anything wrong with leaving a fish in the overflow?

jenjen · 03/27/2010, 01:17 PM

I have a blue/green chromis who has landed himself in the corner overflow in my 180g. I 'lost' him about two weeks ago, so he's been in there a while - just spotted him yesterday.

There's no getting him out without removing the two pcv pipes in the overflow chamber - a task which I'd really rather not undertake.

He doesn't get a lot of light, but now that I know he's in there I've been feeding him a little. Is there anything wrong with just leaving him in there?

Shane Hoffman · 03/27/2010, 01:28 PM

I had a sailfin tang live for 4 to 5 weeks in my HOB overflow. I assumed he wedged himself in rock work and died. When I finally found him he was a bit emaciated but other than that seemed fine.

sruiz · 03/27/2010, 01:28 PM

I think you should take him out and five him away to someone that wants him. Should not be so hard to do , make it a project for your next water change.
You can siphon some water out of the overflow(turn off the return first) should be easier with less water in the overflow. Some have had luck by pulling out the standpipe and flushing the fish to the sump.

dwd5813 · 03/27/2010, 01:32 PM

get it out and then make a cover for the overflow.

returnofsid · 03/27/2010, 01:33 PM

I currently have a Fairy Wrasse in my overflow. It's been in there a couple of days. I wouldn't leave any fish in the overflow long. I'll be pulling my stand pipe, with a net under the drain line, to catch mine.

jenjen · 03/27/2010, 02:09 PM

I can't pull the stand-pipe and let him ride down to the sump, because the sump-end of the pipe is right against the egg create shelf I build for my skimmer. Getting him out will require either removing the elbow on the stand pipe and somehow netting him out of the overflow (ha! ya right), or disassembling my sump so I can let him ride down.

For those wondering, I do like/want the fish or I wouldn't have added him to my system. I have 5 others in the tank which are doing wonderfully and add lots of movement to the tank. However this seems like an enormous amount of effort, and if he's ok in the overflow I'm likely going to leave him there. It's not like it's a tiny space.

That said, sruiz's post gave me an idea. I'll try getting a large siphon hose and see if I can manage to siphon him into a bucket. Fingers crossed...

dogstar74 · 03/27/2010, 02:48 PM

"Siphon" him with a shop vac.

mscarpena · 03/27/2010, 03:14 PM

Try netting him. I have had fish go in my overflows and I net them to remove them. Takes about 5 minutes or so. If you leave him in there he will die for sure.

chris88 · 03/27/2010, 03:34 PM

well i have 3 blue chromis in my sump comparment where the overflow drains for 5 months now. They are doing fine and there is no way i could get them out until i move again and uprot the tank. I just drop food down there. I also have 3 hermits in there with them. I have fixed the problem so no more fish or inverts can get down there.

noahm · 03/27/2010, 04:31 PM

Before I put mesh over my overflow teeth, my stupid chromis would go in there all the time. I would close down the drain (I run full siphon) and it raised the water level to where the teeth were pretty submerged and the fish came out on their own. Also, I had a fairy wrasse go up and over and get stuck in the overflow box. In the time I went to the craft store to get some plastic mesh, the fish went down the standpipe and lodged at the valve. DOA. Now I have 3/8 bird netting over the top, and 3/16 mesh over the overflow. I do have a pep shrimp that lives in there though for almost a year and had a watchman goby that lived in there for months until I took him out and the pseudochromis killed him.

slosht · 03/27/2010, 04:43 PM

My scooter blenny got in my overflow, he was there for a few days before I realized it. I was able to get him out with a net, it took about 30 mins of me sitting there waiting patiently for him to swim up about midway so I scoop him.

would you have enough room to put a water bottle in there without having to take your stand pipe apart? If you can make a bottle trap with food and drill a hole near the open end and tie some fishing line to it, bait it, sink it and when he goes in just pull it up with the line. Might be able to get him that way.

jenjen · 03/28/2010, 02:44 PM

Can't get a bottle in there, even when I remove the top U on the stand-pipe - trying to find a small enough container that I will be able to fit. In the meantime, can't get a net in there and even if I could I can't properly maneuver it around the pipes. Tried to siphon him out last night but he's too quick. I'll try again with the siphon hose, but he may end up staying in there until I'm ready to rip my sump apart so I can let him ride down.

03/27/2010, 01:17 PM	#1
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,710	anything wrong with leaving a fish in the overflow? I have a blue/green chromis who has landed himself in the corner overflow in my 180g. I 'lost' him about two weeks ago, so he's been in there a while - just spotted him yesterday. There's no getting him out without removing the two pcv pipes in the overflow chamber - a task which I'd really rather not undertake. He doesn't get a lot of light, but now that I know he's in there I've been feeding him a little. Is there anything wrong with just leaving him in there? __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal softy reef (Apr '09)

03/27/2010, 01:28 PM	#2
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	I had a sailfin tang live for 4 to 5 weeks in my HOB overflow. I assumed he wedged himself in rock work and died. When I finally found him he was a bit emaciated but other than that seemed fine. __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

03/27/2010, 01:28 PM	#3
sruiz Reef'R Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Searching... Posts: 1,381	I think you should take him out and five him away to someone that wants him. Should not be so hard to do , make it a project for your next water change. You can siphon some water out of the overflow(turn off the return first) should be easier with less water in the overflow. Some have had luck by pulling out the standpipe and flushing the fish to the sump. __________________ Don't forget your water change.

03/27/2010, 01:32 PM	#4
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	get it out and then make a cover for the overflow. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

03/27/2010, 02:09 PM	#6
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,710	I can't pull the stand-pipe and let him ride down to the sump, because the sump-end of the pipe is right against the egg create shelf I build for my skimmer. Getting him out will require either removing the elbow on the stand pipe and somehow netting him out of the overflow (ha! ya right), or disassembling my sump so I can let him ride down. For those wondering, I do like/want the fish or I wouldn't have added him to my system. I have 5 others in the tank which are doing wonderfully and add lots of movement to the tank. However this seems like an enormous amount of effort, and if he's ok in the overflow I'm likely going to leave him there. It's not like it's a tiny space. That said, sruiz's post gave me an idea. I'll try getting a large siphon hose and see if I can manage to siphon him into a bucket. Fingers crossed... __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal softy reef (Apr '09)

03/27/2010, 01:33 PM	#5
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	I currently have a Fairy Wrasse in my overflow. It's been in there a couple of days. I wouldn't leave any fish in the overflow long. I'll be pulling my stand pipe, with a net under the drain line, to catch mine.

03/27/2010, 02:48 PM	#7
dogstar74 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,152	"Siphon" him with a shop vac. __________________ "If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS

03/27/2010, 03:14 PM	#8
mscarpena Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 1,924	Try netting him. I have had fish go in my overflows and I net them to remove them. Takes about 5 minutes or so. If you leave him in there he will die for sure.

03/27/2010, 03:34 PM	#9
chris88 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alberta (canada) Posts: 657	well i have 3 blue chromis in my sump comparment where the overflow drains for 5 months now. They are doing fine and there is no way i could get them out until i move again and uprot the tank. I just drop food down there. I also have 3 hermits in there with them. I have fixed the problem so no more fish or inverts can get down there.

03/27/2010, 04:31 PM	#10
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Before I put mesh over my overflow teeth, my stupid chromis would go in there all the time. I would close down the drain (I run full siphon) and it raised the water level to where the teeth were pretty submerged and the fish came out on their own. Also, I had a fairy wrasse go up and over and get stuck in the overflow box. In the time I went to the craft store to get some plastic mesh, the fish went down the standpipe and lodged at the valve. DOA. Now I have 3/8 bird netting over the top, and 3/16 mesh over the overflow. I do have a pep shrimp that lives in there though for almost a year and had a watchman goby that lived in there for months until I took him out and the pseudochromis killed him.

03/27/2010, 04:43 PM	#11
slosht Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: clinton twp Posts: 175	My scooter blenny got in my overflow, he was there for a few days before I realized it. I was able to get him out with a net, it took about 30 mins of me sitting there waiting patiently for him to swim up about midway so I scoop him. would you have enough room to put a water bottle in there without having to take your stand pipe apart? If you can make a bottle trap with food and drill a hole near the open end and tie some fishing line to it, bait it, sink it and when he goes in just pull it up with the line. Might be able to get him that way.

03/28/2010, 02:44 PM	#12
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,710	Can't get a bottle in there, even when I remove the top U on the stand-pipe - trying to find a small enough container that I will be able to fit. In the meantime, can't get a net in there and even if I could I can't properly maneuver it around the pipes. Tried to siphon him out last night but he's too quick. I'll try again with the siphon hose, but he may end up staying in there until I'm ready to rip my sump apart so I can let him ride down. __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal softy reef (Apr '09)