Catching my Damsels!

E

earthboy17

New member
So I've heard the jokes about getting rid of damsels, and the day where I experience this are fast approaching.

I was wondering what everyone's best ideas are for catching my 5 damsels. I've heard things from gatorade bottle to barbless hook to octopus to eels.

Also, any other good fish catching stories will do.

Thanks.
 
first off good luck (not being rude but honest). try letting the net sit in the tank for 1/2 hour or longer before you actually try to catch them so they can get somewhat used to hit. if they doesnt work then you prob will have to remove the LR
 
also if you are not doing reef get yourself a nice size trigger puffer or grouper and then they can have a nice dinner
 
I see you have fish only with live rock. Seriously take the rock out and drain some water. It's a lot of work but it will work the first time. Who knows how long it's gona take with a net. You might get lucky but prob not.
 
I tried every idea on RC over the period of a week, and the smallest hook I could buy at a fly fishing shop on a piece of thread worked in less than a minute for 2 damsels. Don't feed them for a day so their hungry. The actual size of the hook was a #22 which is a little bigger than this J. Good luck
 
I learned the hard way yesterday. I bought a medium Titan Trigger and my 2 damsels would not leave them alone. I decided to pull my damsels and put them into my quarentine tank. Easier said than done. I wound up pulling every peice of rock and coral from 180. Even then, with so much swimming room, they were tough to catch. I've always heard the stories, but never really beleived it could be that hard. Even my wife thought she could do better. Do yourself a favor. Suck it up and pull everything. Like someone else said, it was nice to have a chance to change my aquascape.

Good luck to ya!!
 
"May the force be with you"

Just accept that you will have to take everything out of the tank now. Its easier to accept later when the little fellows are all crammed into the one recess the net cannot reach.
 
amazing how nobody jumped on you for cycling your tank with 5 damsels. Either nobody noticed, or this forum has gotten a LOT nicer over the years.

I usually go after them with 1 big net, and 1 smaller one to chase them in there with.
 
who said I cycled my tank with them?

I didn't put them in until I was 0/0/0. I want my tank to have time to really build up tons of bacteria and other good stuff. And I keep hearing Patience Patience Patience being preached. So I added them with a couple snails and am letting the tank fun for about 3 months.

What I said was, the time to pull them is fast approaching. In early August I will be pulling them and adding clowns, shrimp, etc. So I'm here for ideas on how to do it, seeing as how they are notoriously difficult.

Thanks everyone though. Any other ideas?

(And I'm kinda surpised how acceptable it is to go fishing in the tank. I figured that would be considered cruel.)
 
Interesting, Fishing for them is cruel, but Starving them is not?

That's one thing that I'm beginning to find: Most people on here are very interested in ethical treatment of animals...but people's own ethical systems vary greatly one from another.

Not saying I agree or disagree with anyone, but ya gotta admit it's interesting to see.
 
Maybe you should leave the little damsels in there.... Most Damsels are pretty cool little fish...just a little aggressive
 
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