How Do I Remove Engineer Gobies?

[eyedoc]

I want to safely remove them from my 150 gal reef because they are messing up my sand from all the digging.
They are 10" long.
There is no way to catch them in a net because they quickly hide in the 300 pounds of LR. There are over 50 corals so I can't take the rock out.
Is there some kind of trap?
Thanks

[eyedoc]

bump

[Gary Majchrzak]

Use an extra large acrylic fish trap. Bait it with meaty type fish food. Here's an example of such a trap:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=UL1513

[kevinrs]

you could try this trap, http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=4704844#post4704844 in this thread its used to catch peppermint shrimp, but i used it to catch damsels before.

[eyedoc]

I can't tell what the trap is from the picture.

[wonrib00]

It is a 2-lieter soda bottle with the top cut off. I had to do this very thing (remoe an engineer goby) about two months ago, and you dont want to know what I had to do, but you already know, dont you? If you are intrested in another one, I can hook you up.

[GreenBayFishMan]

I had the same problem and had to make a decision - does the subtrate go or does the engineer goby go..... I kept the goby. It was a major pain pulling out all the sand, but my goby has so much personality that I couldn't bear to see him go. Plus, he was one of the first saltwater fish I ever purchased when I started my first SW tank about eight years ago. I've often wondered how long they live. I've had several freshwater fish live over ten years.

[Whaledriver]

Put a box of donuts next to the tank. Is he a nuclear engineer like Homer Simpson? Doooooonnnnnnnnuuuuuuuuttttttttssssssss

[eyedoc]

I'm going to try the soda bottle trap.
I hope the LFS will take them.
I'm not sure how to keep them alive after they are caught because there are 4 fish I want to catch and there might be a long time before I catch them all. My refug is packed with algae so that is not a good place.
I don't want to drive to the LFS after each of the 4 fish are caught.

[eyedoc]

My fish had no interest in the soda bottle trap baited with Prime Reef!
Any other ideas?

[JHReef]

Originally posted by Whaledriver
Put a box of donuts next to the tank. Is he a nuclear engineer like Homer Simpson? Doooooonnnnnnnnuuuuuuuuttttttttssssssss

I think that idea is eeeexxxxxcccelllent.:beer:

[feedingcarp]

You need t starve the goby's for at least a day or two, and try the trap again. I used an acrylics trap purchased at a LFS. There was an area in the back to bait the trap, but I found it more effective to place bait in that area and a little in the trap too to entice the fish in even more. I found that my fish were weary of going way to the back to try to get food, but didn't mind trying to go to the middle of the trap to get food.

I baited it with Prime reef and then you just have to sit there and wait and wait and wait. It's literally like fishing. I actually had to let the trap door close several times to prevent my angels and wrasses from coming in and eating the food.

You need to have patience and a some time to kill. Just think, what'll take longer, traping or tearing your tank apart to catch the fish. Godd Luck!!!

[NOLACLS]

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak
Use an extra large acrylic fish trap. Bait it with meaty type fish food. Here's an example of such a trap:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=UL1513

have used a trap like this and it worked like a charm!!