hilgert
07/09/2013, 10:35 PM
Over the years I have seen many an aquarist lament their decision to add damsels to their system. The little bastards look pretty, but they grow up to be evil, mean, bullying, food suckers.
However, there is hope...several years ago I devised a whacky scheme to catch these hellish creatures.
When I stupidly added damsels many years ago into a 180, very heavily stocked with rock and such, I tried and tried to catch them but never could. Then I thought about how to use their greed against them, and noticed they were always the first to race to the food without any thought.
So, I "trained" them for a week by walking up to the tank the same way, the same time, every day for feeding. After they had this "pattern" in their head, I went to a local sporting goods store (Bass Pro Shop in my case) and purchased the thinest fishing line they had, and the tiniest fish hooks (I was surprised how small they actually had...which is why you need to find a specialty store and not a Walmart).
I then thawed out a cube of large, juicy mysis shrimp, and carefully stuck one on a hook. I walked up to the tank the same way I usually did, at the same time of day, and dropped the hook in. I don't think it had been in the water for more than 10 milliseconds, with the initial splash from the hook's entry into the water still in the air, before the first damsel grabbed it. I repeated the process again 4 more times (I had 6 of the little beasts). Only Number 6 was a bit wary ("Hey, where did everybody go?"), so I waited a few minutes and then tried again...and he took it.
Thus ended my damsel damnation of destruction. It's also a good story to tell folks about how I went fishing in my own tank.
However, there is hope...several years ago I devised a whacky scheme to catch these hellish creatures.
When I stupidly added damsels many years ago into a 180, very heavily stocked with rock and such, I tried and tried to catch them but never could. Then I thought about how to use their greed against them, and noticed they were always the first to race to the food without any thought.
So, I "trained" them for a week by walking up to the tank the same way, the same time, every day for feeding. After they had this "pattern" in their head, I went to a local sporting goods store (Bass Pro Shop in my case) and purchased the thinest fishing line they had, and the tiniest fish hooks (I was surprised how small they actually had...which is why you need to find a specialty store and not a Walmart).
I then thawed out a cube of large, juicy mysis shrimp, and carefully stuck one on a hook. I walked up to the tank the same way I usually did, at the same time of day, and dropped the hook in. I don't think it had been in the water for more than 10 milliseconds, with the initial splash from the hook's entry into the water still in the air, before the first damsel grabbed it. I repeated the process again 4 more times (I had 6 of the little beasts). Only Number 6 was a bit wary ("Hey, where did everybody go?"), so I waited a few minutes and then tried again...and he took it.
Thus ended my damsel damnation of destruction. It's also a good story to tell folks about how I went fishing in my own tank.