Fish in Overflow

cdonald · 04/15/2006, 06:17 PM

hello all, I'm in desperate need of help. I have a purple firefish that is stranded in one of the tank overflows. Does anyone havd any suggestions for extracting the little bugger?

Thanks

cdonald · 04/15/2006, 07:00 PM

please, somebody help

OracleOCA · 04/15/2006, 07:06 PM

Turn off your return pump until your water level rises near the top of the tank then the fish should swim through the teeth back to the main display. My clowns did this on two different occasions.

jmcmahon66 · 04/15/2006, 07:24 PM

I have removed the durso standpipe, and let the fish be sucked down into the sump where it was easier to catch. If you can, put a net on the end of the tube. The fish should take the "joyride" just fine without injury.

cdonald · 04/15/2006, 07:54 PM

thanks guys, turning off the return pump doesn't have the desired effect as water continues to drain from the return lines to the sump underneath. I did add water to my sump and raised the level of the return line so the overflow is almost at the same level as the water level in the tank and hopefully he decides to come back thru the teeth or the drain holes. I tried to entice him with some Brine but he didn't bite.

xtrstangx · 04/15/2006, 08:11 PM

This may be obvious and make me look really dumb: Can you get a net in there?

cdonald · 04/15/2006, 08:16 PM

not effectively, the overflow is two feet deep, about 12 inches wide with two pvc pipes in it. The firefish is quite small and very quick.

I wanted to avoid disassembling if at all possible, so I'll give it a day as is to see if he will come out on his own. If Not I think I'll have to go the way that jmcmahon66 recommended.

wrott · 04/15/2006, 08:22 PM

You could suck it out w/ a siphon on a 3/4" or 1" hose into a bucket.

cdonald · 04/15/2006, 08:25 PM

wrott, I thought about trying that but figured that he would be too fast.

I may give it a try though. not very intrusive and easy enough to try

xtrstangx · 04/15/2006, 09:30 PM

Oh, yeah. Marc (melev) sucked a small goby out of his tank with a siphon. It doesn't hurt the fish at all I think. The goby lived (and wasn't affected IIRC).

AquaReeferMan · 04/15/2006, 11:13 PM

I agree with jmcmahon66. We had a cleaner wrasse fall into our overflow at work. I just romoved the sponge and let the wrasse go down the PVC tubing right into a net, then I place him back into the tank. All other method should work, just giving you my experiance.

Mishap · 04/16/2006, 08:08 PM

Or if you have skinny arms you can reach in and grab it like I did when a mandarin took the ride.

cdonald · 04/16/2006, 08:19 PM

Thanks all for your ideas, the firefish just showed up tonight after being MIA all day. I ended up letting him find his own way out, I just raised the level of the water to enable him. Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.

Chad

jdm01 · 04/16/2006, 08:19 PM

One of my chromis took that ride. I did not feed him for a couple of days hoping to slow him down. Didn't really work. Even though it was tight quarters, we eventually retrieved him with a net, an algae scraper, and a little bit of luck.

roader247 · 04/16/2006, 08:44 PM

I would try to siphon him out I did this once to a clown I had not on purpose though but he came out fine Good Luck

justin-branam · 04/16/2006, 08:48 PM

i found my royal gramma that dissapeared 4 months ago, in my overflow this week. i ended up just turning off the pumps, and removing the drain pipe by first by lifting it just slightly so the water in the overflow drained out almost all the way. then i removed the drain pipe completely and was able to get a net in there. he/she is as happy as can be back in the tank.

you may want to consider what i did cut a piece of acrylic to fit over the top of the overflow, and zip tie it onto the top of the overflow box (assuming you have a RR tank).

Mike.B · 04/16/2006, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by justin-branam
i found my royal gramma that dissapeared 4 months ago, in my overflow this week. i ended up just turning off the pumps, and removing the drain pipe by first by lifting it just slightly so the water in the overflow drained out almost all the way. then i removed the drain pipe completely and was able to get a net in there. he/she is as happy as can be back in the tank.

you may want to consider what i did cut a piece of acrylic to fit over the top of the overflow, and zip tie it onto the top of the overflow box (assuming you have a RR tank).

some eggcrate would work better but then theres a risk your fish will be dried out by the time you see that its gone. Just dont glue your overflow pipes, theres no need, that way you can clean them and you could remove them without a problem if a fish were to get trapped

djbxstream · 04/17/2006, 10:56 AM

this happens to me at least once a month... my overflow took my hawk fish... my clown goby.... and my wrasse.... my snails are in and out of all the time... it can be a pain sometimes to get them out of there...

04/15/2006, 06:17 PM	#1
cdonald Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 6	Fish in Overflow hello all, I'm in desperate need of help. I have a purple firefish that is stranded in one of the tank overflows. Does anyone havd any suggestions for extracting the little bugger? Thanks

04/15/2006, 07:24 PM	#4
jmcmahon66 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago. Illinois Posts: 439	I have removed the durso standpipe, and let the fish be sucked down into the sump where it was easier to catch. If you can, put a net on the end of the tube. The fish should take the "joyride" just fine without injury. __________________ I ain't no hula-hoop-eyed, chicken-necked lookin' jive turkey. Current Tank Info: 150g RR Oceanic, 750W 20K MH with 300W 14K MH, Deltec Turbo 1060 skimmer, Tunzes with controller, all types of corals-but mostly SPS and Acans

04/15/2006, 08:22 PM	#8
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	You could suck it out w/ a siphon on a 3/4" or 1" hose into a bucket. __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

04/15/2006, 11:13 PM	#11
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	I agree with jmcmahon66. We had a cleaner wrasse fall into our overflow at work. I just romoved the sponge and let the wrasse go down the PVC tubing right into a net, then I place him back into the tank. All other method should work, just giving you my experiance. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

04/16/2006, 08:19 PM	#14
jdm01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Greenfield Posts: 904	One of my chromis took that ride. I did not feed him for a couple of days hoping to slow him down. Didn't really work. Even though it was tight quarters, we eventually retrieved him with a net, an algae scraper, and a little bit of luck. __________________ John Martin Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon BioCube

04/15/2006, 07:00 PM	#2
cdonald Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 6	please, somebody help

04/15/2006, 07:06 PM	#3
OracleOCA Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 268	Turn off your return pump until your water level rises near the top of the tank then the fish should swim through the teeth back to the main display. My clowns did this on two different occasions.

04/15/2006, 07:54 PM	#5
cdonald Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 6	thanks guys, turning off the return pump doesn't have the desired effect as water continues to drain from the return lines to the sump underneath. I did add water to my sump and raised the level of the return line so the overflow is almost at the same level as the water level in the tank and hopefully he decides to come back thru the teeth or the drain holes. I tried to entice him with some Brine but he didn't bite.

04/15/2006, 08:11 PM	#6
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	This may be obvious and make me look really dumb: Can you get a net in there?

04/15/2006, 08:16 PM	#7
cdonald Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 6	not effectively, the overflow is two feet deep, about 12 inches wide with two pvc pipes in it. The firefish is quite small and very quick. I wanted to avoid disassembling if at all possible, so I'll give it a day as is to see if he will come out on his own. If Not I think I'll have to go the way that jmcmahon66 recommended.

04/15/2006, 08:25 PM	#9
cdonald Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 6	wrott, I thought about trying that but figured that he would be too fast. I may give it a try though. not very intrusive and easy enough to try

04/15/2006, 09:30 PM	#10
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	Oh, yeah. Marc (melev) sucked a small goby out of his tank with a siphon. It doesn't hurt the fish at all I think. The goby lived (and wasn't affected IIRC).

04/16/2006, 08:08 PM	#12
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	Or if you have skinny arms you can reach in and grab it like I did when a mandarin took the ride.

04/16/2006, 08:44 PM	#15
roader247 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Athens GA Posts: 657	I would try to siphon him out I did this once to a clown I had not on purpose though but he came out fine Good Luck

04/16/2006, 08:48 PM	#16
justin-branam Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Houston, Texas, USA Posts: 228	i found my royal gramma that dissapeared 4 months ago, in my overflow this week. i ended up just turning off the pumps, and removing the drain pipe by first by lifting it just slightly so the water in the overflow drained out almost all the way. then i removed the drain pipe completely and was able to get a net in there. he/she is as happy as can be back in the tank. you may want to consider what i did cut a piece of acrylic to fit over the top of the overflow, and zip tie it onto the top of the overflow box (assuming you have a RR tank). __________________ I can resist everything but temptation. see my underwater photography at: www.justinunderwater.com

04/17/2006, 10:56 AM	#18
djbxstream Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Melbourne, Fl Posts: 72	this happens to me at least once a month... my overflow took my hawk fish... my clown goby.... and my wrasse.... my snails are in and out of all the time... it can be a pain sometimes to get them out of there... __________________ Click on the red House to see my tank info 55gl SW(41.pds OF LR) 3 Yellow Tail Damsels, 1 Clown Goby - Yellow, 1 Pixy/Spotted Hawkfish, 1 Lawnmower blenny, 2 S.S.Starfish, Hermits.