How to capture/catch clownfish in a tank

I'm constantly amazed how trusting tank-rased ocellaris clowns are. I can practically reach in and grab them with my hand (not that I would...) The clear container trick works great: Food in the container, clown follows. One of mine has gill parasites. So catching him for a FW dip was a no-brainer.

Any good links for clown gill parasite info?
 
z_rivers said:
thanks for the information J. i also dont like using nets to catch my fish as the main reason being their eyes (imagine sandpaper scraping against your cornea). the method where you herd them into a corner and scoop them up in a jar works good. i have a plastic container that when i dunk in the water, creates a huge suction from the water replacing the air. if you hold this close to the clowns they usually get sucked in and are unharmed.

-rivers
Click to expand...
Wow, great idea! Thanks
 
Well all of you are lucky I guess ??? I have a monster 4" Tomatoe Clown, that can draw blood !!! He, of course is a runner. If I stick my hand in, he comes for me,,, add a net or speciman container and he's out of there !!! I thought that I would try to either put a net over him and the rose, while he's asleep, or maybe try to slip a large fish bag over them ???? I was concerned about scaring it to death !!! He's a real pain, has become hyper dominant, it's a wonder that he hasn't torn my Rosebud apart, he's really rough on it, he messes with my Yellow Tang, and kicks up the substrate ALL THE TIME. Maybe that's why my corals are all doing so good ????? I have even thought of trying to catch him with a small barbless flyhook !!!! Anyway, mine's not peaceful and has become quite the rogue !!!! This fish takes food(krill) right from the mouthes of other fish for himself and the anemone !!!! Anyway, I want him gone !!!
 
I have two of these little guys and I have never had a problem with catching them. Actually if I put the net in the tank to spread shrimp the clowns run into the net and wont get out ,they like it. Maybe they have ADD or something and dont know that the net is not the anemone but there so cute who cares..here's a pic!
68187598111606105_0_ALB.jpg
 
I have found clowns to be really cute. My favorite is the Percula.
Jhardman, Can you sell me some perculas and how much? Possible to do over night shipping?
lmk, I really want a nemo or 2 in my tank!!! Got an anemony waiting for them.

kyle
 
Also, as most nets can be painfull, and if a net is your last resort, its a smart Idea to use a mesh shrimp net. These nets are soft in texture, and will be less painfull for your clown.
 
I don't know what fantasyland you guys buy these clowns at, that you can hand feed, herd into a container, grab with your hands, scratch there heads, rub there bellies :lol: but every clown I have had (every fish for that matter) becomes very concerned whenever a net, hand, or container is present.....including the 2 GSMs I'm trying to remove right now. HELP!

I have a RBTA that they live in, but the clowns have dug up most of the sand under my LR, and the anemone has moved to the underside of the LR, I cant really get my hand in the anemone to grab them at night, they run from the net, container, and my hand.

My tank is 225, and I have over 350lbs of LR, so it is a pain chasing them around the tank. I have tried baiting a clear container, (I think I actually heard them laugh at me :lol:), I tried the night attack, to no luck, as soon as I get my hand down there, they are awake, and just cruise into the rockwork and wait for me to give up.

I guess my last resort, is to try to remove the anemone to an open area, so I can snatch them up.

What is the technique to get the anemones foot off LR?? I really don't want to have to do this, but it is either this, or I make a small harpoon out of rubber bands, and bamboo skewers, to which I will probably shoot my eye out :lol:
 
For me, I got TR ocellaris clowns. They come running up for a snack any time I get close to the tank. I can hand feed them. Way back when I had one in the JBJ 12 gallon with an orchid dottyback, if I forgot to feed them, the clown would jump into the back sump area. I assume the dottyback was the cause. To get him out, I'd place a small plastic cup in the sump - he'd jump right in expecting me to dump him back in the main tank, then look for a snack. Your clowns are obviously uncultured, untrained heathens. :clown: :jester: :fish1:

I've read here that aiming a powerhead at an anemone's foot will encourage it to let go. I've never tried it. I wouldn't want to pull one off.
 
this method works with even damsels ...dont feed for a few days...put some good smelly food in a net against the current so it stays to the back of the net and so the net is fully open and not bunched and wait for the fish to creep up and grab the food ....got my PITA damsel in 5 minutes and i agree wish i could find friendly fish that let me hand feed ...all the fish ive ever had hides in sec as soon as THE HAND comes in
 
Update on my GSM. After trying everything I could think of and read. Nothing worked. I resulted back to the only way I know how to get fish out of water. 2lb line w/ a size 22 barbless hook. I fished out both GSM in less than 3 minutes uninjured. They both lived in my fuge for 2 weeks before I got rid of them.
 
matt the fiddler said:
:) that has to be my fav method to read about
Click to expand...

:lol: They are fighter :lol:

The hardest part was trying to keep the other fish from snatching up the hook. Both of my GSM were in an RBTA, and the RBTA kept grabbing the fishing line when it would touched its feeler.

The second clown went after the hook with no bait on it. :lol:
 
I just had a success story I thought I'd share. I read all these ideas, but none worked. My tomato clown is a runner, and a world class one, at that. It darts into its host if I even enter the room. As soon as anything foreign entered the water, it was out of sight, hiding in places I didn't even know it fit into.

Luckily, he hosts in a xenia, which is easily moved... even INTO a specimen box. It took him about 4 hours to get used to the idea, especially after I had stressed him with the whole net episode, but it worked. With the host inside the specimen box, which was on the sand bed, he eventually made his way into the box, as well.

caughthim.sized.jpg
 
I use a small sheet of glass to move them along where I can herd them into an acrylic box 5x5 I think clear is best and nets are just highly suspect!:smokin:
 
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