Help! Help! Help! - Wrasse Stuck in Overflow

[Tomsimtim]

Anybody know how to get him out? Other than draining the chamber and removing the plumbing?

Brainstorm Please!

 

[Montiman]

I have had this happen before. I normally pull the standpipe out and then fish them out of the sump. If the sump drain runs right into a filter sock it will net him for you.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Anybody know how to get him out? Other than draining the chamber and removing the plumbing?

Brainstorm Please!

Ive had this happen twice and I simply grabbed a small net and snatched him up. Siphon can and may cause injury.

 

[Tomsimtim]

That's a good idea. I have removed the sock filters the sump originally came with, but I still have the old infrastructure to reinstall to execute that Idea. The standpipe below the bottom of the tank is a split 1 & 1/4" flexible pvc. There is a chance he may get stuck in the split. I have had a fish squirm his way into the sump before, but it was smaller than the size my wrasse currently is.

 

[Lavey29]

Put an airstone down there and try to force him to the top

 

[Tomsimtim]

Ive had this happen twice and I simply grabbed a small net and snatched him up. Siphon can and may cause injury.

The tank is 30" tall, and I had the overflow designed to be as small as possible. Not sure there is room for a net, but a good suggestion nonetheless Thank you

Keep the brainstorming going!

 

[vetteguy53081]

The tank is 30" tall, and I had the overflow designed to be as small as possible. Not sure there is room for a net, but a good suggestion nonetheless Thank you

Keep the brainstorming going!

I use a 2" brine shrimp net

 

[Tomsimtim]

Put an airstone down there and try to force him to the top

That is another good idea, it would have to be a pretty strong air flow to chase him 30" to the top. I have an Eheim dual outlet air pump and sufficient lengths of air tubing to give it a shot. I also have a "T" that I can attach two tubes together to combine the airflow into one tube on the end to combine the output of both effluences, doubling the strength of the output. I am beginning to like this idea more and more. Thanks

 

[Tomsimtim]

I use a 2" brine shrimp net

If I could find one long enough, that might work, or in conjunction with the air stone in the bottom to bring him to the surface.

Love THE BRAINSTORMING guys this all very helpful !!!!!

 

[nbooks]

i did not glue my drains to the bulkheads for exactly this reason, and had the exact same situation with a wrasse last week.

luckily i was able to turn off pumps and carefully lift the drain enough to empty the chamber slowly, then net the fish. I actually have two pipes in the chamber too...

 

[stuartj]

Anybody know how to get him out? Other than draining the chamber and removing the plumbing?

Brainstorm Please!

No. 10 Eagle Claw? Lol

 

[i cant think]

I have had this happen a few times now but fortunately my RS Max Nano has each section connected to one so I was able to carefully “chase” him up out of the back chamber with a net.
In my 4’ tank I had my C. lubbocki manage to make it down into the sump through the back chamber. So if your wrasse is in the area of the back chamber where he can slide into the sump then that may be the best way to get him is through trying to lure him into the sump and then net him out in there.

 

[Mark Goode]

Push a length of return pump pipe down there and BLOW. I've done this twice due to a custom tank with a poorly designed overflow. It was the only option left, and yes, it risked injury. Worked though.

 

[i cant think]

Ive had this happen twice and I simply grabbed a small net and snatched him up. Siphon can and may cause injury.

Even a net can cause injury. So I don’t understand your point with the siphon.
And yes a net can cause injury I’ve had it occur with two fish in the past. One was a Magnificent foxface (Although it was mainly stress it caused) and the second was a Genicanthus Angel.

 

[Tomsimtim]

Push a length of return pump pipe down there and BLOW. I've done this twice due to a custom tank with a poorly designed overflow. It was the only option left, and yes, it risked injury. Worked though.

That is an interesting idea, but I am asthmatic and I am not sure I have the lungs for that. I am just about sure to pass out. Thanks though

 

[Tomsimtim]

I have had this happen a few times now but fortunately my RS Max Nano has each section connected to one so I was able to carefully “chase” him up out of the back chamber with a net.
In my 4’ tank I had my C. lubbocki manage to make it down into the sump through the back chamber. So if your wrasse is in the area of the back chamber where he can slide into the sump then that may be the best way to get him is through trying to lure him into the sump and then net him out in there.

Well I have a 30" tall tank, and regrettably he is hanging down around the bottom of the overflow chamber. I am feeding him and he seems to be pretty calm, but no wrasse likes being in a confined space. He does not appear stressed, he is not emaciated and there are no legions or spots developing on him.

I have had a fish make it through to the sump before, and no harm came to him, but I am not confident in playing the waiting game to see if he explores the mouth of the stand pipe especially if he is hanging down around the bottom of the chamber.

My family is going out of town for 2 weeks on Monday. I would rather keep the entire operation out of the prying eyes of the wifey...

So I think I am going to hold off until then.

Keep the momentum going, these are all great brainstorming ideas.

I am grateful to the R2R community for pitching in...

 

[Tomsimtim]

No. 10 Eagle Claw? Lol

Nice Stuart, but I don't want to filet him, besides his spinal column would just be a choking hazard or a tooth pick

 

[Tomsimtim]

So I don’t understand your point with the siphon.

In a previous post I had mentioned the use of a "SLURP" gun. It is a device used to collect fish in the ocean, and it uses a siphon mechanism to "Slurp" up the fish 1st into a smaller diameter chamber with a 3" opening, then into a larger chamber that might be 6" in diameter. Not a practical tool for the little amount of space that I have to remove my wrasse.

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

Get a long piece of pvc, cap one end, drill some holes so not to float. Eventually he will go in and you can snag the pipe hand on top. Cat and mouse time. I did it several times with a piece of marineland 220 I had back in the day.

 

[FurrierTransform]

The next question is, "what will you do to prevent this next time?" I assume it got down through slots at the top? I've had an anemone decide to walk to the slots, get stuck, then I had two anemones. I've thought about covering the slots with screen, but I haven't done anything ...