How to catch a damsel?

SECTER1 · 06/10/2006, 09:13 AM

I had her for a month and I just got a pair of clowns. She keeps attacking them so she has to go.. I have a acrylic box that I can trap her in but she is too smart not to swim in it...those stupid clowns find there way in all day long. Any one know what I should do?

davidryder · 06/10/2006, 09:24 AM

You can use a net

I don't think I've ever heard of a fish trap

Damsels are hard to get out once you put them in

meschaefer · 06/10/2006, 09:35 AM

I just read someplace, that if you know where they sleep that you can get them fairly easily at night. An alternative method employing the same tactic, is to turn on all the lights in the aquarium when they are asleep, as it kind of dazes them for a second.

Have never tried either theory, but thought I would let you know.

SECTER1 · 06/10/2006, 09:50 AM

I have one coral in my tank that the Damsel claimed but my clowns wanted it. My damsel is scared of the net so I placed the net right by the coral and right away she hid and the clowns are no playing in that area. I am hoping that the clowns will claim in so they will start to defend them selfs against the damsel. Is that a bad idea?

Ewan · 06/10/2006, 10:31 AM

If you know any fly fisherman that happen to tie their own flies, Get the smallest hook you can find (#20 of higher) and crimp the barb. I've found that damsels don't even need bait on the hook, they'll attack it just the same.

With the barb crimped, there is very little harm done to the fish. IME, much less harm than being handled (and chased) by a net. It will help to have some hemostats or forceps available to handle the tiny hook.

I've helped a few people out catching fish, and they're always amazed how effortless I make it look.

A friend of mine tried for 3 weeks to remove a domino damsel, and I caught him in under a minute. Hook slid out of his mouth with no damage whatsoever.

It works VERY well.

-E.

exacta123 · 06/10/2006, 10:32 AM

throw some flake in and have the net ready when the come to the top snag them up..works for me

Spectre2006 · 06/10/2006, 10:38 AM

I have blue and dominoe damsels, they pretty much leave my yellow tang and dottyback, cardinal, green citron gobies alone.
I have a ton of LR so if a fight starts the other fish can always find cover.

Chris

godoggo · 06/10/2006, 11:08 AM

How big is you tank?

Karen

SECTER1 · 06/10/2006, 11:15 AM

Flake and net don't work..she is too smart and fast and too much rock to get a good swipe.
I have a 40g.

Maybe I need another torch or frogspawn so I can put it on th eother side so th eclowns can claim it. Right now they are fighting for the one coral in the tank.

reefshadow · 06/10/2006, 11:18 AM

I made a tube trap a few years back out of some spare acrylic. I fed ONLY in the trap for a couple of weeks, if they didn't go in the trap, they didn't get fed. Within a few days I had every fish entering the trap as soon as they saw me coming. I had it propped up high in the rockwork so I could just pick it up with the fish inside. worked great. When it was time to move the tank I had every fish caught within 10 minutes.

The tip about sleeping at night also works with many fish, also using the hook can work well. - never tried that myself, but I know alot of folks have had good success.

Good luck!

Satori · 06/10/2006, 11:19 AM

Here's a short video clip of when I used a "trap-door" type fish trap to catch my two damsels.

http://mike.magnuson.com/fishtrap.wmv

21Reefman · 06/10/2006, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by davidryder
You can use a net

I don't think I've ever heard of a fish trap

wow, not much from the petland crew, never heard of a fish trap???

You can buy traps from Dr fosters as well as Marine depot, in all sizes. There are also always some on ebay. I made my own and it works great. The key is leaving it in the tank and feeding in it.

21Reefman · 06/10/2006, 12:29 PM

Oh, and the hook idea will work too, and they sell barbless trout hooks so no need to crimp with those.

The sleeping rock, works well for Blue hippo tangs I have a friend who removed 2 from a 400 gal reef after all other methods had failed for weeks, they NEVER went into the trap and all 15 of his other tangs did.

palestine · 06/10/2006, 12:31 PM

lol love the video, it usually takes me about 15 minutes to catch them with a net.. i just drive them crazy and tired and then get lucky. Old school methods still work. The fish that gave me the hardest time was the foxface. He nearly had a heart attack. Good luck

jiggy · 06/10/2006, 06:24 PM

get a lionfish.. once it eats the damsel, trade it in

06/10/2006, 09:13 AM	#1
SECTER1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oceanside Ca Posts: 61	How to catch a damsel? I had her for a month and I just got a pair of clowns. She keeps attacking them so she has to go.. I have a acrylic box that I can trap her in but she is too smart not to swim in it...those stupid clowns find there way in all day long. Any one know what I should do?

06/10/2006, 09:35 AM	#3
meschaefer Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 564	I just read someplace, that if you know where they sleep that you can get them fairly easily at night. An alternative method employing the same tactic, is to turn on all the lights in the aquarium when they are asleep, as it kind of dazes them for a second. Have never tried either theory, but thought I would let you know. __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 220 gallon w/ starphire, 120 gallon starphire sump, Skimmer DAS Ex-2, Calcium Reactor Geo 618, Trade Wind 1/2 hp compact Chiller, 2x 250 HQI Lumenarc Reflectors, Vortech mp40w, AC Jr.,

06/10/2006, 11:18 AM	#10
reefshadow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Washington Posts: 1,786	I made a tube trap a few years back out of some spare acrylic. I fed ONLY in the trap for a couple of weeks, if they didn't go in the trap, they didn't get fed. Within a few days I had every fish entering the trap as soon as they saw me coming. I had it propped up high in the rockwork so I could just pick it up with the fish inside. worked great. When it was time to move the tank I had every fish caught within 10 minutes. The tip about sleeping at night also works with many fish, also using the hook can work well. - never tried that myself, but I know alot of folks have had good success. Good luck! __________________ All Your Coral Are Belong To Us Current Tank Info: 30 Deep Blue shallow mixed rimless, MP10, Ecoxotic LED's, SCA 301 skimmer.

06/10/2006, 11:19 AM	#11
Satori Cancer Sucks Join Date: May 2004 Location: Sierra Vista, AZ Posts: 3,134	Here's a short video clip of when I used a "trap-door" type fish trap to catch my two damsels. http://mike.magnuson.com/fishtrap.wmv __________________ I'm reaching for the random or whatever will bewilder me. --Tool, Lateralus

06/10/2006, 12:29 PM	#13
21Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago/NW IN Posts: 403	Oh, and the hook idea will work too, and they sell barbless trout hooks so no need to crimp with those. The sleeping rock, works well for Blue hippo tangs I have a friend who removed 2 from a 400 gal reef after all other methods had failed for weeks, they NEVER went into the trap and all 15 of his other tangs did. __________________ "The significant problems that we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein

06/10/2006, 09:24 AM	#2
davidryder Claris or Elliot? Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nightopia Posts: 2,750	You can use a net I don't think I've ever heard of a fish trap Damsels are hard to get out once you put them in __________________ A rolling stone gathers no moss... Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef, corner overflow (Mag 9.5), 25g refugium (Mag 5), 15g refugium, Orbit 260w pc, Pan World 50PX-X (Closed loop), AquaC EV-120 (now skimmerless)

06/10/2006, 09:50 AM	#4
SECTER1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oceanside Ca Posts: 61	I have one coral in my tank that the Damsel claimed but my clowns wanted it. My damsel is scared of the net so I placed the net right by the coral and right away she hid and the clowns are no playing in that area. I am hoping that the clowns will claim in so they will start to defend them selfs against the damsel. Is that a bad idea?

06/10/2006, 10:31 AM	#5
Ewan Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada Posts: 2,594	If you know any fly fisherman that happen to tie their own flies, Get the smallest hook you can find (#20 of higher) and crimp the barb. I've found that damsels don't even need bait on the hook, they'll attack it just the same. With the barb crimped, there is very little harm done to the fish. IME, much less harm than being handled (and chased) by a net. It will help to have some hemostats or forceps available to handle the tiny hook. I've helped a few people out catching fish, and they're always amazed how effortless I make it look. A friend of mine tried for 3 weeks to remove a domino damsel, and I caught him in under a minute. Hook slid out of his mouth with no damage whatsoever. It works VERY well. -E.

06/10/2006, 10:32 AM	#6
exacta123 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 352	throw some flake in and have the net ready when the come to the top snag them up..works for me

06/10/2006, 10:38 AM	#7
Spectre2006 Reef Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orchard Park, NY Posts: 383	I have blue and dominoe damsels, they pretty much leave my yellow tang and dottyback, cardinal, green citron gobies alone. I have a ton of LR so if a fight starts the other fish can always find cover. Chris

06/10/2006, 11:08 AM	#8
godoggo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Weld CO Posts: 198	How big is you tank? Karen

06/10/2006, 11:15 AM	#9
SECTER1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oceanside Ca Posts: 61	Flake and net don't work..she is too smart and fast and too much rock to get a good swipe. I have a 40g. Maybe I need another torch or frogspawn so I can put it on th eother side so th eclowns can claim it. Right now they are fighting for the one coral in the tank.

06/10/2006, 12:31 PM	#14
palestine Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: tampa Posts: 10	lol love the video, it usually takes me about 15 minutes to catch them with a net.. i just drive them crazy and tired and then get lucky. Old school methods still work. The fish that gave me the hardest time was the foxface. He nearly had a heart attack. Good luck

06/10/2006, 06:24 PM	#15
jiggy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ZOO JERSEY Posts: 774	get a lionfish.. once it eats the damsel, trade it in