For the milionth time... how to catch a damsel?

LobsterOfJustice · #1 09/06/2007, 01:47 PM

Hey all,

Against my better judgement I added a cute little orange and blue damsel a few months ago. Now he us huge and grey. Two days ago he snapped and chased one of my anthias out of the tank, and all the other fish are hiding in the rocks.

My best idea is to go in when the lights are out... which I tried last night but did not work.

Any other ideas?

sir_dudeguy · #2 09/06/2007, 01:58 PM

i see that your sig says 90g sps reef...so i assume there's no way you can take all the rock apart?? If so, thats the easiest/quickest way to actually catch him. If not, you're gonna have to rig up a trap or maybe feed flake food that floats, and when he goes up to get it, be waiting with a large net right above water...

Maika'i · #3 09/06/2007, 02:19 PM

use a net and scoop him out

Markerum · #4 09/06/2007, 02:28 PM

I got alot of large containers and used a spare pump to pump the water out of the tank till there was not to much water left in the tank. I could corner and then catch the little devil. I then used the spare pump to pump the water back in. Done in about 8 minutes. I had a fish only tank at the time I don't know what I would do now with a reef tank, I wouldn't want the corals exposed. Hope that helps.

dcombs44 · #5 09/06/2007, 02:39 PM

I've actually heard of people using a barbless hook on some fishing line with a small chunk of fish to catch them before. It won't cause any real tissue damage, and if it's like any other damsel, it'll be the first one to the bait.

I guess if all else fails, you could give it a shot.

Sepeku · #6 09/06/2007, 03:32 PM

Some other SPS keeper might actually want to chime in. But being exposed to air, while not ideal, happens to SPS colonies in the wild and I doubt would be much of an issue here so long as their duration in the atmosphere was short.

sir_dudeguy · #7 09/06/2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Some other SPS keeper might actually want to chime in. But being exposed to air, while not ideal, happens to SPS colonies in the wild and I doubt would be much of an issue here so long as their duration in the atmosphere was short.

very true. I've had corals out of water for much longer than a few minutes and they've been fine. Out in the wild, some sps are out of water for however long it takes the tides to come back in...i'm not sure how long tides are at low tide, but my guess is more than a couple minute

Mac Inger · #8 09/06/2007, 04:39 PM

Lobster,..have a look at the trap i built. It worked perfectly,..i could get any fish i wanted.

.
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.Result :

Valab · #9 09/06/2007, 04:57 PM

I was gonna suggest draining the tank but that DIY trap looks pretty good.

addicted_2_reef · #10 09/06/2007, 05:31 PM

go to the local tackle shop and ask for 1lb mono line and a #24 OR #26 hook....you get him and th hook is so small won't damage the fish too much.

2farNorth · #11 09/06/2007, 05:52 PM

Trap worked for me (I just purchased the Aqua medic one with the glass drop-down door)..

Here is my list of things I tried/didn't get a chance to -

1. Net... ya right!!
2. 2 Nets.. even funnier!!
3. 3 Nets.. 2 people,,, forget it!!
4. Baiting the net.. - nope!
5. Homemade 'bottle trap' - didn't work also..
6. Homemade other trap... door didn't drop quick enough.. didn't work.
7. Trap with glass door... - Caught him in 2 days!!

didn't get to try -

8. Fishing with a barbless hook-- was the next option...
9. Shop Vac - Yes.. a Shop Vac...
10. Draining the tank,,, wouldn't work in my situation.. good idea though!
11. Removing rock.. wasn't going to happen!!

Mac Inger · #12 09/06/2007, 05:56 PM

What works best with the trap is if you leave it in the tank for a day or two. So build it, drop it in the tank and feed from the syringe. Then when the fish are used to it (takes one day or 2 max) believe me they will all swarm in there to eat. Damsels first. When i first pulled on the door i caught 4 fish at the same time,..two chromis, flame angel and cleaner wrasse. It is absolutely no hassle and takes all of 5 minutes to build.

But you could also catch the fish with a hook,..or maybe a blowdart

scooter21 · #13 09/06/2007, 06:32 PM

I used a trap like that on a blue damsel that kept fanning the substrate away from thr LR causing it to tumble. Placed in tank for a day and trapped him on the second try.

Scott

loosecannon · #14 09/07/2007, 07:50 AM

TNT!

jeffhand · #15 09/07/2007, 09:40 AM

Good luck

NaH2Ofreak · #16 09/07/2007, 09:58 AM

In some recent mail order catalogue (could have sworn it was "that fish place) I saw a product that was used to euthanize sick fish. It said the first dose of the product put the fish in a deep sleep and the second dose killed it. I cant find a link to the product now and dont have the catalogue anymore. Has anyone else heard of this product. Sounds kinda like cyanide to me. A product to put the fish in the tank to sleep for momentary time would work pretty good for removing them IMO.

Dennis

LobsterOfJustice · #17 09/07/2007, 11:54 AM

Hey i'm going to try that trap out. I'm going out of town for the weekend so i'll give it a shot when i get back. I hope he lets my fish come out for food this weekend...

Catching him at night doesnt seem to work. All my other fish sleep in the same spot and dont move, I could probably catch them with my bare hands if i wanted. Of course, the damsel hides in a rock and as soon as you shine a light on him he goes to the other side of the tank and hides in another hole. Do you think it's a conincidence that the most common fish we need to get out of our tanks is also the hardest one to get out?

Mac Inger · #18 09/07/2007, 12:28 PM

Lobster,...make the trap before leaving for the weekend and leave it in the tank so they get used to it.

When u get back youll have him in 5 minutes.

LobsterOfJustice · #19 09/14/2007, 03:14 PM

Just got around to making the trap today. Here is a picture of all my fish cowering from it

I will update...

SDguy · #20 09/14/2007, 03:44 PM

I have the trap that marinedepot sells.

Trap=5 Fish=0

BTW, what kind of anthias do you have in there?

LobsterOfJustice · #21 09/14/2007, 07:08 PM

I see you are an anthias fan as well...

Male lyretail, three female lyretails (damsel chased one out), two female bimaculatus. I'm going to pick up a few more females (not sure what kind though) from LA once I get the damsel out.

SDguy · #22 09/14/2007, 07:11 PM

I thought those looked like female bimacs

They are smaller than I would expect.

Mac Inger · #23 09/14/2007, 07:15 PM

HAHA nice man. I think it would be more succesful if its on the sand thus kinda hiding the door but it might well work just the same. Great tank

lilreefer1975 · #24 09/14/2007, 08:34 PM

I had the same problem with a damsel couldnt catch him too smart would hide with a net and everything else I would put in the tank.
Solution!!!
I took an empty clear 2 ltr bottle cut the top off inverted it stuck it back in the other half of the bottle. Stuck a cube of frozen food in the bottle. Put bottle fulley submerged on its side in the bottom of the tank.
In 1 hour I caught the damsel and a couple other things but easy enough to seperate once they are in there.
Took me 5 mins to make ...1 hr to catch em...0.00 spent

lilreefer1975 · #25 09/14/2007, 08:37 PM

Oh ya one other thing you may have to cut the kneck of the bottle off to make the hole a lil bit bigger but only make it big enough for him to swim through not too big.....that is if he's that big other wise just leave the kneck on.