my new fish jumped in my overflow... how do I get her out

[Debknapp]

I got a new bi-color blenny 4 weeks ago, I thought she was a gonner the first night, then I found her in my overflow.

How can I get her out of there? Can't catch her in a net.

Thanks,
-dk

[osprey77]

What kind of overflow? can you describe.....

[Crystal Sea]

Deb,
Expect it to take a while to do and be a pain, but the way that I have been the most successful is to put a small net down in the overflow(does not matter the size as you are not using it to catch the fish), the fish will come up away from it. I put my hand in and actually make a strainer of my fingers and get under the fish and then gently lift it out. I can usually catch one this way in about 15-20 min or so.

One word of caution, I left a fish in there thinking I would get it out tomorrow and it got sucked down the overflow and clogged it, causing the water from the sump to all be pumped up to the tank, almost overflowed, and I lost the fish, so whatever method you use, try to do it asap.

Good luck,
K

[dsandfort]

Deb and Karvin in one post, my lucky day.

Can you turn off the return pump and just pour the fish back to the tank? I know this will require re-starting the overflow but it might be the least trauma to the fish?

[Debknapp]

It's an all-glass aquarium, with built in overflow. It's got a drain tube and tube to pump water back into tank. The fish can lay herself into the side on bottom. I've banged up my knuckles trying to get her out around those tubes. I've tried flooding the area buy blocking drain so she could just swim into the tank..... but she doesn't. I've tried taking as much water as possible out of the area so she has less water to swim in..........

-dk

[murfman]

Deb, I used to have that problem with my old 125. I used to drain as much water out as I could and then go in with a net and work the net around the tubes and try and pin the fish up against the glass and then scoop them up. My hands are way too big to fit into the over flow but I could get a pretty good sized, medium net in there.

[osprey77]

If its like my all glass built in you can plug both bulkheads with a threaded cap and remove both the standpipe and the return. Drain some of the water and then have more free movement to catch the guy. Option 2 is to attach a large return hose and remove the standpipe with pump on and flush him down to the sump, only works if he is small enough to go down.

[dsandfort]

I remember using a 1" tygon tube to siphon a sick fish out of a hole in a rock one time. Desperate times you know....

By the way, how do you know it's a her?

[waldomas]

Originally posted by osprey77
If its like my all glass built in you can plug both bulkheads with a threaded cap and remove both the standpipe and the return. Drain some of the water and then have more free movement to catch the guy. Option 2 is to attach a large return hose and remove the standpipe with pump on and flush him down to the sump, only works if he is small enough to go down.

I have had success with both of these methods.

["Umm, fish?"]

I just used my hand to help a clownfish out of a similar situation yesterday. Good luck!

[stugray]

I made acrylic lids for both of my overflows & painted them with white epoxy. Hope that helps in the future.

Stu

[mdrumm]

i pulled the drainpipe out of the overflow and the water drains and I am then usually able to net the fish.

[Debknapp]

Del - I think it's a "her" because she wanted her own dressing room.

-dk

[mdrumm]

stugray, can you post a pic of your lids?

[bmwardo]

Deb- I think I would also try what Del said, getting the largest inner diameter tube you can find that will fit in the overflow easily enough and siphon her out if nothing else seems to be working.