Catching Purple Tang.

[SeriousDude5]

Unfortunetly I made the mistake of buying a PT because it was only 40dollars w/o doing research on it. Well long and behold I need ot take it out how do I catch it though w/o dystroying the tank? Any ideas please let me know.

 

[revhtree]

The only advice I can give you are the obvious ones. You might try getting a tank devider and catching it on one side. If that doesnt work, you might have to take out the rock...

 

[SeriousDude5]

Ugh! I would hate to do the LR thing. I had an avalanch the morning before I got the PT. It was a disaster took me 20min to get things right again. I will most likely try the divider meather or the bottle ive heard of. I hate to see it go its a beutiful fish though it likes to swim in a loop been doing it all day I <3 it it swims along the glass. It gots up then arosse turns around goes throug the same piece of lr each time then repetes!

 

[juskeepswiming]

try baiting with a piece of food in one hand and the net in the other...its very difficult, but the alternatives arent that apealing either

 

[austinsdad]

Try having the net at the ready when the lights first come on. Maybe you'll get lucky when he's orienting. Worked great on a yellow tang for me once. Like he was in a stupor. Does he come to the top when feeding? Might be an opportunity there also.

Otherwise you might have to remove rock as feared.

Getting rid of him because of the size? Is he that big yet? If not, consider letting him be for a couple of months. He'll get comfortable enuf, especially at feeding time. Maybe then he'll be catchable sneaking up on him with the net. Right now he can probably see you coming w/the net after having tried a few times, I'll bet. Smart fish with good vision it seems to me.

Good luck.

 

[SeriousDude5]

I do not want to keep him in my tank for a long time because, I know he will eventually outgrow it and I dont want to get "attached" and make it miserable in a 3' long tank when hes 10inches. All he does all day is swim in a loop along the glass he goes across the glass down the glass turns around goes throuhg a piece of LR then repeates ALL DAY. As for feeding he does come to the top but once I approch the tank it runs for cover.

 

[austinsdad]

As for feeding he does come to the top but once I approch the tank it runs for cover.

That's cause he know he's marked from your previous attempts. Gonna have to get him to trust you again by not trying to net him when you approach for a while. Then I'd guess you have to worry about becoming attached to him in the meantime. Sounding more like a rockectomy may be on the horizon.

 

[juskeepswiming]

when hes 10inches

Ill go against the grain and say that they dont get this big in captivity. A friend has one in a 80 gal and he hasnt gotten any bigger than 5.5 inches and hes had him for at least 4 years

 

[SeriousDude5]

If they don't get that large then how come they need such big tanks/

 

[pacheco]

try a fish trap. just put ina little bit of food and when he goes into the trap close the door. you can order one from drfostersmith or maybe the lfs has one i've use one several times and works like a charm.

 

[Phyl]

I would guess it is because they like to swim. They're like darts and like a good straight away. That's why I was saying that mine would like a 6' tank, just for the extra length. Maybe if you have a baby they'll never get beyond X (whatever that is) but if you get an adolescent it already has a growth curve established and it may grow bigger? Dunno. My yellow has gotten pretty big, but doesn't seem to be getting as big as fast now. Maybe the same thing will happen with my yellow.

 

[SeriousDude5]

Darn purple tang why did it have to be so good looking and lure me into buying it for 40dollars :'( back to the LFS sometime this week to trade in for a dwarft angle I guess Im willing to chance the coral. I heres theres a 50 50 chance and they way my luck has been going so far something goods gonna have to come around. That or FOWLR my tank will go.

 

[Brodie]

Try taking a 2 liter bottle, cutting off the top and leaving it in your tank..put some flake food in there for the next few days. Keep your net handy and just cover the opening when the tang is in there.

 

[revhtree]

Here is a thread on an ebay trap you can make. This is the page it is on..http://aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=50366&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30

 

[bawla47]

heres an idea, that someone posted and worked great for them.

if you have a large rock structure in the middle, cut 2 pieces of egg crating so it fits around the rock in the front of it, and behind it. then they raised the crating, and took another piece vertically, and swept it across while liftinf the crating up from the bottom.that way they contained the fish in a small area, and was able to net them very easily.

it seems not too bad, but box trap IF WORKS, would definately be the easiest.
HTHs