Catching a STUPID Damsel

[jonboyb]

I give up.....one swam right into the net but the other one is smart(they were trained to eat from the net for when I needed to remove them.....aka....NOW). I've tried blinding, traps, fishing, etc. and I am about to resort to less humane ways. Either starving it, or borrowing a lionfish This may sound silly, but could I ground the water and apply a small current to the water and stun it without permanently harming inverts and corals? I wouldn't even begin to guess what kind of amperage I would need:sad: I really don't want to kill the fish, but with the amount of corals I could harm tearing my tank down, the damsel loses. I vow to NEVER put a fish in a tank I don't intend on keeping. My son wanted fish and I didn't want to stock it with my real list right after cycling and we grabbed the cheapest fish I could locate at the LFS.

Am I forgetting another possible method?

 

[weaglereefer]

Leave the net in the tank for a few days til he gets used to it, then try to catch him.

 

[kirru]

a speargun?

haha, that is going to be a field day experience.... saltwater olympics, removing a damsel from an established aquarium... sounds fun to me

 

[jonboyb]

The net has been in there a long time in preparation for this, and they ate from the net. When I would pull it out of the water to put the food in they would go nuts knowing they were about to eat. Like dogs

 

[theplatypus]

I'm not advocating this, but someone I know used a shop vac once.

 

[jonboyb]

LOL.........but hmmmmmmm? :lol2: Maybe I'll train it to eat off the tip of a shop vac hose.

 

[lees]

LMK I got 3 but only want to get rid of one because he is getting the snot beat out of him. I guess if he is stupid enough to take it though oh well.

 

[jonboyb]

The one I'm trying to catch now was the wimp of the 2. The other one was fearless apparently.

 

[markl]

I had to take a 90 gallon almost all the way down with 150lbs of rock to catch bully black and white damsel. Now I think about it think I did it twice actually. didnt learn my lesson the first time and bought a yellow tail.
:doh:

 

[ralph atl]

theplatypus;268463 wrote: I'm not advocating this, but someone I know used a shop vac once.

LMAO!

 

[ralph atl]

Door number 1. you should try the lights out method. 2 am and all lights are out, blast em with all your lights. they will be in shock, scoop em up.

2. get that trap from Dr. Fosters & Smith. Tall & Thin.

3. Get yourself a minnow net from walleyworld or basspro. remove any lead weights (you can throw them through your tank later if this doesn't work).
cut it up into strips & squares. Place carefully in tank and section it off a little at a time, and voila!

 

[thiakosia]

We used TWO fish nets to catch things at the store I worked at.. if I can catch damsels in a 55-gallon tank above my head with two nets, you can do the same!

 

[petrasb]

Mine got about 5" and I ended up buying really small hooks from Bass Pro shop and caught him with the line & hook. He lived and I gave him to a lf store.

 

[jonboyb]

thiakosia;269087 wrote: We used TWO fish nets to catch things at the store I worked at.. if I can catch damsels in a 55-gallon tank above my head with two nets, you can do the same!

Sure, I could go nuts in there with 2 nets and eventually catch him or give him a heartattack....but I kinda like my SPS's the way they are....UN-broken...LOL

 

[ralph atl]

I think it's a little different with live rock & stonies in a tank than just a rectangle empty box.

 

[jefft]

What size tank do you have? If it is not to big you can siphon the water into tubs until the fish has no where to hide and you can scoop it up. If its one of the monster tanks forget it. I have a 30 and I do this when I want to remove something, its like a low tide cycle.

 

[mockery]

jefft;269131 wrote: What size tank do you have? If it is not to big you can siphon the water into tubs until the fish has no where to hide and you can scoop it up. If its one of the monster tanks forget it. I have a 30 and I do this when I want to remove something, its like a low tide cycle.

That is what i did, took out the rock, and started siphoning the water, pain in the butt though. I got him and treated him. And I think he has a 28 bio cube, so it should not be too bad.

 

[michael ruppert]

I had to tear my tank down to remove two damsels

 

[jonboyb]

I owe Budsreef a huge thanks. He loaned me a Fish Corral and I had him in 30 minutes. I'm buying stock in that thing:yay: And I'm buying Bud anything he wants...LOL.

Here's a pic (and gratuitous plug to show off my boy....proud papa). I'm teaching him the finer points of eating sushi. If Blue Fin Tuna is going for $40 a pound...there's no telling what Blue Fin Damsel will bring:lol2:

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[ralph atl]

yup! that is the best one!