Guest racerboy769 August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 Last night I fed the fish and performed my normal count and came up one short. I looked everywhere and couldn't find Nemo... I know that he likes to sleep upper right corner of the tank near the overflow... At first I didn't see him so I tested the water params... Everything is stable.. I broke out the flash light and looked high and low even in the sump... Finally I located him in the overflow... I put a little food in there for him and than tried to put a net in there.. No go.. I can't even get my hand in there... He swam all the way to the bottom... It's 29" deep so I can't get all the way in there.. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ne0eN August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 That happened once to my gf's tank. I was able to get him out using my hand. Most nets can be bent in shape so that would be my approach. Just bend the net in a L shape and try to scoop him up. Depending on what you have in your overflow, you can also buy a smaller net. Use a net and a stick to guide him into the net. After about 30 minutes of trying you will be an expert in overflow Nemo catching. Let us know how it goes. Once you fish him out, you may want to rethink your overflow design. Simply adding some egg-crate or netting will prevent this from happening again. (thats what I had to do) -Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeltwayBandit August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 Well now. I have direct and specific experience with just this problem. I have a firefish and used to have a clown that would surf the overflows. Couple of options. First, you can try to bend the net so that you can actually get it into the overflow. Then use a "tickle stick" to gently herd the fish towards the top and attempt to scoop them out. This method is very slow, very stressful for the fish and the aquarist. It sometimes works. Another option, I'm assuming that you have a durso overflow. Take a plastic bag and place it over the drain, so the overflow fills up. If you only have 1 overflow you will have to shut off your pump once you have filled the overflow to the top. This gets the fish closer to you, and over some of the obstructions. With my firefish I just do this and then teast them to the top where they will then jump right back into the tank. You might not be so lucky with the clown, but it is much easier to scoop them with the overflow completely full than with it at its normal level. Just remember patience. Thirdly, you can wait till they surf to the sump, but this is also not the best option as the fish can get hurt by that trip as well. I have had fish live for over a month in my overflow when I couldn't get them out. Hope this helps. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 Try and block the overflow tube, slightly over fill the tank so it can swim out. I mentioned "slightly" over fill, not OVER FLOW. :D I use gutterguard like screen to block the rim of my overflow. HD has it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ne0eN August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 Didn't the real 'Nemo' do the same exact thing? For the next few days watch out for pieces of rock stuck in the pump impeller. And whatever you do, never put the fish in bags close to an open window. -Rob (watched Finding Nemo way too many times...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocko918 August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 When my cleaner Wrasse was in my over flow, i removed the stand pipe and drained the water in the over flow to the sump. Turn off the pump before you remove the pipe and this will create a suction and hopelly he will travel to the sump, then you can net him there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest racerboy769 August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 AWESOME ADVICE EVERYONE!!!! THANKS... I will work on this tonight PROJECT NAME "SAVE NEMO" P.S. The fish would have a long way to the ocean if they were planning an escape. I guess they have cab money or something :-)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 I use gutterguard like screen to block the rim of my overflow. HD has it How did you attach the gutter guard Chip? I ave a Lifereef overflow and really need to get it protected so a snail doesn't wander in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yomeister66 August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 I have had my clownfish, damsel and goby stuck in the overflow of my 110. (All of them while they were quite small) They'll be fine in there for quite a while since there's water motion, light and excess food flowing through (I hadn't seen my - juvenile -diamond watchman goby for months when I discovered him on the bottom of the overflow)...no idea how long he'd been in there). I unplug the pump, pull the standpipe out and put a net over the drainhole, letting the water drain all the way down. With only an inch or two of water left in the overflow, it's easy to scoop up the wayward adventurer. Once they grow a bit, they won't get sucked in anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ne0eN August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 Hmm, maybe that's where my two missing firefish gobies escaped to... -Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 August 23, 2005 Share August 23, 2005 I agree with pulling the standpipe and draining the overflow. Just put a net at the bottom so you can catch it as it comes flying out and remove it from the flow right away so it doesn't get battered too much by the water rushing by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest racerboy769 August 29, 2005 Share August 29, 2005 PROJECT "SAVE NEMO" was a success... I stop the pump and removed the stand pipe which drained the water to the sump where I had a net waiting. Out popped Nemo a little shaken but okay. At the same time I vacuumed the sump and performed a 20 gallon water change. Thanks everyone..... I have place a small net over both of the overflow boxes.. (Just one more thing to clean :-)) I had a temperature spike this weekend also.. It jumped up to 84.4.. I will monitor.. I added a fan to the sump and this morning it was 81.3... It usually stays between 80.1 and 82.0...The lowest it has ever been is 79.4... I really think it was my 20 gallon water change. I didn't use the digital thermometer and It must be a faulty heater thermostat on my spare heater. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCDeacon August 29, 2005 Share August 29, 2005 Glad to hear Nemo is ok. How did you go about vacuuming out your sump? I've wanted to do it but never have the time/patience to do it by using a baster, which is the only way I figure I can do it since it sits on the floor and is too low to drain into something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL August 29, 2005 Share August 29, 2005 Didn't the real 'Nemo' do the same exact thing? For the next few days watch out for pieces of rock stuck in the pump impeller. And whatever you do, never put the fish in bags close to an open window. -Rob (watched Finding Nemo way too many times...) 37408[/snapback] meybe someone should tell Gill to quit trying to escape!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest racerboy769 August 29, 2005 Share August 29, 2005 Glad to hear Nemo is ok. How did you go about vacuuming out your sump? I've wanted to do it but never have the time/patience to do it by using a baster, which is the only way I figure I can do it since it sits on the floor and is too low to drain into something else. 37818[/snapback] I use a 5 gallon wet/dry vacuum. It's partially how I perform my water changes.. I connect a clean tube to the vac. The tube is narrow so that I don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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