Goin' Fishin' -- Catching Fish in the Aquarium

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leebca

Well-Known Member
One of the biggest challenges in this hobby is trying to get a fish out of your display aquarium.

You might need to get the fish out for any number of reasons, including but not limited to: the fish is sick/ill/injured and needs to be transfered to a hospital tank, the fish is 'wrong' for the aquarium, the fish is not getting along (either the bully or the milquetoast), the fish has gotten too big, etc.

I want everyone reading this post to realize a very important fact: Unless your fish was tank bred, it was caught in an ocean by a person. If a person caught this fish in the ocean, near its hiding places, there is no reason YOU can't catch this fish in a little 'box' (your aquarium). I'm assuming here that you are smarter than a marine fish. If you think you aren't, I invite you to find another hobby.

So: What to do and how to do it? I'd like you to post your experiences and any tricks you've used to get fish out.

Some that I have used or know of include the following:
1. Reduce water volume to give the fish less chance to get away;
2. Remove decorations and/or rocks (place in buckets);
3. Move rocks and decorations to one side of the aquarium and get the fish to go to the 'open' side for easy netting;
4. Go fishing at night! Sneak up on the sleeping fish;
5. Use 'stealth' nets (black that can't be seen) at night;
6. Fish traps (food as bait);
7. Catch 'em when it comes to the top to get its food! (NOTE: does not instill trust in you over the long run; :) );
8. Larger fish can be hooked -- Cut off the barb of a regular fish hook, attach food and drop the line in to catch the fish; and
9. Use almost invisible plastic bags to 'bag the fish' underwater. Fish can't see a clear plastic bag!

Some use the above or a combination of the above. How have you gotten fish out of your aquarium? Please add the things that have been successful for you (and that you've done).
 
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stonedfish

Member
I cut the top off of a water bottle, turned the opening inside out. I put a mirror and some food inside the bottle. I tied the bottle with a fishing line. The fish went in and I pulled on the string. Thats how I caught my dotyback. 5 minutes wait. I also knew that he was agressive and would attack the mirror. Hope that helps.
 

PEMfish

Well-Known Member
Success? Was that supposed to happen? lol

A Damsel in a reef tank at work was causing problems so they attempted to remove him. Many, many attempts.
Eventually all the LR was removed and searched but still no success and another attempt to be had.
Moral of the story; search the substrate.

Epilogue;
He was caught soon after. They all become very enraged with the fish and disregarded its life. A hook was made from a paper clip. He was not caught on the hook but the act of fishing lead to his capture... somehow. The process of capture did not kill him so he was euthanized or given away.
 

1Reefer

Active Member
Aww sad, I hope he was given away... even though "it was just a damsel" I still feel for the little guy lol
 
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