These darn damsels......

G.SMITHII · 02/27/2007, 11:42 AM

so i got 2 3 line damsels when i first set up my tank, fuguring they would be a quick meal for my mantis.

well they're too quick to be a meal, or the mantis is too lazy to try.

anyways, i was wondering if one of you oober experienced reefers have any idea as to how i should get these two lil bastardos out...

a trap? is there an effective DIY scheme? other options?

and if i do, im pretty sure my mantis will tolorate a fish. whats a cool fish that would do well alone in a 15 gal???

im just up in the air on this. i kinda like the lil guys, but the pick on everything, sirmp, crabs, snails and even corals. so they do tend to tick me off... but i like them enough that i dont wanna kill em....

sir_dudeguy · 02/27/2007, 11:46 AM

i had to take all the rock out to get my damsels out of my 55

DrDNA · 02/27/2007, 01:09 PM

I just went through the same thing as you did, except I had to remove a few damsels from a 300gal reef tank. Tried fish traps, nets, etc. What finally work was fishing them out, literally. I used a number 18 treble fish hook baited with some mysis. One damsel was caught on the first shot, the other took probably 30 tries before he actually bit hard enough to set the hook. If you are just going to feed them to your mantis, then I guess it doesn't matter if they get injured in the process. But, short of taking out all your rock, it is probably the only way you'll catch 'em.
Good luck, be careful not to hook the wrong fish, you may want to remove the barb! Just an idea.

G.SMITHII · 02/27/2007, 01:24 PM

how big were they? mine are like maybe an inch. that sounds good, but man i really dont want to hurt them if i dont have to...

TitansFan · 02/27/2007, 04:15 PM

You don't want to hurt them but, yet you put them in a mantis tank? Make up your mind here....

G.SMITHII · 02/27/2007, 04:24 PM

good point.

ima thinkin ima gonna hook 'em.

i wonder if they'd go after a panther martin....

DrDNA · 02/27/2007, 10:44 PM

the damsels I caught using the good ol' hook and line were about 1" to 1.5". be careful, you really don't want to hook the wrong fish! if you want to keep these fish, I would highly recommend filing off the barb. good luck, it was the only method I had any luck with. damsels are smarter than people think!

sir_dudeguy · 02/27/2007, 10:47 PM

Quote:

damsels are smarter than people think!

or stupider, depending on how you look at it lol. I mean hey...they were stupid enough to run away when you tried to peacefully catch them w/a soft fluffy net...so what did they get? FREE PIERCINGS!

I bet they'd run to the net next time hahah

izzie · 02/27/2007, 10:51 PM

had to take one out of my 18g and wow was that an effort. Tried mysis in a net hoping he would come in no go, tried to catch him just in the net, never worked, tried the pop bottle trap with mysis in it, didnt work. Finally just pulled all the rock out and caught him. Hes killed 2 fish now so didnt want to risk my dwarf lion with him. He currently calls the sump home.
Izzie

G.SMITHII · 02/28/2007, 08:01 AM

sacrificed a fly and burned all the thread off.

a piece of mysis and i was fishin.

caugh the first one (this guy was the real mean one, larger to) in like 5 minutes.

euthinized him, chopped him up, and fed him to my mantis, candy canes and brain coral.

the other one gets to chill until i can come up with a replacement.

on that note...

Whats a cool fish that would do well alone in a 15 gal???

Amoore311 · 02/28/2007, 08:20 AM

I really wouldn't risk putting any fish that cost more than $3 in with a Mantis.

Also, I got my Blue Devil Damsels with a very easy DIY "Trap".

Take 1 160z soda bottle. Cut the top off right about where the bottle fattens out from the neck. Invert the top into the base and put some flake food in there. Then submerge and you're all set.

I caught that lil b*stard in literally 15 seconds.

the other tang · 02/28/2007, 08:34 AM

I put a plastic net in my tank for about a week, even shot brine in there with my baster. Eventually the went from running from it to feeding out of it. I had a bottle cap spacing the net from the glass. When the right one was in, I pinned the net to the glass and brought him out.

G.SMITHII · 03/01/2007, 02:02 PM

DrDNA's method is like way more fun though.

i've been waiting since Oct. to get my line wet!

Aaarrrggg · 03/01/2007, 02:16 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=707656

Sepeku · 03/01/2007, 02:24 PM

Cool post Aaarrrggg!

I've heard that inverting the cone on a 2 liter soda bottle with bait on the inside is effective too.

Rays · 03/01/2007, 02:27 PM

Quote:

I've heard that inverting the cone on a 2 liter soda bottle with bait on the inside is effective too.

You mean like this?
http://coralcorral.com/id19.html

02/27/2007, 11:42 AM	#1
G.SMITHII Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Eldorado Springs, Co. Posts: 559	These darn damsels...... so i got 2 3 line damsels when i first set up my tank, fuguring they would be a quick meal for my mantis. well they're too quick to be a meal, or the mantis is too lazy to try. anyways, i was wondering if one of you oober experienced reefers have any idea as to how i should get these two lil bastardos out... a trap? is there an effective DIY scheme? other options? and if i do, im pretty sure my mantis will tolorate a fish. whats a cool fish that would do well alone in a 15 gal??? im just up in the air on this. i kinda like the lil guys, but the pick on everything, sirmp, crabs, snails and even corals. so they do tend to tick me off... but i like them enough that i dont wanna kill em....

02/27/2007, 11:46 AM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	i had to take all the rock out to get my damsels out of my 55 __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

02/28/2007, 08:34 AM	#12
the other tang Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cajun Country Posts: 359	I put a plastic net in my tank for about a week, even shot brine in there with my baster. Eventually the went from running from it to feeding out of it. I had a bottle cap spacing the net from the glass. When the right one was in, I pinned the net to the glass and brought him out. __________________ Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right. Current Tank Info: 105 gal reef

02/27/2007, 01:09 PM	#3
DrDNA Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Loomis, CA Posts: 1,152	I just went through the same thing as you did, except I had to remove a few damsels from a 300gal reef tank. Tried fish traps, nets, etc. What finally work was fishing them out, literally. I used a number 18 treble fish hook baited with some mysis. One damsel was caught on the first shot, the other took probably 30 tries before he actually bit hard enough to set the hook. If you are just going to feed them to your mantis, then I guess it doesn't matter if they get injured in the process. But, short of taking out all your rock, it is probably the only way you'll catch 'em. Good luck, be careful not to hook the wrong fish, you may want to remove the barb! Just an idea.

02/27/2007, 01:24 PM	#4
G.SMITHII Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Eldorado Springs, Co. Posts: 559	how big were they? mine are like maybe an inch. that sounds good, but man i really dont want to hurt them if i dont have to...

02/27/2007, 04:15 PM	#5
TitansFan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Spring Hill, TN Posts: 1,364	You don't want to hurt them but, yet you put them in a mantis tank? Make up your mind here....

02/27/2007, 04:24 PM	#6
G.SMITHII Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Eldorado Springs, Co. Posts: 559	good point. ima thinkin ima gonna hook 'em. i wonder if they'd go after a panther martin....

02/27/2007, 10:44 PM	#7
DrDNA Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Loomis, CA Posts: 1,152	the damsels I caught using the good ol' hook and line were about 1" to 1.5". be careful, you really don't want to hook the wrong fish! if you want to keep these fish, I would highly recommend filing off the barb. good luck, it was the only method I had any luck with. damsels are smarter than people think!

02/27/2007, 10:51 PM	#9
izzie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Regina Sk Canada Posts: 209	had to take one out of my 18g and wow was that an effort. Tried mysis in a net hoping he would come in no go, tried to catch him just in the net, never worked, tried the pop bottle trap with mysis in it, didnt work. Finally just pulled all the rock out and caught him. Hes killed 2 fish now so didnt want to risk my dwarf lion with him. He currently calls the sump home. Izzie

02/28/2007, 08:01 AM	#10
G.SMITHII Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Eldorado Springs, Co. Posts: 559	sacrificed a fly and burned all the thread off. a piece of mysis and i was fishin. caugh the first one (this guy was the real mean one, larger to) in like 5 minutes. euthinized him, chopped him up, and fed him to my mantis, candy canes and brain coral. the other one gets to chill until i can come up with a replacement. on that note... Whats a cool fish that would do well alone in a 15 gal???

02/28/2007, 08:20 AM	#11
Amoore311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ulster County, NY Posts: 2,521	I really wouldn't risk putting any fish that cost more than $3 in with a Mantis. Also, I got my Blue Devil Damsels with a very easy DIY "Trap". Take 1 160z soda bottle. Cut the top off right about where the bottle fattens out from the neck. Invert the top into the base and put some flake food in there. Then submerge and you're all set. I caught that lil b*stard in literally 15 seconds.

03/01/2007, 02:02 PM	#13
G.SMITHII Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Eldorado Springs, Co. Posts: 559	DrDNA's method is like way more fun though. i've been waiting since Oct. to get my line wet!

03/01/2007, 02:16 PM	#14
Aaarrrggg Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 866 Blog Entries: 53	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=707656

03/01/2007, 02:24 PM	#15
Sepeku Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 356	Cool post Aaarrrggg! I've heard that inverting the cone on a 2 liter soda bottle with bait on the inside is effective too.