Damsel

[atlanticreef]

I have a humbug damsel in my tank which is beginning to get aggressive to my clowns. Is there a easy way without taking out the rock. I've tried bottle trap. Fish trap. Netting but to quick, and hook and line but to smart. I know I haven't mention in my other thread I have 1 that's because it's a right pain in the backside so dont to mention it ive just let it be till now every addition I made it don't like I've had 2 fish die because of it. Any ideas will be much appreciated.

[Kmoriarty]

Two nets and try to get him when you drop food into the tank.

[TheGrimReefer]

i had 3 yellowtail damsels from cycleing my tank that started to get aggressive. they were so quick i ended up taking out all my live rock in frustration just to scoop them out. Funny part is i put them in the buckets with the live rock and water in them after i netted them. Then i started building my caves back up with the rock and when i got to the last few rocks i noticed one of them found his way back into the tank i guess by hiding in a piece of rock. He was kind of doing a victory dance around the tank. I tried to net him back up again but he wasnt having it. He isnt a tough guy now that his buddies arent there now.

Moral of this story is, GOOD LUCK. Youll probably end up ripping your tank up like i had to unfortunatly. Unless you can manage to suprise him, but i feel once you try to get rid of them once they know whats going on when you try again

[atlanticreef]

he is definatly a smart one.. i tried a hook on fishing line and baited it he just eats around the sharp point of the hook.. but my two new saddleback clowns have put him in his place. so he will have to stay for now untill i figure out what to do because i dont fancy taking all my live rock out at the mo and stress new fish and coral.

[TheGrimReefer]

yeah i got lucky it happened in the begining before i had anything in the tank to worry about stresing

[Leetch]

Your Clowns should keep him in line but he will be a pest to the rest of the tank....for the most part. My clowns took care of my damsel but I also have a wrasse that he tried harrassing right away - but he was in for a surprise as this wrasse showed him who's boss.

The best method for capturing him is the bottle method. Get an empty water bottle and cut off the top. String some fishing line around the open end of the bottle(or make a hole and tie it to it and drop the bottle in the water - also try to make sure the label is off the bottle and you've removed the label glue as best you can). Put some food in the bottle and wait patiently, he should go for it but you have to keep that bottle still or he won't go near it. Once in, yank it up fast. This has been the only way I have been able to capture my damsel....he's one smart cookie.

[TheGrimReefer]

and your an ever smarter cookie for thinking of that idea. i like it

[atlanticreef]

I'll give that a go. Tried the home made bottle trap but it kept moving about. So he just hid from it untill I took it back out.