New Blue Tang Question

[kmbyrnes]

Let's give credit where it's due.
The OP made a mistake many of us have made. He learned from it and is trying to do the right thing. It is up to us to do our research on the fish we want to purchase.
I agree that it's sad that so many LFS will sell fish to someone they know does not have the proper tank / equipment to care for it, but they are in business and from that standpoint a sale is a sale. I vote with my wallet and don't support those places.

OP I hope you manage to get him out of your tank and rehome him. If not today, soon.

[Bent]

Originally Posted by kmbyrnes

Let's give credit where it's due.
The OP made a mistake many of us have made. He learned from it and is trying to do the right thing. It is up to us to do our research on the fish we want to purchase.
I agree that it's sad that so many LFS will sell fish to someone they know does not have the proper tank / equipment to care for it, but they are in business and from that standpoint a sale is a sale. I vote with my wallet and don't support those places.

OP I hope you manage to get him out of your tank and rehome him. If not today, soon.

I wasn't trying to take away from that, just making a point.

[mattyg18]

Thanks for all of the reinforcement fellas. I'm stilll in a jam though.

Now that i've found a new home for this little fellow it seems he doesn't want to leave. I can't get this sucker out of my tank. I feel terrible because now when i get anywhere close to the tank he takes off under the rock and hides. I really don't want to tear my tank apart. I've got a lot of corals all over and it would be a royal PITA to do that.

I read they have these fish traps but i'm not sure that would work either.

Help???

[johnike]

Google 2 liter bottle fish trap.

[jacob.morgan78]

Honestly, I know you've already given it away basically... but I don't think there's anything wrong with growing him out a little bit in your tank and passing him on eventually if you don't upgrade. Chances are, and I can tell you have some sense about ya, that you will upgrade to larger tank. You have the patience (you used QT) to do well in the hobby and I'd vote that you upgrade in a year or two. That tang is not going to outgrow your tank in that time IPO. Keep it and if you don't upgrade, sell or trade him for more at that time. If it makes ya feel better to do this, then do whatever ya feel.

Just my two cents.

Good luck!

[mattyg18]

I actually did think about it and my wife wants to keep him (for what that's worth). But it still doesn't solve my problem. It just drags it out. Will he be easier to catch in a year or so when he's larger? I'll also most likeky have less room in my tank in another year to catch him. I read somewhere last night that their growth is stunted in a smaller tank. Is that accurate?

[jacob.morgan78]

not sure if they're stunting... I think that's myth though... they'll get stressed and die when they get too big for the tank is more accurate probably. I can't help with the trapping thing man... I've had issues myself. If you get him eating well, start feeding him closer and closer to a trap until he's to the point of going in voluntarily... HTH and good luck!

[mattyg18]

Do you think he will be any easier to catch when he gets larger? Or am I better off trying to catch him now.

[Bent]

Your going to have to take the rock out of any tank you want To catch a fish out of. It's just the way it is.

Just bite the bullet and get it done.

[heathlindner25]

Originally Posted by Bent

Your going to have to take the rock out of any tank you want To catch a fish out of. It's just the way it is.

Just bite the bullet and get it done.

[mattyg18]

Sounds like a rainy day project then. Maybe this Sunday. Were supposed to get blasted with rain and wind. Talk about learning your lesson the hard way....

[lockdown52]

Before you tear your rock work out, see if you can borrow a fish trap from someone local. They are not guaranteed to work. It can be a time consuming process. I have had to trap two fish on separate occasions. Each time, every darn fish that I didn't want swam into the trap for food. Each time took about 45 minutes of waiting for the right fish.

[johnike]

https://www.reefcleaners.org/how-to-trap-a-fish

[xanthurum]

Sounds crazy but try chicken wire. I've used it with great success. Just cut a few pieces to size and slowly section off the tank until you can get him in a corner then net him out. Even fish that can fit thru the holes usually won't. It's more of a visual barrier.

By the way I applaud you for doing the right thing.

[mattyg18]

I was able to borrow a trap from a fellow RC'r and gonna give that a shot. I tried some egg crate but i've got so much rock in there, and i've got one of those acrylic tanks with the cut out on top (sot its not totally open) and its real difficult to maneuver in there. As soon as he saw the egg crate come near him he took off. Probably the same with chicken wire.

If the trap doesn't work my last resort is to tear apart the tank. Keeping my fingers crossed this trap works.

[mattyg18]

The fish has absolutely zero interest in going anywhere near the tank. This leads me back to what a few of you had initially suggested. Looks like the rock is coming out. My question is...after the rock is all out do I just chase him with a net? Or is there a better idea. I'd rather not use chicken wire because i'll scratch the heck out of my acrylic. I suppose I could use some egg crate and block him in a bit. Or is there a better method?

Thanks

[mattyg18]

Please disregard my last post. I just read an awesome thread in the fish disease forum that gave some great ideas on catching. Good stuff. I'm gonna try catching him at night when he's sleeping. Seems most people have good luck with that.

[heathlindner25]

Once the rock is out you can wear him down with a net, a little barbaric. I'm not sure what the fish people call it, but I like to use the acrylic box to catch my fish with, they seem to go in kind of peacefully

This....

[mattyg18]

No such luck with trying to catch him when he's sleeping. Wishful thinking I guess. This morning I tore my tank apart. Set up 8 buckets in my living room, pulled all of the rocks out with corals attached, and tried my best to remember where everything goes. I was able to catch this guy finally although it wasn't easy even with all of the rock out. The tank was a cloud of dust with about 7" of water left. The fun part was putting all of the rock back in. No chance was I getting all of it back the way it came out. I've got a 60 gal cube so the rocks basically stack up like a triangle. I ended up removing most of the corals from the rocks setting them aside in a separate bucket. It just wasn't going back in the same way it came out. I tried my best to stack everything back up so it looked nice. Fired up the pump to get some flow going and glued the corals back in. I had to glue some of the rocks together with aqua mend (thankfully I had) because they just weren't fitting back in snug. Aside from a broken birds nest (which I kinda glued back together) everything looks good. I think I actually like the new setup better now. Four hours later i'm all done. My clowns are eating fine, the tank is beginning to clear up and the tang is back in QT soon to be transported to a new home where he belongs. And man did I learn a lesson the hard way. I will never ever make that mistake again. The end....

[johnike]

Well done, and congrats.

[heathlindner25]

Good man.