Fish can be a real pain!!!

[bassdrummer1]

So I just started up my system about 2 1/2 months ago. It's a 29 gallon biocube hqi and I first but all my LR, sand and 3 damsels in the tank. well one of the damsels was getting sick so I put it in my QT and one other damsel died so that left one in my 29 gallon cube. So today I went out and picked up 2 small perc clowns from a different lfs in Jax fl. figured this place had healthier fish (which they did). So i put the new fish in the tank and that one damel was being a bully! I was like no way fish so I was motivated on getting him out of the tank (big mistake). So long story short it took about an hour and a half to get that fish out of there. I tried getting him with a net... didn't work.. I tried putting a small amount of food I have been feeding him in the tank to get him to come out of the rocks and he did but was to fast for me to scoop him up. After an hour I decided to take out all my LR... So I did. sand was all over the tank corals were covered in sand, debris was everywhere from just (stuff that settled). So anyways I GOT THE DAMSEL! and put him in the qt. so now on to putting my rocks back to where they were before... wow this was hard to do.... I loved how my aquascape looked before all of this mess started. I tried to put everything back to how it was but it seemed impossible. everything seems fine now but it just does not look the same close but still off.

So my question is this... Is there a better way of getting fish out of these kind of tanks??

 

[unionredskin22]

I made a fish trap by taking a plastic bottle with the top cut off and turned inside out to catch my damsel. I fed into it until the fish got curious(or hungry) enough to go in. He could swim in but not out. Problem is you can keep catching the wrong fish with it lol

 

[lvpd186]

For a smaller tank like that it might be easier to drain the tank. Get a large container (like a 40g brute) and a pump (something that will fill the tank up fairly fast). Drain the tank, catch the fish, and then quickly fill it back up. As long as you don't take too long everything will be fine.

 

[bassdrummer1]

haha unionredskin 22. thats a very funny but good idea haha.

 

[Sk8r]

Honestly, a non-clown damsel should be in a 100 gallon tank. They need running room. That poor fish had staked out its territory, such little territory as it had, and then here came 2 more damsels (clowns.) You have to feel sorry for the damsel.

 

[bassdrummer1]

?? my lfs always told me to put damsels in my new tanks?? is this not the right thing to do?

 

[Ston3]

A good number of damsels are very aggressive and most people tend to shy away from them cause of that. The lfs probably told you that cause they are hardy and may be used for cycling. That said, you should not use fish to cycle; it is unnecessary.

All that aside, watch your tank parameters closely for the next few days/week. When you kick up all the debris it may cause the tank to have a mini cycle

 

[lvpd186]

?? my lfs always told me to put damsels in my new tanks?? is this not the right thing to do?

Not really, like the post above the old school method of cycling a tank was to use damsels but you really don't need to do that. Besides even if they survive, like you found out the hard way, they are a real pain in the butt to get out.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I made a fish trap by taking a plastic bottle with the top cut off and turned inside out to catch my damsel. I fed into it until the fish got curious(or hungry) enough to go in. He could swim in but not out. Problem is you can keep catching the wrong fish with it lol

That worked for me too. I caught a problematic wrasse with my bottle trap.