Get this blue velvet damsel out of my tank!

[firecopemt]

Suspect: blue velvet damsel
Victim: Red and green open brain
Ok guys, I got this fish last week, on Friday I believe. On saturday I noticed that my brain had sunk completely back into its skeleton, and wouldnt come out. I thought it was dead, or dying! I looked at the brain after lights went out, and it had extended its tentacles to feed. On sunday it still had not opened so I watched the tank closely. The damn damsel was picking at it .......Now time to solve the problem......and no im not getting rid of the brain! How should I go about getting the damsel out of the tank? When I bought him they only had 3 pieces of rock in the tank, and it still took them awhile to get him corraled into the specimen container, I know I wont be able to get him with 90 pounds of rock in the tank.
Any Ideas?
Nate

 

[wolffam]

It you want him out immediately, you best chance will be to remove the rock. Slower methods are available, but time is not on you side if I read you right. Unless you can corner it with some type of partition (plexiglass sheet may work) yo may be in for a long project. Good luck. HTH

 

[firecopemt]

oh.......forgot to mention that I boxed the brain in with a box that I made out of the "egg crate" light diffuser stuff. The damsel cant get to him now, and the brain is opened back up.........I have all the time in the world, but i dont want to have to take out 90 pounds of rock.

 

[cboyfan2020]

shoot him.....j/k. Some LFS sell a device called the "trap" which is just a fish trap with a trap door that sits at the top of your tank but you might end up trapping other fish so it could take a while. It seems everybody has to learn that damsels are b@st@rds the hard way

 

[firecopemt]

I only have a scooter and the damsel in the tank........less fish = more room for coral!.......I knew I shouldnt listen to my fiance when she was crying that she wanted fish in the tank!

 

[entice59]

i second using the net. Although i put a net in my tank overnight, they got scared away and hid. You might want to take out every rock and put it into a bucket with some of your tank water(dont worry if its quick it shouldnt be a problem). And just net it. Should take less then an hr. to get the fish and if you have a lot of rocks should take a while for you to restack your rocks but i think thats the fun part, assuming you like doing that.

 

[rangermonroe]

I had a blue velvet damsel that ate my maxima clam. I tried for weeks to catch him./
I finally went out and bought a #12 long shank hook and caught him with a peice of shrimp. But even that took days.
Oh, by the way, his experience did not harm him. He is alive and well at the LFS, where I bought him.

 

[zibnata]

I have caught many damsels this way .I cut the bottom off a 2 liter plastic soda bottle.Left the cap on.Put food in the bottom towards the cap end.Turned off powerhead so it would stay still.Laid it on its side.Every fish but the one you want to catch usually goes in first just to annoy you.Finnally it would go in a little , come out ,go back in further,this goes on for about an hour.I think fish can read your mind because they know when you want to catch them. When it goes all the way in, be quick and lift the bottle out right away before it can escape. It works.Do it when they are really hungy.

 

[ian]

I have a fishing rod you can borrow! Only kidding but the idea above is kind of like what I have done and it works well for some fish.

 

[scuba steveo]

Originally posted by firecopemt
I knew I shouldnt listen to my fiance when she was crying that she wanted fish in the tank!
I had the same problem

 

[melissa v.]

Let me first say I KNOW HOW FRUSTRATED(OR PISSED OFF) YOU ARE but if you are aggravated enough and want him out quick, you will probably have to do what i did which i do believe was posted by wolffam at the beginning you will have to TAKE OUT ALL THE ROCK and then it will still take a lot of time to snag him in the net, took me about an hour( and here is a mental image for you i was soaking wet with water from the tank when i was through) but you couldn't wipe the smile off of my face when he was finally caught (like going bear hunting and finally capturing one) everytime i go to my lfs i tell him hi (he was bought once but promplty returned)ha ha!!!!!!!!!! (POOR LITTLE FISH SO UNLOVED)
Melissa V.

 

[krunk]

HAD the same trouble, except my velvet was beatin on my huma huma. Believe me these fish are NOT easy too catch, i tried catching him ad feeding time, couldnt do it, last resort was roo move the rock around and catch the little b@sturd.

 

[bonzarelli]

IM SORRY TO HERE THAT BUT THE BEST WAY YOU ARE GOING TO CATCH MU--F--KER IS BY TAKING ALL OF YOUR ROCK (SORRY),JUST HAN TO DO THAT MY SELF LAST WEEKEND IT TOOK ME 4 HOURS TO DO SO.MY WIFE WAS LAUGHING ATME THE WHOLE TIME I HAD TO MOVE 140PNDS L.R. I WANTED TO KILL THAT BAST--D. GOOODLUUCK!

 

[m.rogers]

firecopemt wait about a hour after your lights are out and then give it a shot with the net it has worked for me it is like they are a sleep.
mike

 

[peppy]

Agree, take out the rock and get it overwith. I just took out six damsels today! Tried everything over last couple of weeks (trap, coke bottle, quick net....) and only taking out the rock did the job. One problem, I was really happy with the look of my reef before removing and now I'm not!
Good Luck!

 

[m.rogers]

peppy did you try waiting after the lights had gone off for a hour or 2 and then try to net them it has work for me in the past.
mike

 

[saltynewbie]

i used a clear plexiglass tube trap that is sold by many sites to catch mine.. just tied a piece of shrimp around the fishing line provided. after i caught many of the other inhabitants in my tank, i caught him! took a little while, but i didnt have to rearrange!! HTH and GL!!...

 

[firecopemt]

Ok, well the bottle didnt work. He wouldnt even come close to it.........Looks like im breaking out the snoopy fishing pole

 

[poiboy]

did you ever try to wake up 2 hours early in the morning, turn the lights on in the tank and blind him? I did that for my yellow tail and got him in 1 minute. he was all white and running into things LMFAO

 

[firecopemt]

I get home from work at 6:30am, and the lights dont come on until 11am. When the lights go out he goes behind the rock....almost immediately, and that is where he stays until about a half hour or so after the lights come on.