Removing Damsels

jdr8271

jdr8271

New Member
I have a 90 gallon reef tank. in it is about 90-100lbs of live rock, about 6 pieces of soft coral, and 2 damsels. I want to start adding more expensive fish into the tank, but I am affraid that the damsels might harm or kill any more expensive fish that I put in the tank. How wold I go about removing the damsels from the tank?
 
T

therock0861

Guest
I simply dropped a couple flakes of food and because they are pretty aggressive eaters they came to the top and I scooped them out.
 
artista

artista

Member
Good Luck. I had to catch a yellowtail in my 55g with 65lbs LR and other inhabitants. It took my husband and I over an hour, we had to remove over 1/2 the rock and finally caught the tricky little guy sucked up against a piece of rock we were removing. I will never buy damsels again. MEAN, TERRITORIAL, HARD TO CATCH:mad:
 
smoothounds

smoothounds

Member
I feel sorry for you! I had to play that game and it was not pretty. My live rock was never organized nicer and i had to destroy it to get those little bas#$7s. It will never be the same. Yeah im bitter!
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member
Here's a simple way to do it. Remove all your LR and anything else that they might hide in. Place LR in comtainers filled with salt water. Scoop out damsels and either flush them or take them to pet shop. Put LR back in and aquascape all over again.
I'm being sarcastic about simple. Do remove damsels though, they will cause stress on your more expensive fish and eventually they will need to be removed. I had to go through it and it was a pain.
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member
Yes - Yes... I know, take them to the LFS. I agree. It is their nature to be like that, but after tearing apart a tank like that you feel like flushing it.
 
drakken

drakken

Member
To answer your question...
I caught my damsels by taking an empty 1 liter coke bottle and cutting the bottom off. I then made 2 small holes on either side of the opening and tied fishing line to the bottle. I baited the trap with krill and as soon as the damsel went in the bottle I pulled the line and got them out.
The trap cost about $1.39 and you get a refreshing beverage to enjoy. :D
 
saltynewbie

saltynewbie

Member
i caught my little blue devil with one of those clear plastic trap door traps. i just tied some food to the string and, after catching everything else in my tank small enough to fit in the tube, i caught him and took him to the lfs. when i got him there, the lfs owner dropped him in his octo tank and the octo promptly grabbed him and ate him.. needless to say, i never returned to that lfs!
 
fishman830

fishman830

Active Member
i didnt do this, but you could take a water bottle, cut off the neck and put it (where the cap would be ) inside the rest of the bottle, but in some food and make it as stinky as possible to attract the fish
 
jdr8271

jdr8271

New Member
Thanks for all the help guys. I think Ill try to do something with an empty soda bottle to catch them, and see how it works. Ill post later, and let you guys know how it works.
Fishman830, I dont quite understand your idea...Could you explain it a bit more clearly.
 
fishman830

fishman830

Active Member
ok,
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sorry for the bad graphics but i cant seem to maek my pico n paint small enough.
the asterics is were the bottle neck wouldbe but you cut that off and turn it around
 
kdwinn357

kdwinn357

Member
:( I had to take my bow tie out becuase he wouldn't let my other fish eat. He kept chasing very body back and away from their food, I had the 20 -55 gallan package of cleaner crew, my shrimp is missing, havn't seen my sally in a while, alot of my fish came up missing i think i have found my problem, caught him missing with my yellow tales when I put them in the tank about 2 weeks ago.:(
 
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