So I had this bright idea a few months ago to put a damsel in my 29gal. I have had a blue damsel in my 12gal nanocube for over a year now and have never had any problems with it. Well, this new damsel has to go. I added a bicolor blenny today and the damsel has been harassing it the entire day. Does anyone have any great suggestions for how to catch this guy?
-
Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.
Catching a damsel
- Thread starter zucker26
- Start date
- Status
To catch a damsel, a nice dinner out and perhaps a nice poem or fresh flowers would help. Although some damsels may also enjoy a beer at a ballgame.
Oh wait - what forum is this?
Well - damsels are territorial - it's their nature and how they "defend" their turf against other damsels so that one day perhaps in the future it can attract a mate to "it's turf". If you ever watch those discovery channels they will try and take on much larger fish (algae eaters) who invade their "turf". In this case, your damsel believes all 29 gallons is it's turf.
It can be made to share if a larger damsel is introduced - though not everyone wants a tank full of damsels.
Aside from removing the LR, is there any way you can coax it out during feeding? It's possible to try and net the fish during feeding.
There is of course traps to consider (maybe an inverted bottle trap - but that typically works on less mobile critters). I've even heard of folks putting a chopstick and some fishing line...but that might not be as easy as described.
A short-term fix (it may be too late) might be to re-arrange/aquascape so that the damsel is "disoriented" and provides a slight window for the blenny to find a home.
Good luck...
Oh wait - what forum is this?
Well - damsels are territorial - it's their nature and how they "defend" their turf against other damsels so that one day perhaps in the future it can attract a mate to "it's turf". If you ever watch those discovery channels they will try and take on much larger fish (algae eaters) who invade their "turf". In this case, your damsel believes all 29 gallons is it's turf.
It can be made to share if a larger damsel is introduced - though not everyone wants a tank full of damsels.
Aside from removing the LR, is there any way you can coax it out during feeding? It's possible to try and net the fish during feeding.
There is of course traps to consider (maybe an inverted bottle trap - but that typically works on less mobile critters). I've even heard of folks putting a chopstick and some fishing line...but that might not be as easy as described.
A short-term fix (it may be too late) might be to re-arrange/aquascape so that the damsel is "disoriented" and provides a slight window for the blenny to find a home.
Good luck...
In a 29G I would just take the live rock out & net it. You can try to net it while feeding but you'll only get one shot. Then the damsel will know what you're up to. Good luck and may the force be with you.
There is a sort of inverted bottle trap that has been known to work by some of my former clients. It involved taking a plastic liter or two liter bottle (depending upon the size of the fish) and cutting the funnel-shaped neck off. Then, cut off the very top of the bottle to a hole just large enough to fit the fish you want. Take the top, turn it upside down and wedge it into the bottom of the bottle (so it looks like there's a funky funnel sitting in it). In taller tanks, people usually have to attach a line or something to the bottle to quickly lift it, but, in a smaller tank like that, you should be able to just grab it.
So, here's how it works. Take a day and DO NOT FEED YOUR FISH. I know, if you're like me, this is tough (a.) I love feeding fish, and b.) I do it out a habit in my daily routine without thinking about it). At the end of the day, or the next morning, take the bottle and place it in the bottom of the tank, letting it fill up all the way. You may have to place a small piece of rubble into it before wedging the top down to keep it in place on the bottom. Then, put a meaty food in the bottom, like a piece of krill, or some mysis or brine shrimp- something your little damsel would never refuse. Give it some time and the fish will start to take the bait. It may take a couple of tries, but, eventually, the fish will go into the bottle. As soon as it does, pull the bottle out and bask in the sweet, sweet victory.
Or you could hang a really big net in the tank and feed in that until you coax the damsel into it.
But, if it's live rock only at the moment, I'd definitely just remove the live rock (gently since the blenny could be hiding in it!) and net the damsel.
So, here's how it works. Take a day and DO NOT FEED YOUR FISH. I know, if you're like me, this is tough (a.) I love feeding fish, and b.) I do it out a habit in my daily routine without thinking about it). At the end of the day, or the next morning, take the bottle and place it in the bottom of the tank, letting it fill up all the way. You may have to place a small piece of rubble into it before wedging the top down to keep it in place on the bottom. Then, put a meaty food in the bottom, like a piece of krill, or some mysis or brine shrimp- something your little damsel would never refuse. Give it some time and the fish will start to take the bait. It may take a couple of tries, but, eventually, the fish will go into the bottle. As soon as it does, pull the bottle out and bask in the sweet, sweet victory.
Or you could hang a really big net in the tank and feed in that until you coax the damsel into it.
But, if it's live rock only at the moment, I'd definitely just remove the live rock (gently since the blenny could be hiding in it!) and net the damsel.
- Status