Is it possible to catch an Eel?

tingram · 07/22/2006, 10:11 AM

Is it possible to do this without tearing down the tank and having to remove all, or most of, the live rock and disturb all the other inhabitants?

My snowflake is not cooperating with his neighbors anymore and I need to find a new home for him, but any attempts that I have made to catch him have ended in failure.

If someone could help with a suggestion of something to try, that would be great.

He's about 3 ft long, doesn't like going into PVC pipe and the largest fish trap that I have is way too small to try and trap him....

Help....

He bit my finger last night as I was trying to feed an anemone some dinner..

TKByrnes · 07/22/2006, 10:20 AM

Try getting a 3 litre bottle maybe 2 and peice them together. cut the top off so it makes a funnel an put it inside the rest of the bottle. maybe cut the screw top off and put some pantyhose or somthing on the top so that it kinda folds over inside the bottle so he cant get back out. but when he tries to go in it will open as he pushes on it. put his favorite food in there. i know my snowflake lives dried krill. maybe try shrimp or something like that. let us all know how it goes.

sir_dudeguy · 07/22/2006, 10:21 AM

yes try that. put food in it so they smell it or whatever (like krill or something meaty like that) and just wait is all you can do..

TKByrnes · 07/22/2006, 10:22 AM

sorry for the double post but hold it all together with zipties so you can take it apart easy, and poke very small holes to allow the smell of the food to get out. make sure the hole for the opening
is just a little bit smaller than your eel. good luck

tingram · 07/22/2006, 12:10 PM

Not entirely sure that I understand this part:

Quote:

maybe cut the screw top off and put some pantyhose or somthing on the top so that it kinda folds over inside the bottle so he cant get back out. but when he tries to go in it will open as he pushes on it

If I take a 3L bottle and cut off the top, I can turn it around and shove it back inside the bottle... Should the pantyhose be covering the top (thats now inside the main bottle and backwards) and pulling back on the top section to keep it from seperating?

If thats the case, should I need to put a hole in the pantyhose, or will he make his own hole?

Also, would it be possible to just use glue to hold the top on? as I am assuming that I want him to come in through the top and not get back out...

What I think I can see happening is that he will get part way in, eat the shrimp (his favorite) and back on out of the bottle without being all the way in...

I will go ahead and try this tonight when I get home and let you know how it goes..

Thanks for helping

tingram · 07/22/2006, 12:12 PM

never mind, I think I get it now.. I use the pantyhose as a kind of trap door.. right?

and instead of glueing the top to the main section of the bottle, i use zipties...

but this all hinges on him being brave enough, or stupid enough, to go all the way in...

Thank again..

Andrew · 07/22/2006, 12:18 PM

When I had to move mine, I put a long piece of pvc pipe in the tank and put an end cap on it and put some food in it and waited and he went in and then I just lifted up the pipe.

07/22/2006, 10:11 AM	#1
tingram Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 281	Is it possible to catch an Eel? Is it possible to do this without tearing down the tank and having to remove all, or most of, the live rock and disturb all the other inhabitants? My snowflake is not cooperating with his neighbors anymore and I need to find a new home for him, but any attempts that I have made to catch him have ended in failure. If someone could help with a suggestion of something to try, that would be great. He's about 3 ft long, doesn't like going into PVC pipe and the largest fish trap that I have is way too small to try and trap him.... Help.... He bit my finger last night as I was trying to feed an anemone some dinner..

07/22/2006, 10:20 AM	#2
TKByrnes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fairfield, PA Posts: 1,331	Try getting a 3 litre bottle maybe 2 and peice them together. cut the top off so it makes a funnel an put it inside the rest of the bottle. maybe cut the screw top off and put some pantyhose or somthing on the top so that it kinda folds over inside the bottle so he cant get back out. but when he tries to go in it will open as he pushes on it. put his favorite food in there. i know my snowflake lives dried krill. maybe try shrimp or something like that. let us all know how it goes. __________________ Baby it was on sale half price I PROMISE!!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gal mixed reef-55 gal sump-mag 9.5 return pump-10 gal frag tank 15 gal refugium. 2x 150 watt HQI outer orbit 4x pc actinic

07/22/2006, 10:21 AM	#3
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	yes try that. put food in it so they smell it or whatever (like krill or something meaty like that) and just wait is all you can do.. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

07/22/2006, 10:22 AM	#4
TKByrnes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fairfield, PA Posts: 1,331	sorry for the double post but hold it all together with zipties so you can take it apart easy, and poke very small holes to allow the smell of the food to get out. make sure the hole for the opening is just a little bit smaller than your eel. good luck __________________ Baby it was on sale half price I PROMISE!!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gal mixed reef-55 gal sump-mag 9.5 return pump-10 gal frag tank 15 gal refugium. 2x 150 watt HQI outer orbit 4x pc actinic

07/22/2006, 12:12 PM	#6
tingram Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 281	never mind, I think I get it now.. I use the pantyhose as a kind of trap door.. right? and instead of glueing the top to the main section of the bottle, i use zipties... but this all hinges on him being brave enough, or stupid enough, to go all the way in... Thank again..

07/22/2006, 12:18 PM	#7
Andrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 13,640	When I had to move mine, I put a long piece of pvc pipe in the tank and put an end cap on it and put some food in it and waited and he went in and then I just lifted up the pipe.