I found him...,,.

Well 3 months ago I lost 1 cooper anthias... Or so I thought.

While looking around in my tank as an inspection,
I decided to look into my overflows.

And voilà... My cooper anthias swimming around like nothing.

Idk how to take him out... I tried putting water in but the water just flows down no matter how much I pour. I tried a net but he swims away and can't manouver in the equipment.

Any ideas?

 

ooo i hate it when my fish get in the overflow. I have to take off my canopy and my lights, and my wife holds a flashlight while i use two nets to catch him. Not sure how big or deep your tank is mine is only a 65g so its not that difficult just a PITA.

 

If you don't mind flushing him through your piping, you can remove your stand pipe.

Those are a very good looking anthias. Congrats on finding him.

 

it's easy... turn off your return pump, then siphon as much water out of the over flow as you can to allow him to still be submerged, but without leaving him any room to swim around, then scoop!

In case you can't tell, I've done this before...

once you figure it out, you'll can't believe you hadn't thought of it already

 

Mine is a 150... I have no clue how to make him come up..
Can't use a big net as it wont fit.
I'll try the siphoning the water thing.

 

Not as efficient as siphoning the overflow... But what about using your hands? Like bring him to the top without allowing any escape and either allowing no escape or else making him jump back into tank

 

Bad idea, it will most likely get stuck and then what will he do. I would try try the siphoning idea.

If that doesn't work try two long dowels, attach a piece of netting to them, creating a pocket at the bottom. Slide it down to the bottom against the pipes and when you get to the bottom push it flat against the side of the overflow and lift.

I had to help a friend rescue one of his GB Maroon clowns this way, took us a couple of try but it worked.

 

if it is that tight, flushing may be the only option. Good luck on drpooing the water level to scoop him out. I pitty the fish I have to flush down my system. 20 ft of pipe for them to go thru. just make sure you have removed the filter sock.

I had one of those CPR overflows. it worked great but killed a few fish. I had the following go into it.

1. baby maroon clown. died
2. blenny. died
3. Kole Tang. Died
4. Powder brown tang. LIVED! lost a pectoral fin, was scratched to pieces but is still alive and perfect today.

 

Congrats on finding the fish, best of luck getting it out

 

this may be the stupidist idea ever

but what about
turning off the pumps, and dropping bioballs or anything else thats easily removed later into the overflow to raise the level of the water and thus fish until its close enough to surface to capture by hand

the old bird getting at the water trick?

Steve