Butthead (yellow eye) tang..get him out

[bingme]

So OK. I have my first problem fish since....well since my first salt water fish 8years ago. I picked up a yellow eye tang to graze on the tiny amount of green hair algae that had cropped up on the back wall and return lock line. Turns out he does not care for the stuff much and prefers the spectrum pellets, cyclopeeze, and other stuff I feed. Also turns out, manually removing the hair algae took 5 minutes. Problem is this yellow eye tang thinks its fun to tag anything that moves or polyps out. His favorite actiity is to tag the polyps and branches of my yellow gorgonian but I have seen him tag just about everying over the course of an hour. So bottom line is he has got to go.

I borrowed a fish trap from my LFS and baited with nori (no interest) then pellets, and then mysis. He refuses to even get near trap. I have observed my pink watchman going in and out to feast. Every hermit has had its fill. The nasarius snails think the trap is manna land. But not even a close call with the tang.

So question is, do I leave the trap in for a few days and re-bait it daily until the tang gets used to it. Or do I do what I did with my first problem fish (a butthead tomato clown) and catch it on a line with a baited hook. That one was easier as there were only two fish in that tank. This tank is 150g with a flame angel that likes food a lot.

Honestly I have not tried netting it yet as it spooks easily into the reef.

Advice appreciated.

Eric in LFP

 

[Michael7979]

Just leave the trap in the tank for a few days.
Then stop feeding the tank for a few days after that.
Then bait the trap again. (overall time frame 6-7 days)

This worked for me to catch a GSM and a small angel.
HTH

 

[bingme]

That sounds like it requires patience...

Just leave the trap in the tank for a few days.
Then stop feeding the tank for a few days after that.
Then bait the trap again. (overall time frame 6-7 days)

This worked for me to catch a GSM and a small angel.
HTH

Thanks Mike. Sounds like a reasonable plan. I will implement it this week. Was hoping the fish trap was a one hour or at worst a 3 beer (errr, I mean hour) solution.

 

[bingme]

YEAH the tang is caught and gone

Thanks Mike. Sounds like a reasonable plan. I will implement it this week. Was hoping the fish trap was a one hour or at worst a 3 beer (errr, I mean hour) solution.

Thanks for encouraging patience and a plan Mike. It worked swimmingly
After a few days of acclimation and a few more days without feeding, Mr. Yellow Eye tang has left the building.