is it going to hurt that a fish dies in my overflow?

[goodreeef]

I don't see any way i can get him out? Even my small net(2 inches wide) is to big.

[Sharkey18]

Pic? 

[makai531]

Is it still alive? If not, a bamboo skewer with a pointed end works well (know from experience). 

[gmerek2]

It will become a floater eventually making it easy to pluck out. But in a well maintained tank it shouldn't hurt anything if it were to decompose

[camelcruiser]

Turn your return off and drain the water out of the overflow until there is just a little water left it will start jumping catch it then well if the fish is still alive.

[Coral Hind]

What type of tank and overflow do you? What type and size fish? Need more info or pics to help you out.

[icsparks]

I have had this problem before and ended up removing most of the water from the overflow area box and then pulled out the tube reached down inside with my hand and got the fish out.He was a red hawk fish and was in no way going to die in there without me getting him out. After that i made covers for the overflows.

[jaddc]

Sorry about your loss.

 

A fish once died in my rock work. I got him out using a small baster. The suction on his side was able to lift him out.

[Coral Hind]

I have some narrow tongs made for aqua-gardening that work well for grabbing things like dead fish. See the link below of what I have.

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3728+12755&pcatid=12755

[Rob A]

Is it small enough to fit through decent sized siphon hose? Maybe you could siphon it out? I've had a few ride the pipes into the sump so they could handle a siphon hose. Whether or not it would cause much in the way of contamination depends on the size of the fish and the size of the tank. Tiny fish in big tank, probably not too much trouble.

[mling]

Having had this happen one time too many is why I now have a egg crate cutting covering my overflows.  I was lucky and persistent enough to catch the fish before it died, with a small and long net.

[hypertech]

I've had fish live for months in the overflow.  Not on purpose - fish I thought died and turned up in the overflow.

 

Drain it down as far as you can and scoop him out.  Then consider something like this: http://www.limpitsreef.com/D-Shaped-Overflow-Cover.html