Fish in Overflow

[intarsiabox]

I have a yellow watchman goby that has been at the bottom of my overflow for the last 6 months. He is now as big around as he is long. It is very cramped so I can't get a net to the bottom to catch him. Anyone have any ideas about how to get him out? He won't swim off the bottom even if I bribe him with a piece of shrimp.

[phi delt reefer]

I have a yellow watchman goby that has been at the bottom of my overflow for the last 6 months. He is now as big around as he is long. It is very cramped so I can't get a net to the bottom to catch him. Anyone have any ideas about how to get him out? He won't swim off the bottom even if I bribe him with a piece of shrimp.

turn off your return pump and let the display tank volume settle so its no longer "overflowing" into the overflow.

siphon the water out of the overflow until its almost at the bottom then reach in and grab the guy slap him around and yell him to teach him a lesson. Throw him back in the display and get some quarter inch mesh and cover your overflow or the entire tank.
:mrgreen:

goodluck

vince

[intarsiabox]

That's a great idea but I'll first have to find something I can grab him with. I don't have enough room to get my hand in but if I take out my emergency stand pipe it might just do the trick. Thanks!

[Ross]

That's a great idea but I'll first have to find something I can grab him with. I don't have enough room to get my hand in but if I take out my emergency stand pipe it might just do the trick. Thanks!

Turn off the water, let the over flow fill to the same level as the tank, then stick a large diameter hose in there and blow as much air as your lungs can can in below the fish.

Eventually the bubbles lift them out...

Worked for my 6 line that wedged its self into a corner and wouldnt budge.

[intarsiabox]

Well I got the fish out! I drained the overflow down to 1/2" of water from the bottom, got a small net and used a plastic claw extention to hold and grabbed the goby. I put him in the display tank, filled up the overflow again, turned around to get the mesh lid and the little bugger jumped up into the air and right back into the overflow. Repeated the process but this time left him in the net until the lid was back on before releasing him. He is currently staring at me and swishing his tail very angerily. Thanks for the ideas!

[Wayne]

LOL That is funny how he jumped back in :lol:

At least he didn't jump into the empty overflow box!

[intarsiabox]

I had the wife helping me, she didn't think it was very funny when we had to start over again!

[Wayne]

I had the wife helping me, she didn't think it was very funny when we had to start over again!

LMAO!!!

[Murminator]

I just pulled the pipe off the bulkhead and let the whole overflow drain into the sump and fished him outta there

[intarsiabox]

I just pulled the pipe off the bulkhead and let the whole overflow drain into the sump and fished him outta there

This was going to be my next step if I couldn't net the fish from the bottom but I was concerned that A: a lot of the water would end up on the floor as my sump sits just under the edge of the bottom holes and B: the fish wouldn't go with the water and end up high and dry on the bottom of my over flow until I could push him down the hole.

[globaldesigns]

I am just howling... Darn fish, glad you got him both times.

[intarsiabox]

I have to admit the stupid fish is smarter than I thought!

[Murminator]

This was going to be my next step if I couldn't net the fish from the bottom but I was concerned that A: a lot of the water would end up on the floor as my sump sits just under the edge of the bottom holes and B: the fish wouldn't go with the water and end up high and dry on the bottom of my over flow until I could push him down the hole.

I left the bottom plumbing hooked up he went through it unscathed it was a firefish he couldn't out swim the whirlpool :lol:

[intarsiabox]

That would have worked for me as well. I was thinking that I glued the pipes into the bulkheads but that would just have been silly because where's the water going to leak, into the output line anyway. They were just press fit in and I could have easily twisted one of the stand pipes out. Hopefully I have this thing buttoned up enough now that I won't have to try your method next!