GAH! How do I catch this STUPID DAMSEL!?!

[N_T]

So I've got a blue damsel in my tank, and it's time for him to go. I added a maroon clown today, and the clown's tail is already tattered. In addition, the sleeper goby I added last week won't come out from under a rock because whenever he does, the damsel chases him back under. The only one who can move around the tank at will is the coral beauty, mainly because it's the same size as the damsel and on day one prison-ruled the damsel.

I've tried holding a glass with food in it to scoop up the fish. He'll pick at the food from the outside of the glass, but won't swim into the glass.

I've also tried a net, but he's waaaay too smart/fast for that.

So how do I either catch him, or guide him into the anemone to solve my damsel problem one way or the other?

[cabenin]

Size 26 dry fly hook!

[muppet]

Have fun breaking down your entire tank, because that is what it will take.

[Angel*Fish]

I know how frustrating this can be, but he's just doing what he's genetically programmed to do.

[N_T]

Originally Posted by Angel*Fish

I know how frustrating this can be, but he's just doing what he's genetically programmed to do.

i know that, but his genetic programming is no longer compatible with my fish keeping goals.

[Fishbutt]

Hello!
Ok.... so I just caught a lawnmower blenny from my tank without moving a single rock... I took a sheet of acrylic which I was using as a tank-lid to prevent evap, and I stuck it in the water, cornered the fish, and voila! Much smaller area to catch your fish! They can't see the acrylic so they aren't afraid of it... but it sure as hell stops them from going and hiding in rocks. I'd try it during feeding time. Or wait a day or two w/o feeding, then try it. Your damsel will be so hungry he won't even care about trying to be elusive anymore. Just try the acrylic sheet method. You can get creative with it too... good luck.

[N_T]

I hope my critters can forgive me for what I just did....

I took out every piece of live rock that he could hid under or behind (including one that my coral banded shrimp wouldn't let go of, thus earning him a ticket to the bucket) and chased this PITA damsel around the tank until finally catching him. Now all the rocks are back in, but nowhere near in the same position as before.

On the bright side, the sleeper goby is already out and feeding. I've watched him sift more sand in the past 20 minutes than he has since I brought him home nearly a week ago. He's incredibly skinny though, so I'm hoping he finds enough in the sand to bring him back. He's got enough energy to swim around happily sifting sand, so hopefully that's enough.

The maroon clown is still hiding in the top corner of the tank though. He's not too beat up aside from the chewed up tail. I'm hoping he'll come down soon and meet the nice LTA I got along with him.

[Angel*Fish]

The rocks never go back in the same. Congratulations, I know it was an ordeal. Good luck to your clown and I hope you can find a home for the damsel.

[tmgrash]

I made the mistake of DAMNsel a little while back. In my 240 was pretty much impossible to get him out. So for the future without dismateling your tank this is what worked for me. I built a fish trap out of a two liter bottle. Cut the top off where it starts to taper and invert on itself, then I didnt feed them except in the trap. Took a couple days but he decide he was hungry enough to go inside. I did a back flip when I caught that little jack wagon.

[HUNGER]

Originally Posted by cabenin

Size 26 dry fly hook!

it works just take you time

[Vandal996]

Originally Posted by cabenin

Size 26 dry fly hook!

Dude! It's a Damsel. You'll be there forever.

[Floowid]

Originally Posted by tmgrash

I made the mistake of DAMNsel a little while back. In my 240 was pretty much impossible to get him out. So for the future without dismateling your tank this is what worked for me. I built a fish trap out of a two liter bottle. Cut the top off where it starts to taper and invert on itself, then I didnt feed them except in the trap. Took a couple days but he decide he was hungry enough to go inside. I did a back flip when I caught that little jack wagon.

I am also a big fan of the 2 liter bottle trap. I need to take a picture of it in action some time. Mine is a little different, I cut it at the same place, but left a little piece uncut, which acts as a hinge. Then I ran some fishing line through a small hole in the new rim of the bottom part, and tied it to the now hinged top part. Put a rock and some food inside, and sit patiently in a chair about 5 feet away. As soon as the fish you want swims in, pull the fishing line and the whole (now closed) contraption comes to the surface. Works like a charm.

[cloak]

I'm not sure how big the OP tank was, but I just removed two damsels from my 20 gallon tank the other day by leaving them high and dry. I siphoned all but an inch of water out of the tank and out they came. Piece of cake.

[Fatreefer]

may i make a suggestion?

[James77]

Originally Posted by N_T

I hope my critters can forgive me for what I just did....

.

Of course they will....you got the jerk out of the tank

[eho72]

I had a damsel in my 120g. Impossible to get out with a trap. I was able to get every fish to go into that trap except the damsel. Guess what I ended up doing after 2 weeks. Yeah, I took all the rocks out and put them back in afterward. Let's say it wasn't a fun weekend. I managed to kill one of my fish while sitting in a holding tub with not enough oxygen and crushed some of my corals. No more damsel for me.

[cyphoma]

I had a domino damsel and a yellow tail damsel that were the same - attacking my new maroon clown in a 20g tank.

I built a trap out of a 20oz water bottle and a cd jewel case. I cut the bottom of the bottle off and took the lid off. I cut the jewel case to match the shape of the bottom of the bottle. I threaded a piece of dacron (fishing line) through the top of the bottle and out a hole in the side/bottom of the bottle, threaded it through a hole on one side of the jewel case and tied it to the other side of the jewel case in another hole. Idea is that when i pull on the string, the jewel case trap door shuts and the bottle gets pulled straight up in the water column.

I caught the yellow tail with a squirt of brine shrimp and on the first try in less than a minute. The domino was another story. After seeing his comrad get nabbed in my trap, the domino wouldnt go near. I tried food and everything. I finally went and printed 2 pictures of a domino on my computer - one mirrored. I cut them out, laminated them together with packing tape and stuck them inside the bottle. That domino got so mad that there was another domino in the tank, I caught him faster than the yellow tail! I still have the trap but will never have damsels again!

[89Foxbody]

It's amazing how fish do things like carpet surfing, but then when you want to catch them they immediately become smarter than Stephen Hawking.

[Angel*Fish]

Originally Posted by 89Foxbody

It's amazing how fish do things like carpet surfing, but then when you want to catch them they immediately become smarter than Stephen Hawking.

Ironic isn't it?

[ghellin]

It's always a take down I haver never caught a damsel with out moving rock

[Uncle Salty 05]

Does the damsel take food from your hand?
If so point a powerhead at the surface to create a lot of turbulence (so he can't see the net you will be holding).
With net in one hand and food in the other stick the hand with food just breaking the surface, when the damsel comes to get the food snap him up quickly with the net.

[jlawson382]

I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[Allmost]

trow a lion fish in there to take care of him :P jks


but one method that has worked for me has always been blinding the fish :| !!!

no I dont mean literally at the middle of hte night, turn the lights on the tank on, this will make the fish go blond for a couple seconds, at which time u can catch him prety fast. I always place the net inside around where he is, and turn the lights on and catchi him the same instant, usually works

although demsels are prety small and fast ! so it harder

good luck.

[N_T]

i got him last night, and he's in a jail cell sick box at the top of the tank. He will remain there until his fate is decided. I was going to trade him in at the LFS, but now I'm thinking I'm going to build a filter box/fuge this weekend, and he will get a new home isolated but visible.

[cassklar]

i had the same issue yesterday trying to catch 4 damsels what i did was put some flake food in my net stuck near a powerhead so the food would stay i had 2 right away go in the net some i was able twoo last night and 2 this mornig but it took awhile