Holy Freakin Damsels!!!

[tidepoole]

OK. So one is my fault (brand new to the hobby), the other was from when a friend of my wife and me was breaking down his tank. I came home and my wife was nice enough to have already acclimated (I didn't know she knew what that was either) and released a second hand yellow tail damsel into the tank.

So here i am.

I just got one out of the tank with the standard net. That was like a week ago. I threw it into a rubbermaid full of spare LR (it must be around the 60 degree mark and some super dirty water with a lid on it). I checked it today and it was STILL ALIVE!!!

The original fish is still in the tank and refuses to come out from behind the rock when the net is in the water. I really don't feel like pulling everything out of the tank, and I think that a 29g is a bit too small for a 12 inch grouper (however at this point it is rather tempting). The former LFS owner used to speak of putting a hypodermic needle on the end of rigid airline tubing and doin' a little reef tank spearfishing.

So the reason I post tonight, is to ask how others have acheived this incredible feat. Whatever technique you have used, please let me know. Help me rid the tank of the world's most DAM SELFISH animal in the world (hope you got the pun there.

peace,
JPoole

p.s.
Bless my Long Nose Hawkfish of 2 years who committed suicide today. He was found face down in the carpet in front of the tank. May he rest in peace.

 

[kbmdale]

Save yourself alot of aggravation, remove the rock the try to net the sucker. He will still be a hand full to corner in an empty tank. I had to drain 3/4 of the water out to get mine. I too listened didn't know any better when I bought them. But we do know right..lol.

 

[KDodds]

Trap, and patience.

 

[johnydart]

damsels are impossible. best bet: remove all (most~) blockage/rock and get it over with

 

[tidepoole]

The first one just got suckered into the net, so i know it can be done. I think I'll leave the net in the middle of the tank until he gets used to it before starting the strike. anyone ever use this approach?

peace,
jpoole

 

[Island Hopper]

I caught mine with the coke bottle trap. Worked like a charm, had the sucker out in about 15 min.

 

[R.A.C.]

I can catch any fish in my tank simply by leaving that net in 24/7. Feed near the net every day. Slowly move the net around the little fishies and they get real use to it. Then BAM. It usually takes me two days. Hope this helps

 

[TJ]

When we consolidated out tanks to the 240, I, out of sentimentality, put the biggest, baddest striped damsel into the new tank, knowing I was wanting to add more and different fish later...sure enough- he about chewed a new coral beauty to death and started pestering clowns, that had come out of the tank that he'd been for years! So after bits of shrimp on the end of a fish hook, various types of "traps", and you name it, I finally took out more than half of my carefully aquasculptured LR, placed back into rubbermaid tubs and corned the _ _ _ _ _ _ _@!! I wish now we'd had a video tape of our endeavors! So, my point is, go ahead and take out your rock and corner the little sucker! You'll be so happy when it's over! By the way, his name was Sadaam, if that tells you anything! Best of luck!

 

[tjh]

calfos forum has great ideas, i chose to create a low spot at the bottom of the tank and drain the water low enough that the fish had to swim there, netted him out, and pumped the water back in. no harm to any of my corals and i didnt have to wreck my reef.
hth

 

[nova62]

the owner of the lfs that i work at has used a #20 fish hook with the barb cut off and caught damsels that way

 

[Asuran]

i had one (yellow tail) in a 70gal it was pretty mellow till i tried to add a small regal tang... poor thing... ended up removing all the rocks and it was hiding in one of the holes in the rock... was out of the water for a good 5 min and made a dive onto the hardwood flooring and it still survived and back to the lfs he went