece of shrimp. I caught my chromis im 5 seconds. He is now happily living in a friends tank.

03/07/2014, 01:14 PM	#1
Nikita6711 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 19	Any Ideas on catching a fish that hides in rocks? So this morning I woke up and saw my royal gramma covered in ich. It is fairly new and just came out of quarantine. Having just lost thousands of dollars of fish to ich, I am now freaking out and need to get him out of my nano ASAP. I have tried a DIY trap, the flashlight method, and even tried "smoking him out" by inserting a tube into the rock and blowing air while waiting with a net, no success. I do not have time to order a fish trap online and wait for it, and as luck would have it, the rock he calls home happens to be the rock at the base of my tank underneath all the other rocks. I really don't want to tear the tank apart but if I don't find another way to catch him than that's what I am going to do. On the bright side, at least this is happening in my 29 gallon nano and not one of my larger tanks, but still it is going to be a pain, and stress out all my fish... Any Ideas anyone?? HELP! Here is my tank setup and where the fish hides... The structure is held together with plastic rods that run through holes I drilled in the rocks, which I thought would make it easier for things like this however it is impossible to fit them back together once they are taken apart...

03/07/2014, 02:11 PM	#3
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	I think it is the usual litany of options, sorry to say. By 'flashlight method' I assume you mean trying to grab it at night when presumably groggy? Trying to catch a particular fish is like trying to get a newborn to sleep at night: different things work in different cases! __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

03/07/2014, 01:52 PM	#2
scuzy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 6,499	Use ac fish trap I use the one from aqua medics

04/15/2014, 01:17 PM	#5
webslinger Friendly Neighborhood Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Lancaster, NY Posts: 307	Use a #24 fish hook w/ a tiny piece of shrimp. I caught my chromis im 5 seconds. He is now happily living in a friends tank.