How do you catch a blue tang or any fish?

[boun11]

I needed to catch an Australian Stripey and a blue tang, so I borrowed a fish trap from BAR (thanks to @HankDean V ). However, the fish I was after wouldn't go inside the trap. I enlisted my daughter to help, but she was impatient and asked if she could catch them with her hand or a net. Eventually, I pulled out the net and managed to catch the Stripey. However, the blue tang kept darting into the rocks and wouldn’t come out. I decided to try catching it with my hand. As luck would have it, it was hiding in a cave, and the fish couldn’t escape. I managed to grab it with my bare hand, which reminded me of my childhood in Laos when I used to catch fish under rocks in streams. I tried to place the blue tang in the trap, but it wriggled free from my grasp and fell into the tank. My daughter was laughing that it got away.

I gave it another go, making sure this time that it wouldn't escape my hand.

Now, how do you catch your fish?

 

[MichaelB]

Remove all the rocks less stress on the fish, or use a red flashlight and sneak up where they sleep. They would be in shock for a few seconds and won't see the red light really helps if they sleep where a net can reach without bumping into anything.

 

[PjFish]

That's when small hands come in handy!! which mine are not lol..
I usually just cut both ends off a gallon water bottle then slide it inside another with it's top cut off making a clear long squareish tube. Place on bottom with a rock inside then just guide the fish into the tube with hand or net either using corners or through a gauntlet of rocks. Or hold over an cave exit. I use the clear plastic ones which fish appear not to even see it until they hit the end of the tube..Or just start taking rocks out if all else fails as last step to end the game
Nice job those tangs have a puppy personality.

 

[tankguy]

fish trap with food

 

[Kensington Reefer]

There is a fish trap....with food
That fish was just laughing at it!
Had to resort to “the claw” method

 

[Reefer Madness]

There is a fish trap....with food
That fish was just laughing at it!
Had to resort to “the claw” method

 

[boun11]

There is a fish trap....with food
That fish was just laughing at it!
Had to resort to “the claw” method

Yes, there were food in there. I need to catch the damsel still. He is too fast and small for my hand to catch

 

[MichaelB]

Yes, there were food in there. I need to catch the damsel still. He is too fast and small for my hand to catch

You could also place a divider wall or egg crate something water proof make a wall he can't pass and get it in a corner of the tank less room to run around would help

 

[boun11]

You could also place a divider wall or egg crate something water proof make a wall he can't pass and get it in a corner of the tank less room to run around would help

I want to avoid taking any rock out eventually, he will go in that trap. Smart little guy.

 

[HankDean V]

Last week I drained my tank down to 3” of water to catch a few fish,
I got them all, but broke a bunch of coral to do it.
I had been baiting traps for about a month ,
None of the fish avoided the traps except the 3 I wanted gone. Like F-ing psychic’s,

 

[Kensington Reefer]

Last week I drained my tank down to 3” of water to catch a few fish,
I got them all, but broke a bunch of coral to do it.
I had been baiting traps for about a month ,
None of the fish avoided the traps except the 3 I wanted gone. Like F-ing psychic’s,

They know!
They hate when you point at them
Don’t let them see the net entering the tank

I’ll be doing the same in my 300, except it’s all the fish!