Need Help Catching a Wrasse! (2 Viewers)

[SCUBAFreaky]

Looking for suggestions for catching a 5 inch wrasse. I have completely failed at using conventional methods...nets, clear catch containers, scoops, etc. I have a 72g aquarium with quite a bit of live rock. There are a lot of caves and hiding spaces. In fact, I've never been able to find him once he's gone to sleep. Removing the rock work is really not an option at all. It's been a long time since I've needed to remove a fish from my tank but in the past all I've done is just catch them with a net at night.

Any suggestions and/or advice would be awesome. I'm stuck. And I should also add, this is guy is really smart...and REALLY does not want to be caught. Please help me out smart this guy!

 

[steveb]

No advice but I understand your pain/frustration.


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[ITreefer]

Do you think a trap would work?
Pretty easy to turn an acclimation box into a trap if you have one handy.

 

[frankc]

I've had pretty good success catching leopard wrasses and fairy wrasses with a trap.

 

[gregg]

I’d put a trap in there with the door stuck open for a few days, only feed your fish from within the trap... eventually they should trust that the trap is safe... don’t rush the process, let it get use to it.

 

[SCUBAFreaky]

I do have an acclimation box. Haven't pondered how to turn that into a trap yet.

 

[SCUBAFreaky]

Here's a picture of the wrasse for everyone's curiosity.

 

[TX_Punisher]

The smallest hooks you can find and some nice meaty food. Works better than most would think.

yes, the old fashioned way.

or

watch him when he beds down and find where he’s sleeping. Then a net full of sand and maybe a wrasse with it.

 

[sneezebeetle]

I agree with @gregg's suggestion, it's what I do when I need to catch a stinker fish.

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[RR-MAN]

I had a smart coris wrasse never went anywhere close to trap

Stakeout his hiding spot and scoop him up with a small net. Basically scoop the sand and the fish. If you are lucky hopefully he hides somewhere accessible. [emoji23]

It could take few nights to find his hiding spot.

 

[Stickboy97]

Do you have LED lights? Can you turn everything off but the red? I've used that trick to catch tough fish. Go from full light to only red and they kind of freeze and can't seem to see the net coming for them. Room need to be dark as well.

 

[SCUBAFreaky]

Thank you EVERYONE for all of your suggestions. From all of this discussion I somehow didn't know that wrasses sleep in the sand. It explains why I could NEVER find him once he went to bed. I guess I will never know where he was sleeping...because he has been caught!!

So @Tstew32 sent me a private message suggesting to try a plastic water bottle where you cut the fat part of the top off of the bottle, add some food and a rock, invert the top and stuff it back in, and wait. Here's the trap I made with a 1 liter tonic water bottle in like nothing more than 2 minutes.





I was going to film it but he was inside the bottle in under something like 3 seconds so there was no time. I was so astounded! It worked beyond any expectations!! I placed a net over the open end when I removed the trap just in case he found the hole but he didn't. Unfortunately he has to spend the night in a bag for his last night here. I will miss him for sure but thank you so much @Tstew32 and everyone else for all of the help. I did not expect to catch him so easily and quickly after ALL of the trouble I already had. Wow, I learned a lot today!! And looks like I will be drinking gin and tonics tonight! Cheers!

 

[sneezebeetle]

That is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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