DAMNsel Catching!!! HELP!!!

[laxplaya]

I need help getting out the last of my 6 damsels. the first five went right into the reversed bottle trap. But it has been one week and this last 4 stripe damsel wont go in!!! I tried using a tiny size 20 fly hook with 5 diff kinds of bait on it but it wont eat it. I have tried starving it. I need to get him out before my dad dismantles the beautiful rock work to get out one tiny damsel. Please help!!!

 

[tarrahsmom]

Goodluck with the da*n damsel!

 

[laxplaya]

Please Help Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[baloo6969]

is it just 1 damsal in the whole tank?...i would drop the temp, thow a few blocks of ice in the fuge...he may come out twitching...

 

[laxplaya]

there is also a coral banded shrimp and a bunch of crabs and snails

 

[oceanlover]

Catching damsels (and some other types) seems to be tricky. There was someone on the boards a few weeks ago that got a plastic divider (plexiglass?) and used it to close off the aquarium to a smaller size.
Other posts talk about removing all the live rock and that would give you more room but would be a real pain to execute.
Good luck with that last stubborn damnsel!

 

[shrimpi]

next time, put the damnsels in the FUGE to cycle your tank.

I figured this out after I dismantled my rockwork to excavate one damnsel.

good luck

 

[rbaldino]

Four-stripes aren't among the more aggresive damsels, so maybe you could just leave him in. I've had one for over 10 years, and he doesn't bother my other fish. In fact, the tomato clown pushes him around.

 

[renogaw]

very small fly fishing hook, very thin filament, and cut off the barb.

 

[mie]

Why dont you just buy a fish that will make a meal of him JJ

 

[seattle]

Them him.4-stripes are way less forgiving than 3 stripes.Freindlier of damsels.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by Shrimpi
next time, put the damnsels in the FUGE to cycle your tank.

I figured this out after I dismantled my rockwork to excavate one damnsel.

good luck

Or next time don't even bother with using fish, which is a good profit for the LFS, but doesn't do much for the hobbyist.

 

[reefreak29]

barbless hook ,go fishin

 

[cam78]

This is what I did. For a few weeks I kept feeding my fish pellets using tongs. I trained them from eating from the tongs so they were not afraid of them. After conditioning them to eat from them I just added the net and scooped them up while feeding them. Worked for me.

 

[jsteph24]

When I caught mine he was a big pain. I had to move all my rock to one side, have my wife "shoo" him accross the tank, and then caught him in a huge net. The idea of blocking off a part of the tank with plexi glass sounds like a good idea.

 

[laxplaya]

OMG, i have yet to get him out!!! The size 20 hook with a shrimp no workin. No bottle trick works. And i dont want to take rocks out!!! One guy mentioned mirrors in the tank but i didnt know what he meant. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[thud]

1. relax.
2. smaller hook.
3. patience.

 

[laxplaya]

smaller than size 20??? it has been an hour now. Can he really eat a whole shrimp?

 

[laxplaya]

I got it!!!! i finally gave in and took out the rock and netted it. I have a totally diff rock setup and i plan on getting fish tomorrow. Thanks for the help

 

[monalisa]

So...what do you DO with fish that you've cycled your tank with?? Just wondering...
Lisa