Fish in Overflows

[ga_daisy]

A month ago the Purple Pseudochromis moved himself into my overflow.

Now....today, found my male black Ocellaris clown over in there.

Any suggestions as to how to get them out? Its IMPOSSIBLE to use a net with the pvc and tight fit.

 

[cr500_af]

If my purple pseudochromis moved into my overflow I'd buy him a housewarming present and hope he liked it.

Just kidding, but I'm tagging along for potential future reference. The only person I know that has done this pulled the drain pipe out and let the overflow drain into the sump all the way to the bottom... obviously it flushed the fish out.

 

[bclark7169]

The only person I know that has done this pulled the drain pipe out and let the overflow drain into the sump all the way to the bottom... obviously it flushed the fish out.

This is what I have had to do twice..once with a McCoskers Wrasse ad once with a
B & W Occ.

 

[ga_daisy]

URGH......sounds potentially messy!

Thanks guys for the suggestion! Suppose I'll tackle that task one evening when I don't have class or running around to do, just in case things get ugly.

 

[ga_daisy]

I was sort of thinking that maybe a small bottle style trap might fit in there and may do the trick.....just not sure (have never made a trap before).

The issue with draining the overflow and then "fishing" out the fish is that the pipe work in there is so tight, they would probably just hide in behind it. AND.....its pretty deep, not even sure that I could reach the bottom.

Keep the ideas coming.....

 

[kirru]

Cuz I ain't got a stand pipe directly in the center of my overflow, i just throw my fish net down there, encourage the fish to swim to it and throw 'em back in to the tank, only one to really like the overflow is my aurora "pink bar" goby who gets kicked out of his home when the pistol shrimp he is paired with remodels and he can't get back in, quite funny but i at least kno he is alive when i have to get him out

good luck

 

[smoothie]

Once it is out from draining or syphoning get some gutterguard to rig up going up beyond the overflows and the back of the tank

 

[wbrown]

I've quit worrying if they get in the overflow, they tend to get back into the DT eventually.
I've gotten some of that plastic netting stuff they tend to use to bag up those little chocolate coins in and placed over the other overflows, so far so good.
Kids ate the chocolate, so the mesh bag was free.

 

[ga_daisy]

Smoothie;367967 wrote: Once it is out from draining or syphoning get some gutterguard to rig up going up beyond the overflows and the back of the tank

Hmmmm gutterguard.....

Because my next question was going to be....

My next fish that I want to add will be the flasher wrasse. I KNOW they are jumpers. I'm concerned that eventually one is going to take a dive onto the floor. There is about an inch or two all of the way around my tank that a fish could hurl itself into and I would play heck getting it out (dead or alive). I was trying to figure something that I could put up around the outter rim of the tank to keep the jumpers from taking a nose dive.

How would I go about affixing the gutterguard to the aquarium rim?

I did find out last night that he will come to the top when I spot light. So....I'm going to try that when I get home from PreCal! Net in one hand, flashlight in the other and a brain full of Trigonemetric functions.....party like a rockstar! :yay:

 

[jeep9783]

I just had one of my wrasses end up in there tiffiany at blue planet let me borrow a brine shrimp net and it worked very small but it worked around all of my pipes

 

[weaglereefer]

I just ordered this for my 90. He may have one to fit your overflow.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=370219165286">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=370219165286</a>

[IMG]http://i.ebayimg.com/09/%21BPdIJcw%21mk%7E$%28KGrHgoOKkQEjlLmVIM2BJzy+FzDmQ%7E%7E_1.JPG" alt="" />

 

[ralph atl]

Chris at fish scales is making custom tops from bird netting. I made my own, pretty easy. before that, I had black egg crate laid on top.

 

[legalreefer]

Ive seen/heard of people using gutter guards and clipping them down so nothing can over it. Hope this helps.

 

[ralph atl]

here is an example:

 

[rbredding]

here's what I'm planning on using for just this issue... I'm going to cut a piece of "eggcrate" that is approximately 1/8" smaller than the overflow and will have two holes in it for the durso standpipe and supply line...

if a fish or other creature gets in there, all I'll have to do is reach down and grab the eggcrate, pulling it up the shaft of the overflow like a strainer until the fish either jumps back into the display or I can reach him easily to move him in there myself..

 

[cr500_af]

That's a great idea.

 

[weaglereefer]

I think most of the guys that are jumpers can fit through egg crate without difficulty.

 

[rbredding]

au01st;368484 wrote: I think most of the guys that are jumpers can fit through egg crate without difficulty.

then I'll just leave him in there.... :lol2:

 

[ga_daisy]

ugghhhhh......

Ok, so this thread started off with one Purple Pseudo and my male black Ocellaris in the overflow.....when I first got home, all fish accounted for

NOW.....

Female Black Ocellaris has apparently decided to join her mate (I've looked for her EVERYWHERE).

I'm afraid that by the time the weekend rolls around and I have time to cover my overflows the only thing left in my 6' display will be live rock (live rock can't jump, can it?):confused2:

........:sad:I'm starting to get a complex. My fish are running away from me!