Reef Discussion

[potatocouch]

I'm on a mission to catch a dottyback today.

I have 20 litres of fresh saltwater prepared in a bucket. Salinity 1.025. Pump and Heater are all set.

I know which live rock and which hole the dotty is sleeping.

Light is currently out.

What I think of doing? take out the LR and wiggle the hole towards the fresh saltwater bucket.

Is this method fail-proof? Will there be a chance after shaking the rock, dotty is not coming out? (this happen to me when I tried to do it to Mantis shrimp).

My back-up plan is, if it doesn't come out, I'll put the live rock into the 5 gallon bucket and see how we go from there.

My intention is not to kill the dottyback but at the same time, I do not want any die off. i don't want ammonia to spike up when I do this.

Any input is much appreciated.

 

[lonepoppy]

Having the rock out of water for a short period of time shouldn't cause any problems. I would be more concerned about the fish and once the rock if lifted I cannot see him staying in the rock and you may find that he jumps out and if he lands in the tank he'll be under the next hiding spot he can find.

This will not help now however I feed every time with the same three things. I have a small bucket (2litres), a turkey baster and my net. I also feed in the same way every time.

I start by getting water out of the tank with the bucket (I let the fish swim in and out of the bucket as I am doing this), next I sit the net in the water and lastly once the food is mixed up I feed by both pouring food into the net and running that around the tank and using the baster.

When I first started this it took about a week however now all my fish swim in and around the net, in and out of the bucket and if I am really in trouble they all come up to the baster to take meat from it.

If you can train you fish not to worry about the net it makes it very easy to catch them when you need to.

Is your Dottyback sick or causing trouble?

 

[Ziggy]

Did you catch him yet?

 

[Agent M]

Sounds like a dream to be able to catch a fish by simply lifting it out rock and all. I wouldn't be trying to shake it out as that is stressful for the fish. Just place the rock in the prepared water and when you get an opportunity to remove it without the fish being inside, then do so.

The rock will not have die off if placed in correct salinity, temp, with flow and you've set all of that up.

 

[MagicJ]

Putting the whole rock in the fresh saltwater will stress the fish (providing it is still in the rock).

I would be trying other methods before resorting to that i.e. fish trap, nets etc

 

[ReeferRob]

Do a water change into the bucket so it's the same water as the tank. Leaving the rock out of the water for up to 12 hours won't hurt anything. When the dottyback starts to figure he needs water to breath, it'll drop out of the rock. Do make the room as dark as possible when you do this and place a finger over the hole so it doesn't swim out of the rock. DO NOT do this with a mantis shrimp, you'll learn very fast why we Yanks call them Thumb Splitters.

 

[potatocouch]

Wifey caught it ... super wifey ... i love my wifey

 

[ReeferRob]

I'd use a Claymore, but I'm funny that way. :D If you want to resell it, I'd try a trap or see if you can trap it in that rock and get it out that way.

 

[potatocouch]

I'd use a Claymore, but I'm funny that way. :D If you want to resell it, I'd try a trap or see if you can trap it in that rock and get it out that way.

It's a done deal @ReeferRob i dunno how my wife did it but she has managed to catch a tang and this orchid by using net only.

 

[ReeferRob]

Women are slick with a net mate. M can catch fish that I'd chase for a week, lol. Now do a few water changes into the bucket to get the water sorted out.