DIY Fish Trap

comatose · 03/13/2006, 03:18 PM

Well i needed to get a Flame Angel out of my tank, i would watch him pick at every coral in the tank day in and day out, he was impossible to catch, man they are smart too, i was beging to wonder who had the higher I.Q between us.

every since i bought him i have lost polyp extension from him picking so much.

anyway, it is a 10" long 6" round piece of leftover acrylic, i made slots for the door to slide up and down into, the other end is a piece glued in place and is squared off at the bottom to act as feet so it wouldn't roll, the white tube you see is 1/2" going thru with a uniseal so that while it's in the tank i can drop food in the tube and it will sink into the trap, it is just long enough to reach about an 1" out of the water.
I put it in the tank for a day or two so the Angel gets use to it then start adding food and Wait till he goes in and then release the trap door, which by the way is held up by 8lb test fishing line.
it worked perfectly in just two days,
this trap is not an automatic trap, you have to be there to release the door.

Now he is in the Refugium waiting till i go to the fish store.

jjac · 03/13/2006, 04:21 PM

Nice job! I have had to take my rock out to catch some of my fish before.

comatose · 03/13/2006, 04:33 PM

Thanks,
taking rock out wasn't an option for me, took me about a half hour to build this, every one of my fish went in it before the flame angel, he was the only one that was real careful about entering.

jmkarcz · 03/13/2006, 04:40 PM

I made a trap very simular a few years ago. I found that the acrylic trap door took WAY to long to sink. So I made a hinged guiliteine style door that uses a changable rubberband. Not it snaps shut.

I also work at a brick yard that sells tile, so I siliconed the whole thing to a slab of marble to keep it where I put it.

It's awsome to yank a fish out without disturbing the coral. Even better, never chase a damsel again.

Jason

comatose · 03/13/2006, 04:58 PM

thats funny, my door dropped like a brick.
i was just thinking how i did without this thing all these years, i disturbed so many nice rock walls to get a fish.
well now this thing goes on the shelf till i need it again. the good thing about the uniseal is that i can pull the pipe out for storage.

ezhoops · 03/13/2006, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jmkarcz
I made a trap very simular a few years ago. I found that the acrylic trap door took WAY to long to sink. So I made a hinged guiliteine style door that uses a changable rubberband. Not it snaps shut.

I also work at a brick yard that sells tile, so I siliconed the whole thing to a slab of marble to keep it where I put it.

It's awsome to yank a fish out without disturbing the coral. Even better, never chase a damsel again.

Jason

I'm in the process of making a trap, can you explain how you used the rubberband and hinges?

I've been looking for plastic hinges and can't find any.

pics would be helpful

Kent E · 03/13/2006, 09:31 PM

I don't understand the pvc tube part.

ezhoops · 03/13/2006, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kent E
I don't understand the pvc tube part.

its a tube with one open end, the part with the door is open, once a fish enters, they spring the trap door and wham you have your fish trapped.

the long tube coming out of the top is for feeding, to lure the fish inside.

comatose · 03/14/2006, 02:24 AM

ezhoops is right, the PVC tube goes from the trap to about 1" above the water surface when i want to lure a fish in the trap i put in any food that sinks into the top of the pvc tube and it sinks down to the trap.
It's just a better way to get food in the trap rather than scaring the fish when you try and put food directly into the trap with your hands. your hands never touch the water this way.

melev · 03/18/2006, 10:34 AM

Nice job. How did you make the section the door slides up and down? I made a square trap with the same basic premise. I think it would be nicer if we used thicker material and routed out the track for the door to slide up and down.

ezhoops · 03/18/2006, 04:01 PM

I agree Melev, that would be nice, but I still want to know how he used a rubber band and hinges?

melev · 03/18/2006, 09:04 PM

Where I buy my acrylic, they sell acrylic hinges. I've got some but haven't used them yet, and don't know how long they'd last in saltwater. I can't remember if they have a metal pin or not.

For cheap hinges, you can use zip ties. I'm not sure what a rubberband would do, but MacGyver would.

Airman · 03/19/2006, 04:00 PM

Comatose,

Your website is cool. A lot of good stuff there.

melev · 03/19/2006, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Airman
Comatose,

Your website is cool. A lot of good stuff there.

I agree. You should update the full tank pictures with something from this month, as it has been almost a year since that was updated.

comatose · 03/19/2006, 08:35 PM

Thanks guys, i've been working on the website this weekend and plan on updating all the pictures this week. I've been so busy building the calcium reactor II and a new canopy along with this fish trap, i'm starting to get caught up now. it's hard taking full tank shots of a 6' long tank and being able to see everything. but i will update everything, even growth pics buy the end of the month.

ezhoops · 03/19/2006, 10:01 PM

Hinges?

comatose · 03/20/2006, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
I agree. You should update the full tank pictures with something from this month, as it has been almost a year since that was updated.

Ok i updated two sections, one being the starboard section with what the bottom looks like after the first 14 months and the tank section with updated tank pics.
growth pics at the end of the month, i'm still working on some modification to the whole website. it's a slow process, i need to add the DIY fish trap section yet.

melev · 03/20/2006, 05:44 PM

Good update on the starboard page. I don't see a lot of change in the display tank after a year's time though. The lighting (or picture at least) is less bright.

comatose · 03/20/2006, 06:18 PM

I know, for some reason the pictures just dont want to come out right with this camera. i just can't get the right coloring so that you can see all the frags and corals, believe it or not there are about 20-30 frags in that full tank shot that you just can't see. the pics just dont do the tank justice. thats another reason i hadn't posted in a year, maybe i'll try my daughters camera and see if hers helps.

Redfish · 03/20/2006, 07:28 PM

I have made a series of fish traps before. Hinges just don't work well. They dont close quickly enough. The best door is GLASS sliding in a track. The glass slides well due to its weight.

I made my own out of left over tube but never quite got the track made well enough. The door never slid up and down smoothly and when it did move the trap moved alittle as well. That scared the fish. I eventually saw the AquaMedic trap which is acrylic with glass bottom to hold it still and beautiful sliding glass trap door. Another benefit of the glass bottom is the weight it provides contering the glass door when you raise it. You can actually raise and lower the door so quickly that even if you initially trap more than the intended fish, you can easily let the other fish out as they swim around. You use a little 8-10 pound fishing line connected to the door. It was only $40.00 so it was a no brainer after making several of my own. It also has an insertable tube for food to not disturb the trap.

P.S. I also use the trap in reverse to acclimate fish to the tank and the other fish. It has ventilation/circulation slots

comatose · 03/20/2006, 10:49 PM

OK, i've been getting more than a few PM's on how i did this and did that on the trap, so i added the fish trap to my webpage DIY section with more pics and more detail how i made it, thanks all for your PM's.

comatose · 03/21/2006, 05:05 PM

Hey Melev, you have a pretty informative site yourself, i really enjoyed rolling thru most of the pages. when i get some time i'll have to check it out further.

melev · 03/21/2006, 06:01 PM

Thanks.

03/13/2006, 03:18 PM	#1
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	DIY Fish Trap Well i needed to get a Flame Angel out of my tank, i would watch him pick at every coral in the tank day in and day out, he was impossible to catch, man they are smart too, i was beging to wonder who had the higher I.Q between us. every since i bought him i have lost polyp extension from him picking so much. anyway, it is a 10" long 6" round piece of leftover acrylic, i made slots for the door to slide up and down into, the other end is a piece glued in place and is squared off at the bottom to act as feet so it wouldn't roll, the white tube you see is 1/2" going thru with a uniseal so that while it's in the tank i can drop food in the tube and it will sink into the trap, it is just long enough to reach about an 1" out of the water. I put it in the tank for a day or two so the Angel gets use to it then start adding food and Wait till he goes in and then release the trap door, which by the way is held up by 8lb test fishing line. it worked perfectly in just two days, this trap is not an automatic trap, you have to be there to release the door. Now he is in the Refugium waiting till i go to the fish store.

03/13/2006, 09:31 PM	#7
Kent E One Millionth Poster Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Asheboro NC Posts: 4,273	I don't understand the pvc tube part. __________________ 1000 gallon Current Tank Info: Dreaming up a new one

03/18/2006, 04:01 PM	#11
ezhoops Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Royal Oak, Michigan Posts: 3,530	I agree Melev, that would be nice, but I still want to know how he used a rubber band and hinges? __________________ "Keep your Friends Close, Your Anemones Closer" Current Tank Info: Working on 60 cube, sicce 3.0 return pump, 29 gal sump with fuge,Bubble Magnus NAC6 Skimmer, Aquaticlife 4 bulb T-5 VHO, 29gal Rare Clown breeding

03/19/2006, 04:00 PM	#13
Airman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 643	Comatose, Your website is cool. A lot of good stuff there. __________________ What is man, that thou art mindful of him?...:) Current Tank Info: 55 Gal, DSB, protein skimmer, UV light, Sump/Refugium

03/19/2006, 10:01 PM	#16
ezhoops Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Royal Oak, Michigan Posts: 3,530	Hinges? __________________ "Keep your Friends Close, Your Anemones Closer" Current Tank Info: Working on 60 cube, sicce 3.0 return pump, 29 gal sump with fuge,Bubble Magnus NAC6 Skimmer, Aquaticlife 4 bulb T-5 VHO, 29gal Rare Clown breeding

03/13/2006, 04:21 PM	#2
jjac Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Conway Posts: 610	Nice job! I have had to take my rock out to catch some of my fish before.

03/13/2006, 04:33 PM	#3
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	Thanks, taking rock out wasn't an option for me, took me about a half hour to build this, every one of my fish went in it before the flame angel, he was the only one that was real careful about entering.

03/13/2006, 04:40 PM	#4
jmkarcz Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 2,728	I made a trap very simular a few years ago. I found that the acrylic trap door took WAY to long to sink. So I made a hinged guiliteine style door that uses a changable rubberband. Not it snaps shut. I also work at a brick yard that sells tile, so I siliconed the whole thing to a slab of marble to keep it where I put it. It's awsome to yank a fish out without disturbing the coral. Even better, never chase a damsel again. Jason

03/13/2006, 04:58 PM	#5
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	thats funny, my door dropped like a brick. i was just thinking how i did without this thing all these years, i disturbed so many nice rock walls to get a fish. well now this thing goes on the shelf till i need it again. the good thing about the uniseal is that i can pull the pipe out for storage.

03/14/2006, 02:24 AM	#9
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	ezhoops is right, the PVC tube goes from the trap to about 1" above the water surface when i want to lure a fish in the trap i put in any food that sinks into the top of the pvc tube and it sinks down to the trap. It's just a better way to get food in the trap rather than scaring the fish when you try and put food directly into the trap with your hands. your hands never touch the water this way.

03/18/2006, 10:34 AM	#10
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Nice job. How did you make the section the door slides up and down? I made a square trap with the same basic premise. I think it would be nicer if we used thicker material and routed out the track for the door to slide up and down.

03/18/2006, 09:04 PM	#12
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Where I buy my acrylic, they sell acrylic hinges. I've got some but haven't used them yet, and don't know how long they'd last in saltwater. I can't remember if they have a metal pin or not. For cheap hinges, you can use zip ties. I'm not sure what a rubberband would do, but MacGyver would.

03/19/2006, 08:35 PM	#15
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	Thanks guys, i've been working on the website this weekend and plan on updating all the pictures this week. I've been so busy building the calcium reactor II and a new canopy along with this fish trap, i'm starting to get caught up now. it's hard taking full tank shots of a 6' long tank and being able to see everything. but i will update everything, even growth pics buy the end of the month.

03/20/2006, 05:44 PM	#18
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Good update on the starboard page. I don't see a lot of change in the display tank after a year's time though. The lighting (or picture at least) is less bright.

03/20/2006, 06:18 PM	#19
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	I know, for some reason the pictures just dont want to come out right with this camera. i just can't get the right coloring so that you can see all the frags and corals, believe it or not there are about 20-30 frags in that full tank shot that you just can't see. the pics just dont do the tank justice. thats another reason i hadn't posted in a year, maybe i'll try my daughters camera and see if hers helps.

03/20/2006, 07:28 PM	#20
Redfish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 360	I have made a series of fish traps before. Hinges just don't work well. They dont close quickly enough. The best door is GLASS sliding in a track. The glass slides well due to its weight. I made my own out of left over tube but never quite got the track made well enough. The door never slid up and down smoothly and when it did move the trap moved alittle as well. That scared the fish. I eventually saw the AquaMedic trap which is acrylic with glass bottom to hold it still and beautiful sliding glass trap door. Another benefit of the glass bottom is the weight it provides contering the glass door when you raise it. You can actually raise and lower the door so quickly that even if you initially trap more than the intended fish, you can easily let the other fish out as they swim around. You use a little 8-10 pound fishing line connected to the door. It was only $40.00 so it was a no brainer after making several of my own. It also has an insertable tube for food to not disturb the trap. P.S. I also use the trap in reverse to acclimate fish to the tank and the other fish. It has ventilation/circulation slots

03/20/2006, 10:49 PM	#21
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	OK, i've been getting more than a few PM's on how i did this and did that on the trap, so i added the fish trap to my webpage DIY section with more pics and more detail how i made it, thanks all for your PM's.

03/21/2006, 05:05 PM	#22
comatose Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Flyers, Eagles, Phillies country Posts: 1,437	Hey Melev, you have a pretty informative site yourself, i really enjoyed rolling thru most of the pages. when i get some time i'll have to check it out further.

03/21/2006, 06:01 PM	#23
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Thanks.