Hook and Line

[Mark Elliott]

I've got a troublesome butterfly (a double saddleback, about 4 inches long -
I doubt it matters). It attacks blue discosomas, the blue bits on my clam
and any fish smaller than itself - it leaves the pulsing Xenia alone, worse
luck!

I've tried netting it - but it laughs at me.

I've tried the lemonade bottle trap, but whilst every other fish takes the
bait the butterfly won't.

Nothing works so it looks like a bit of indoor angling.

Has anyone else tried this and do they have any advice to share? Obviously
I'd like to inflict the minimum damage and after a period in the sump to
recover I'll want to sell / swap the fish for something else.


Mark

[George Patterson]

Mark Elliott wrote:
>
> Has anyone else tried this and do they have any advice to share? Obviously
> I'd like to inflict the minimum damage and after a period in the sump to
> recover I'll want to sell / swap the fish for something else.

I have not tried this, but to inflict minimum damage, you want to use a hook
that's too large for the fish to swallow easily while still being small enough
to work. Buy barbless hooks (they're sold for trout fishing). If you can't find
them, cut and file the barb off.

Personally, I would try the following. Pick up two or three sheets of acrylic at
Home Depot. Get a helper. Remove your hood or cover. Try to use the sheets of
plastic to divide the tank and isolate the fish into an area small enough to
make netting easy.

George Patterson
Drink up, Socrates -- it's all-natural.

[Ray Martini]

I've had some troublesome fish in the past and use Coralife's "The Trap".
Has worked for me every single time. Caught a couple of large Damsels and a
large Yellow Tang. Works like a champ. One of the LFS around here rents the
trap out for a small fee if you don't want to buy one. I personally will
probably buy one and I'll have it when I need it.

It's the best way to catch them without inflicting any hook damage to the
fish which it may never recover from.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19249;category_id=2349


"Mark Elliott" > wrote in message
. ..
> I've got a troublesome butterfly (a double saddleback, about 4 inches
> long - I doubt it matters). It attacks blue discosomas, the blue bits on
> my clam and any fish smaller than itself - it leaves the pulsing Xenia
> alone, worse luck!
>
> I've tried netting it - but it laughs at me.
>
> I've tried the lemonade bottle trap, but whilst every other fish takes the
> bait the butterfly won't.
>
> Nothing works so it looks like a bit of indoor angling.
>
> Has anyone else tried this and do they have any advice to share? Obviously
> I'd like to inflict the minimum damage and after a period in the sump to
> recover I'll want to sell / swap the fish for something else.
>
>
> Mark
>