Best way to catch goby - Calling all volunteers

[pgordemer]

I have a sand sifting (bullet) goby that has done a great job in cleaning my tank, but also takes great pride in covering any coral placed on the bottom with sand.

I want to get him out of the tank and find him a home. Hence the problem, he is SO FAST and so skittish that as soon as something goes into the tank (hand or net) he darts into the rockwork.

I have Marco rock and it has 100's of holes and places to hide. Taking the rock out would be a SIGNIFICANT problem as the base rocks are mounted on PVC to keep the bottom line from falling.

Any suggestions on how to get him out. I have a great bar in my house for drinkers that want to get him, and my partner is a professional chef, so probably food would be involved too.

The only advantage I have at the moment, is the tank only has about 8 corals in it as it was a conversion from FOWLR, but it has 100 lb of light rock all stacked.

 

[mladencovic]

I have very crazy idea. :

Basically since standard foods probably won't be good enough bait for it, why don't you use SAND as a bait. Assuming you can't remove all of the sand, can you cover it with something - some kind of plastic mash or cloth that would allow the exchange (true, smaller, but still existing) of water and gasses, and still tightly pressing the sand surface so that the fish does not like being under it all the time. Cover all of the sand with the exception of a small patch over which you will set a trap. Or even better place good amounts of sand inside the trap. Trap being some kind of clear plastic bottle, or mash bag. Something that can be closed by some string or something and would not allow the quick escape for the fish. Sand should be clearly visible and as much live as the rest of the sand in the tank, so that it "smells" nice to the fish

Silly idea isn't it

 

[pgordemer]

I am going to stop by the store today and get one of those clear traps... maybe your sand idea in the trap in a corner might help.

 

[billyr98]

I am going to stop by the store today and get one of those clear traps... maybe your sand idea in the trap in a corner might help.

i can bring mine to meeting on sunday for ya?

 

[pgordemer]

Yes please... and maybe some fish catching tips??

 

[billyr98]

no tips.. but i will bring it and wish you LUCK!

 

[jerseydiablo]

Too bad you can't just put some sand on a hook and go fishing ;D



BTW, sounds like a great idea mladencovic

Good luck

 

[jazzsam]

I think the sand trick may actually get it done for you but if you need a help eating good food and having a drink while you watch him get caugh I can help with that also!

 

[pgordemer]

Still haven't gotten him out.

He has to go, so I guess this weekend I am going to break down all the rockwork and get him that way.

 

[JohnS_323]

Phil, I have slurp gun you can try. It's pretty usefull for catching tropicals when we dive. It may work equally well in a tank. This is all theory of course, as I've never tried it personally.

 

[jazzsam]

Still haven't gotten him out.

He has to go, so I guess this weekend I am going to break down all the rockwork and get him that way.

I would be glad to give you hand but this weekend is out for me..........

 

[pgordemer]

Phil, I have slurp gun you can try. It's pretty usefull for catching tropicals when we dive. It may work equally well in a tank. This is all theory of course, as I've never tried it personally.

Never heard of it, how/what/who/where/why?

I would be glad to give you hand but this weekend is out for me..........

Thanks for the offer, Its not that hard, I was just trying to avoid rearranging the rock as I will never get back the way I have it now. I only have 4 corals in it and they aren't glued. This was a FOWLR conversion and I have been very slow due to painstaking learning about every single coral/frag I buy before I put it in.

Of course my fear is I will have everything out and still won't be able to catch the fast rat-bastard.

 

[jazzsam]

Of course my fear is I will have everything out and still won't be able to catch the fast rat-bastard.

That is when you just throw in the dynamite!

 

[JohnS_323]

A slurp gun is a long clear acrylic chamber with a disk inside it that forms a seal around the inner diameter of the chamber. That disk is attach to a handle that is used to pull it in or push it out. At the end of the chamber is a reducer and a smaller piece of clear acrylic. You put the small end near a fish a draw back the handle. This forms a suction and slurps the fish into the large chamber.

Like I said, they work really well on dives so I'd have to imagine it would work well in a tank.

 

[Brian]

That's a GREAT idea! I don't see why that wouldn't work.

 

[pgordemer]

Well, the fish trap has been in there for 3 days and he won't go near it. Every fish in the tank including a tang that can barely fit have been in and out of it. I swear he knows and is taunting me.

Well I guess I better make up some saltwater and get some barrels ready.

 

[jazzsam]

I just came from catching a mandarin and I was thinking about you and your goby. I did learn some ways to help but it all depends on how open your rock work is.

 

[pgordemer]

I just came from catching a mandarin and I was thinking about you and your goby. I did learn some ways to help but it all depends on how open your rock work is.

It is very open, the are caves and pass throughs and since its Marco rock, there are lots of unusual shapes to squeeze behind.

 

[Carlo]

Phil, does it ever come out in the open or does it stay near the rock work all the time?

I ask because you could slide a piece of plastic/acrylic down inside the tank to trap it in a compartment. Then it's easy because you can move the sectional piece and box it in.

If it likes to hide in the rock work depending on the layout you can sometimes use a strong pump/powerhead and blast it out from behind or the side. Basically creating a annoying water stream that will flush it out.

Carlo

 

[pgordemer]

Phil, does it ever come out in the open or does it stay near the rock work all the time?

I ask because you could slide a piece of plastic/acrylic down inside the tank to trap it in a compartment. Then it's easy because you can move the sectional piece and box it in.

If it likes to hide in the rock work depending on the layout you can sometimes use a strong pump/powerhead and blast it out from behind or the side. Basically creating a annoying water stream that will flush it out.

Carlo

He is out in the open sand most of the time, but as soon as he sees movement through the front of the tank, he is gone like a dart.