Getting desperate... I need this damsel out of the tank!

JeffersonReef

JeffersonReef

New member
Ok, I have tried just about everything short of quick-draining the tank or removing all of the live rock. I just cant get rid of this last damsel. Now... he has picked up a new wonderful trick... he has found a 'cave' that he calls his own... and he has taken to scooping up sand from the general area below the cave and (LITERALLY) spitting the sand onto the rocks a few inches away from the cave... and all over my pipe organ coral! There is sand EVERYWHERE! I swear... he is doing it to **** me off. He is still 'ramming' my hand when I work in the tank... or maybe he is nipping at me... I dont know. He recently chased a ocellaris clown fish RIGHT OUT OF THE TANK! Found it on the carpet dead. I really have to get rid of this guy. I know what your saying:

1)NO... he doesnt sleep in the aforementioned cave... I cant find where he is sleeping in fact. I have looked everywhere visible with a flashlight at night... I can find EVERY OTHER fish, snail, crab etc.... just not him!

2)Yes, I read the 'how to catch a critter' thread here on RC.

I have decided (I know this sounds bad) to starve the tank for 2 days or so... and then try the inverted 2-liter bottle again. If that doesnt work... I am gonna drain the tank.

Just a note for anyone considering buying a damsel or who was told by the moron at the LFS that damsels are great starter fishes:

DONT PUT FREAKING DAMSELS IN YOUR TANK! DAMSELS SHOULD BE CAUGHT, PLACED IN A TUPPERWEAR CONTAINER, AND FLICKED UNTIL THEY STOP BREATHING. THEN, THEY SHOULD BE FLUSHED OUT TO SEA VIA THE TOILET.

You may think this an extreme way to feel about damsels... but anyone on this forum who has had one would likely agree.

Thanks for letting me vent... I feel better. :)

-TJ
 
LION%20FISH%2002.JPG
 
The answer to my problem! If only I could find a way where it wouldnt also kill all my other fish too.... or maybe they would just be collateral damage.... hmmm... (LOL)
 
Gee, My little yellow tail Damsel is a model citizen. But then again, he's the smallest in the tank by far and so is afraid of everyone else. :D
 
My damsel is also the smallest.... but he is also the BIGGEST GANGSTER in the tank. I am actually a little scared of him.
-TJ
 
drain water out, catch him out, fastest but painful. I did it before when I caught 10-16 of my damsels.
 
My 2" yellow damsel (aka - Yellowfish) used to be king of the tank. I dethroned him by:
Moving him from OC to LA and exiling him to a 20g tank for 2 months while I set the main tank back up
Rearranging his rock work weekly for the next three months
Adding a Arc-Eye Hawkfish three times his size that constantly keeps an eye on him

When that wore off . . .
Adding a mostly gentle but fast-acting guardian in the form of an 8" Naso Tang (suitably named Katsumoto) and his posse (a 4" Yellow Tang and 6" Foxface Rabbitfish).

I came home one day to find a gash on Yellowfish that strangely resembled the dual-barbed strike inherent to a large Naso Tang's tail strike. Yellowfish has healed physically but now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9350122#post9350122 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chaffey
drain water out, catch him out, fastest but painful. I did it before when I caught 10-16 of my damsels.
Click to expand...

best way to catch these guys. damsels get such a bad rep, they are territorial by nature. its sad there's a trend for using them to start the cycle on our tanks, when done, they usually go right down the toilet.

if you know anyone starting a tank, please advise them not to use damsels to start the cycle for their tanks.
 
I love you for that story. I am all about harming damsels. Not really... but I wish I was. If I cant catch him, maybe I need to add a Katsumoto.... :)
 
I have used the 2 liter coke bottle trap before with success. The only problem is you will likely catch everyone else as well.
 
I caught my punk damsel, luckily it wasn't too hard. I left a net hanging in the tank so the fish wouldn't be scared of it. Then the next day while feeding the fish, using the turkey baster in my left hand and holding the net in my right, I would squirt the food near the net. The fish were a little hesistant at first but they came up to eat, but wouldn't get close enought to the net to be able to catch the damsel. By about the third day though, I was squirting the food right into the net and the damsel swam right in and I scooped him out and dumped him in the qt! I've caught several fish this way, it won't work for every fish but seems to work fine on the more aggressive fish. Just takes a little patience.

Right now I'm trying to catch an anthias that killed my new wrasse. He relentessly chased him around every time he came out of hiding and wouldn't let him eat. I've tried the net trick, the inverted bottle trick, I don't know where he sleeps at night, and I swear he's on to me. I actually made and tested a little spear gun with a kabob stick and a rubber band. I think I could spear the bastard but my wife won't let me! I'm currently trying the inverted bottle again but this time I'm starving the tank for a few days before squirting some food in there. I've never had so much trouble trying to catch a fish!

So try the net thing, draining the tank sounds like a lot of trouble and I wouldn't want to do that unless I had absolutely no other option.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9350255#post9350255 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by My F1sh R D34D!
Awesome story Jim. Got any more?:D
Click to expand...

Sure! Which do you want?
Clarence the Grouper
A Tale of Two Gobies
How the Lionfish got his Name
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9350356#post9350356 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Corriander
Sure! Which do you want?
Clarence the Grouper
A Tale of Two Gobies
How the Lionfish got his Name
Click to expand...
LOL. Classic.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9350356#post9350356 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Corriander
Sure! Which do you want?
Clarence the Grouper
A Tale of Two Gobies
How the Lionfish got his Name
Click to expand...

All of em:p
 
Well my damsel had a little different route. I got him from a friend that tore his tank down. I put him in my sump until I could find a sutable home for him. One day while I'm looking in my tank, low and behold, there's teh damsel in teh rocks. Seems he took a little trip THRU my hammerhead pump, 1" return plumbing mainifold and dumped into a 400g tank w/ 10" + fish swimming all around. I think that would humble you some. ;) Kind of funny though as my now 13" Naso dosen't and never did take a second look at any of the small fish in the tank. Just intimidated them by his size.
 
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