help! damsel removal

[czwicky]

So I have a 3 stripe damsel in my 29 biocube along with a coral beauty, a clarkii clown pair, and a royal gramma. The clarkii pair and gramma are new and I already see prices missing from fins from the damsel going after them. I was wondering how I could catch him to put him into my recently cycled 14(for now). I tried a net but he seems to know what's going on there and just hides as soon as I get near the tank with a net. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would prefer to get him out unharmed but I would rather the damsel go bye bye then my mated clarkii pair and my royal gramma

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

I've read another thread where someone caught him at night when he was sleeping. I'd try that. I heard they are really hard to catch though. Good luck!

 

[chenzo9999]

You could try leaving the net in there a few days so the fish get used to it.

Some people even feed into the net so the fish get extra comfortable.

Then in a few days - Bam. Grab that [moderator edit]

 

[Fishfighter]

Get a tank divider that splits the tank in two. Move as much as you can to one side then force him to the side w nothing, split the tank with the diver and then close in on him w the net. Worked for me w my rogue damsel.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Food in a jar or place jar at oneside of tank tight on the glass and chase him into it.

 

[PurplePolyp]

Good luck. I tried for over a month to get a damsel out of my tank. I tried a minnow trap, food in a jar, a fish hook, and jabbing him with a knife. I ended up having to pull every bit of rock out of my tank to catch him.

 

[shady3210]

Good luck with satan's fish. You will probably end up having to remove rock unless you get lucky.

 

[Hocky puck]

Caught all the other fish then spear the [moderator edit] devil spawn

 

[CleverBs]

Ok this is easy as can be. I have done this a few times for myself and a few other people. what you do is the following

Step one: Get a 20oz plastic bottle
Step two: Cut off the top of the bottle right before it starts to tapper. (Basicly cut it off at the place on a pop bottle were the lable starts.)
Step Three: Cut off the part of the bottle you put your mouth on so its big enough for the fish to swim into.
Step Four: Put flip the top of the bottle over that you just cut off and put it into the bottle.
Step Five: Poke 3 holes in and use Fishing line and tie it with fishing line so its secure.
Step Six: Take the fishing line and cut 2 long peices and tie them to either side (if you only do one when you pull the bottle up it will cause the bottle to turn upside and loose the fish)
Step Seven: Put some food in it and Place it in the tank
Steph Eight: Sit and watch, The damsel will swim into it and it will have a hard time finding the escape route especially when nervous because it will start swimming randomly and rarly do fish try to escape UP (the reasoning for line being on both sides) They want to dart to the bottom and hide in the rocks.

This works really well and should be sucessfull in about 20mins and will allow you to not destroy your tank.

Heres some examples
Catching Your Fish - DIY Fish Trap
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=bottle+fish+trap&oq=bottle+fish+trap&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i5i30l3.2322.4476.0.4755.16.13.0.2.2.1.520.2534.1j8j2j0j1j1.13.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.2.hp.Uz2q5nETjeo&pbx=1&fp=1&biw=1440&bih=803&cad=b&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.

 

[PurplePolyp]

Ok this is easy as can be. I have done this a few times for myself and a few other people. what you do is the following

Step one: Get a 20oz plastic bottle
Step two: Cut off the top of the bottle right before it starts to tapper. (Basicly cut it off at the place on a pop bottle were the lable starts.)
Step Three: Cut off the part of the bottle you put your mouth on so its big enough for the fish to swim into.
Step Four: Put flip the top of the bottle over that you just cut off and put it into the bottle.
Step Five: Poke 3 holes in and use Fishing line and tie it with fishing line so its secure.
Step Six: Take the fishing line and cut 2 long peices and tie them to either side (if you only do one when you pull the bottle up it will cause the bottle to turn upside and loose the fish)
Step Seven: Put some food in it and Place it in the tank
Steph Eight: Sit and watch, The damsel will swim into it and it will have a hard time finding the escape route especially when nervous because it will start swimming randomly and rarly do fish try to escape UP (the reasoning for line being on both sides) They want to dart to the bottom and hide in the rocks.

This works really well and should be sucessfull in about 20mins and will allow you to not destroy your tank.

Heres some examples
Catching Your Fish - DIY Fish Trap
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=bottle+fish+trap&oq=bottle+fish+trap&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i5i30l3.2322.4476.0.4755.16.13.0.2.2.1.520.2534.1j8j2j0j1j1.13.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.2.hp.Uz2q5nETjeo&pbx=1&fp=1&biw=1440&bih=803&cad=b&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.

I wish this would have worked for me. I left that 2-liter bottle in there for a week. That's when I upgraded and bought an actual minnow trap. No success there either.

 

[CleverBs]

I wish this would have worked for me. I left that 2-liter bottle in there for a week. That's when I upgraded and bought an actual minnow trap. No success there either.

Iv never had it fail, Done it 5 times for damsels. Also have caught a wrasse, Scooter blenny, Yellow watchman, chromis, and clown fish as well. You need to put frozen food in it, Flakes or pellets dont seem to work i dont think they have the sent. Turn off all your Pumps too so that they can easily find the food.

 

[Jaketit]

I've never had luck with the bottle trick either. Oh wait. I did manage to catch like 8 nasserith snails and 5 hermits though. But no fish.

 

[melosu58]

Get Out of My Tank! Fish Removal Tips & Tricks by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

 

[CleverBs]

You can't just put the bottle trap in and walk away....you need to watch and when the fish goes in pull it out. They will easily get out if given time to figure it out. Sw fish are intelligent unlike freshwater fish. They will get out if they take their time.

 

[PurplePolyp]

You can't just put the bottle trap in and walk away....you need to watch and when the fish goes in pull it out. They will easily get out if given time to figure it out. Sw fish are intelligent unlike freshwater fish. They will get out if they take their time.

Just because this worked for you doesn't mean it will work for everyone every time. Trust me...I tried EVERYTHING before resorting to pulling rock out. I even tried jabbing a knife into the hole he sleeps in to just kill the thing.

 

[CleverBs]

Just because this worked for you doesn't mean it will work for everyone every time. Trust me...I tried EVERYTHING before resorting to pulling rock out. I even tried jabbing a knife into the hole he sleeps in to just kill the thing.

lol if its done correctly it will work...Its not like its just a fluke, Its no different then fishing. If two people are fishing in a boat and are both using the same setup and one person is catching fish and the other one hasnt caught a thing its because that person is doing something wrong. I am just trying to help...

 

[Ingy]

Fishing. There's an idea. Just saying.

 

[Wy Renegade]

You can't just put the bottle trap in and walk away....you need to watch and when the fish goes in pull it out. They will easily get out if given time to figure it out. Sw fish are intelligent unlike freshwater fish. They will get out if they take their time.

LOL, really? I'll bet some of my cichlids are more "intelligent" than some of your SW fish - Just saying! Thanks for the humor, I needed that today.

The simple instinctive nature of fish not to be contained inside a bottle will cause any fish, FW or SW to attempt to attempt to get out of the trap. If given enough time any fish is likely to get lucky and successfully maneuver their way out. Intelligence is not a factor here. Just saying