Most painless Damsel removal?

ps2cho · Jun 16, 2020

My yellow damsel is now constantly attacking my Kole Tang...he's got bite marks every week...
Increased feedings hasn't fixed it, so the Damsel has to go into the QT.

What's the most painless option here? I dont want to remove rocks because my Royal Gramma hides under my main rock and there's a risk of crushing him and a couple shrimp.

Does the 1L bottle inverted work? What has worked for any of you?

Webslinger · Jun 16, 2020

Use a micro hook/mysis and fish him out. Takes only a few minutes with a hungry damsel.

ps2cho · Jun 16, 2020

Webslinger said:
Use a micro hook/mysis and fish him out. Takes only a few minutes with a hungry damsel.

So basically a small barbless hook? He is a voracious eater, so this might work.

ca1ore · Jun 16, 2020

Painless for you or for the fish ..... damsels fall for the hook every time.

jsvand5 · Jun 16, 2020

Micro Fishing Hooks

Micro fishing hooks are either hooks specifically designed for small fish, like the tanago hooks used in Japan, or fly tying hooks intended for very small flies but useful for very small fish as well.

www.tenkarabum.com

The Gamakatsu new half moon hooks near the bottom of the page work great.

eddier2002 · Jun 16, 2020

I tricked my Fiji damsel into a plastic box near the top of the tank. I put some mysis in it and tilted it a bit and he swam right in to get the food.

jsvand5 · Jun 17, 2020

A fish trap will work quickly too but it will be more costly than the hook and line. I actually just caught two Rolland’s with a fish trap out of my 90 today and transferred them to my 210.

ps2cho · Jun 17, 2020

jsvand5 said:
A fish trap will work quickly too but it will be more costly than the hook and line. I actually just caught two Rolland’s with a fish trap out of my 90 today and transferred them to my 210.

what would be a recommend brand for fish trap?

Webslinger · Jun 17, 2020

ps2cho said:
So basically a small barbless hook? He is a voracious eater, so this might work.

Exactly! Use the Half Moon hooks like jsvand5 said.

ps2cho · Jun 17, 2020

Webslinger said:
Exactly! Use the Half Moon hooks like jsvand5 said.

The site he linked to is all sold out, trying to find any on amazon etc

Webslinger · Jun 17, 2020

Use a red line, they don't see that color as well.

jsvand5 · Jun 17, 2020

ps2cho said:
The site he linked to is all sold out, trying to find any on amazon etc

Looks like this site has something similar in stock

Owner Smallest Tanago Hooks - Snelled

The Owner "Smallest" hook has a more extreme bend than the "New Half Moon" hook but appears to have a slightly shorter point. The hook shape appears radical but it keeps the hook shank out of the way. The hook is vertical in the water and a small fish takes only the hook point into its mouth...

tenbum.com

I’m not sure the brand of the fish trap that I have. I think they are all pretty similar. I’d just get the biggest one you can find.

eddier2002 · Jun 17, 2020

ps2cho said:
what would be a recommend brand for fish trap?

Aquatics Aqua sells a small trap that you can get for around $20

ps2cho · Jun 18, 2020

eddier2002 said:
Aquatics Aqua sells a small trap that you can get for around $20

What website? Cant find that one...

I dont know anything about fishing, do these hooks look the right size?

OrangeCountyReefer · Jun 18, 2020

Net him in the middle of the night in the dark

User1 · Jun 18, 2020

I was going to suggest a low yield nuke or get rid of the tang...I guess neither are actually viable choices. Then again, I'm sort of biased towards Damsels but understand when a fish goes rogue.

I'm having that issue now with my Lavender tang. All golden bombs of light and love then on Monday turned into a murderous *******. To contribute to the thread if you don't have a barbless hook you can actually take a barbed and use a pair of needle nose pliers, or others, and flatten it so it is no longer a barb. Or if you have a file or such you can remove it that way.

I've done that a few times. Good luck!

Mark Bradley · Jun 18, 2020

OrangeCountyReefer said:
Net him in the middle of the night in the dark

Using an infrared light too to help you find him

ps2cho · Jun 18, 2020

OrangeCountyReefer said:
Net him in the middle of the night in the dark

I'll have to wake up in the night one time, but I think he sleeps inside a rock so might not work.

ps2cho · Jun 18, 2020

Alright I just ordered this medium fish trap - going to give it a try!
A few days no door, I'll drop food in here so he gets used to it...then if everything goes well, I can set the trap and nab him!

EDIT: these amazon links don't work here...can't even post them, frustrating. Code works I guess...

Code:

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Side-Aquatics-Collapsible-FTC/dp/B01CYU0K1C/ref=pd_rhf_eetyp_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H34E7SRMXD7KR39VPWVC

Will report back!

ApoIsland · Jun 18, 2020

Webslinger said:
Use a micro hook/mysis and fish him out. Takes only a few minutes with a hungry damsel.

I've done this with a blue damsel and it worked perfectly within seconds of the hook being in the water.

Along with the satisfaction of getting the fish out of the tank there is a certain fiendish pleasure usually derived from the feeling of that fish you despise dangling at the end of the line.